Snappy answers to stupid questions

corblimey

Ok, here's a list of questions that befuddle me when watching NFL. I daresay the answers are out there somewhere but my googling has let me down and keeps trying to show me pictures of Michael Sam sooo

1. Who actually declines/accepts penalties? Who is able to make a decision quick enough to know whether it's better to accept or decline and communicates this to the ref? By the time the ref announces the penalty, he's also announcing whether it's been declined. This would be particularly true when there's multiple penalties on both sides.

2. Similarly, who actually calls the timeout? On offense, it seems to be the QB, but I've seen other players call it too - perhaps only the QBs T sign is valid? Who does it on defense?

3. In man coverage, who decides which player on the offense is being 'marked' by which player on the defense?

4. Do head coaches talk with the QB or any player over helmet mikes or is it all communicated from the sideline via hand signals, substitutes and the gameplan?

5. Finally, a silly one, do cheerleaders go to away games?

HigginsJ

corblimey wrote: »

Ok, here's a list of questions that befuddle me when watching NFL. I daresay the answers are out there somewhere but my googling has let me down and keeps trying to show me pictures of Michael Sam sooo

1. Who actually declines/accepts penalties? Who is able to make a decision quick enough to know whether it's better to accept or decline and communicates this to the ref? By the time the ref announces the penalty, he's also announcing whether it's been declined. This would be particularly true when there's multiple penalties on both sides.

2. Similarly, who actually calls the timeout? On offense, it seems to be the QB, but I've seen other players call it too - perhaps only the QBs T sign is valid? Who does it on defense?

3. In man coverage, who decides which player on the offense is being 'marked' by which player on the defense?

4. Do head coaches talk with the QB or any player over helmet mikes or is it all communicated from the sideline via hand signals, substitutes and the gameplan?

5. Finally, a silly one, do cheerleaders go to away games?

1. The headcoach
2. Anybody can call a timeout but I presume that the coach limits only certain players to have that responsibility
3. The Defensive Co-Ordinator
4. It depends on who calls the plays, the HC or the OC. We saw this year where the Eagles had pictures on the sideline and this is something Chip Kelly brough with him from college. College teams all use pics/handsignals
5. No

I seriously hope I am right with these answers for you now

HigginsJ

HigginsJ wrote: »

1. The headcoach
2. Anybody can call a timeout but I presume that the coach limits only certain players to have that responsibility
3

The Headcoach has his coordinators up in the booths helping make the calls.
All Offensive and Defensive captains can call timeouts.

mikemac1

Some coordinators stay on the sidelines, stay go upstairs. Their own preference.

If the coordinator wants to stay in the booth they can't talk directly to the players who have the headsets in their helmets.

They send the playcall to an assistant on the sideline who then forwards it to the players. You'd think it would slow things down and it does but teams make it work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJtPjkSTZyE

DBIreland

When we see players on the telephone on the sideline, who are they talking to?

Paully D

DBIreland wrote: »

When we see players on the telephone on the sideline, who are they talking to?

Their coordinators up in the booth.

Son Of A Vidic

DBIreland wrote: »

When we see players on the telephone on the sideline, who are they talking to?

A QB will talk to a offensive Coordinator in a sky booth and a defensive captain will talk to a defensive coordinator in a sky booth. Both are looking for patterns, weaknesses, tendencies and formation hints in the opposition. The coordinators can also recommend certain plays to a QB/defensive captain to take advantage of what they may have spotted/are predicting.

corblimey

Heheh, when that happens in say a Madden game, it's always seems to be the QB and after he's scored a TD so I always thought it was like the GM or the owner calling him to congratulate him on the TD

Thanks for all the responses. It's little things like this that you never see on TV and in my one and only (so far) live game, I was too excited to pick out details like this.

bumper234

corblimey wrote: »

Heheh, when that happens in say a Madden game, it's always seems to be the QB and after he's scored a TD so I always thought it was like the GM or the owner calling him to congratulate him on the TD

Thanks for all the responses. It's little things like this that you never see on TV and in my one and only (so far) live game, I was too excited to pick out details like this.

Once had a lad in a sports bar try to tell me that the QB was ringing his wife at home after he scored a TD as "It's what they do in America"

Leslie91

I've a question... how the hell do they know where the 'chain' actually starts when they go out to measure for a 1st down? seems pretty arbitrary to me. Or is it truly scientific?

I know the placing of the ball is 100% human judgement albeit maybe with the assistance of replay.

adrian522

The chains measure from where the ball was placed on first and 10

Hazys

Leslie91 wrote: »

I've a question... how the hell do they know where the 'chain' actually starts when they go out to measure for a 1st down? seems pretty arbitrary to me. Or is it truly scientific?

I know the placing of the ball is 100% human judgement albeit maybe with the assistance of replay.

The placing of the chain is pretty accurate as the start of the chain usually places at the exact spot the first down football is snapped from.

Its the placing of the ball for measurement that is completely arbitrary.

TO.

Hazys wrote: »

The placing of the chain is pretty accurate as the start of the chain usually places at the exact spot the first down football is snapped from.

Its the placing of the ball for measurement that is completely arbitrary.

when measuring they also clip an extra chain to the middle of the down markers and guide of another yard line to make sure they stay on course while walking out. So say the ball was 1st and 10 on the 20 they will clip the clip/chain on the 25 and that will then give them the accurate length when they measure.