Manual Timekeeping
Advice to hand timekeepers
Differences in timekeeping are due to differences in individuals’ time to react at the starts aswell as at the finishes.
Timekeepers’ qualities
Being a timekeeper means not following the events taking place in front of him as a spectator.
A fierce battle between athletes must not get him so enthusiastic so as to forget to record thetimes correctly at the finish.
In particular, the timekeepers must not have any interest in who wins the event or whichathletes are placed in the positions for which they have to record the time. The judges at thefinish are in charge of that duty.
The timekeeper must remain calm, even if the times announced do not tally with the athletes’,
the coaches’, other officials’ or spectators’ visual judging and despite the noisy atmospherewhich surrounds the finish line, especially after a very good performance.
Timekeepers must have quick reflexes, be attentive and when requested must stop all
conversation and, if necessary, invite his colleagues to do so. The timekeeper must have goodeyesight and be physically fit. The timekeeper must be conscientious and announce clearly
the recorded times, without worrying about those recorded by his colleagues. If the timekeeper
is caught unaware at the start or at the finish, for whatever reason, he has the serious duty toannounce “time not recorded“ by immediately warning the Chief Timekeeper who will act
accordingly.
As all officials, the timekeeper must also be punctual. It will make it easier for the Meeting
Manager and the Chief Timekeeper to organise the team of officials. Normally he should reportfor duty half an hour before the start of the meeting.
Rules and Best Practices for Timekeepers
Timekeepers must react to the finish of the athlete being timed. They should not try to
anticipate the finish. The watch must be stopped when the timekeeper sees that the athlete
has reached the finish line.
No time must be divulged to any other person than the Chief Timekeeper.
Only the Chief Timekeeper can divulge the official times.
The timekeeper nominated as Chief Timekeeper must be able to convert the times. He must
be able to do these calculations correctly and quickly.
Organise a progress chart with times recorded lap after lap (for long-distance events).
For the 3000m events and above, also record intermediate times every kilometre.
Team of Officials
The Chief Timekeeper tells his colleagues which athletes they must record (according to thenumber of timekeepers available).
For a six-lane track, at least 9 timekeepers are required if the time of each athlete is to betaken with three watches.
For an eight-lane track, 12 timekeepers are necessary.
(In both cases it is assumed that the timekeepers are equipped with stopwatches that canrecord two times).
The Chief Timekeeper is advised, whenever possible, to take only the time of the first which,by liberating the second time, enables him to stand in for any timekeeper at fault.
In this case 10 timekeepers are required for 6 athletes and 13 for 8 athletes.
During a meeting, a timekeeper should always take the same places.
1Before the meeting
The Chief Timekeeper verifies the number of timekeepers at his disposal and their respective
qualifications.
He must check the stopwatches of each timekeeper and the number of times each of themcan record.
He must make sure that the locations of the half-way points, when middle-distance or longdistance races are run, are marked by a small flag. If it has not been done, he must inform theTechnical Manager who will take the necessary steps.
He must know the records for the events run during the meeting as well as those forintermediate distances which can be beaten during an event. World Records are recognisedfor 1500m events and over when performances have been hand-timed.
Consider whether to organise a progress chart with times recorded lap after lap for those longdistance events in which record times or other special performances may be anticipated andsuch information may be interesting for research, statistical or historical purposes.
Progress chart (example)
This chart enables the Chief Timekeeper to follow the event and to be ready, at the rightmoment, to place the timekeepers at the right location or record the intermediate times. This
chart enables him to see if the race is being run on a pace that may result in a record time. It
also enables him, in liaison with the judge in charge of the lap count, to avoid any errors ofdistance.
Track 400 m – Event 5000 m – Anticipated time: 13:25
100m
16.10 400m 1:04.40
200m
32.20 500m 1:20.50
300m
48.30 1000m 2:41.00

During the meeting
Unless a Fully Automatic Timing System is used, the Chief Timekeeper replies to the call fromthe Starter after making sure that the Timekeepers, the Judges at the finish and the Chief
Photo Finish (or Transponder) Judge are ready.
The Chief Timekeeper takes the time of the first and, in some cases, the time of anotherathlete.
He establishes the summary list of the times with the help of the information given to him byeach timekeeper.
He determines the official times.
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He takes the times given by each timekeeper to 0.01, notes them, converts them to 0.1anddetermines the time for each athlete.
Short-distance events usually have a very close finish, and it is therefore recommended thateach timekeeper should take only one time. (It has been proved that the reflexes of a humanbeing do not enable him to take, with enough precision, the times of two athletes separated
by less than 0.2 second).
For long-distance events, the athletes often finish well-spaced and there is therefore apossibility of taking the times of all the athletes finishing with the help of double-timed
stopwatches or by successive readings of digital stopwatches. For these events, with often alot of athletes, the Chief Timekeeper shall organise a team of timekeepers reading the timesof all finishing athletes and another team noting them down.
This way of proceeding will enable him to compensate for any possible fault by a timekeeper.
For these events, it is important that the Chief Timekeeper and the Chief Judge collaborateclosely, as some athletes may be lapped.
The Chief Timekeeper may have a timekeeper at fault replaced. He may check thestopwatches at any time.
After the meeting
He signs the record sheet and has it signed by the timekeepers (hand-timed records). When
any of the stopwatches belonging to the meeting organisers, he should make sure that all thetimekeepers give them back.

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