flag on the play

Noun

flag on the play (uncountable)

1. (slang) A penalty flag.
   • 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.1955, Natalie E. White, The Billion Dollar Saint: A Farce in Three Acts, Dramatists Play Service, →ISBN, page 29
   • In the modern game there is perhaps no phrase more familiar than "Flag on the play!" It is an instant and unmistakable signal to every player, to the benches, and to the fans, that a penalty is about to be enforced by a game official.2012, Robert J. Scott, Myles A. Pocta, Honor on the Line: The Fifth Down and the Spectacular 1940 College Football Season, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 146

   Synonyms:

   laundry

2. (US, informal, slang, uncommon) Used to indicate a problem or issue.
   • Flag on the play, I thought we were going to the mall on Sunday?