AbstractWe give a review of the renormalization and short distance properties of path ordered phase factors in nonabelian gauge field theories. It includes nonlocal gauge invariant meson, baryon and gluonium operators constructed with the help of such phase factors. Furthermore, the renormalization properties of functional derivatives of phase factors as they are needed in dynamical equations are considered. The discussion is based on an one dimensional auxiliary field formalism which enables the application of the usual language of local Green's functions.