Field Oddity—Vikings Use Red Flag Markers Every Ten Yards

LOOKING BACK
by John Turney

In the 1969 Western Conference  playoff game in Minnesota in 1969 the Vikings used red flags similar to the ones used to mark the end zone every ten yards.

We are not sure how often the Vikings did this, we think not often. Perhaps the magnitude of the game caused the groundskeepers to do it as part of the pomp and circumstance of the game, at least that is our best guess.

Here are some shots of the phenomena—

You can see the 10-yard line and the flag on the sidelines.

Here you can see the 30-yard line and the flag on the sideline and ten yards further you can see the flag.

Again, you can see the flags one every ten yards.

Here you can see them every ten yards down the sideline.