Those Blue and Yellow Lines

[Sobriquet]

Those blue and yellow lines. They put them on the TV screen. The TV audience can see where the line of scrimmage is, and where the ball must be advanced to make a first down.

But it's just on the TV. The people in the stadium, and certainly the players, don't see them.

But what if the technology existed to put those lines out on the field, so that everyone in the stadium could see them the same way a TV audience now sees them?

Would this be a good or a bad thing for football? If the players running a play could see specially colored lines marking the line of scrimmage and the first down line?

How do you think the football establishment would react to such a technological advancement? Would they embrace it? Or would they ban it?

[tvc184]

I would not want it. It takes an element out of the game.

Now if they could find a way to get an accurate line on the field for first downs after the play is blown dead, it would be great. Leave the ball where it is spotted and then shoot the line across the field. You could do the same thing when marking a first down other than a ref on the side line guessing where to put the sticks to begin with.

[BMTSoulja1]

That would be neat, but that just takes away fromthe game, as tvc said.  Do the old traditional way.  Look to the sidelines as your running or just know how many yards you need to get.

[BearWolf]

"if they could find a way to get an accurate line on the field for first downs after the play is blown dead"

this is the way to go

[BH Double D]

That would be awesome our coach is always yellin at the backs and recivers to know where the first down is and then to get there. As long as the line was accurate everytime i think this would be a great advancement to the game

[Bigdog]

I would not want it. It takes an element out of the game.

Now if they could find a way to get an accurate line on the field for first downs after the play is blown dead, it would be great. Leave the ball where it is spotted and then shoot the line across the field. You could do the same thing when marking a first down other than a ref on the side line guessing where to put the sticks to begin with.

Might be tough with the crown some of these fields have on them.

[PURPLE 4EVER]

You know you have an intelligent date when your lady asks you where these lines are.... 

Even if you did have the lines for the first down, it is a human spot of the ball.

At the high school level you must accept the fact that the element of officiating the game will have a margin of human error.

[stangchain]

You know you have an intelligent date when your lady asks you where these lines are....   

Even if you did have the lines for the first down, it is a human spot of the ball.

At the high school level you must accept the fact that the element of officiating the game will have a margin of human error.

Yeah, and when the majority of the officials don't particularly care for your team, then that margin of error gets bigger...with a yard or two here, a foot or two there....could make the difference in a fourth and one stance for both sides of the ball and a difference in the outcome of the game....I saw it against Bay City.  Not trying to whine, here....just calling it like I saw it.  Beaumont officials won't even call our games.

[WOS92]

The problem I see is that the current way of measurement requires TWO subjective spottings - the spotting of the ball and the spotting of the chains from the original first down mark. It has always driven me quietly crazy that measurements are spotted by subjective estimation and measured objectively to the teeny tiniest precise millimeter. I don't know of a better way, but I can still b**ch, right?

[83_Alumni]

Football is literally, just a game of inches, that's one of the elements that makes it so exciting.