USC Pro Day - Timing Disclosure

[johnclevohio]

From the NFL.com USC Pro Day Recap.

"All 40-yard dash times were clocked electronically, which historically adds about .08 of a second to the actual time. For instance, if someone ran the 40 in 4.50 seconds, it really means he ran it in about 4.42 seconds."


Umm am I missing something here, should it really read like this.

All 40-yard dash times were clocked electronically. For instance, if someone ran the 40 in 4.50 seconds, it really means he ran it in 4.50 seconds.


Why can't everyone else do it this way.

[Daisy]

Re: USC Pro Day - Timing Disclosure

What do they mean by clocked electronically?

Was there a photo start and photo finish? i assume they still had the rolling start. If they have no photofinish what happens if the hand is the first to break the finish line (obviously true for the start too, assuming how they had some device at the start.) ?

Is it possible they started the electronic clock manually :roll:

[tafnut]

Re: USC Pro Day - Timing Disclosure

"All 40-yard dash times were clocked electronically, which historically adds about .08 of a second to the actual time.

What he meant to say is: we are still not using Fully Automatic Timing, but now we've muddied the waters even more by going to some hybrid. If we DID use FAT, there would be a .50 second differential, .24 for the fact that the runner did not have to react to a gun and another .24 for the reaction of the timer to the runner's self-determined start, plus AT LEAST .02 for anticipation of the finish. We apologize for 50 years of trying to con the public into believing that football players are anywhere near as fast as track sprinters (except when the player IS a track sprinter).

[txag]

I played college football around 15 years ago and we electronically timed our 40s. They had a device that was a rubber pad with a sensor in it. You put your hand on the pad and the timer starting when you lifted your hand to start running. At the finish they had a light beam sensor to stop the timer. The times are still faster than a typical track timing system, but were about 0.10 seconds slower than hand timing.

The smart guys learned that you could use a standing start, put your leading foot on the pad instead of your hand, and the timer wouldn't start until after you took your first step. This would shave another 0.05-0.10 off your 40 time. You could also take a long stride at the finish and break the light beam with your foot and shave some more time off.

[tafnut]

They had a device that was a rubber pad with a sensor in it. You put your hand on the pad and the timer starting when you lifted your hand to start running. At the finish they had a light beam sensor to stop the timer. The times are still faster than a typical track timing system, but were about 0.10 seconds slower than hand timing.

I have that too for start training, but it too is at least .24 off also, due to the fact that the runner goes whenever he wants, as opposed to reacting to a gun. (Since most non-elite runners are much slower than the .15-.20 delay we see in elites.)

[txag]

You could also say that using starting blocks, track spikes, and running on a urethane track vs field turf gives the track guys a 0.1-0.2 second advantage.