Tutorial - Introduction to Webscorer app timing

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OVERVIEW

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Introduction

This tutorial will explain how to time a race with the Webscorer app - including how to correct errors, deal with the typical timing issues and how to edit the results. This tutorial is recommended for anyone who's tasked with the actual timing of the race but does not cover the setup of the race parameters or creating the start list for the race.
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BEFORE STARTING A RACE

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Mark racers as DNS / Undo DNS

It is often useful to mark racers who did not show up as DNS before the race starts. That way, you will know who's still out on course towards the end of the race. From the Race Start panel, tap the DNS toolbar button, and tap the racer name on the list above - note that you can tap multiple racers in a row, then close the panel.

To undo a DNS before the race, tap the DNS toolbar button, then choose the Cancel DNS option, and tap the racer name.
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Set countdown to race start

If you need to leave to your timing station before the race starts, you can set a countdown which auto-starts the race at a set amount of time later. Tap the Start time adjustment option on the Race Start panel, choose the Set race countdown option and set the amount of time for the countdown. You'd then tap the green Start Race button exactly when the chosen amount of time remains until the race will be started. Note that if you tap the button by mistake, you can tap it again to restart the countdown.
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Adjust race clock for race underway

You can also start the race clock after the race is already under way. For example, you may still be busy adding racers to the start list when it's time to start the race. You can have someone else start the race, and use a stopwatch to record the time elapsed since the start. When you're done with the start list, you can tap the Start time adjustment option on the Race Start panel, choose the Adjust for start time option and set the amount of time elapsed since the race start. You'd then tap the green Start Race button exactly when the chosen amount of time has passed since the racers went off.
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THE 3 TIMING VIEWS

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Overview

When scoring racers, Webscorer offers 3 different timing views:
  • Normal view
  • Fast-tap view
  • Keypad view
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Normal view

Normal view allows you to tap once to record both the time stamp & bib number:
  • By tapping the bib number, a time stamp is recorded for that racer at the same time
  • The graphical representation of bib numbers reduces entering even a 3-digit bib number into a single tap
Normal view is suitable for:
  • Smaller races
  • Races where there are no tight group finishes
  • Races where you can easily identify the approaching racer
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Fast-tap view

Fast-tap view separates recording the time stamp and the bib number into two taps:
  • You'll tap the timer button when the racer crosses the finish line, followed by tapping the bib number for that time stamp
  • In group finishes, you can enter multiple time stamps in a row, then tap the bib numbers in the order of finish
Fast-tap view is intended for:
  • Medium-size races
  • Races where a group of racers may finish together
  • Races where it may be difficult to read the bib number before the finish
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Keypad view

Keypad view works like the Fast-tap view, but permits the entry of bib numbers with a keypad:
  • You'll tap the timer button to record a time stamp
  • You'll then enter the bib number with the keypad
Keypad view is designed for:
  • Larger races
  • Races timed with an iPhone where the smaller screen limits the usefulness of the Fast-tap view
  • Races where it may be faster to key in the bib number than finding it on the screen
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Additional timing view notes

The Fast-tap view and the Keypad view allow you to:
  • Pre-enter the bib number of an approaching racer
  • Followed by tapping the timer button to record the time stamp
The Normal view and Fast-tap allow you to:
  • Time a race with just racer names
  • No bib numbers required
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OTHER TOOLBAR BUTTONS

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Race control

The Race control toolbar button is used for restarting and finishing the race. For example, if there's a false start and you want to recall the racers back to the start line, tap the Race control button and choose Restart race. This option is available until there are actual finishers in the race.

