Marking the Sideline

Carrying my soccer ball and the knotted whistle lanyard down the neighborhood path, I stopped at the park's open grass pitch. Right beside the faded white touchline, someone had left an empty orange traffic cone lying on its side. Instead of kicking aimlessly, I wanted to set up a proper official station. I placed my green-and-white ball into the hollow underside of the cone so it wouldn't roll down the bank. Then, using both hands, I looped the green braided cord cleanly around the cone's rubber tip, letting the metal whistle hang flush against the bright plastic. Seeing the post stand firm and orderly made the whole field feel officially open.