I read a few theories on this after I went hunting to find people's thoughts on the book after I'd finished.
1. Dumbledore told Harry in CoS only a true Gryffindor could have pulled the sword out of the hat (from the movie, can't remember offhand what the exact phrasing is in the CoS). Therefore we could assume that because Neville knew what he had to do too, faced it with courage and wasn't afraid etc, he too could pull the hat out just like Harry did, because afterall, Neville is a true Gryffindor too.
2. The Goblin had taken the sword from Harry but he'd not been given the sword. The sword knew that the goblin wasn't it's true owner and because of this found a way to returned itself somehow to the hat.
Somehow I believe the first one more than the second one.
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