Yellow Flags

My son is playing lacrosse this season.  I'm not a fabulous sports mom, but I really enjoy watching this game.  It's kindasorta like football, except they give the kids big sticks with which they beat the crap outta each other.  Oh yeah...and the ball is really little and you have to be able to run around with it in a basket that is PURPOSELY made to NOT hold it, while all the other kids are beating you with their sticks to make you drop it.  
I was talking to some other parents last weekend about the rules.  It seems as though the rules tend to be somewhat arbitrary as well, which adds to the interest of this game.  For example, I've seen kids jab, whack and shove other kids...no problem.  HOWEVER...if a kid steps over one of those lines painted on the grass-THAT'S IT!  Or, you might see one of the boys jam his stick up another boys armpit and successfully remove a major organ.  HOWEVER, if he were to tap someone gently on the back, away from the "stick hand," flags go a-flyin.' 
Speaking of which, I love the little yellow flags. In other sports, penalties might just be announced with a whistle and some bizarre gesture from the guys in the black and white stripes.  In lacrosse (LAX), penalties are highlighted by cute little yellow missiles that the referees toss up high into the air.  Every time I see one (even if it's on my team...sorry) I smile really big and think (or say), "WHEEE!!!"  I'm considering getting a bunch of them and just carrying them around with me for funsies.  I could use them in pertinent situations, like at parties.  I see a dumb boy hitting on a girl that is way outta his league and I could blow a whistle and lob in my little yellow toy and scream, "Off her sides!"  heh heh  I think I'd wanna have one of those referee shirts, too.  I understand that vertical stripes are supposed to be quite slimming.