flag on the play
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
A penalty flag.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Here we go at last. It's Iona's ball on their own 10 yard line; they are in punt formation — wait — there's a flag on the play.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
Used to indicate a problem or issue.
Register: informal, slang
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “flag on the play” mean?
A penalty flag.
Is “flag on the play” formal or informal?
flag on the play is generally slang.