One thing I have never understood about football is using the chains to measure for a first down. How does that help? I understand that having the “chain” in proximity to the ball makes it easy to see if ten yards were achieved, but ten yards from where? At best the starting point is an approximation of the original 1st down line of scrimmage, and if you’re OK with “eyeballing” the starting point, why not “eyeball” the ending point. If you start on the 37, the nose of the ball had better break the plane of the 47. It’s easy, there are little lines painted right on the field. If the starting point is 14 millimeters behind the 22, I know it sounds crazy but how about just measuring from the 32? Greater than 14mm, no first down.
Also, how do they insure that the chain is perfectly perpendicular? On really close plays it would seem like the referee could easily make the chain less than ten yards if he wanted to just by erring to either side of 90°.
Maybe there is more rationale to the process than I’m considering, but I think the whole thing is a little archaic. Why not just use a precision GPS gizmo? It could even form an “L” over the ball to minimize human error, and would not provide a measurement unless level. Place it on the ball on first down, click, and repeat whenever you needed a measurement.
Oh, it’s easy to be a critic and a concept inventor in area where I hold absolutely no expertise nor responsibility!
2 comments:
Oh what GPS would do to the game of football. Shame on you for suggesting such a thing.
they even make a simple tape measure that shoots a beam to a fixed object, (like a football), and it gives a measurement. I have feel the very same way. Between the placement of the ball and the placement of the back ofthe chain, there seems to be about a 2 yard margin of error.
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