Stopwatch
or timing gates?
Where the errors in a hand-timed result come from, what they change over a short sprint, and when a stopwatch is enough.
Two human errors per time
At the start, the timer reacts to the athlete’s movement: they press with a reaction delay, so late. At the finish, they see the athlete coming and anticipate the line. The two errors do not cancel out: a hand time is usually faster than the real time, and above all it varies from one attempt to the next and from one timer to another.
That is why, in track and field, hand times are not mixed with electronic times, and sprint records require electronic timing.
A tenth of a second is a lot
A 10 m standing start takes around two seconds. An error of one tenth therefore represents 5% of the time, while a trained athlete often gains only a few hundredths over a season.
With a handheld stopwatch, progress disappears into measurement noise: you can no longer tell whether the athlete improved or the timer pressed earlier.
Three ways to time
| Method | Accuracy | With a group | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handheld stopwatch | Around a tenth, varies with the person timing | One timer per measured time | A few euros |
| Slow-motion video (240 fps) | About 4 ms per frame, but frames are picked by hand | Slow: every video has to be reviewed | A smartphone |
| Photoelectric gates | Thousandth of a second | Instant times, splits included | From a few hundred to several thousand euros |
Video works well now and then, as long as you film square to the lines: an angled view shifts the moment the athlete appears to cross them. For a group and regular testing, reviewing the footage quickly becomes the real cost.
When a stopwatch is enough
Endurance, long intervals, 400 m and above: a tenth of error weighs little over a minute of effort.
Speed tests, starts, 10 to 60 m sprints, speed slalom: anywhere the gaps are counted in hundredths.
Comparing an athlete with themselves over a season needs a measurement that does not depend on who is holding the stopwatch.
A question about your setup?
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