Dicker-rod

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title: "Dicker-rod" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["american-football-equipment", "american-football-terminology", "world-football-league"] description: "Measuring device for use during games of gridiron football" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dicker-rod" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Measuring device for use during games of gridiron football ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Dicker-rod_WFL_1974.png" caption="A sideline official holding a dicker-rod during the 1974 [[World Football League]] season; running with the football is quarterback [[Dave Mays"] ::

The dicker-rod (also spelled dickerod) is a device intended to replace the first down chains commonly used to measure 10-yard distances during games of gridiron football. The device was named for its inventor, George Dicker (1913–1989) of Tustin, California, The dicker-rod also aims to improve safety, as a 10-yard length of chain laying along the sideline can be a hazard for players. Additionally, it requires just one person to operate, rather than a three-person chain crew. However, the dicker-rod has not been widely used, and the first-down chain remains the standard.

Description

The device features a rod approximately 3 yd in length. Initially, the rod is positioned horizontally by its operator, and a marker attached to the rod is positioned to indicate the ball's position from the nearest five-yard marker (that is, the 5, 10, 15, 20, etc. yard lines).

Usage

The first official use of the dicker-rod was in a 1970 college football contest between UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Long Beach. An August 1972 newspaper article about its inventor noted that the dicker-rod was used in 174 high-school football games during the 1971 season, and in the June 1972 Coaches All-America Game.

The dicker-rod was used by the World Football League (WFL) throughout its 1974 season. The league reverted to using a traditional chain for its 1975 season.

Notes

References

References

1. "George Leonard Dicker".
2. "Football Yardage Measuring Device".
3. Gustkey, Earl. (October 29, 1970). "Inventor Makes Chain Gang Obsolete". [[Los Angeles Times]].
4. Gustkey, Earl. (August 17, 1972). "Dickerod? It Does the Job of a 'Chain Gang'". [[Los Angeles Times]].
5. Moore, Gary. (June 7, 1974). "WFL Officials Begin Cramming On Rule Changes". [[The Commercial Appeal]].
6. (May 6, 1977). "Whatever happened to the Dickerod". [[Los Angeles Times]].
7. Moyer, Ron. (May 14, 1975). "A Brand New Ballgame". [[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]].
8. "Dickerod".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::