Football 101...Training Camp for the Fan.

[Iowanian]

Originally Posted by ptlyon

I have always wanted to ask this, but was scared to.

What are those orange sticks those guys are holding? They keep getting closer together and then farther apart. At their farthest part it seems like they're maybe, 10 yards apart? (I'm not a good judge of distance so that is an estimation). OH, and when that dude in the stripes seems to make a motion with his arm, then they get to their farthest point.

That has always been confusing to me - can anybody help me out here?

Thanks in advance.

I know you're being a wiseguy too, but there might be someone who doesn't know....

The Two orange poles, connected by a 10 yard chain are the first down chains. The first one marks the point of beginning at 1st down, while the 2nd marks 10 yards and the point the offense must get to receive a first down. The post, which also has the Down # on it, is the Ball marker, and moves to mark the yard line of the balls location(after a sack, it could be several yards behind the 10 yards for ex.

Many of the down markers are now made in Kansas City in the garages of some local makers of "dialadown"...one of which is a relative of mine.

When the Offense of KC passes the first down marker, you're bound to see a Planet Member in a cape and a helmet Hair do an odd lipped shake as they say "1st down"

http://football.about.com/cs/footbal...l_101downs.htm