I would just like to pose a question for you all.

Do you prefer to use pea whistles (like thunderer) or a Fox 40 style of whistle for Football?

I have heard different schools of thinking on this, and would like to get your opinions. Also another question that kind of goes along those lines would be to ask people if they prefer short whistle blasts (then use your voice to communicate with players) or longer whistles which themselves stop plays? I know that different situations may cause for the later to occur (like knee down or not), but lets start by talking about your basic 2nd quarter 8 minutes left, 3.5 yard scrimmage run, nothing to intricate.. then move into more complex situations.

Thanks ahead of time for your posts, go at it!

I prefer a fox40 style whistle, my experience with the pea whistle is that the pea gets caught sometimes and the whistle doesn't make any noise. I've heard something about boiling the pea or somthing but I like the fox better, it is also a lot louder then most peas.

Basic whistle is not a short basketball style toot but a little longer than that and that usually stops everything. But them sometimes I use the tweet-tweet-tweet to get attention and stop the play, especially when I feel there might be some extra curricular activity.

Pealess is the way to go. If you don't like the "shrill" of the Fox40, try a Fox Pearl instead. Worked a game recently with 4 guys (including myself) using Fox40's and one guy using an Acme Thunderer, and it was clearly more difficult to hear the guy with the Acme compared to the others.

A short blast will do on most plays. The "funny whistle" (several short blasts in a row) is a great tool, but the "greatness" of this tool is reduced when officials use a funny whistle on regular plays. I know it confuses me when I'm a R, if there are funny whistles without reason. It should be used only when you have a flag or when you need to break something up or otherwise need to get someones attention.

When blowing the ball RFP, I sometimes "extend" the whistle if the stadium is noisy, or when a time-out is over, but a team is not ready. However, when blowing the RFP in a hurry-up, I think one should try to keep it to a short crisp blast, as I want the whistle to end before the ball is snapped.

These were just some thoughts from the top of my head. Any more?

If I'm going to R, I go with a quieter whistle than the thunderer or I'm deaf for a day after the game after about 50 RFP whistles. U's like it too. I've tried to get into the habit of moving away from the U before I blow it ready so the U is still speaking to me by game's end.

If I'm on the wing, I go with the thunderer.

I used the fox finger whistle once last year (borrowed) and I kept jamming it into my gum and top lip - it has a "platform" that raises it up higher than I'm used to with my regular finger whistle. I guess I could get used to it in time, but I nearly split my lip a few times.

i use the fox 40. i only use the fox 40 pearl for hockey. i do not use the pea whistle because it can be confused very easily with the band whistle.

Not good. Then you can't blame the band when you get an IW. Hey, just kidding...never done that.

I use the mini-Fox 40...love it.

What band whistle? Anybody at the game using a whistle stops now or the game continues after they get ejected.
Had a case last year with an afternoon varsity game at a school stadium when I thought one of my crew (a rookie) had blown an IW shortly before the 1st half got over. He said he didn't so I figured it was coming from the stands.
Told the home team head coach to have the guys in the booth have the announcer make a statement about not interfering.
As we're leaving the field at halftime I hear it again. Then realized it was coming from the soccer field right behind the stands.
The soccer coach had the loudest whistle I've ever heard. Had the A.D. take care of that problem.

I use the thunderer but in order to not turn deaf I turn it upside down before blowing RFP. Helps just a bit.

Bob Mc

I started using the American Classic a few seasons ago (its made in the USA and you can get it through Honig's). Its a metal whistle that has a rubber pea that seems to prevent sticking. After every game I clean it with Listerine and an old tooth brush. I put a white tip guard on the mouth-piece and keep an extra one in my pocket. It has a nice tone lower than the Fox 40. I use it with a neck lanyard. I think its perfect for high school football crowd sizes.

I also have a Fox 40 finger whistle but I don't use it much. However, if I was in a big stadium I would probably go with the Fox 40 on a neck lanyard with cushioned mouth guard.

The fox 40 is expected in my association, and long blasts are the norm, unless you need to draw attention to yourself really quick.

Thanks for all your guy's input.

I have never heard the "Funny whistle" term but I will probably use it in the future:).

I wish everyone working R (white hat)
would take ABoselli's advice and take it
easy on the RFP whistle to save the Umpire's
hearing (what is left of it).
I worked with a guy once in CNY and when
he blew his RFP-- that is another frequency
I can't hear !!

I know a HL that uses the American classic and I would have problems hearing him blow the whistle from only 10 yards away. I'll stick to my Fox 40.

Thunderer plastic or metal
 

TO follow up,

I had a metal thunderer for the first 5-6 years growing up as a child, it was my first whistle when I was about 10 years old.

I have since lost that whistle and gotten many others, including a plastic thunderer. Does anyone like that plastic over the metal?

Plastic is nice, doesn't get cold and you can hold it better with your teeth. :)

your whistle needs to be reliable, it can't get jammed, like pea whistles often do. Use the pea-less, it sounds clearer, louder, and people stop when you blow that thing. There's no fear of your lips sticking to the plastic on cold days, and it is better for your teeth.

Everyone on a crew should use the same whistle, because it sounds better.

The only problem with the fox 40 is that i've met a few vetren officials who are hard of hearing.

Say what?
 

Can you repeat that? I could'nt hear you!

lol. The fox 40 can help people with loss of hearing!

Interesting commments.

I've used a plastic whistle with a pea for my entire officiating career and never had one jam. Is this something that you all experience often?

Also, are you guys so organized that everyone working on the same crew blows the same whistle? Impressive.

Maybe it's because we work assignments or maybe we just don't see the importance of having only one type of whistle.

Hmm, I have an idea...
 

Perhaps we should "sound-code" our whistles...

That way at least we can identify where the inadvertent whistle came from...

By the way, the American Classic is a great whistle for you guys who want the "classic" look. And it has a rubber pea so it does not get stuck like a cork one does... Plus its metal so it should last forever (except for the rubber tip-guards that get chewed through after a season or two; but you can get those replaced)...

When I use to use a pea whistle that thing use to jam up and not blow. I remember watching various white hats do it, its rather funny because it does gather a lot of attention lol. That very low shreek when the pea gets stuck. THis is why I switched to the fox40.

Never worked ona crew that all had the same whistles, some have metal, some have plastic, some have peas and some don't!

Re: Hmm, I have an idea...
 

I was told at a camp a few weeks ago that the NFL tried this whistle coding but it did not work. To many different pitches can be confusing and most people can tell one from another anyway.