There have always been a lot of questions when it comes to the National Anthem and addressing the flag.  We’re going to take a look at the proper procedure for displaying the flag, behavior and performance of the National Anthem.

Cornell University Law School’s web site contains US Code for the National Anthem which is a great place to start.  This includes information for the playing of the National Anthem whether or not a flag is available.  Note the part (1), “when the flag is displayed”.  With the abundance of video and electronic message boards at sports events, this includes displaying a pre-recorded or properly animated flag on the scoreboard.

History: 9 Things You May Not Know About “The Star-Spangled Banner”

Flag Day, first celebrated on June 14, 1923 set forth official federal regulations governing the display of the United States flag.  USFlag.org has gone so far as to publish all the information you could ever need to know including the very important Patriotic Customs section which includes information on conduct, pledge of allegiance, display, times of the year for display, and more.  Check it out.  It’s very informative and gets everything from top to bottom.

ABCNews.com: National Anthem Etiquitte: What to Do at a Sporting Event or Political Rally

At sports events, the National Anthem is played, however during tournament games, it’s quite possible that a game begins without the National Anthem being played.  The general consensus is to play the National Anthem prior to the first happening (pitch, faceoff, etc.) before the first game of the day, of that session.  So if you have a doubleheader in which both games are played off the same admission (stadium is not cleared), one National Anthem is played.  However, a day-night doubleheader, or a when the facility is cleared of spectators, the National Anthem should be played before the start of each session.

In the middle of May, before an NCAA softball game, which was the third game of the session that day, fans expected the National Anthem to be played.  When it wasn’t, the fans took over.

Cajuns fans, upset that the national anthem wouldn’t be played a second time today, just started singing. Awesome. pic.twitter.com/5jLsLTDU9d

— Luke Johnson (@LukeJohnsonAdv) May 17, 2015

Ragin’ Cajun Report: Ragin’ Cajuns fans belt out the anthem at NCAA Lafayette Regional

While this does seem very patriotic, it is against the general rules of playing the National Anthem.  A lot of people blame the production for not doing it, however it’s not within the generally accepted guideline of the National Anthem to do so.  This, however, was not the case during a high school tournament in Texas on May 30, 2015

As ABC13 Eyewitness News reported on Sunday,

“Before the start of the playoff softball game between Katy and Brazoswood, players were along the baselines waiting for the start of the Star-Spangled Banner. After a short delay, the PA announcer said they were having technical issues and would skip the national anthem and go straight to the game.”

Yes, technical difficulties happen.  And it’s dealing with them that can make or break a good announcer and/or game operations.  With technology the way it is these days, you don’t simply need a CD, but can also have a cassette tape of the National Anthem.  And with all the smart phones, getting a National Anthem and playing it over a microphone is not that hard to do.  But neither is making sure you have a copy of the National Anthem on every smart device you have.  It takes up 3-4K at most and you can put it on everything you might carry with you that plays music.

Billboard: 10 Worst National Anthem Performances Ever

Should you plan to have a performer sing the National Anthem, make sure they have had the chance to hear themselves on the sound system.  You also want to make sure they can perform the anthem correctly, by matching all notes and words.  Otherwise, you can set yourself up for an embarrassing moment.

Bleacher Report: Embarrassing National Anthem Fails

We hope you get a lot out of this piece and it is informative for you.  Please feel free to share this information with others.