# Why the tape at the finish line? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 8, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831 "2012-08-08T05:50:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/21 "2012-08-08T17:13:45Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > They still do use the same method (well, a digital version of the original film technique)… Thanks for the info. I neglected to look at the links in your previous post. I would have thought by now they’d have a series of very high speed normal pictures to resolve this, but this is probably a more practical method, and through it’s traditional use less controversial (because every little change at the Olympics is a controversy). And I think I’d have a problem with actual clown shoes being an unfair advantage in the race 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/22 "2012-08-08T17:22:46Z")
Thanks, **Colophon** - I found that fascinating (genuinely!). ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/23 "2012-08-08T17:24:56Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Thanks for the info. I neglected to look at the links in your previous post. I would have thought by now they’d have a series of very high speed normal pictures to resolve this, but this is probably a more practical method, and through it’s traditional use less controversial (because every little change at the Olympics is a controversy). The “scanning” photofinish camera is really the only practical method, or at least certainly by far the best. Rather than having a series of high-speed pictures, and having to look at different pictures as each person crosses the line, with a photo-finish camera, the exact moment that every athlete crosses the line is all there on one photograph - and you can read the exact finishing time for each runner, down to the thousandth of a second, off the time-scale at the bottom. In the [triathlon pic](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/london-2012-olympics/files/2012/08/women-tri-photo-finish.jpg), for example, the vertical red lines show the times were about 1:59:48.609 and 1:59:48.618. Less than one hundredth of a second after almost two hours of racing. (And it would have been easier to get the lines in exactly the right place without that bloody great ribbon, of course!) It’s a pretty neat invention, really. ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/24 "2012-08-08T18:52:36Z")
So, if I’m understanding it right (based on some other articles) these photo finish cameras are basically like a specialized movie camera but the frames are displayed over a horizontal dimension, rather than as a sequence of images, correct? Curse you SD, for making me figure out yet another thing. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/25 "2012-08-08T18:56:54Z")
> [@dstarfire](#): > > So, if I’m understanding it right (based on some other articles) these photo finish cameras are basically like a specialized movie camera but the frames are displayed over a horizontal dimension, rather than as a sequence of images, correct? [The photo finish camera.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_finish) ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/26 "2012-08-08T19:13:50Z")
> [@dstarfire](#): > > So, if I’m understanding it right (based on some other articles) these photo finish cameras are basically like a specialized movie camera but the frames are displayed over a horizontal dimension, rather than as a sequence of images, correct? Yep. You could imagine it as taking a series of very tall thin photos of the finish line and pasting them one after the other from right to left to make one big image. A bizarre consequence of this is that it doesn’t matter which direction the runners cross the line in - they will always appear in the same orientation on the photo, as demonstrated by the photo of the runner and the cyclist halfway down [this page](http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/25/belden-adams.php). That messed with my head, but if you think about how the image is assembled, it starts to make sense. Note the shadows, too. In this instance, the sun was shining from the left. So the runner’s shadow is pointing right as it should be: first his shadow crossed the line, then his right leg and left hand, then his body and finally his trailing hand. After he crossed the line, the cyclist’s front wheel crossed - from the right - then the rest of his bike and finally his shadow (because it was behind his direction of movement, whereas the runner’s shadow was ahead of his direction of movement). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/27 "2012-08-08T19:15:38Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > A bizarre consequence of this is that it doesn’t matter which direction the runners cross the line in - they will always appear in the same orientation on the photo, as demonstrated by the photo of the runner and the cyclist halfway down [this page](http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/25/belden-adams.php). That messed with my head, but if you think about how the image is assembled, it starts to make sense. Now that photo is _way_ cool! I didn’t realize what was going on until I read the note about the shadows. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/28 "2012-08-08T23:00:02Z")
I think the the tape might provide a nice additional keepsake for the winner. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2012, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/29 "2012-08-08T23:24:17Z")
Tradition. As many have explained, not needed anymore. But I don’t see why it’s bothersome to keep in some events. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/30 "2012-08-16T05:26:06Z")
