Finger Whistles or not?

[Stripe]

The mechanics my association taught was to have the lanyard whistle in your mouth but drop it at the snap, then go to the finger whistle. I tried that for a while but couldn't get compfortable with it. I worried to much about IW. I've gone to just the finger whistle and when you work with it enough, you can get quick with it.

[Rick KY]

I am an umpire, and I use a finger whistle. I am not against using a lanyard, and have tried both. I tried using a Smitty, and would spit the whistle at the snap and use my finger whistle after that. Now I just use the finger.

When I was HL I used a lanyard. I actually extended the lanyard by adding a Smitty to the regular to make it longer. I would hold the whistle in my mouth until the snap. Then I'd hold it in my left hand while covering the play. I could easily get into my mouth when I needed to and use my arms to stop the clock if needed. I found this easier than letting it hang loose and try to find it when I needed it. It would end up in pocket and over my shoulder. Adding the Smitty made it easier to hold in my hand without limiting my movement or running.

[Rich]

I am an R and I use a neck lanyard.

Whistle in the mouth prior to the snap and drop it at the snap. Sometime between then and the end of the play I find the whistle and hold it in my hand.

I've tried the finger whistle and it just isn't for me. Of course, I had 7 years of basketball in before I started working football a dozen or so years ago.

[mcrowder]

Neck lanyard. At R and U, whistle in the mouth until the snap, then catch the whistle in my right hand as I spit it out. On a turnover as R, I will put it in my mouth and run with the play.

At L, LG, BJ, I keep it in my mouth unless the play goes the other way, at which point I drop it and catch it with my right hand. If it comes back my way or we are approaching the GL, I put it back in my mouth.

[MJT]

No finger whistle.
Don't like it and seen to many one armed signals.
Do the same for HS and College.

[Bob M.]

REPLY: Count me among the "silly." I use a finger whistle and have for 25+ years. I don't give one-armed signals. A short tweet and then give the signal. Works fine for me.