Try videotaping it: they say the camera adds 10 pounds. ;)

I have black-ended for our pants and white-ended for our knickers, but keeping the white ended ones white is a battle of fruition. I do like the fact that it does get hidden a little bit. I'm with Rich on this...If I pull it...it's almost certainly going down. However...Anyone who tells you they've never reached and then backed off of a flag throw is either lying or is in their first year.

I do like the fact that the flags can be hidden to a certain degree. If you're wearing flags, bags, a Ready-Ref timer and a towel...you start to look like you're wearing Bat Man's utility belt out there.

Taping to hide the flag is stupid. I thought I made it quite clear that I put tape on in order to get the balance and weighting right, not cause I didn't want (gasp!) a coach to see my flag.

I used black cause it's heavier and you don't need to wrap it as much to get the same weight. I tried athletic tape and I just didn't like it. If someone will send me flag-colored electrical tape, I'll use that.

I don't get why reaching for a flag and not throwing it is a bad thing. It tells everyone that you thought about it and didn't make some knee-jerk reaction. When I see an official grab at but not throw a flag, at least I know his head is in the game. He's taking 2 seconds to think about what happened and make sure he's making the right call. Anyone who questions whether you should have thrown a flag just because you grabbed for it is just looking for a reason - any reason - to question you.

Off soap-box now.

Read much? He didn't say white was stupid and black wasn't. He said taping it to hide it is stupid, and taping it to give it the right weight is not.

And it's not heavy enough.

Tape it up. Sandwich wrap the ball. Tape it on. Stays clean.

Someone needs to explain to me what is the reason they make these flags with with and black tops. Because they did not make the black flags until they started selling the black pants. And if they are not heavy enough what is the reason these flags are made? :)

Peace

Because a lot of officials buy into the (stupid, IMO) mindset that flags should be hidden away until they magically appear on the field.

To the poster a few posts above: It's not great to reach for the flag and pass on it -- it shows indecision and will make both sidelines unhappy. Same for the basketball official that starts raising his hand to call a foul and then thinks better of it and brings his hand down. I can talk my way out of such a situation, but it's better to have a bit slower timing and not reach in the first place.

And the poster above is right -- everyone will do it in their careers and I don't see how that changes if the flag is black or yellow -- you still see the hand reaching for the belt.

I don't know why but Honig's regular ball flags (not long toss) are all too light. I bought a plain yellow one this season in hopes that it would be heavier and it wasn't. Any bit of wind will catch the flag and carry it around.

I took Rich's suggestion and taped it up with black electrical tape and now the weight is just right.

Rich, any suggestions for applying the tape? It was nice and taught at first but has started to loosen up some.

Layers. And once it starts coming off, reapply it from scratch. I think I tried using long pieces of tape and just went around the ball end as many times as I could before cutting the tape.

I must've gotten lucky, because I applied the last layer around Week 8 of the season last year and I've used that flag for about 10 games this season so far and it's still in great shape.

I agree with Honig's flags -- even their long toss flag is inadequate, IMO. And I'm mainly a white hat, who rarely has to launch one.

Thanks, I'll keep tinkering with it until I get it right. I do like the weight of it though.

For those of you scoring at home, it also blends in well with the black shorts but that's not why I did it. ;)

The long toss works well for me though it took some getting used to as I was constantly over throwing the spot of the foul when I first started using it.

I actually like the black tip flags with knickers as well. With the black belt it blends well and also does not look as dirty after being thrown like the white tip flags did.

Whoops. ;)

This seems to work well...

That is not what I wrote.

[3 paragraphs later] :p

Whoops. :o

Then why to officials put their flags in their front or side belt? That is the same reasoning too isn't it? ;)

I do not think anyone said it was a game changer or something that is a career issue. But we do a lot of things as officials that are about procedure more than it is practicality. Heck why do we shine our shoe or why to officials cover any sign of other colors on their shoes but the black parts?

Peace