This term originated in the 1870s from cricket matches that were widely popular in Britain. Similar to baseball in America, cricket requires the bowler to throw the ball as fast as possible, and the batter to hit the ball as far as possible. Since the inception of cricket, fans who entered the cricket field to watch the game have always adhered to one rule: upon entering the gates of the field, they must remove their hats. This signified respect for all players, referees, and spectators on the field. Thus, a hat came to represent respect. Generally speaking, if a bowler can successively throw three perfect balls to dismiss three opposing players, it is quite an extraordinary feat. In such a case, the referee would award the bowler with a hat as a symbol of supreme honor. In short, the original meaning of "hat-trick" was a cricket player scoring with three consecutive balls, thus earning a hat as encouragement. The term only began appearing in print in the 1870s.