Quote:
	
	
		
			
				
					Originally Posted by  Rich
					 
				 
				If you start every first down play on a yard line, you rarely have to measure. 
 
I had the chains out once all season, for effect on a fourth down play I knew was 3 inches short. 
			
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 Yep.  Start the first down on a yard line as much as possible.
When it's not possible:
1) close to the end zone (going in our out).  We usually say inside the 15.
2) When a fourth-down play leaves the ball a few inches short of the line-to-gain. (regardless of if you measured or not, although if it's that close you should probably measure for effect).
3) When a play leaves the ball a few inches beyond the line-to-gain and you had to measure to see if it was a first down.
We measured after three consecutive plays once this year... it was on a grass field with a very pronounced crown that made it hard to see from one sideline to the other.   We were six inches short, then 2 inches short, then 3 inches beyond the line-to-gain.