Chain Crews

[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.]