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I respectfully have to disagree with my esteemed coleague PiggSkin...
According to 5-3-1:
"The line to gain is 10 yards in advance of the ball's foremost point when a new series of downs is awarded. When a new series of downs is awarded, the penalties for all fouls (including nonplayer and unsportsmanlike) committed prior to the ready-for-play signal shall be administered before the line to gain is established. The line to gain then remains fixed until the series ends and a new line to gain is established."
Therefore, a new series can never have more than 10 yards to gain regardless of how many penalties are applied before the series starts. Whether or not the chains have already been set is irrelevant. The chains don't establish the line to gain or the ready for play, they just mark the line to gain after it's already been established. If the line changes due to penalties then reset the chains.
I think if this were the NFL that you'd be right about 1st & Goal but my understanding of the philosophy of the rule is that at the high school level (and below) beginning a series with more than 10 yards to gain is too much of a burden on the kids. After all, they're already getting pushed back 15 yards.
-SW---
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