REPLY: sloth...don't you use a piece of tape or a wire-tie to mark the half-way point of the chain so that you can tell immediately whether or not a five-yard penalty will result in a first down? I'd never want ot be in the position of having to walk then determine if a new series is warranted. I always want to make that determination prior to walking off the yardage.

Wow! I too was subject to the fable that if it's within a yard and the captain or coach ask that the officials were obligated to measure if nothing else but to tell them that it's fourth and a foot or fourth and an inch. Good info.
The belief in this fable comes from my time playing. Coach would yell "ask for the chains" and when our captain asked the ref almost always would call in the chains. I always loved that cause it gave me more time to catch my breath.

As a WH my pet peeve is when I signal first down, get those chains moving. If you don't you can have a big mess. Linesmen, don't hang your WH out to dry.