New Chain Gang Rule

[o21putt]

Travelball, Thanks for telling me what I have and have not done. Just expressing my opinion and a couple of facts that the TSSAA did not make this new rule and that the rule states the chains will be moved 6 feet off the sidelines where facilities permit.

[mikey65]

I seen nothing safe about it tonight, but I did see 6 and 7 year old ball boys standing right on the sidelines, NOW that is really safe. I also seen camera men right on the sidelines, Now that is safe too. Change the rule back TSSAA. What a stupid rule. IF the chains were a problem of safety, don't move them six feet back....

 

 

No parent in their right mind would let their 6 and 7 year old be a ball boy. That is just stupid.

[VolunteerGeneral]

This should be fun because if the officials even try to make my crew back up, we won`t move an inch until the official does his job in keeping the players back. I`m not gonna go through the hassle of it. It`s hard enough right now just to move it sideways with all the coaches and ball boys in the way. I can`t imagine trying to back it up through all the players that stand behind you out of the box. I have great respect for the guys who put on the stripes, but IMO this has always been an area in which they let things slide.

 

Also...coaches should know that the actual sideline belongs to the crew. If they also did their job in keeping their players back they would have PLENTY of room to stand. I don`t even care if you want to stand on the field, just stop standing on my line or eventually I may just knock you off it. For the life of me I can`t understand why they all have to stand on the line. It`s not like they can`t coach from a foot or so back. Oh wait they can`t cause their players are standing there.

[b_kirkland5]

In case all of the genious' that seem to think that the new chain rule is about the TSSAA, get a clue. The TSSAA is only one of many states that make up the National Federation. It also states that the chains being off the field is to be used where possible. I would imagine that most Linesmen will only try to move the chains off the field when the room on the sideline will allow it. There are some very good chain crews that know how to do their job and there are some that don't have a clue that just want to be there to watch the game and yell at the players and try to coach and officiate. Telling them to drop the chains when a play is coming there way is like talking to a brick wall. A good sideline mechanic that should not bother anyone if they are in the proper place on the sideline.

 

You have never heard of only 3 coaches in the box? That is in the rule book as well. I agree that 95% of the time it is not enforced, but I know that this is a point of emphasis this season, or is supposed to be a point of emphasis, in the state. How do I know? I am also a head linesman. And for never seeing it, you should go to Cleveland High School and watch the Cleveland team. They rarely have more than 3 coaches in the box and I never saw a player in the box the whole night. Again, that is a rule, only 3 coaches in the box.

[I Love HS Football]

You have never heard of only 3 coaches in the box? That is in the rule book as well. I agree that 95% of the time it is not enforced, but I know that this is a point of emphasis this season, or is supposed to be a point of emphasis, in the state. How do I know? I am also a head linesman. And for never seeing it, you should go to Cleveland High School and watch the Cleveland team. They rarely have more than 3 coaches in the box and I never saw a player in the box the whole night. Again, that is a rule, only 3 coaches in the box.

 

I have never done enough of either to comment (linesman or chains), but I see this new rule being one of those that is tried to be enforced at the first of the season, and as the season progresses, linesman will get tired of trying to enforce it. Then it will slowly fade like other rules. Then you will still have the select few that go entirely by the rulebook and will be you know whats to some chain gangs and you will have controversy. Best solution in my opinion would be to drop the chains. If someone is looking up in the stands at a girl, then it will only take one good shot. They will pay attention from then on out, or elect to watch the game from the stands. Plain and simple.

[VolunteerGeneral]

You have never heard of only 3 coaches in the box? That is in the rule book as well. I agree that 95% of the time it is not enforced, but I know that this is a point of emphasis this season, or is supposed to be a point of emphasis, in the state. How do I know? I am also a head linesman. And for never seeing it, you should go to Cleveland High School and watch the Cleveland team. They rarely have more than 3 coaches in the box and I never saw a player in the box the whole night. Again, that is a rule, only 3 coaches in the box.

 

LOL...only 3 in the box? I guess that must be why so many of them stand on the field.

[dpemberton]

VG, I agree that the three coaches in the box is a seldom enforced rule. As long as the chain gain could move up and down the sideline, this was not an issue. This year is different with the introduction of this new rule. Head Linesmen will have to enforce this. Whether you like this or not, the National Federation has made this change. Will there be officals who don't do this? Of course, but that still does not void the rule. The HL will have to bone up and enforce the coach box area through sideline warnings and penalties if necessary.

 

Before you question ones experience you need to understand where they are coming from. Last Friday night, I had a difficult time keeping the coaches box clear and trying to back the chain gang off the field. I expected this and will expect this resistance for the rest of the year. However, NCAA has been doing this for several years. I have been on the chain gang at college games in which we backed up after setting the clip. Coaches and players didn't like it but they knew that was the rule. However, when the play came to our side, I apprciated the extra time to get the metal pole down on the ground.

 

Stating that if the chain gang is not paying attention, one good hit will correct this is TOTALLY wrong. One good hit of a players leg wrapped around the pole is too late for someone to learn to get them down!

