My U started doing FB 2 years ago and came from a basketball background. On the opening KO in his first game he saw a block in the back and blew it dead immediately. This incident definitely sold him on keeping the whistle out of your mouth after the snap or free kick.

The whistle really wasn't the problem, but thanks guys. The clinician's rationale, and mine are simple...

1. If there is a dead ball foul just before the snap, the action is mostly coming at the R, and if I can blast my whistle (before the 2-3 seconds it takes to find the whistle again) then it might save some kid getting creamed because he knows the plays is dead, and another kid doesn't.

2. Its an issue of timing, the "drop the whistle" technique gives a personal physical timing check.

3. 1-handed signals from a ref who is sucking his thumb makes him look like an idiot.

Oh and BTW, the only IW I've had in 10 years was on a fake reverse, I saw "leather" (it turned out to be a muddy shoe that had come off of a player in the pile and gotten wedged under the pretend ball carrier's arm) , put my whistle in my mouth and blew. The ball was 30 yards away.

Again, I'm not advocating officiating fb with a whistle in your mouth all the time. I am advocating if you are going to use a finger-whistle be able to do it without sacrificing your mechanics and signalling abilities, and don't scold a guy for using his whistle 3-5 seconds longer than you do.