Two volunteers work as a pair at the finish: the Timer, who taps the phone, and the Tag Volunteer, who hands out numbered finish tags. Every 5 finishers you check that your numbers match. Find your role below. It takes two minutes to read.
Timer
Taps the big gold Finisher button on the phone as each person crosses the line.
Tag volunteer
Hands each finisher the next numbered tag, in order, as they cross.
The check, every 5 finishers: the phone shows a big number. That is the number the next tag should have. The Tag Volunteer says their next tag number. Same? Confirm it. Different? Fix it using the steps below.
Role 1
Timer (the phone)
You look after the stopwatch page on the phone.
Before the start
Open the stopwatch page and tick the pre-race checklist box that appears, then tap Continue.
Keep the phone on this page, in the foreground, for the whole event. The screen is kept awake automatically. Don’t switch to other apps.
Early starters going before the main group? Tap Early Start when they set off. A Record Early Finisher button appears: tap it as each early starter finishes before the main group starts. They get place numbers like everyone else.
At the start
Tap Start Timing at the gun. The early-finisher button disappears and the clock starts.
Every finisher
Tap Finisher the moment each person crosses the line. You’ll get a beep, and the result appears at the top of the list.
The order you tap is the order of places. If several finish together, tap once for each.
Never wait. A tag check can wait. A finisher can’t.
Every 5 finishers: the tag check
A panel appears at the bottom with a big number, like 6. That’s the number the next finisher’s tag should have.
Ask the Tag Volunteer: “What’s your next tag number?”
Same? Tap Confirmed — Matches.
Different? See the next section.
Keep tapping Finisher while the panel is up. The big number keeps counting up as more finishers come in, so you can compare at any moment.
When the numbers don’t match
▲ Tag number is HIGHER
The Tag Volunteer is ahead of the phone, so some finishers weren’t tapped.
Tap ▲ Tag number is higher.
Tap Add Missing Finisher once for each missing finisher, until the big number matches the Tag Volunteer’s number.
Tap Done — Log & Close.
Added entries show in red in the results. Their time is the moment you tapped, not their real finish time.
▼ Tag number is LOWER
The Tag Volunteer is behind the phone.
Tap ▼ Tag number is lower.
The Tag Volunteer takes out tags so that the numbers match (see their role below).
Tap Done — Log & Close.
Every mismatch is logged with the places covered since the last check (for example P16–P20), so the error can be tracked down after the event. The Finisher button stays live the whole time.
At the end
When the last finisher is in, tap ⚙ → End Timing, then End Timing. The clock stops and results are kept.
⚙ → Export Results, then Download CSV or Copy for Email. Send it to the results coordinator.
Only use ⚙ → Reset All Data once the results are safely exported.
Don’t use “Cancel Session (Wipe)” unless the race is abandoned. It erases every result recorded.
Role 2
Tag volunteer
You hand out the numbered finish tags. You don’t need the phone, but you’ll be talking to the Timer.
As people finish
Hand each finisher the next tag, in number order: 1, 2, 3 and so on. One tag per finisher.
Early starters who finish before the main group starts get tags too. The numbering carries straight on from them.
Every 5 finishers
The Timer will ask for your next tag number. Tell them the number on the next tag you’ll hand out.
If it matches their number, there’s nothing more to do. Carry on.
If your number doesn’t match
▲ Yours is HIGHER than the phone
Tell the Timer. They add the missing finishers on the phone until it matches your number. Carry on handing out tags as normal.
▼ Yours is LOWER than the phone
Take out tags so that the numbers match. Keep those tags and hand them to the results coordinator at the end of the event. Let the Timer know it’s done.
Don’t stop the line to sort out a mismatch. Keep handing out tags and tell the Timer, who logs it and keeps recording.
Reference
What each button does
Early Start
Before the gun. Starts the early clock for runners setting off ahead of the main group.
Record Early Finisher
Before the gun only. Tap for each early starter who finishes before the main group starts. Disappears at the gun.
Start Timing
Tap at the gun.
Finisher
Tap for every person who crosses the line. Never wait to tap.
Confirmed — Matches
The tag number and the phone’s number agree.
▲ Tag number is higher
The Tag Volunteer is ahead of the phone. Some finishers weren’t tapped.
▼ Tag number is lower
The Tag Volunteer is behind the phone. Tags need to be taken out.
Add Missing Finisher
Only after choosing ▲ higher. Tap once for each missing finisher.
Done — Log & Close
Records the mismatch and closes the panel.
⚙ menu
Export Results · View Results · Sound on/off · How to Use · End Timing · Reset All Data
Remember
Five golden rules
1
Never stop tapping. A check can wait. A finisher can’t.
2
Screen on, stay on the page. Don’t switch apps while timing.
3
Early finishers get tags and places too. The numbering carries straight on after them.
4
There’s no undo yet. If you mis-tap, note the place number and tell the results coordinator.
5
Export before you reset. Reset All Data can’t be undone.
Help
If something goes wrong
Page refreshed or closed by accident: reopen the page. The clock, results and any open tag check come back.
Screen locked: unlock and carry on. Times come from the phone’s clock, so no time is lost, but finishers can only be tapped while the screen is on.
Phone getting hot: dim the screen, keep it out of direct sun and take the case off.
Back button does nothing: that’s deliberate while timing. Use ⚙ → End Timing to finish.
Beep too loud or quiet:⚙ → Sound turns it off or on.
Need a reminder mid-event:⚙ → How to Use opens a short guide inside the app. The clock keeps running while you read it.
For the results coordinator
Early finishers are marked before gun, and their place numbers carry on into the main group.
Entries marked ADDED (red in the app) were added during a tag check. Their times are approximate, so check them against the tags.
The Tag Discrepancies section lists the places between tag checks where a mismatch was found.
Collect any tags the Tag Volunteer took out.
Masters Athletics Western Australia · Finish timing cheat sheet · Updated 13 November 2026