To finish the race, tap Race control and choose the Finish race option. If there are still racers on course, you can have the remaining racers marked as DNS or DNF. If you have used the Unknown racer option during the race, the app will remind you if you have not yet assigned racer details for any such entry.
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Show name / Hide name

In a race with bib numbers, the default view shows each racer with just the bib number to maximize the number of racers visible per screen. If you want to see the racer's name and other details, you can tap the Show name toolbar button to view this additional information for each racer. To get back to the bib-only view, tap the Hide name button. Note that toggling the Show name / Hide name button is also a useful way to rearrange the racer boxes on the screen after empty spots are left when racers finish.
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DNS/DNF/DSQ

To mark a racer as DNS, DNF or DSQ during the race, you must be either in Normal view or in Fast-tap view to tap the DNS/DNF/DSQ toolbar button. The default option is DNS - this option allows you to tap multiple racers in a row, but note that you must close the panel manually. The DNF and DSQ options work in a similar way, but the panel closes automatically after each racer tap to prevent the scenario that you'd forget to close the panel - resulting in an inadvertent DNF or DSQ tap when you intended to finish the racer instead.
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Start list

During the race, you can tap the Start list toolbar button to view the start list, to add racers to the start list, or to make edits to racers on the start list. For example, if you want to get the race started on time, but did not have enough time to add all of the day-of-race entries before the start, you can do the additions while the race is already under way.
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CORRECTING ERRORS

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Overview

There are ways to undo or cancel most of the taps and timing actions. It's useful to intentionally create errors during a practice timing effort before the actual event, as even the most experienced timer will make a mistake when tapping the screen potentially hundreds of times during the race. It's important to know what to do when the unexpected error situation occurs - as each scenario may require a slightly different response. Let's cover some of the most common error situations.

Note that the app uses the yellow color as a cue for error correction - so if an item on the screen is yellow, you can tap it to make a correction.
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How to cancel a tap & swap a racer

In Normal view, when you tap a racer box, the box will turn yellow for 5 seconds. When you tap the box while it's yellow, a panel will pop up giving you an option to cancel the tap, or to swap the tap to another racer. This covers the two most common mistaps - an inadvertent tap, and tapping the wrong racer. If you choose to cancel, the app will ask you to confirm. If you choose to Swap racer, you'd tap the racer box you originally intended to, and the time stamp will be reassigned to that racer.

If you miss the 5-second window when the box is yellow to make a correction, tap the Fast-tap view toolbar button, and you can find the most recently tapped entry as the last item on the fast-tap list.

In Fast-tap view, you can cancel or swap any entry at any time during the race, simply by tapping the yellow Sequence # field. A panel will pop up giving you an option to cancel the entry or to swap the racer assigned to that time stamp.

In Keypad view, tap the yellow Sequence # field to cancel an entry. To swap a racer assigned to that time stamp, simply tap the yellow Bib field and edit the assigned bib number.
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How to edit a time stamp

During the race, you can make time adjustments to all recorded time stamps at any time. For example let's assume you tap a time stamp for a racer 5 seconds too late. The easiest way to make a correction is in the Fast-tap view. Tap the yellow Race clock field for that racer, which will bring up a time editor allowing you to subtract the 5 seconds from the racer's time stamp.
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How to edit racer information

The easiest method to correct other racer data during the race is to tap the Start list toolbar button, find the racer and make the edits - the changes will be effective immediately. If a racer finishes the race and asks you to change the spelling of the racer name or other information, you can tap the green arrow to the right of the racer's entry on the fast-tap list and get access to that racer's data. Either method works.
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How to undo a DNS, DNF or DSQ entry

When you tap a racer as DNS, DNF or DSQ, note that those entries are not added to the fast-tap list. If you need to cancel a DNS, DNF or DSQ entry, navigate to the Results panel, find the racer in the results, tap the racer's name and then tap the Unfinish racer button.
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OTHER TIMING SITUATIONS

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What to do when multiple racers finish together

If multiple racers are approaching together and you're not sure in which order the racers will finish, the best option is to switch to the Fast-tap view and to focus on recording accurate time stamps. For these types of group finishes, it's a good idea to have an assistant whose job is to record the bib numbers on paper in the order of finish. This allows the app operator to focus on recording the correct number of time stamps, and not have to multi-task in a hectic situation. Note that there's no time limit to enter the bib numbers to the fast-tap list - this can wait to be done even at the end of the race.

