Keeping your flag in place
 

Has anyone ever had trouble with their flag coming loose and even falling out of your waistline during a game?

When I'm moving around on the field, my flag continually works itself loose and if I'm not careful, it will eventually fall out. I end up having to tuck it back in before almost every play which, in my opinion, looks sloppy. I've had a couple of plays where I had to run 40+ yards down field only to look back and see my flag lying on the field 15 yards behind me. Then I get the joy of explaining to the coach and my WH why there's a flag on the play (which we would waive off, of course).

I've experimented around with tucking it in my waist line in a couple different locations, and even tucking it into my compression shorts. But it still works itself loose.

I'm a skinny guy, so I can't use my gut to help hold the flag's ball weight against my belt. :D


Any suggestions for keeping the flag in place?

Get a tighter belt.

Or stick the flag in the pocket of your knickers.

Beer. Lots and lots of beer. You won't immediately notice a change, but within a season, or two, you should have much less of a problem. :D

Seriously, though ... I'm a skinny guy, too. However, I don't have a problem to the same degree you do. I, too, have to tuck my flag into my compression shorts. I have to readjust my flag, as well. But only about once or twice a quarter.

Here's some suggestions: Make certain nothing but the ball of the flag is out the top of your knickers. Perhaps you have too much of your flag draped over your belt? Speaking of your belt, tightening it a notch might be a solution. Maybe you can move your flag more out towards your hip so your hip bone can hold it in place better? Or, perhaps you need to buy smaller knickers or tighter compression shorts.

Then again, there's always the beer solution.

I have to where white biker shorts under my knickers to make sure my stripes don't show through. I put the flag in there and leave the weighted end out. Otherwise, just tighten the belt a notch (you do wear a belt, right?)

I wear a hidden tailor flex belt to keep my shirt tucked in and my pants from sliding down. This also helps keep the flag in place.

Just when you thought you had heard it all. :rolleyes: Just give me your flag.

As a back judge I've found that the center weight flag sold by Honigs is just as heavy and carries as much distance as the long toss ball flag. So I've gotten the center weight flag and I stick it in my front pocket. I can get to it quickly and it marks the spot just as well.

I've seen photos of NFL guys hooking their ball flag UNDER their belt. It'll take a longer time for them to tug the flag free, but it isn't going anywhere....

Since I'm not skinny and a flag in the back pocket type guy, I don't have an answer.

However, I thought it interesting that it falls out and not in. I was a mentor to a new umpire a couple of years ago. He was young, extremely fit weight lifter. His flag fell down his pants leg during one of his first games. (I told him that if he was thin, he should get a size smaller pair of pants and move to another position. :) )

This...

How hard could it be to just tuck the flag in your pants? Tighten your belt. What else is there to do?

Peace

Right behind the ball of the flag, I've wound a couple of elastic bands. Kind of a home made ball-type flag. The bands seem to help keep it in place. Before I replace my flag into my pants at the front, I also twist the tail of the flag around and around. That enables me to more easily push the tail of the flag right down into my pants so it stays vertical, only the ball of the flag is showing above the waistband. I wear the flag somewhat to the side so rather than being against soft tissue (my gut!) it is against bone at the top of my hip socket. That seems to help too.
I do wear my belt pretty tight. As with many officials, I wear white compression shorts to stop the stripes showing through and the flag being inside the pants but outside the compression shorts seems to keep it in place pretty well.

Don't recall losing a flag by accident for over 10 years.

If I had a problem with anything, it was beanbags. I now tuck the b/bag behind the belt itself rather than into the pants - it is a little harder to get the bag out, but it stays in place fine.

http://i53.tinypic.com/2uqym4i.jpg

I have the same problem. I have experimented and found that wearing gray sanitary shorts instead of compression shorts under the knickers helps. I also put it more on the side which helps somewhat. I have a bigger problem w microphones. The fly off my belt all night long. Must be the way I run.

I use the long-toss flags as a WH and have the same problem. I've tried tightening my belt till it hurts - no good. I've thought about putting them back in my pockets.

I just might try putting them more to the side - that just might work, thanks!

BTW - Beer isn't the answer - and I'm in Wisconsin where beer is the answer to almost everything.

Back pocket for 54 years. Nothing showing. Has never jumped out.

I can relate, sort of. Recently I lost a bunch of weight. I went from having little bit of a beer gut to almost nothing. I noticed that until I bought smaller pants and belt my flag would work itself loose and almost fall out about every 3 or 4 plays.

