Beer bet.
Does anyone have a link to the FINA rule that explains how automated equipment is used to judge relay take offs?
The FINA rules I've been able to find on-line first point you to section SW 13.1, which then points you to FR 4. But FR 4 doesn't address it.
I need the link to the explict FINA paragraph to win my beer.
I already have the undocumented statement from the Washington Post April 1, 2007.
"Officials ruled Crocker left 0.01 of a second earlier than the allowable start time. Crocker got off the blocks with a reaction time of -0.04 of a second. The most allowed is -0.03."
Thanks
The starting block measures the time when you stop applying force to the pad. That is not the same as the time when you actually no longer contact the top of the starting block.
Whether -0.03 is the best safety margin, dunno. But a negative time does not necessarily mean the person left early.
You should read the rest of the Daktronics patent application. Their patent is for a relay take-off pad that measures contact, not force. The quoted section is part of the support for why they wanted to come up with a way to measure contact, and _not_ measure force, because force is subject to those problems.
-Rick
The starting block measures the time when you stop applying force to the pad. That is not the same as the time when you actually no longer contact the top of the starting block.
Whether -0.03 is the best safety margin, dunno. But a negative time does not necessarily mean the person left early.
You should read the rest of the Daktronics patent application. Their patent is for a relay take-off pad that measures contact, not force. The quoted section is part of the support for why they wanted to come up with a way to measure contact, and _not_ measure force, because force is subject to those problems.
-Rick