A useful trick is to tap the No Bib button for the time stamps in such group finishes - this allows you to keep entering further bib numbers on your own and fill in the missing bibs later when there's a break in the finishing action. For example, let's assume 5 racers are approaching, too many to record the bib numbers while also tapping the time stamps. You'd tap 5 time stamps in a row, and rely on your assistant to capture the bib numbers. To get ready for the next racer who's coming in alone after the group of 5, you'd tap No Bib 5 times to allow the next actual bib entry to be for the solo racer arriving next. Then, when there's a break in action, you can get the 5 bib numbers from your assistant and enter them without falling further behind.
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What to do with unknown bib

A key to successful timing is to have a complete and accurate start list - and to ensure that all racers are wearing the correct bib numbers. However, mistakes do happen and it's important to know how to deal with them during the race. If a racer finishes and you can't find the bib number, the best option is to switch to the Keypad view and enter the unknown bib number with the keypad. The app will display a popup indicating that the bib number does not exist on the start list - tap the Record bib option which will enter the unknown bib number for that time stamp, and you can deal with filling out the racer's information later.
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What to do with a duplicate bib

Another common timing issue is a duplicate bib number problem. In almost all cases, the cause for this is that earlier in the race you've tapped a wrong bib number by mistake - and when the real racer with that bib number finishes, you can't find it. Similar to the unknown bib number scenario, switch to the Keypad view and enter the bib number with the keypad. The app will display a popup saying that the bib number has already been entered earlier - if you choose the option to Record bib, the app will assign this bib number to the latest time stamp, and reassign No Bib to the earlier time stamp when this bib number was first entered. Later, when you have time, you can figure out which bib number you should have entered earlier - and reassign it to the No Bib entry on the fast-tap list.
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How to pre-enter bibs of multiple racers

Similar to first tapping multiple time stamps and then tapping multiple bib numbers, the app also allows you to pre-enter multiple bib numbers - and then tap the timer button to record each pre-entered bib number a time stamp. When you pre-enter more than one bib number, the timer button will split in two, giving you the option to either record each racer a different time, or to record all pre-entered racers the same time. The latter option can be used to record a tie, but its most practical use is when starting racers in an individual start race with Webscorer PRO - you can pre-enter the bib number for any number of racers for a group start, effectively extending the individual start type to also work as an improvised manual wave start.
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EDITING RESULTS

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Editing results

You can edit the results during the race, or after the race in several ways. During the race, the easiest way to make edits is to switch to the Fast-tap view, find the racer on the list and edit the racer's time stamp, or other information by tapping the green arrow to the right of the time. You can also navigate to the Results panel, find the racer, tap the racer's name and make the edits there. If you change the racer's time in the Results panel, this will also change the racer's time stamp on the fast-tap list - and vice versa. Note that if you've already posted results, you can make edits on the app and repost - the previously posted results will be updated with the changes you've made.
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Add racer / Delete racer

If you missed entering a racer onto the start list, and ended up timing that racer separately, you can add the racer to the results by tapping the Add racer toolbar button in the Results panel. If you need to delete a racer from the results altogether, tap the racer's name on the results and then tap the Delete racer toolbar button.
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Taps recorded

The Taps recorded panel is a copy of what's shown on the fast-tap list. You can also edit results via the Taps recorded list if you so prefer after the race. Since the list includes race clock times, it may make it easier to edit times in a wave start, individual start or interval start race as the standard results view includes the calculated finish times, with each racer's start time already subtracted. The Taps recorded list also includes the time stamp for any pre-entered bibs (or names) which may be useful to reconstruct results in the scenario where an untrained operator may have tapped only the racer boxes and forgot to tap the timer button in the Fast-tap view. These entries will show the time stamp when the bib was entered - and will be missing the time stamp in the Time tapped column.
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Adjusting race start time

If you made a mistake in starting the race on time, and didn't realize it in time to correct by restarting the race with a time adjustment, you can still make a correction via the Start time toolbar button on the Results panel. The app records the start time for the race as actual clock time - and you may adjust it by changing the start time using the 24-hour clock dials.