Who gets the ball?

[liverpoolfoo]

Hi was having a discussion at work recently... Should more than one player score a hatrick in a game (for either side). Who gets to keep the match ball? I said it is the player who scores the hatrick 1st. Anyone know if i'm right?

[vauny]

There ismore than one matchball in use during a game, so I would think that there would be enough footballs to share amongst the hat-trick heroes .

[mark01]

First player to grab the ball after the final whistle!

[tali1]

First answer is typical ABer nonsense
I would guess home hat trick would have priority over away hat trick - but don't know between 2 home hatricks

[Squitty]

This was an answer from a footy web site

Well, Stuart, it may surprise you to hear that when the sober-suited bods at the FA sat down to write their new-fangled laws and rules in 1886, they failed to set any legislation in place to take care of just such an eventuality (presumably preoccupied with the latest cholera epidemic or playing with their new mechanical adding machine).

But, we consulted with the FA stattos on this one and were told that, though there are no rules, the convention would in all likelihood be that the first player to score a hat-trick would receive the match ball. Thus, as Rocchi completed his hat-trick in the 62nd minute, 14 minutes before Trezeguet made it 3-3, the Empoli striker should have be the one making space on his mantelpiece, which we hope is level or else the ball will keep rolling off it.

As far as Stuart's second question went, there are in fact several examples of three players scoring a hat-trick in one game. The last instance - which, incidentally, is also the last instance of a team scoring 10 goals in an English league game - comes from November 7 1987, when Manchester City beat Huddersfield Town 10-1 in the old Second Division. Neil McNab opened the scoring before Tony ******, Paul Stewart and David White all put him in the shade by scoring three each. We can't say for certain what they did with the match ball, but rumour has it they were shocked at the loud bang as they tried to cut it in three

[ELVIS68]

The first answer is not nonsense, years ago they used the same ball for the whole match, now to save time waiting for the ball to be thrown back when it goes into the crowd they use another one

[tali1]

Fair enough - i suppose the OP means match ball as the one used at the final whistle- but then again it could be a new ball used only for 5 mins

[mark01]

I dont know if any of you can remember.

World cup 1966 - Hurst hat trick.

Who gets the ball - one of the Germans nicked it!

[spudqueen]

vauny - there is only one matchball in use at Anfield during games. We don't have ball boys and a hundred other balls ready to throw back in play. It's just the one ball. Unless it gets stuck up on the roof (I've seen that happen a couple of times) then the game gets held up for a minute or two whilst someone goes and gets another ball!

[Ric.ror]

I wonder when was the last time that happened though. I seem to remember Ole Gunner scoring 4 once when on as a sub and I think Dwight Yorke may have got a hat trick too