They are just as much of a staple in the NFL as the helmets and pads that players don or the marked yards on the field — we're talking penalty flags.
Within that is the phrase that teams, especially coaches, despise hearing: 'Flag on the play.'
Here's everything you need to know about what 'Flag on the play' means in an NFL game.
What is a penalty flag?
For starters, let's begin with the actual penalty flag. It's a small, yellow cloth made up nylon with a sand-attached weight on the bottom that NFL officials usually tuck into their back pockets. The purpose of the weight is so the flags plant onto the field when an official throws it so that it's visible to all in the stadium and many more watching on television.
What does a flag on the play actually mean?
A flag on the play means that an official has pinpointed that a player has committed a penalty. This could be an offsides ruling, a defensive pass interference, roughing the passer, intentional grounding, holding or a host of other penalties that are spotted.
What happens when there's a flag on the play?
When there's a flag on the play, it's a penalty for a loss of yards. For example, a flag on the play penalty for a 'Delay of game' will dock five yards from the guilty team. So will a false start penalty. Holding would be a 10-yard infraction, while a holding penalty would also equal a 10-yard loss. Roughing the passer or a face-mask penalty would spell a loss of 15 yards for the guilty team.