Field Size

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by Bad Mood Risin

the 50 should be infintesimally thin.

Sounds like the limit of an integral approaching zero... Now you're making me recall high school and college calculus. Brain cramp!

[Theisey]

I've observed two artificial turf fields being installed over the past 15 years with the major stripes sewn into the turf.

All those white strips are 4 inches wide. The starting point was the 50 yard line, right smack dab in the middle of it. Moving 5 yards in either direction, they inserted another 4 inches wide strip with it's center 5 yards from the center of the 50.

Once you get down to the 5 yard line (it's center point) 5 yards from that center point is the goal line front edge. Remember, the goal in is entirely in the end zone. It has no overlap in the field of play.

So, from the front edge of the goal line to goal line is 100 yards (300ft).
From the front edge of the goal line to the center of the 50 yards line is 50 yards (150 ft). got it?

When officials spot the ball on the 20 after a touch-back, some place it right in the middle. Some place it with the nose just at the front edge. Right in the middle is 20 yards from the goal line. Otherwise, the ball is really only 19 yards 34 inches from the goal line. I know, whoopee doo, who care. Only a mathematician would care or maybe a surveyor. I certainly don't, but I do spot it in the middle.

[waltjp]

Right. Front edge of goal line to front edge of opposite goal line is 100 yards. All other yard marks are measured from the middle of the line. The measurement from the edge of the goal line to the nearest edge of the 10-yard line is 9 yds, 2 ft, 10 in.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by waltjp

Right. Front edge of goal line to front edge of opposite goal line is 100 yards. All other yard marks are measured from the middle of the line. The measurement from the edge of the goal line to the nearest edge of the 10-yard line is 9 yds, 2 ft, 10 in.

Does it say to do it this way in the rulebook field diagram?

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by waltjp

Right. Front edge of goal line to front edge of opposite goal line is 100 yards. All other yard marks are measured from the middle of the line. The measurement from the edge of the goal line to the nearest edge of the 10-yard line is 9 yds, 2 ft, 10 in.

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

Does it say to do it this way in the rulebook field diagram?

The field diagrams I've seen measure from goal line to goal line. If you start marking the field from the edge of one goal line to the nearest edge of the 10-yard line, then 20-yard line and so on until you reach the opposite 10-yard line you'll be left with 9 yds, 2 ft, 8 in between the back edge of the opposite 10-yard line to the goal line.

[Ed Hickland]

Originally Posted by Theisey

...

When officials spot the ball on the 20 after a touch-back, some place it right in the middle. Some place it with the nose just at the front edge. Right in the middle is 20 yards from the goal line. Otherwise, the ball is really only 19 yards 34 inches from the goal line. I know, whoopee doo, who care. Only a mathematician would care or maybe a surveyor. I certainly don't, but I do spot it in the middle.

Hmmm, interesting.

So, where do you place the back stake?

[Theisey]

Originally Posted by Ed Hickland

Hmmm, interesting.

So, where do you place the back stake?

On the NOSE of the ball, whereever it might be placed.

[ajmc]

It sounds reasonable to place the tip of the ball on the edge of the line farthest away from the direction they are heading, because that's the point on the line, 10 yards away, that they are targeting. If they get far enough, that's the edge of the goal line that is their ultimate destination.

[BktBallRef]

Isn't the rule pretty clear?

5-3-3c
To start a new series of downs, the inside edge of the rod nearest the goal of the team which is to snap the ball is set on the yard line through the ball's foremost point. To start a new series of downs after:
A safety or touchback, the foremost point of the ball is placed on the 20-yard line.