It is a term that was introduced when ESPN started using the yellow first down

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Oct 26, 2021
1:40:13pm

deja-blu All-American

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deja-blu

Bio page: deja-blu
Joined: Apr 4, 2003
Last login: May 7, 2024
Total posts: 3,447 (131 FO)

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Messages

Author

Time

Embarrassing football fan admission . . . I've been a fan of football my entire

Gavin

10/25/21 11:15am

There was some weird concerted effort by broadcasters to have this become part of the football lexicon recently

Indy Coug

10/25/21 11:16am

Thank you, Indy. That makes me feel better.

Gavin

10/25/21 11:18am

Really? Seems like it has been a common phrase forever.

kccougar

10/25/21 11:22am

I don't know that I heard it much before the last 5 years

Tricky

10/25/21 12:59pm

Yep. Also the official and formal term “laundry” has come into use. You will probably start hearing it more.

Dr MoBYU

10/25/21 12:28pm

It's an old term, but has regained popularity lately. Similar

Gentleman Stan

10/25/21 2:39pm

Same here. Only noticed it this year...

Florwood

10/25/21 11:18am

What does it mean?

Archaea

10/25/21 11:21am

The yard line needed for a first down.

Gavin

10/25/21 11:22am

RE: The yard line needed for a first down.

Ungoy

10/25/21 11:22am

But it's not always a "yard line". It is 10 yards from the previous first down.

Mississippi

10/25/21 11:46am

Could also refer to the goal line, right?

Tricky

10/25/21 1:00pm

It's very literal - The line to gain = first down marker/line

kccougar

10/25/21 11:22am

Strange term. I agree it's a new term. I suppose if you're an announcer you

Archaea

10/25/21 11:23am

It’s a drug reference

travelcoug

10/25/21 12:17pm

I think it's a relative new term that arose from replay rules. Prior to replay

The Chelsea Dagger

10/25/21 11:23am

That's probably what brought it into more common usage, but Greg Wrubell has been using it for 20 years.

kccougar

10/25/21 11:26am

Of course, Greg has always been a student of the rule book, and that's where the term originates.

kccougar

10/25/21 11:26am

I think you just nailed it. I don't remember hearing it used during youth or HS

Gavin

10/25/21 11:30am

Yeah, this is probably what it is. Wrubell.

RGGeemer

10/25/21 11:40am

Yep, I recall hearing it a lot during the mountain channel years.

hydrocoug

10/25/21 11:44am

I actually miss listening to Wrubbell.

hydrocoug

10/25/21 11:51am

They've always used it, but it seems like officials use it more when making

wabluecoug

10/25/21 11:24am

It seems colloquially, I used to hear "First Down Line" in the past

The Dark Knight

10/25/21 11:35am

Or "markers"

ochobeeguy

10/25/21 1:05pm

This is 100% not a new thing, lol

Hotlanta

10/25/21 11:36am

I've heard this ever since I was a kid...

RGGeemer

10/25/21 11:39am

How about Wrubell's favorite phrase " Trips left" or something like that

Cougarclaw

10/25/21 12:15pm

three (triple or trips) WR to the left side of the ball when lined up in formation

byujag

10/25/21 12:17pm

And this isn't just a Wrubellism — this is what its commonly called

Tricky

10/25/21 1:02pm

3 receivers on the left (or right) of the formation

RGGeemer

10/25/21 12:29pm

And if you are familiar with LES, when Wrubell says a team is playing from his left to right as he sees it

kccougar

10/25/21 1:18pm

<< Deleted >>

RexburgCougar

10/25/21 3:33pm

Whoops! Wrong thread

RexburgCougar

10/25/21 3:33pm

Isn't there an EZ at both ends of the field?

slatecoug

10/26/21 7:10am

I've heard it for as long as I can remember "just short of the line to gain"

BYUFootballisBack

10/25/21 12:25pm

Really, you heard that more than "just short of the first down"?

Gavin

10/25/21 12:36pm

Not saying I have exclusively heard it just that I have also heard it used often

BYUFootballisBack

10/25/21 12:46pm

After some thinking, I feel like its mostly the refs that say it "The ruling on

BYUFootballisBack

10/25/21 1:26pm

Because it’s the phrase that’s been used in the actual rule books for over 100 years. Refs using the terminology in the

mvtoro

10/25/21 1:33pm

Yeah. I'm sticking with first down marker.

Forzaitalia

10/25/21 12:34pm

Pretty sure it started being used more when they began adding the yellow line on tv… so yeah, it’s been pretty common

GangstaLean

10/25/21 12:37pm

Fist down marker or line is more descriptive. Line to gain makes it sound

GilbertAZCougar

10/25/21 1:25pm

It’s not synonymous. It refers to the goal line too, when there is no longer a first down available.

mvtoro

10/25/21 1:31pm

People saying it’s new 🤣! It’s been around since before leather helmets were standard! Announcers get into trends about

mvtoro

10/25/21 1:30pm

Not that it is new but there is no doubt it used MUCH more frequently lately

Bill

10/25/21 1:48pm

Some were saying it’s new. It’s used more now because we hear refs talk much more than we used to. More people are

mvtoro

10/25/21 1:52pm

"Line to gain" is how it is referenced in the rule book, but you're right...

StantonMac

10/25/21 1:52pm

It's an old term, but I agree it seems to been gaining traction in the lexicon

Roko's Basilisk

10/25/21 1:54pm

it's like the term "throw game"

Beggar

10/25/21 2:18pm

It's like the NBA using "Physicality" a lot now.

SaintGeorgeYFan

10/25/21 3:28pm

Classic Baader-Meinhoff Phenomenon - see a thing once and it seems everywhere

RexburgCougar

10/25/21 3:34pm

Yeah, definitely new.

oldrugger

10/25/21 4:00pm

Name doesn’t check out.

mvtoro

10/25/21 4:06pm

I've never like the term, line to gain. I called college football games for

byublue42

10/25/21 4:57pm

It is a term that was introduced when ESPN started using the yellow first down

deja-blu

10/26/21 1:40pm

That is not true. It was used long before that.

kimdaddy35

10/26/21 1:44pm

RE: That is not true. It was used long before that.

deja-blu

10/26/21 1:49pm

LOL, I thought that was just your signature so I didn't look at it. My bad.

kimdaddy35

10/26/21 1:56pm

Read the full post (gif included)

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