Starter Duty: Official Commands and False Starts

Students learn the sprint start protocol by taking turns as starter, recall starter and runner. They practice focus at the start and learn about officiating roles in track and field.

How to play

1. The protocol: the teacher explains the commands ("On your marks," "Set" and the signal) and that in international competition one false start means disqualification. In class we'll use a warning and a restart (5 min).
2. Roles in groups of six: a starter with a whistle, a recall starter with a flag who stops the race after a false start, and four runners (3 min).
3. 15 m starts: the starter varies the time between "Set" and the signal to catch anyone who anticipates (8 min).
4. Rotate roles until everyone has been starter at least once (6 min).
5. Discussion: what makes starting hard, and is the one-false-start rule fair? (3 min).

Rules

• Nobody moves after "Set"; moving or leaving before the signal is a false start.
• The recall starter stops the race with the flag and a double whistle.
• The starter plays fair: between one and three seconds.
• Slow down in the marked area after 15 m.

Variations

Adaptations

• Deaf or hard of hearing: the signal comes with a flag drop or a phone light.
• Limited mobility: serves as starter or races in a wheelchair.
• Shy about calling commands: starts as recall starter, using the flag.

Learning goals

• Know the sprint start protocol.
• Stay focused and don't anticipate.
• Officiate firmly and respectfully.

Equipment for a class of 25

• starting blocks: 2
• whistles: 4
• flags: 4
• cones: 12

Teacher tip

If there aren't enough whistles, a loud clap works as the signal. The rookie starter's mistake is always using the same hold time, which makes it easy to guess: encourage them to vary it.

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