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In sport, a man of the match or player of the game award is given to the outstanding player in a particular match. Such awards are often organised by the television broadcaster. In professional sport the award itself may involve cash, a trophy, or a celebratory magnum of champagne, but in amateur sports, especially collegiate sports in the United States, such material prizes are often forbidden and the award is purely honorary.

The award is given to the player who makes the most impact in a match. This can be a player from either team, usually the winning team. Some sports have unique traditions regarding these sorts of awards. These awards are especially sought after in championship or all-star matches, for instance, the National Football League's Super Bowl MVP award or the Australian Football League's Norm Smith Medal, awarded for the best player on the ground in an AFL Grand Final.

Contents 1 Cricket 2 Football (soccer) 3 Rugby 4 United States college basketball and football 5 Hockey

In cricket, the Man of the Match award may be given to the highest scoring batsman, leading wicket taker or best overall performance. The award typically--though not universally--goes to a player on the winning team. Occasionally, the award will be made for outstanding fielding (including wicket keeping) or captaincy.

See also: 2006 FIFA World Cup: Man of the Match Awards

In football, the award typically goes to a player on the winning side. Players who score a brace or a hat trick, or goalkeepers who keep a clean sheet under resounding pressure often get the award, which can be presented in the form of the match ball or a bottle of champagne. Sometimes it is said that hat trick scorers receive the match ball whether or not they are officially named man of the match. However, not all tournaments/leagues have an official man of the match award, so sometimes accolades are given by websites/newspapers instead.

In both codes of rugby, the player who wins the award is usually the person who has performed consistently well throughout the game. In televised or sponsored matches, the commentator or company sponsoring the event usually decides who gets the award, and it is presented to the winner after the match. Man of the match is a bigger award in rugby than most other sports, because forwards and full backs can often win it, despite them hardly ever scoring the points.

In college basketball and college football, the two collegiate sports with the most television coverage in the United States, a top player from each team is usually honored as "players of the game." These athletes usually cannot collect material prizes due to NCAA regulations. Instead, television companies broadcasting the game or corporate sponsors will often make donations to the scholarship funds of each school in the names of the winning players.

In ice hockey, the three players who perform best in the game, often top goalscorers, are usually designated the "three stars" of the game: the top-performing player is the "first star", and so on. This tradition originated in the 1930s as a promotion for a "Three Star" brand of gasoline (external link).

A famous variation occurred on March 23, 1944, when Maurice Richard was named all three stars for scoring all five goals for the Montreal Canadiens in a 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Wayne Gretzky was also given all three stars in his last few games of his career.