Jonathan, you have 'The Most Dangerous Match' confused with 'The Most Crucial Game'. TMDM was the one with the chess game. TMCG was the one with Hanlon and football.
But to answer your question, that confused me for a while too, until I realized that Hanlons office is not the same as his 'box', where he was watching the game from and where he allegedly made the call to Eric.
I wasn't so crazy for The most dangerous match. I think I missed all the glamourous surroundings that went with so many of the previous films, & I wasn't thrilled with the ending all hinged on the murderer being deaf & that crushing machine.
It was good but just not in my list of favourites.