djb@cbosgd.UUCP (David J. Bryant) (12/01/83)
So why don't they go high-tech? They could use lasers triangulation to measure the exact position of the ball and determine if if was a first down. Unfortunately, you wouldn't be able to do away with the marker crew, since you still need some on-field indication of the first down point so the fellow with the ball can grind out just enough for the first down. (Interestingly, I saw laser-triangulation used during a golf tournament! You've probably seen tournaments that give away a car to whoever gets their tee shot closest to the hole on a specially designated par 3. On one occasion they used lasers to do the measurement and got distances accurate down to less than an inch, and almost as soon as the ball stopped rolling.) Anyway, the point has been raised several times that it's silly to make such a big deal over a few inches when the placement is sufficently subjective to allow the referee complete control over whether it's a first down or not. Perhaps they could just let the refs vote. After all, football is really a game where the refs can make or break a team. One close or missed call can go a long way toward deciding the outcome of the game. Even with something as fundamental to the game as scoring - it isn't like basketball or hockey where either you scored or you didn't. In football you have to "break the plane of the goal line," or at least the ref has to see it that way. No wonder they're afraid of video-tape replays to audit critical calls... And whatever happened to the strange down-marker jokingly called the "dicker rod." It had some wild sliding arrangement that made it theoretically more accurate. Anyone recall this (or similar) devices? Dave Bryant Bell Labs Columbus, OH (614) 860-4516 (cbosg!djb)