PAT Timing. Partially automatic timing!
I may have confused some people. By hand trigger I meant that there is a scout/coach holding a trigger/start button device and he triggers the system upon the athlete’s first movement whatever that may be. As soon as the athlete flinches, the clock is running.
Reguardless this still isn’t as accurate as the touch pad. It mine as well be all done handtimed. His reaction is going to be slower than the athletes intial reaction/movement.
Couldn’t one cheat the touch pad by leaving their hand down on it for a split second longer while beginning to move the rest of the body for the start? It seems like that would be possible, but I have never used one of these, so I don’t know.
It seems like they are using an eltronic timer bc many guys thought they were going to be .20 seconds faster and instead they were slower by this same amount. Also there is a string at the end of the run which the players break. I don’t know for sure its electronic timing or partially electronic, but one thing is for sure, this sure does beat handtiming. Now you only have 1 inconsistency and that is at the start. That being said you also have to remember that 40 is started on first motion, so if a guy screws up he only hurts himself. Also if a guy runs .2 or faster then his previous recorded 40, then if his 40y runs are that far apart in time they may no accept the time. 1 guy ran a 4.57 which was insane bc his next 40 was a 4.8 and his best 40 before the combine was 4.8 or something like that so they didn’t count the time. I don’t know the exact procedure but I did see 1 40 time get thrown out.
As for the Vertical Jump they do not take 1 step but rather jump the correct way for there vertical jumps. I must say that the NFL’s standards on some of their tests are getting better (Hooray) but still need some tweaking as was mentioned earlier by some forum members. I did was all of the 2006 NFL Scouting Combine and I was a little disgusted by the way some guys got away with their bouncing and 3/4 presses in the bench press. In fact, John Lott actually took 3 reps off of 1 guy for too much bouncing; hypocritically though, he didn’t deduct any off of that Ohio St. guy who matched the 45 bench press record. Hey wait a minute its Conspiracy Theory time! OK John Lott is the Cleveland Browns S & C coach, that’s Cleveland Ohio folks and the guy who matched the record is from OHIO ST which is in OHIO!
Hmmmmmmmmmmm, I call shaninanigans!
P.S. To give some credit to the Ohio St guy maybe he learned how to achieve a big bench from the Westside Barbell Club? (Note: this is not meant as wisecrack or a pun but an actual complement)
From what i was watching I don’t think John Lott was counting but another person because after 45 reps was set it was said but someone else and then the same person said he tied the combine record.