40-yard Dash - Timing Method and Track Comparisons

Timing Method and Track Comparisons

In terms of judging a person's speed, the best method of timing is through lasers which start and stop the times when passed through. A laser start (from a stationary position) is more accurate for measuring pure speed as it does not register a runner's reaction time. However, the method of timing a 40-yard dash can affect the accuracy by as much 0.5 seconds (with the manual stopwatch method). The National Football League (NFL) did not begin using partial electronic timing (started by hand, stopped electronically) at the NFL Scouting Combine until 1990.

In track and field races, the runner must react to the starting gun, which takes approximately 0.24 seconds, based on FAT timing. For electronically timed 40-yard dashes, the runner is allowed to start when he wishes, and a timer hand-starts the clock. This aspect means that comparisons with track times are impossible given that a reaction time is not factored in. Furthermore, the use of hand-timing in the 40-yard dash can considerably alter a runner's time; the methods are not comparable to the rigorous electronic timing used in track and field.

Jacoby Ford, who ran a 4.28 s in the 2010 NFL Combine, had a collegiate best of 10.01 s in the 100 meters. Justin Gatlin, who ran 9.85 s for a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic 100 metres, before being suspended from the sport for abuse of performance-enhancing drugs, has a verified 40-yard dash best of 4.42 s. This reflects the discrepancy in a runner's calculated time when using different timing methods.