I think a toddler should stand in each lane and the first toddler to be knocked over indicates the winner. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/31 "2012-08-16T14:41:47Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > The “scanning” photofinish camera is really the only practical method, or at least certainly by far the best. Rather than having a series of high-speed pictures, and having to look at different pictures as each person crosses the line, with a photo-finish camera, the exact moment that every athlete crosses the line is all there on one photograph - and you can read the exact finishing time for each runner, down to the thousandth of a second, off the time-scale at the bottom. In the [triathlon pic](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/london-2012-olympics/files/2012/08/women-tri-photo-finish.jpg), for example, the vertical red lines show the times were about 1:59:48.609 and 1:59:48.618. Less than one hundredth of a second after almost two hours of racing. (And it would have been easier to get the lines in exactly the right place without that bloody great ribbon, of course!) > It’s a pretty neat invention, really. Does someone have to manually mark each runner’s chest on the photo, or is there some magic that the camera has to put in the vertical lines? ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/32 "2012-08-16T15:45:33Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > A bizarre consequence of this is that it doesn’t matter which direction the runners cross the line in - they will always appear in the same orientation on the photo, as demonstrated by the photo of the runner and the cyclist halfway down [this page](http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/25/belden-adams.php). That messed with my head, but if you think about how the image is assembled, it starts to make sense. Note the shadows, too. Oddly, that one image doesn’t load for me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Nature\_s\_Call](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nature_s_call/32/19006_2.png) [@Nature\_s\_Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nature_s_Call)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/33 "2012-08-17T14:09:02Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Oddly, that one image doesn’t load for me. ☹ Me either, using Internet Explorer 8. I opened it in in Chrome with no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/34 "2012-08-17T22:17:13Z")
> [@NoCoolUserName](#): > > Does someone have to manually mark each runner’s chest on the photo, or is there some magic that the camera has to put in the vertical lines? It’s done manually. Good story here involving Allyson Felix at the USA Olympics trials. [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/2012/writers/tim\_layden/06/26/track-field-photo-finish-felix-tarmoh/index.html](http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/olympics/2012/writers/tim_layden/06/26/track-field-photo-finish-felix-tarmoh/index.html) > [@](#): > > To determine times and places, Jennings uses a wireless mouse to place a vertical line on athletes’ torsos, from first to last. Once the line is in place, he inputs the lane number of the athlete, hits “enter,” and the software spits out a time, and that time is immediately posted to the stadium scoreboard. ---
**Author:** ![President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/President_Johnny_Gentle)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/35 "2012-08-17T23:39:37Z")
Is there a particular reason that the standard for finishing involves the torso? It strikes me from the photo finishes I’ve seen that it would be easier to change the rule to allow any body part to cross the line. In both the triathlon and the 100m at the Olympic trials, the photos distinctly show a winner by that standard. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/36 "2012-08-17T23:50:05Z")
> [@President\_Johnny\_Gentle](#): > > Is there a particular reason that the standard for finishing involves the torso? It strikes me from the photo finishes I’ve seen that it would be easier to change the rule to allow any body part to cross the line. In both the triathlon and the 100m at the Olympic trials, the photos distinctly show a winner by that standard. Before finish line cameras/auto-timimg systems, it was the good old human eyeball. Far easier to focus on one spot(chest usually) rather than trying to spot a hand or foot in the flurry of motion at the finish. ---
**Author:** ![President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@President\_Johnny\_Gentle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/President_Johnny_Gentle)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/37 "2012-08-17T23:57:36Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Before finish line cameras/auto-timimg systems, it was the good old human eyeball. Far easier to focus on one spot(chest usually) rather than trying to spot a hand or foot in the flurry of motion at the finish. Definitely understandable. I was more wondering if there was any compelling reason against changing the rules at this point in time? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/38 "2012-08-18T00:00:47Z")
> [@President\_Johnny\_Gentle](#): > > Definitely understandable. I was more wondering if there was any compelling reason against changing the rules at this point in time? Probably because you want the time to reflect how long it took for the body to cross the line, not who has the longest arm. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831/39 "2012-08-23T01:04:56Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Probably because you want the time to reflect how long it took for the body to cross the line, not who has the longest arm. And also because it would invalidate all previous world records, which were set by the torso. For example, in Usain Bolt’s 9.58 second 100m record run, the photofinish [shows](http://berlin.iaaf.org/images/photofinish/3658/m_100_f_1.jpg) that his foot crossed the line at 9.53 seconds. If the rules were changed, runners would dive for the line with outstretched arms and maybe gain 0.1 seconds or more, making comparisons with past performances impossible. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-tape-at-the-finish-line/630831.md?page=1)