Flags -- Red, White and Blue

[Ed Hickland]

There seems to be some controversy over where to wear the Stars and Stripes.

For the past two seasons it was worn over the pocket on the left side of the shirt closet to the heart.

Now we have been told it should be worn on the back of the shirt under the collar.

My personal opinion is it looks best properly worn on the chest.

What do you do?

[SoGARef]

Ed,

Who came up with the crazy idea of wearing it on the back under the collar? For some reason that seems disrespectful to me! In GA a certified official must wear a certified state patch over his chest pocket so that eliminates that local for us. The NCAA had us wear them over the left chest pocket as you describe. I believe that in GA the flag could be worn on the right shoulder. The GA association patch is worn on the left shoulder. GA also allows for an association patch to be worn on the right shoulder or on the hat. My local association wears a patch on the pants half way between the zipper and left front pocket about 2 inches below the belt. This is just like the SEC and Gulf South do in the NCAA.

[GPC2]

We (in Louisiana) wear the flag on our right arm, below the shoulder.

[Snake~eyes]

Originally posted by Ed Hickland
There seems to be some controversy over where to wear the Stars and Stripes.

For the past two seasons it was worn over the pocket on the left side of the shirt closet to the heart.

Now we have been told it should be worn on the back of the shirt under the collar.

My personal opinion is it looks best properly worn on the chest.

What do you do?

I like over the pocket. I know some basketball officials wear it on their back, I think that looks good only because they don't have a pocket. Above pocket is the place to go IMO.

[SeanWest]

Our association requires that your shirt have a flag centered one-half inch above the pocket.

-SW---

[jumpmaster]

Being our country is involved in a war, I prefer my flag on my right shoulder with the blue field facing forward. I know it appears as if this is backwards, in reality there is a reason. During the old days when armies faced each other in long lines and began marching towards each other, the flag would unfurl and the blue field would lead the way. Thus, during wartime, the military wears the flag with the blue field forward. During peacetime, the flag was worn on the left shoulder, blue field forward.

Of course, Arkansas does not allow officials to wear the flag at all. GRRRR!

[The Roamin' Umpire]

Our association has always had the flag patch worn on the back, just below the collar.

[JRutledge]

We can only wear it on our right sleeve in Illinois. We have a patch that is on our left that is required by all HS officials.

Peace

[Snake~eyes]

Originally posted by jumpmaster
Being our country is involved in a war, I prefer my flag on my right shoulder with the blue field facing forward. I know it appears as if this is backwards, in reality there is a reason. During the old days when armies faced each other in long lines and began marching towards each other, the flag would unfurl and the blue field would lead the way. Thus, during wartime, the military wears the flag with the blue field forward. During peacetime, the flag was worn on the left shoulder, blue field forward.

Of course, Arkansas does not allow officials to wear the flag at all. GRRRR!

That's how its suppose to be displayed(war or no war), if you put the flag on your shoulder the blue should be facing foward. Like you said, many people think its on backwards.

[ref5678]

flag on the riight sleeve is how it is suppose to be worn in IL (if Worn),and this is also how it is written in the united states flag code

[Matt-MI]

Michigan specifies 2" down from the seam on the left sleeve.

[Theisey]

Originally posted by Ed Hickland
There seems to be some controversy over where to wear the Stars and Stripes.

For the past two seasons it was worn over the pocket on the left side of the shirt closet to the heart.

Now we have been told it should be worn on the back of the shirt under the collar.

My personal opinion is it looks best properly worn on the chest.

What do you do?

### Ed, I'm not sure what the problem is because when the "State" came down with the authorization to wear the flags, it was to be on the back of the shirt from day one.
Last time I looked, the NYC area was still part of the state of NY. Were the officials in your area already wearing flags prior to formal authorization? I can see where some confusion might have resulted if that was the case. However, chapter officers should have read the letter from the state, it was clearly spelled out over two years ago.

Now if we want to argue over where it should be worn, I'm with you 100%. The back of the shirt it a terrible place to have been chosen. I'm with you, on or over the pocket. I wish all state officials could ban together an tell the state office they made a bad choice and to have it moved.

[Edited by Theisey on Aug 29th, 2004 at 12:10 PM]

[Ed Hickland]

Originally posted by Theisey

### Ed, I'm not sure what the problem is because when the "State" came down with the authorization to wear the flags, it was to be on the back of the shirt from day one.
Last time I looked, the NYC area was still part of the state of NY. Were the officials in your area already wearing flags prior to formal authorization? I can see where some confusion might have resulted if that was the case. However, chapter officers should have read the letter from the state, it was clearly spelled out over two years ago.

Now if we want to argue over where it should be worn, I'm with you 100%. The back of the shirt it a terrible place to have been chosen. I'm with you, on or over the pocket. I wish all state officials could ban together an tell the state office they made a bad choice and to have it moved.

[Edited by Theisey on Aug 29th, 2004 at 12:10 PM]

Theisey,

Well, I am on Long Island and we don't participate in the State playoffs and don't believe New York City does either.

We started wearing the flag in 2002 over the pocket in Suffolk. Nassau our neighboring county already had the association patch there and chose the sleeve.

I think we should show our pride and it is our patriotic duty to place the flag in the most prominent and respectful place. We want those among us who don't value our freedom to play football or soccer or whatever they chose, to respect the fact in this country we are free and proud of it. We want our flag to be shown as we come toward you, not as we retreat (on the back). (Drum and fife corps playing in the background).

[sir_eldren]

Hmm...

I'm sorry if this sounds rather un-patriotic, but I refuse to wear one. I am an American, I officiate in America, and wearing an American flag on a uniform just seems a bit stupid. I don't see teams from Mexico or Canada come over to play, and I don't work games outside of the States. A better idea would be for NFHS to require all officials to wear a state flag on the left shoulder (Canadians could comply with this, also, for those who play and officiate across the border).

So what's the point, besides political ideologies that should not be included in the sport?

Bringing that idea into play, I find the notion of refusing to wear the flag just as patriotic as wearing the flag. Fight the power.

-Craig

[JRutledge]

I know that we had some flags that people claimed were facing the wrong way. Just about everyone I know wore them this way with us only having the option to put them on our right shoulder. Someone in our meeting made the issue about the "retreating the flag." A board member in our group made an interesting point. He said "the flags were good enough for the Fire Department; they are good enough for an officials uniform."

sir_eldren,

I agree with you on this as well. I only wear the American Flag on my football crew. I do that because our crew wants to look the same. We work a lot of games together and it makes since. In my other two sports I do not wear a flag at all. One reason I do not is it is extremely rare to find fellow officials that even have a flag on their uniform at all. In basketball where I work with 2 other officials most of the time, one guy might have a shirt with a flag on it and another guy will not have one. So not only because of personal reasons do I feel I would rather not have a flag on my shoulder, you cannot get uniformed with fellow officials. It would have been a waste of money to buy shirts and have flags put on them if no one seems to have them. Sir eldren, I do agree that we do live in America and it seems really silly to have to judge someone's patriotism if you have one or not. I think it is a personal choice and I choose to not wear them outside of my crew. I have my reasons and it really does not matter what others think.

Peace