Systems (100) and methods (1200) for operating a security tag (132) of an Electronic Article Surveillance system. The methods involve: sliding a sidewall (202) of an article (102) into a clip structure (208) of the security tag; rotating at least one pawl (604) of the security tag so that the pawl is transitioned from a retracted position in which an engagement surface (606) of the pawl is disposed within a housing (302) of the security tag to an engaged position in which the engagement surface of the pawl extends out and away from the housing of the security tag; and applying a clamping force by the pawl to the article whereby the article is clamped between the engagement surface of the pawl and a vertical elongate member (406) of the clip structure.