The Unwritten Rule That Lets Just 45 Clubs Use Triangular Corner Flags

There is a long-standing English football tradition that stipulates that only 45 clubs can have triangular corner flags.

The more eagle eyed Premier League viewers may have noticed that Selhurst Park’s corner flags are now triangular, rather than the typical square flags seen at most grounds.

This is part of a custom for FA Cup winners that dictates that defending champions have the right to use triangular-shaped corner flags.

As per the BBC, the custom is said to have started upon Cardiff City winning their first and only FA Cup back in 1927, with other clubs subsequently following suit.

While recent FA Cup victors Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool did not participate in the tradition, Leicester City’s King Power Stadium donned triangular corner flags during the 2021-22 season following their own FA Cup triumph.

Other clubs, such as League One side Bolton Wanderers, have at various points used triangular corner flags to commemorate past FA Cup victories. Bolton have won the FA Cup four times, but not since 1958.

Participating in the tradition is at the discretion of each individual club, with the International Football Association Board (IFAB), not regulating the shape of corner flags.

Moreover, in England specifically there is no mention of the shape of the flag in the FA’s regulations.

On making the decision to use triangular corner flags, Palace said: "After that unforgettable day at Wembley on 17 May 2025, we finally joined the winners' circle.

Crystal Palace beat Manchester City in last season's FA Cup final. Image: Getty

"The triangle flags are a simple but powerful reminder of that historic moment. From the stands it might just look like a flag – but for us, it is a symbol of making history."

Palace beat Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley in May to win the first trophy in their history.

The club’s chairman Steve Parish said upon the victory: “Incredible. Incredible. And I think we deserved it for how incredible this group is: the fans, the history, the times we've been denied, I think we deserved it – it was our time. It felt like our time.

“You always knew something would happen, but everything went our way. Dean [Henderson] had the most unbelievable performance. All of them were just incredible, so it feels good.

“Every person that's come to the Football Club has taken us somewhere.”