Penalty Flags

[JoeZagorski]

Hi Guys!
Hey, can any of you guys confirm (or deny) this? I heard that penalty flags used to be white in color. Is that true? If so, when did they go from white to yellow in color? Also, were they ever any other colors besides white and yellow? Thanks for any info that you can provide.
Sincerely,
Joe Zagorski

[JuggernautJ]

NFL penalty flags were colored white until 1965, when the color was changed to yellow. Penalty flags in college football were red until the 1970s, before also being changed to yellow.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penalty_flag

Wikipedia is your friend.

In 2022, the Canadian Football League changed its flag from orange to yellow.

In October 2013, the NFL planned to use pink penalty flags throughout the month as part of the league's breast cancer awareness initiative. This was changed after two weeks, due to confusion with other pink apparel on players and game officials.

In some football leagues, coaches are given a challenge flag of similar construction as a penalty flag. The flag is red in American football and yellow in Canadian football, so it contrasts with the officials' penalty flags. This is thrown by a coach when he wishes to contest (challenge) a referee's decision.

[JoeZagorski]

Thanks JuggernautJ!

Joe Zagorski

[Cali_Eagle]

I once read that before penalty flags were introduced in the NFL (forget the year) the referees used to carry little bulbed horns and squeeze them when there was a penalty to be called. IDK if that is accurate or my memory is playing a trick on me, but if you are researching for a future book, it might be something to try and check out. Or maybe the much knowledgeable folks than I that post here can help with that.

[JuggernautJ]

I once read that before penalty flags were introduced in the NFL (forget the year) the referees used to carry little bulbed horns and squeeze them when there was a penalty to be called. IDK if that is accurate or my memory is playing a trick on me, but if you are researching for a future book, it might be something to try and check out. Or maybe the much knowledgeable folks than I that post here can help with that.

The idea for the penalty flag came from Youngstown State coach Dwight Beede and first used in a game against Oklahoma City University on October 17, 1941. Prior to the use of flags, officials used horns and whistles to signal a penalty. Official adoption of the use of the flag occurred at the 1948 American Football Coaches rules session. The National Football League first used flags on September 17, 1948 when the Green Bay Packers played the Boston Yanks.

From the Wikipedia article above...

[rhickok1109]

I once read that before penalty flags were introduced in the NFL (forget the year) the referees used to carry little bulbed horns and squeeze them when there was a penalty to be called. IDK if that is accurate or my memory is playing a trick on me, but if you are researching for a future book, it might be something to try and check out. Or maybe the much knowledgeable folks than I that post here can help with that.

The idea for the penalty flag came from Youngstown State coach Dwight Beede and first used in a game against Oklahoma City University on October 17, 1941. Prior to the use of flags, officials used horns and whistles to signal a penalty. Official adoption of the use of the flag occurred at the 1948 American Football Coaches rules session. The National Football League first used flags on September 17, 1948 when the Green Bay Packers played the Boston Yanks.

From the Wikipedia article above...

Wow, I was at the game and I didn't even know history was being made!
Of course, I was only 9 years old.

[JoeZagorski]

Thanks Guys!
Joe Zagorski