Arrrrrgh! I did it again!

[kentref]

I usually work HL and I never have the whistle in my mouth, even at the snap. I work with a long lanyard that allows me to hold the whistle in my left hand even when I'm running.
In football you don't have to blow the whistle immediately like in basketball so why have it in your mouth?

[OverAndBack]

Originally posted by waltjp
Over? What's the discomfort with the finger whistle? If you don't like how it feels on your finger I'd suggest a wrist lanyard. I've used one for years. I never liked how the finger whistle fit me.

Nah, it's just I haven't gotten comfortable with the mechanics of the whole thing. I work a lot of two-man, and stopping the clock, finding the whistle, signaling to stop the clock, I haven't figured out how to do everything gracefully yet.

I see other guys with the whistle in their mouths and they manage. I guess I just can't do that, but I feel like I'm always trying to find the thing when I need it.

I wish they made a whistle where your first blow activates it and your second blow makes the sound. That would solve a lot of my problems.

Any other suggestions, I'm all ears.

[SoGARef]

Over the 25 years I have worked at HS and D1 level I have worked at every position. At umpire I only use a whistle on a neck lanyard. It is in my mouth from the RFP until the snap, when I let it drop from my mouth. I rarely blow a whistle to end a play from the umpire's position. At referee I used to use a finger whistle, but I didn't like blowing a whistle and attempting to give hand signals at the same time, you know, like when a fumble is returned for a TD and I am standing with my left arm curved to my mouth and my right arm held erect to signal a TD. I tried wrist lanyards and had the same effect. One day in a college game I noticed that the FJ was carrying his whistle in his hand. I asked him about it and he said it allowd him to put the whistle in his mouth when it was time to blow it and still have free use of his hands. I paid attention to him throughout the game and he would run around with it in his hand and then blow it as needed. As soon as he finished blowing the whistle and had no need to continue blowing it he would take it out and place it in one of his front pockets. This allowed him to change out balls, write up penalties or do whatever other duties he had to do prior to the next play. When the RFP was blown he would take it out of his pocket and hold it in his hand.

Over time I developed a modification to this. I took a spring clip like the one used by climbers and wrapped it with black athletic tape and attached my whistle to it. I hold the clip in my clasped hand with the whistle protruding out between my index finger and thumb. The time it takes to raise the whistle to my mouth keeps me from making that quick whistle we call an IW. I am able to clench the whistle in my teeth and blow and signal simultaneously as needed. I then drop the whistle in my pocket until I need to mark the ball RFP. This has work for me for about the last 15 years and I have not had an IW during that time. I have found that this set-up works well for any position, but I still prefer the neck lanyard when at umpire.