Walk into any sports fan’s bedroom, a school hallway, or a college dorm, and you’ll almost certainly spot one on the wall. That long, triangular flag with a team name or slogan printed across it. Those are custom pennants. It’s one of the most recognizable pieces of sports memorabilia in the world, but pennants go way beyond athletics. They decorate homes, celebrate milestones, and carry stories. Here’s everything you need to know about them.
What Does Pennant Mean?
The word pennant comes from a combination of pennon (a small flag) and pendant. A classic definition describes it as ‘a flag long in the fly as compared with its hoist.’ To break that down: the hoist is the vertical height of the flag, usually the wider left side, while the fly is the horizontal length, which typically tapers to a point on the right.
What most commonly makes a pennant a pennant is a short hoist and a long fly that comes to a point. That distinctive triangular shape is what separates a pennant from a regular rectangular flag.
What Is a Pennant Shape?
A pennant is a triangle, specifically a long, tapering triangle with one wide end (the hoist) and one pointed end (the fly). The wide end usually has a hem or a sleeve for attaching to a pole, a string, or a wall. Standard pennant sizes used in sports and decor typically measure around 12 × 30 inches, though sizes vary widely depending on the use.
With custom flags no minimum, you can order exactly what you need, whether it’s a single pennant for a personal project or a larger batch for school events, teams, or brand promotions.
What Is the Pennant in Baseball?
In baseball, winning the pennant is one of the highest honours a team can earn. The term refers to the championship of either the National League or the American League in MLB. The pennant winners from each league then go on to face each other in the World Series — baseball’s ultimate championship.
The phrase pennant race refers to the final weeks of the regular season, when teams compete fiercely for the top spot. This term dates back to the period between 1876 and 1968, when league championships were determined purely by the team with the best end-of-season record. Since 1969, pennant winners have been determined through the National and American League Championship Series.
What Are Pennants Used For?
Pennants are far more versatile than most people think. Beyond sports, they serve a wide range of purposes:
- Sports support: fans wave or display pennants to show loyalty to a team, player, or season victory.
- Wall décor: Pennants are a popular, affordable way to add personality to a room, dorm, bedroom, or office space.
- Event decoration: custom pennants are used at parties, weddings, school events, and corporate functions to add a festive, branded touch.
- Souvenirs and collectibles: vintage pennants from historic games or rare teams have become prized collector’s items, sometimes worth hundreds of dollars.
- Brand promotions: businesses use custom pennants for trade shows, store openings, and marketing campaigns.
- School spirit: schools and universities hand out pennants to build community pride at games, graduations, and orientation events.
How to Hang a Pennant?
Properly hanging a pennant keeps it looking clean and flat without damaging your walls or the pennant itself. Here are the best methods:
- Command strips or adhesive hooks: These are the most popular damage-free methods. Place small, clear Command hooks at the two wide corners and one at the pointed tip for a flat. Even hang and press firmly.
- Adhesive putty (Blu Tack / Fun-Tak): Roll a small amount between your fingers and press it onto the corners of the pennant’s back.
- Poster strips: Apply strips along the back edges of the pennant’s wide end. Good for a more secure hold on smooth walls.
- Binder clips over nails: Hang a nail in the wall, clip a binder clip to the pennant’s wide edge, and hang the clip on the nail.
- Frame it: for valuable or vintage pennants, mounting behind glass in a shadow box or custom frame both protects and displays the pennant as a piece of art.
Avoid nailing through the pennant itself, as holes damage the fabric and can tear over time.
How to Get a Pennant?
You can find pennants at sports stores, team merchandise shops, and online retailers. But if you want a pennant that’s truly yours, built with your team name, your school colours, your brand identity, FastPrintStar is the place to go.
Custom pennants, flags, and event accessories are a simple way to bring energy and identity into any space—whether it’s a school event, sports game, campaign, or celebration. They turn designs into something real, visible, and memorable.
At FastPrintStar, getting started is easy. Upload your artwork, pick your size and material, and review a digital mockup before we move into production. There’s no minimum order, so whether you need just one piece or a full batch for an event, it’s all flexible.
From pennants to banners and flags, everything is produced with consistent color and clean detail, then shipped worldwide through reliable carriers once approved. It’s a straightforward way to turn ideas into something you can actually hang, wave, and share.
