PURPOSE: To relieve the impact force in the stage of passing-through of the tail end and to protect bearings and rolls by predicting the timing for the passage of the tail end through the next stand from the timing when the tail end passes through the previous stand and actuating a rolling-down cylinder in the direction where a roll gap is opened.

CONSTITUTION: The timing when the tail end of a rolling material 15 in the stand A passes through work rolls 2A, 3A is detected by a load cell 6A and is inputted to a load cell control panel 12 when the tail end passes through the above-mentioned work rolls. The timing is at the same time inputted to a calculator 13. The timing when the tail end passes through the stand B is calculated by the calculator 13 from the rolling speed and draft, etc. of the stand B. A command value is fed from a control panel 14 to a servocontrol mechanism 9B to actuate the rolling-down cylinder 5B in the direction for opening the gap at the point of the time before the specified time from the timing when the tail end passes through the stand B. The impact force between the work rolls is thereby relieved, by which the bearings are protected and the life thereof is extended.