The term “hat trick” (or “hat-trick”) comes from 19th‑century cricket, where a bowler who took three wickets in three consecutive deliveries was rewarded with a new hat by his club or fans — hence the phrase “it’s a hat trick!”.

How it started in cricket

In 1858, English cricketer H. H. Stephenson playing for an all‑England team in Sheffield took three wickets with three balls in a row against a team from Hallam, South Yorkshire. Spectators were so impressed that they held a collection and bought him a hat as a prize. Over time, the feat itself — three wickets in three consecutive deliveries — became known as “a hat trick,” even beyond that one match.

The first known print use of the term in this sense was in 1865 in the Chelmsford Chronicle, describing such a bowling performance. From there, the term spread into the wider cricketing vocabulary and eventually into other sports.

How it moved into other sports

By the late 1800s and early 1900s, “hat trick” was adopted in many sports to mean any remarkable run of three successes in a row. In football (soccer), it came to mean a player scoring three goals in a single match. In ice hockey, it similarly means a player scoring three goals in one game — and the tradition of fans throwing hats onto the ice comes from a 1940s Toronto promotion where a hat store owner promised a free hat to any NHL player who scored three goals in a home game.

Today, “hat trick” is used in many sports and even in non‑sports contexts, like:

  • Football / soccer: three goals by one player in one match
  • Hockey: three goals by one player in one game
  • Cricket: three wickets in three consecutive balls (still the original meaning)
  • Rugby, water polo, handball: three tries/goals by one player
  • In general English: any set of three successes in quick succession (e.g., “a hat trick of election wins”)

Why “trick”?

The word “trick” here doesn’t mean deception, but rather a clever feat or skilful performance. It’s the same sense as in “magic trick” — a striking accomplishment that feels almost magical. The idea of a conjurer pulling rabbits from a hat may have reinforced the phrase, but the direct origin is definitely the cricket hat reward.

So really, a “hat trick” is short for “a feat so good, they gave you a hat” — and that image stuck for over 150 years.

Trending context (early 2026)
Lately, “hat trick” has been popping up in social media and sports forums tied to big football events (like the Copa América and Champions League) and viral video games where “three in a row” achievements are celebrated with humorous hat references.