For all of you Head Linesmen out there. When you're going through your pre-game discussion with your chain crew, do you tell them to pull the chains back off the sideline once they get the clip attached? Most of the crews don't seem to want to do this (so the HL has more room to work and the chain guys are not as likely to get hit by players).

I'm talking primarily about high school varsity level competition.

My L tells them this and it really is for their own protection as well as the players and ours. They are normally reluctant to do this for who-knows-what reason. If they have been doing it for years then how they do it is just fine in their minds.

I work the chains for a local D2 school occasionally and we always do that at those games. In HS, I work LJ. But if I worked L, you can bet that they would be moving the chains off the sideline a yard.

I do the chains very often, and am always right on the sideline, if the play starts to come my way, i drop my stick and run. I have never been asked, nor have asked the chain crew when the HL to move the chains back.

If you have an experienced chain crew-- with a clip man
that pays attention---great !!
They can make your "L" job very easy !
Sadly most of the time, especially at sub-varsity
level, you are stuck with young kids or injured
players who have no clue. That can make for an
unpleasant experience, and effectively keep you
"out of the game" at times, and slow down flow of the game.
Why schools won't hire crews and pay them for their
time is beyond me.

### It is documented in both the NF and NCAA mechanics books to work the chains 6 feet off the sidelines.

It's a bit easier to do this in NCAA games because we all do this every game. There uaually is a 4"x4" reference mark on all fields to assist with this.

NF fields do not have this ref mark not to mention the fact that coaches are allowed closer to the sidelines in their team box.
NF chain crews are seasoned (we've done this for 20 years, or the coaches get in our way) veterans and are reluctant or resistant to any change.
However, it's your job to move them back and keep them back. Ask for another crew if they do not wish to follow NF and your instructions.
Another word I have occassionally used is lawsuit and oh by the way, you the chain crew will be part of it for not following directions.

It's not so much the need to get out of the way when a play comes your way as it is the it:

1- gives you more room to work,
2- keeps the coaches back,
3- keeps the plays back.

Thanks to all for the input.

In situations where the chain crew interferes with the HL's ability to cover a play (e.g. a wide sweep where the HL needs to get outside the sideline), is there any provision to penalize? Since the home team provides the chain crew is it ever appropriate to assess a penalty against the home team? If so, what would the penalty be and would it be assessed against an individual (i.e., the home team coach)? (Assuming, of course this (penalty assessment) would only be after instruction/warnings to the chain crew to move back.)

No. No matter who provides them, the chain crew is part of the officiating crew. Replace 1 or more crew members if need be but penalize the home team? No.

Interesting thing I saw at our game on friday. Team box was marked 2 yards from the field on home side and 3 yards on visitor's side. The book says that the line should be a minimum of 2 yards from the field. I saw this as a way to legally mark the field to allow more room for chain gang.

This would also seem to be a possible suggestion for the NF to use if they really want those chains moved off of the side line. But mark both sides at three yards.

Many schools with smaller facilities that don't have that "luxury."

"Luxury" might be overstating this. There was a track around the field so it left about 2 yards between the track and the front of the team box. Maybe some locations are just football stadiums without tracks and then I can see your point.

For a track to be that close, it must be of an unusual construction with some very tight turns. I can't think of any field in my area with a track surrounding it that doesn't have plenty of room on the sides in the teambox area.

Yes sir. The school that I worked Friday night doesn't have a track, there's less than 5 yards between the sideline and the fence.

Just out of curiosity, do most of the games you guys work have teams on both sides of the field

Because with all the games i work, the teams are on one side of the field, and the chains on the other. So we aren't in the way of the coaches or anyone else