AboutRichard Howland Expertise I am a master USATF Track and Field official and can answer questions about officiating high school (NFHS), college (NCAA), National (USATF) and international in field events. I am not a coach except for other officials. My specialties are the Field events except pole vault.
Experience I delight in meeting athletes from all backgrounds and ages. I have even officiated field events for a one hundred year old long jumper as well as many "Master" and "Senior" athletes. Special olympics is a great event for officials to volunteer and see the essence of good sport on the faces of the athletes.
After thirty three years as a trial lawyer in Massachusetts with a focus on sports law, among others, I retired and devote much of my time to officiating. I referee soccer, time football, officiate swimming and diving, and officiate and start all events in track and field. My special focus in field events.
In high school and college I played soccer, squash and lacrosse, but track was not available in any depth then. Since I was a lawyer I began officiating and training to officiate sports which I could fit into my schedule. I honestly do not remember when I first started track and field officiating, but estimate that I have been very active for at least fifteen years.
I regularly officiate all events and levels.
Question I have been going to my daughters track meets for the last 4 years and have helped time at alot of the meets. Every time that I was a timer we would time lanes for the sprint events and time place for the running events. So for example, if I was the timer for lane 3 in the sprint events, I would become the 3rd place timer for the running events. I was recently at a district track meet and they were timing places rather than lanes and an addition had judges picking a place. There was so much confusion going on between the judges and timers who were picking places that they were holding up the track meet after every event. From my own experience is seems that timing a lane in the sprint events is less confusing becausing you concentrating on an athlete crossing your lane than trying to fiqure out what place an athlete is in when he crosses the lane. I would think that the timers time and the judges judge would be the most accurate!
What are the rules regarding hand timing sprint and running events at the high school level?
Thanks,
Scott
Answer Dear Scott:
In my region FAT is becoming quite common and hand timing is only for the dual meets and tri-meets in high school, mostly. The rule is subject to modification by the Chief Timer, the Meet Director and, in some circumstances the Referee.
The first proposition is that judges of place take precedence over timers every time. Whenever there is a conflict about first place, after the judges rule, timers report and when two people are timed as if they were both first, one is first and second is second, but both get the same time. Place and time are different. Place matters for the competition and time only for the individual athlete.
In my area certified officials time the first place runner whomever and wherever they are. The need for the officials is to certify timing and therefore provide certified advancement for the athlete's subsequent activity. Championships usually require certified records to qualify athletes so they can enter.
Timing lanes is very unusual because modern watches make timing in order of finish is easier except for some sprints at the highest levels. NEVERTHELESS officials time order of finish since it matters to individuals for the future and the top are most likely to qualify and need certification. In close races in can get hard with hand timing and rules pick place then time and so lane timing might not get the winner. In swimming meets timers are sometimes assigned to lanes because of the difficulty moving around, otherwise the group of timers converge on the leader during the last lap.
I hope that the foregoing answers your real question. However you ask about "rules regarding hand timing . . .". The best protocol is to start using the forefinger on the "Start" button depressing at the first visual cue from the starting device. Failing observing the smoke, light or fire, the sound applies, but will be too fast for a number of reasons. Immediately the forefinger should switch to the "Stop" button or "lap" button for use in timing the finish assigned and often others as a backup. The forefinger is milliseconds faster than the thumb so is favored. The torso crossing the finish line is winner.
Most meet directors make common sense arrangements, but the priority of timing and judging may not be changed. Dick Howland
