Using Two Clips on the Chain

[Ed Hickland]

Could someone who employs two clips on the chain tell me how well it works.

Is there ever any confusion over clip placement of the previous clip versus the current clip? If not, how to you aviod it.

[Suudy]

Originally Posted by Ed Hickland

Could someone who employs two clips on the chain tell me how well it works.

Is there ever any confusion over clip placement of the previous clip versus the current clip? If not, how to you aviod it.

I've worked the chains at a Pac-10 school for years. The Pac-10 HL's have us use 2 clips. Here's how we do it.

The first time the chains are set, we clip on the field, then pull back. After a first down, we set the chains again and add the new clip, then we pull back. After the first play, we pull the old clip from the chain. Very rarely are the clips so close on the chain that there is potential for confusion. Also, we provide our own clips and our clip guy has two different colored clips that he uses (bright orange and bright green).

In the 10+ years I've been on the chains, we've never had problems with confusion. But with replay nowadays, we are being extra careful to wait to remove the old clip until after the first play is run. So two different clips (color, style, markings, whatever) plus removal as soon as possible, prevent confusion on our end.

[Forksref]

We started using 2 clips last season in our HS games. Same procedure. The biggest advantage is saving time. The other advantage is having the old clip placement still there in case we need to go back.

It's a good idea that we got from the college game.

[MJT]

Norm and Suudy, have either of you had to use the original clip, and if so, what happened that required it?

[Theisey]

Ed, Suddy pretty much described how we use multiple clips.
In the 13 years I worked NCAA ball, my chain crew used multiple clips.
No special colors or differences, however that is not a bad idea.

I have no recollection in any game I was envloved with were we had to reset the chains to the original clip position after the second clip was put on the chains. Even if we would have had to do that, another member of the chain crew charted every down (clip and ball position), so respotting the ball and/or chains would not have been a problem.

The clip person did not remove the previous clip until Team-A's 25 second count had started. At least that's what I had them do.

[Forksref]

Originally Posted by MJT

Norm and Suudy, have either of you had to use the original clip, and if so, what happened that required it?

Monte, we had to reset them in a playoff game this past fall. We were in a valley with thick fog at night. From the middle of the field, it was almost impossible to see the sideline. At the end of a quarter, the linesman didn't see that I wanted to take a closer look and see if we had a first down or not. He started moving the chains to reset for the 2nd quarter and I had to stop him and get them back. It was just a case of poor communication and the 2nd clip was not needed yet, so even if we had only one clip the situation would have been the same.

[Jim D]

For the Ram's chain crew we use the procedure pretty much as described by Suudy except we can now set up at the back of the white and don't have to set and pull back anymore. Having two clips really helps because it is on plays where a team makes a first down or there is a change of possession that there is more chance of a challenge. When replay first started we were instructed to wait at the old spot - now we move and set up even before the replay.

[Suudy]

Originally Posted by MJT

Norm and Suudy, have either of you had to use the original clip, and if so, what happened that required it?

Just to echo Forks response, we have had to use it only a handful of times. Since replay, we have probably reset with the old clip maybe 5 times. I didn't mention change of possession, but we follow the same procedure. We don't remove the old clip until the next play is run, even if the team putting the ball in play has changed.

As for before replay, I can't recall a single time we've had to reset. While Pac-10 officials may get blasted by fans for their calls, their mechanics are very good. Their communication is very good, and I think once in all the years I've been doing the chains has the HL asked us to move when he wasn't supposed to. And with all of us being officials (our local association does the chains), we knew better to ignore him (there was a flag on the field he didn't see). He was very grateful.