Dicker-rod

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The dicker-rod was used in the defunct World Football League in 1974 for the purpose of replacing the first down chains more commonly used in the National Football League.

It was two and a half yards long. If a ball was placed on the 23 yard line, a marker would be placed 2 yard up the rod at the 25 yard line. Then, in order to measure whether a first down was attained at the 35 yard line, the dicker rod would be laid down, and it would be seen whether the ball had moved past the marker on the rod, which would now be at the 33 yard line, 2 yard away from the 35 yard line.