MOUNT VERNON — There are jobs in every community that too often go unnoticed — unnoticed until they are needed.
Those jobs include firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and law enforcement. On the gridiron, it’s the chain gang.
The chain gang is a group that works almost unnoticed at every game until someone questions the all-important first down.
Then you hear from the crowd, and they’re not singing Sam Cooke’s 1960 tune that peaked at No. 2 on the charts “That’s the sound of the men, working on the chain, gaaang.”
A history lesson
How did this local team of three or four come into being?
The first legal forward pass was thrown in 1906 when St. Louis University quarterback Bradbury Robinson hit Jack Schneider with a touchdown pass.
Six years later, it was determined that the forward pass had affected the game significantly enough that teams were required to gain 10 yards for a first down rather than the previous five. A physical measurement tool became necessary to verify the 10 yards.
An unofficial home-field advantage
According to Mount Vernon Athletic Director Justin Sanford, the chain gang is always positioned on the visiting team’s sideline.
“They are positioned on the visitors side, so the home team and home crowd have the best view of the line to gain, and the chains are not intruding on the home team’s sideline as they move with the ball across the coaches box,” Sanford said.
“I guess it’s sort of a home-field advantage.”
The people manning the yard markers are hired by the home team and get more out of the job than the $35 per game.
“We pay them a per-game rate for working the game,” Sanford said. “It’s not a lot, but mainly they love to do it, and they have a front-row seat to the game. We are very appreciative of them.”
The athletic director said there is a required number and an ideal number of people on the chain gang
“The minimum is three. Ideally, you would like to have four people. Two members of the crew will hold the line to gain (chains),” he said. “One person will run the down marker. A fourth, if available, will set the “clip” which is marked on the chain at a yard line, in case there is a measurement situation where the chains need to be moved out onto the field to measure.”
Sanford said there is nothing like on-the-job training for keeping track of the ball’s location.
“Obviously, you want folks that have worked chains before — prior experience. They’re knowledgeable of the responsibility and game,” he said.
However, Sanford said the officiating crew always meets the chain gang prior to the game to go through instructions.
Relationships
East Knox athletics boss Bailey Sprague said as with any successful relationship, there are several characteristics needed for an effective team.
“You need people that you trust. Hometown people that know the layout of the stadium,” Sprague said. “They are the first line of communication with the officials.
“They need to be impartial and professional, stay calm and be good representatives of the community.”
Strictly speaking, rulebooks state that the chain crew does not make official rulings. They are a visual reference and positioning tool for the referees, who make the final judgment on whether a team reached the first down.
Neal Roberts, who has donned the pinstripes for more than 30 years, explained one of the directives given to the “crew.”
“I always tell them ‘don’t move’ until we are sure there are no flags,” Roberts said.
When asked exactly what was expected of those holding the yardage markers, another official chimed in with a smile.
“Be where they are supposed to be and do what they are supposed to do,” he said.
Game within a game
“We make sure that the chain crew is always at least 6 feet away from the playing field so as not to interfere with play,” Roberts explained.
One of the subtleties in the hidden game is the referee letting the crew member know exactly where the pole should be placed after a first down (or “line to gain” as Roberts described the first down marker) or change of possession.
“I stand right in front of the crew member with my foot on the proper spot, and then I raise my heel,” he said.
Officials meet and walk the field prior to the National Anthem, the playing of school fight songs or the teams breaking through the paper with the school mascot.
“Some fields are beautiful,” the veteran referee said. “There are some, though, that when you look across the field, you can see that the hash marks do not line up. We have to make sure everyone knows that we might have to compensate, at some point, for the difference from one side of the field to the other.”
When to call for help
The chain gang is in the spotlight during measurements.
“It’s an eyeball,” Roberts said. “If we cannot determine whether or not the ball, or any part of the ball, even just the tip, has reached the line to gain by looking, we call the chain crew out.”
So, whether it’s a fumble or a first-down try, what happens when hundreds of pounds of muscle fight for the ball?
Roberts’ solution is a bit less than scientific.
“We keep the clock running and keep unpiling bodies until we come to the player with the ball and make the spot from there,” he said.
A moment to shine
Just as technology has become a part of umpiring in baseball, the chain gang has gone from numbers on a flip chart mounted on a pole to electronic numbers.
Some more professional leagues have experimented with electronically based ball-spotting technology.
But for now, when a series, a game, or even a season can be riding on the inches that determine a first down, a punt, or a field goal try, the chain gang will still be the center of attention, even if only for a few brief minutes a season.