Can I Just Say...

As a Brit that doesn't know much about American Football - granted - which is on where I'm working...

...can I just say the phase 'Moving the chains' sounds.....

Silly ?

Sorry to upset....

Sarah 💋

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JoyfulSilence · 51-55, M

It comes from measuring out 10 yards. Each team has 4 attempts to move the ball 10 yards. When they do so, they move the chain forward to the new spot, and then they get 4 more attempts to move another 10 yards, from the new spot marked by one end of the chain. Back in the day, land surveyors used chains to mark out distances.

There are experiments being done now to replace the chains with cameras, sort of how in tennis they use cameras to check if a ball is in or out of bounds. If it works, they will not need chains anymore.

SarahTheHooker · 26-30, F

@JoyfulSilence I see. No, it's not the actual mechanics of it - that I understand - but the whole terminology. Thank you.

Sarah 💋