Measurement After marking off penalty.
 

5 - Yard penalty marked off for encroachment. HL looks at chain and the sees the 5-yard tape and that ball is a football length behind the tape BEFORE the foul is stepped-off by Umpire. Tells Umpire to be-careful how he steps-off the yardage that it will be short for a first down. HL even marks on the field where the ball should be placed to help the Umpire. Yardage steps-off and place on ground. Referee decides that since the field has crooked lines, that a measurement is needed???? What U guys think. Keep in mind this is a JV game.

The lines are the lines. This is an R thinking too much.

If there's a touchback and the ball's spotted an inch short of the 30, would he measure that, too?


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Not to mention that since we placed the chains back 2 yards from the sidelines on the restraining line, makes it even more not accurate. If a coach wants to complain and one wants to even be MORE detailed, than place the ball at the spot on the chains where its short. Either way, in my 30 years plus as a official, NEVER, EVER measure after marking off a foul regardless of crooked lines. the tape on the chains can be your best friend if one knows how to use them. :mad:

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.

We go to the chains. We always have the middle taped off. If we start behind the tape, then it is not a first down no matter what.

We measure more often than Rich. A few of our fields are not greatly marked with no individual yard lines. But I am good enough that if we do measure, it will be really close. We always like to start on a yard line. if possible, as well.

We also "measure" for A's HC on 4th down...

We would do this, too, except in the case where the LTG is a "big line" and the ball is short of that big line.

I hope you forgot to mention, "when it's reasonably close", and that you'll also do same for B's HC.