I fixed the problem by buying smaller pants and making sure my belt is tight. Not so tight that I'm uncomfortable, but tight enough to be snug.

If that's you, two questions:
1) Where'd you get the orange bean bag?
2) Is that a pencil on your left arm?

3) Lookin' sharp!

He looks sharp except for that ugly patch that Michigan makes us wear.
(They used to change the colors every year.)

Yes, it's me on a game in the UK.

Got the orange beanbag from Honig's, a bunch of us Brits got 'em. One of his regional distributors carries them - don't recall which one it is. I seem to recall reading in REFEREE mag that it was the Supervisor of Officials for Conference USA who started his guys using them as they show up a little better on game film. Likey it is whichever of Honig's regional distributors is in the area of the country where Conf USA are.

Yes, for years I've been sewing a strip of 1" wide black elastic onto a black stripe on my sleeve and I put my bullet pencil there. It holds it in place pretty good, even if the clip is completely broken or become loose. I got fed up of losing my pencil out of my breast pocket when the clip got loose. Never lost one yet from my sleeve.

On a similar subject, you can't see it on the picture, but I also sew on a strip of black elastic to hold my game card in my breast pocket, I got fed up with the card falling out whenever I bent over. The elastic is fastened down on one end with velcro, so it is easy to open to get the card out when I need to write on it.

Yeah, that was still on my shirt from a trip to Detroit back in 2004(?). Had a game almost as soon as I arrived, so only had time to stick it on the shirt with that iron-on stuff. So it had to stay on my shirt, otherwise it leaves a mark from where the iron-on stuff was.

I'm guessing the MHSAA employee who chose red as a patch colour that year had never mistakenly put a red sock in his washing machine...

I think Indiana does the same. It would certainly get old.

They used to use the school colors of the various colleges and universities located in Michigan. They were either round, square or diamond shaped and all in my opinion were ugly as crap. Now we have a permanent patch so we don't have to change them every year.

Pretty neat McGyver!

From another WI guy....try it anyway.

I have the same set-up as the picture above, minus the pencil on the arm...I do like the idea though. I agree...the patch is a bit ugly. Is that an association patch or an additional MI tag on the left arm, or a flag..?

Yes, try it anyway. I'm ashamed I didn't say that. :(

Anyway, had a JV game today so tried the flags off the side. Not perfect, but much better. Probably just have to find the right place. But I had to move my beanbags to where the flags used to be. Only threw my beanbag by mistake once.

Thanks a lot for the hint.

Happy to license the idea ;)

That's the British Association patch.

Those MI patches were a nightmare. Odd shapes are a **** to sew for someone like me with three left thumbs. Glad to hear that they've finally switched to a permanent one, so the next one I sew on (in less than 2 weeks time!! I'm counting down the days till I fly over) could be the last.

I respectfully disagree. Beer is AN answer, but I advise after the game, not before. I'm originally from WI but now stuck in MN.

Good for you....my brother moved full time to Ham Lake (N. of Twins) about 15 years ago. Great place. Trust me...you could be "stuck" in much worse places here in the US. Unfortunately, he has taken on the local sports teams as his own, so now the Viking/Packer games have a bit more meaning to them with me...especially with Mr. Waffle Iron up there.

I want to join you in chastising your brother, but I did it with the Twins. Oh, I still like the Brewers and follow them. But I had a job with the Twins when I moved here 10 years ago, so you get kind of bonded. The wife is a die-hard Twins fan too, so it just makes sense.

Never leaving the Pack! GO PACK, GO!

Two Flakes, where will you be? If it's somewhere in the Detroit Metro area I could probably come see you work and say hello.

That would be a laugh.

Will be in Ann Arbor (staying with Dick Honig) 29th Sept thru 12th Oct, with a short trip down to Findlay,Ohio to visit with Jack Winters(MAC referee) on 4th Oct.

MSU@Michigan tickets are lined up for us (fingers crossed!).

As for games, our schedule is still being sorted out. Being "foreigners", we're just happy to take whatever slots can be found for us. My last trip in 2007, I had a terrific Thurs night JV game - a 44-50 shootout at Taylor Truman. Wyandotte were the visitors I think.
Dick Weiss of the Michigan Officials Association usually tries to sort us out with some JV games in the Metro area. He generally lets us know a day or two beforehand what he has for us.

I think some Sunday munchkin football is on the cards again. Did that for the first time back in 2004. Brilliant fun - some of those kids barely came up to my ankles :D