1972COWBOY
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Geometry play a bit part in that decision to award a first down. Had the chains been perfectly straight, in perfect perpendicular alignment to the end lines, that would give the cowboys the longest chain length and maybe Raiders ball. But if the end lines are off creating a skewed chain length that would favor the cowboys.
Factors in play: the chains are not attached to the marker poles perfectly, a chain link binds or is slightly bent or even stretched, the poles aren't held perfectly straight, the football has to too little air reducing its length or too much air making it bigger, warm weather increasing chain length or cold weather reducing chain length. On a real hot day that would have been Raiders ball but maybe then the air in the ball expands making it a Cowboys first down. How tight the chains are held could easily stretch them .007 inches giving the ball to the Raiders. A dirty chain could cause dirt particles to bind in it making it shorter and dipping them and swishing them in oil before every measurement could make the chain longer as the links don't bind as much.
It really come to look at it physics and geometry played a big role in the Cowboys win.
A mail card is about .007 in thick. http://www.casepaper.com/resources/charts/paper-thickness-caliper/
All these factors above obviously played a roll in awarding the cowboys a first down.
So next time the Raider maintenance staff lays out the field marking, they better use some high quality precision equipment and keep those chains perfectly clean between down.
Factors in play: the chains are not attached to the marker poles perfectly, a chain link binds or is slightly bent or even stretched, the poles aren't held perfectly straight, the football has to too little air reducing its length or too much air making it bigger, warm weather increasing chain length or cold weather reducing chain length. On a real hot day that would have been Raiders ball but maybe then the air in the ball expands making it a Cowboys first down. How tight the chains are held could easily stretch them .007 inches giving the ball to the Raiders. A dirty chain could cause dirt particles to bind in it making it shorter and dipping them and swishing them in oil before every measurement could make the chain longer as the links don't bind as much.
It really come to look at it physics and geometry played a big role in the Cowboys win.
A mail card is about .007 in thick. http://www.casepaper.com/resources/charts/paper-thickness-caliper/
All these factors above obviously played a roll in awarding the cowboys a first down.
So next time the Raider maintenance staff lays out the field marking, they better use some high quality precision equipment and keep those chains perfectly clean between down.