[I Love HS Football]

Stating that if the chain gang is not paying attention, one good hit will correct this is TOTALLY wrong. One good hit of a players leg wrapped around the pole is too late for someone to learn to get them down!

 

Oh, now a shot back at me. I see. Well, I personally have never heard of any major injuries in Tennessee due to the chains. Their may have been, but I have never heard of any. Bumps and bruises is another. And I have sure never seen a leg wrapped around the pole. I have seen the pole wrapped around. lol. The poles bend or break, right? Atleast the ones that I have seen are bent. I mean come on. We are playing football. The toughest sport in America. Hate to think the best safety precaution we could find is an aluminum pole moved back six feet from the sideline.

[dpemberton]

Its not a shot at you because I have heard other people say the same thing. However, no matter how small an injury is (bump or bruise) a coach will be come livid if his player is injured do to the chain gang not paying attention.

 

I think that everyone is missing the point of the six feet. As you move further away from the sideline, the margin of safety increases. But that does not mean that risk has been totally eliminated. Six feet is the same distance that the players area has been defined. So it seems reasonable that to increase safety thru moving the chains back, the logical area is to the same position as the players. (you think that the chains could be used to keep the players back?) It should, but I doubt it. But as I stated eariler, if everyone adhears to the rules, this new rule will only affect four or five people. The problem is that no wants to follow the rules.

[VolunteerGeneral]

Its not a shot at you because I have heard other people say the same thing. However, no matter how small an injury is (bump or bruise) a coach will be come livid if his player is injured do to the chain gang not paying attention.

 

I think that everyone is missing the point of the six feet. As you move further away from the sideline, the margin of safety increases. But that does not mean that risk has been totally eliminated. Six feet is the same distance that the players area has been defined. So it seems reasonable that to increase safety thru moving the chains back, the logical area is to the same position as the players. (you think that the chains could be used to keep the players back?) It should, but I doubt it. But as I stated eariler, if everyone adhears to the rules, this new rule will only affect four or five people. The problem is that no wants to follow the rules.

 

dpemberton...I enjoy your prospective on this. Let me add that I emphasize to anyone that is new to my crew that it is imperative to drop the markers. That being said..it is my experience that in general the refs have not done a quality job in keeping bench players out of the box. I can`t tell you how many times I have had to literally push players out of the way to get myself out of harms way. IMO it would be fine to leave it as it is if the refs actually enforced keeping the players back. Many times it has been hard for me to lay down because there is no room to put the marker. The players are just right there behind you.

[tnsparty]

Nice going TSSAA.....TSSAA has made many bone-headed rule changes over the years, but the new chain, box and clip rule takes the cake. I vote that Ronnie Carter himself runs the chains for a game next week and see for himself how stupid the rule change is....

For people that may not know the new rule on running the sideline chain, it is as followed: You 1st mark the ball with the box, chain stick and clip on the sidelines and then pick up the chains, box and clip and move 6 feet backwards. We were always tripping up the players, coaches, trainers, ball boys, camera men and sometimes ourselves the WHOLE night. For years and years and hundreds of years you always marked the chain on the sideline. But some idiots from the TSSAA said "hey is will be safer"...You can change ANY rule through TSSAA if you use the word safer. What a joke for a new rule.. We were always late getting the ball marked, we tripped up several players, ran over coaches all night long and even run over a 7 year old ball boy...All because we 1st marked on the sideline then move back six feet, then back to the sidelines and back six feet again and ect.

I seen nothing safe about it tonight, but I did see 6 and 7 year old ball boys standing right on the sidelines, NOW that is really safe. I also seen camera men right on the sidelines, Now that is safe too. Change the rule back TSSAA. What a stupid rule. IF the chains were a problem of safety, don't move them six feet back....

Here is a better rule...Have the officials really stress to the chain gang before the game if a player gets close to the sidelines be sure to "DROP THE CHAINS"..

What do coaches and people running the chains think????????/

Nice going TSSAA for screwing something else up.....What is next???????

 

But, 6 or 7 year old ball boys aren't carrying spears. Sounds like it is the chain crew that is upset because they can't get as close to the field. Give it a chance. The teams need to do a better job keeping the sidelines clear so officials and chain crews can navigate the sidelines. Being on the sidelines for a lot of games the chain crews are more interested in coaching, eavedropping on the coaches or watching their child play and not paying attention to the game itself.

[Village Idiot]

Can I get a little help here? Am I missing something? Great conversation, but I think I've seen a couple of places where there is already a rule requiring players to be 6' away from the sidelines. Is this correct and can someone pull the reference?

 

Where I'm heading is that in three decades, I've never seen the rule nor seen it enforced. Seems the point of emphasis this year should have been keeping the players, mgrs, reporters, etc., six feet off the edge first, then looking at changing the operation of the chains next year. In other words, why create a new rule when the old one is not being enforced? Why try to reinvent the wheel?

 

If I've missed something, please help me. The only sideline warnings I've ever seen/received are when players are on sideline chalk, not three feet off.

 

Thanks,

 

VI