Chain Crews

[Chris Swartz]

Some funny stories, we usually don't have any probs with high school crews, actually had some young ladies working the jv/frosh games for extra credit at one school. They were actually very good, yes they used a clip!!
BUT, one of our pop-warner teams had a big problem with getting a crew together...Head coach was scrambling for a crew(after kick-off, game suspended while he scrambles), he pulls some kids together and sends them over to my HL. HL is our Varsity HL, used to decent crews. Box "kid" is coaches 7 year old daughter, couldn't even flip the downs, the rest are even younger!! HL is spotting ball, waving box up to him and flipping downs, needless to say, no clip. But, we all had a good time and laugh about it...............

[sm_bbcoach]

Added to the discussion, I have worked HL for VAR gamesthe last 4 years and got the hair brain idea to use 2 clips this season. Why might you ask?I got the scare of my life one game when we had a first down. Set the chains, play begins quickly. The "clip man" was late in getting the clip, so he takes it off and before he can get it back on, the offense throws a quick pass to my side, player is tackled out of bounds in to the chains. The gang dropped the sticks as they bailed out. Fortunatly, I saw the clip man be late, dropped my bag at the LOS. We were able to get everyone back to the correct spots.

Why the long winded story? the 2 dlips worked. It alows the clip man to get the new clip on , then take his time getting the old one off. Every crew (except teh 1 crew that each were 150 years old and had been doing the chains for the last 145 of them) said they liked it. Less stress as one explained. I did not realize that chians was a huge stress job.

Oh well, just my 3 cents worth.

[ABoselli]

I worked the chains for the AF2 team here in Rochester last year and we used the two clip system. Working the chains and box for indoor games is a little bit different animal all together. You really have to have some stamina. Since we obviously can't stand there with the chains and box we have to set them, clip the line, bag the spot of the box and run back to A's end zone and wait for the next play. The linesman in the league aren't that great in signaling first downs, so when they are down inside the 10 yard line close to a first, we have to wait, wait, wait until he finally calls us and then was have to hoof it all out to set them and get all the way back.

After a while we wised up and would only go back to about the A20. The sticks are always falling over so sometimes the fans help us and hold the sticks and box for us. The box man really gets a workout as he runs on every play. Sometimes we get a sympathetic linesman who will change the down on the box on an incomplete pass so he doesn't have to run all that way just for that, but usually not.

It's a workout, but it's a football fix until real football gets here.

Most of the officials were D3 and D2 guys. A few of them got their calls and were headed to A10 and Big East crews that fall.

[nvfoa15]

I don't undrstand your "2-clip" mechanics; it sounds interesting. Could you give an explanlation of how two clips are used?

I have read the above posts. The reason for the clip has explained to me when I first started out was, primarly, to reset the chains when play forced them to move. The second, of course, was to aid in measurments.

Thanks.

[bigwhistle]

Originally posted by nvfoa15
I don't undrstand your "2-clip" mechanics; it sounds interesting. Could you give an explanlation of how two clips are used?

I have read the above posts. The reason for the clip has explained to me when I first started out was, primarly, to reset the chains when play forced them to move. The second, of course, was to aid in measurments.

Thanks.

Using 2 clips, you do not remove the clip used for the previous series until AFTER you have put the 2nd clip down for the current line to gain. This allows you to avoid the time taken to get the clip removed and reset during the interval of one play.

[sm_bbcoach]

Exactly as explained. And, you do not think that the one play will matter until you get the one clip guy who is slacking off, cought talking, or is 150 years old as many of the one have been thatI have worked with.
It is a good mechanic and I would encourage use of it.

[nvfoa15]

Thanks bigwhistle! I will consider the use of two clips and suggest it to my HL.

[Ed Hickland]

As a white hat, spots and chains improperly handled are two things that really upset me.

I have my linesman make sure the chains are 10 yards and someone will be operating the clip before the game starts. He also must place a piece of tape at the 5-yard mark so that on 5-yard penalties we know before enforcement if we have a first.

The clip always goes on the rear edge of the first yard line closest to the rear stake, theory being it is the shortest and truest distance from the initial ball placement.

When it is judged that the chains need to come in I demand that the ball is not moved. Bring the chains into the ball. Nothing looks sloppier than an official picking up the ball and moving it then measuring for a first down. What if the measurement comes up 1/4 inch short? Did your action cause it?

[sportswriter]

Originally posted by shocker
Are there any secrets anyone has to get the chain crew to take you serious?

Yeah. "If you aren't prepared to do the job, we'll find someone else."

[sportswriter]

Originally posted by don16954
My wings and I have an agreement that we try to spot the ball as close to a line as possible

You WHAT?? You're paid to spot the ball where the spot of the ball is, not where it is convenient for you.

[B]I do not understand why any official would want to even give a coach, or fans, a scintilla of reason to question whether the officials are giving the most accruate measurement possible[B]

Well, what is it? Are you accurate on every play, or do you move the ball around for your convenience?

[Edited by sportswriter on Jan 26th, 2003 at 12:50 PM]

[sportswriter]

Originally posted by sm_bbcoach The gang dropped the sticks as they bailed out. Fortunatly, I saw the clip man be late, dropped my bag at the LOS. We were able to get everyone back to the correct spots.[/B]

When I line, I try to (always) remember where the back stick was, in case there's a screwup or (as has happened more times than I care to recall), the stick crew goes for a wander on a punt when there's laundry on the field. Saved my bacon and that of the whole crew, lemme tell you.

Another idea I haven't seen mentioned: before the start of the game, the HL should go over the operation of the sticks with the crew. In addition, a good thing to carry are some small white "zap straps" or some spare elastic bands. Use those to mark the five yard mark (easily done - just have one of the crew hold both sticks together, stretch out the chain - that's the five-yard mark). It's subtle, but that way, if there's a five-yard penalty on the defence and the ball is somewhere around the middle of the chains, the HL can quickly inform the white cap if the penalty will give the offence a first down or not. [more valid for Canadian rules, where the LOS is used as a point of reference more frequently, btw.]