The invention relates to an elastic covering material, which comprises, as a flame retardant, a phosphinate salt of the formula (I) and/or a diphosphinate salt of the formula (II) and/or polymers thereof ##STR00001## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2 are the same or different and are each C.sub.1-C.sub.6-alkyl, linear or branched, and/or aryl; R.sup.3 is C.sub.1-C.sub.10-alkylene, linear or branched, C.sub.6-C.sub.10-arylene, -alkylarylene or -arylalkylene; M is Mg, Ca, Al, Sb, Sn, Ge, Ti, Zn, Fe, Zr, Ce, Bi, Sr, Mn, Li, Na, K and/or a protonated nitrogen base; m is from 1 to 4; n is from 1 to 4; x is from 1 to 4. The invention relates to processes for producing such elastic covering materials.