I get jabbed occasionally by fellow officials for not wearing one. Like everyone else I cut my teeth in basketball doing CYO, YMCA youth leagues, and adult wreck ball 20+ years ago. Once after an adult game ended badly a player came up behind me and grabbed my lanyard and tried to rip my head off. Back them smitty's and break away's didn't exist. They were just the thick rope that hung in front. I swore to never have that happen again. It took awhile to get used to it, but I haven't dropped my whislte well over a decade. I always carry a spare in my right pocket just in case.

Kinda silly isn't it. 98.3% of anyone in attendance wouldn't even notice. Only people who frequent forums like this would only notice. The use of no lanyard would be 650th on the list of why fans think we suck out there. Peronally he is probably just jealous he doesn't have the coordination to do it himself.:p

Kinda silly indeed, along with the insistence of using the weaker NFHS block and PC signals, and pointing with four fingers closed together.

If I may...

These are a lot of times the same who offer good constructive criticism (Most times). No matter how long you have done this a second eye is always beneficial in striving for excellence. Then you stay and watch the first QTR of the V game. You notice similar inconsistencies and non-approved techniques. Extremely small (like the ones they mentioned to you), but still ever present. It is even better when one of these men are 30-40 pounds overweight. I am never going to tell someone that they are fat. But come on....if you need a system of belts, pulleys, and levers to hold in all your chubby's maybe me missing a lanyard shouldn't be the focus.;)

I don't (and likely never will) use a lanyard for soccer. I do (and likely always will) use a lanyard for basketball.

In soccer the whistle is in my hand 99.9% of the time (it really should be 100% but I sometimes will switch hands while holding it in my mouth). I'd worry about dropping it in basketball since it would be out of hand so often.

I tried the "noose" lanyard a couple of times but I switched to the "break away" lanyard after coaches were telling that I wasn't using the "noose" lanyard properly, :p.

As far as officials (NFHS, NCAA, FIBA, and NBA/WNBA) that do not use a lanyard at all, my opinion is this: It looks sloppy as the dickens. And I do let partners that do not use a lanyard what my position is on the matter.

MTD, Sr.

That's fine, just don't be a dickens to them.

Rich "Uncle" Pennybags ???
 

So you're a tenonaire?

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.48405...=146&h=126&p=0

Curious why so? My whistle go from my pocket to my mouth back to pocket. Sloppy is some string dangling from my shirt I have to keep shoving back into my mouth. I went through this with all my kids and thier binkies.

I've always been told that if you go sans lanyard, then you should be able to do all signals w/o having to put the whistle in your pocket.

I don't get it why would that matter? There are guys who use lanyards that can't do all the signals.:D

It looks better and smoother than always having to reach into your pocket while reporting.

Don't listen to APG. Joey puts it in his pocket so can you! In fact, you should emulate everything Joey Crawford does.

Joe is the only guy I can think of, off the top of my head, that regularly does this...everyone else...and especially the newer officials don't...but Joe Crawford is...well Joe Crawford, and can do what he wants. ;)