This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. This article has been tagged since November 2005. See Help:Editing and Category:Wikipedia help for help, or this article's talk page.
In racing sports (particularly swimming or athletics (track and field)), a false start is committed by a competitor who starts before being signaled to do so. Any false start, or more than a certain number, can disqualify an athlete from competition. Swimming is the method by which living creatures move themselves through water in a method not involving simply walking on the bottom. ... Athletics, also known as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sport events. ... Athletics, also known as track and field or track and field athletics, is a collection of sport events. ...
In American Football, a false start is movement by an offensive player after they have taken a set postion. It can be compared to an offsides penalty on the defensive line. A false start brings a penalty of five yards. United States simply as football, is a competitive team sport that is both fast-paced and strategic. ...
This position shall be within 10 feet of the starting end of the pool and should be free from any obstruction that might block or restrict the view of the athletes on the blocks.
Any swimmer who enters the water or backstroker who leaves the starting area shall be charged with a falsestart, except that a swimmer who would otherwise be charged with a falsestart may be relieved of the charge if the falsestart was caused by the swimmer's reaction to the command.
If the disqualification is declared before the starting signal, the signal shall not be given, but the remaining swimmers shall be called back, be reminded by the starter of the penalties, and start again.
Falsestarts are looked for in sprint races especially, where the fractions of a second gained could make the difference between winning and losing.
In sprints, sensors on the starting blocks of each athlete's lane are used to detect falsestarts.
At the end of the 2005-2006 NFL season, owners complained regarding falsestart penalties on players whose flinches have little effect upon the start of the play, such as wide receivers.
Feeds |
Contact