Maccabiah

Discovering the origins of key words in sport

DAZN News

DAZN

Subscribe now to watch over 150 fights per year

Sports are not just about the games; they’re about the language and lore that have grown around them.

Certain terms, so integral to their respective sports, have fascinating origins.

Let’s dive into the history behind some of these iconic words.

Love (Tennis)

The term 'love' in tennis is used to represent a score of zero. Its origins are debated, but the most widely accepted theory ties it to the French word 'l’oeuf,' meaning 'egg.'

The round shape of an egg resembles the numeral zero, and English speakers likely adopted a modified version of the word. Over time, 'l’oeuf' morphed into 'love,' creating one of tennis's most curious terms.

Hat-trick

The term “hat-trick” originated in cricket during the mid-19th century. It was first used to describe the achievement of a bowler taking three wickets in three consecutive deliveries.

To honour such a feat, it became customary for fans or teammates to gift the bowler a hat. The term later transcended cricket, becoming a universal expression for three consecutive successes in sports like football and hockey.

Try (Rugby)

In rugby, the term 'try' stems from the sport’s early days. Originally, a try was not worth any points. Instead, grounding the ball in the opponent’s in-goal area allowed a team the opportunity to 'try' for a goal by kicking the ball through the posts.

Over time, the 'try' became a scoring play in its own right, and its name stuck.

Touchdown al volo in NFL Getty

Touchdown (American Football)

The term 'touchdown' in American football harks back to its rugby origins. Early versions of the game required players to physically touch the ball down in the end zone to score.

While this rule no longer applies, the name remained, and a touchdown is now scored simply by advancing the ball into the end zone.

Grand Slam (Tennis and Golf)

'Grand Slam' originates from the card game bridge, where achieving a 'grand slam' means winning all possible tricks in a hand.

The term was later adopted in sports like tennis and golf to describe the ultimate achievement of winning all the major titles in a calendar year.

While in cards it applied to winning all four hands (hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades) in sport it generally came to mean the four biggest events (e.g. Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open).

Bogey (Golf)

In golf, the term 'bogey' initially referred to a standard score set for each hole, akin to today’s par.

The term originated in 1890s England, inspired by a popular music-hall song about a mischievous character called 'The Bogey Man.' Players referred to a 'bogey' as the score they aimed to match, though it later evolved to mean one stroke over par.

Eishockey Bully Puck Schläger 31102010 Getty Images

Puck (Hockey)

The hockey puck’s name derives from the Scottish Gaelic word ‘puc’, meaning 'to poke' or 'to strike.' The term reflects the action of striking the puck with a stick, which is central to the game.

Ace (Tennis)

As with 'grand slam' this one also has its origins with cards. The term 'ace' in tennis comes from card games, where an ace card often represents a point of high value.

In tennis, an 'ace' refers to a serve that is so good it is unreturnable, giving the server an immediate point.

Pitch (Football)

The term 'pitch' in football comes from the old English practice of 'pitching' or marking out a playing field. It became synonymous with the playing surface itself and is still used today, particularly in British English.

Sign up to a DAZN subscription to watch the very best boxing

DAZN is the home of boxing, broadcasting over 150 fights a year across boxing, bare knuckle boxing, MMA and crossover boxing.

It is not just about fight night, a DAZN membership also includes access to documentaries and features, weekly boxing magazine shows, live fight watchalongs, press conferences, weight-ins, open workouts, exclusive interviews and access to training camps, and podcasts and vodcasts.

Signing up for a subscription right now, with both annual and monthly options, will get you a ringside seat to the biggest fights in 2025.

Error code: %{errorCode}