Track Block Start
Block-start mechanics from set through clearance and touchdown, with an automatic report card and coaching cues.
How far has this tool been checked?
The measurements were checked against computer-drawn athletes whose true answers are known exactly. That shows the arithmetic and the event rules are right under clean, controlled conditions. It does not measure how well the body-tracking model sees real people (water, loose clothing, crouching, fast limbs) and has not been compared with a lab or a coach’s stopwatch. Treat the numbers as an aid, and use the confidence label beside each value.
Where the camera goes
Seen from above. Angles are measured round from the front of the athlete; 90° is square-on from the side. Reference line: direction of the lane.
Side view, 90° to the lane (landscape). All block-start metrics.
How high, and how it should sit
Framing
Full body, head to toe, side-on.
Hold the phone landscape.
The 50–75% band is our own guidance. No published source gives a camera distance in metres, so use it as a starting point and adjust until the whole movement fits.
Ready to record?
Tick each item as you set it up. This is a reminder, not a lock.
0 of 12 ready
All the camera settings
Every setting shows where it came from.
- Camera height
- No height is given. Keep it the same each session.
- Our guidance
- Distance
- No published distance exists. Stand back far enough that the full movement (arm circle, stride, follow-through) stays in frame with room to spare. Use the 1x lens and move your feet, not the zoom. Keep the athlete head to toe in frame.
- Our guidance
- Frame rate
- 60+ fps. Minimum 60 fps; higher helps. Slow motion works if you enter the recorded rate.
- From published guidance
- Resolution
- 1080p minimum
- From published guidance
- Orientation
- Hold the phone landscape.
- From published guidance
- Lens and zoom
- Use the 1x lens with no digital zoom. Avoid ultra-wide and fisheye lenses.
- From published guidance
- Lighting
- Daylight is best. Indoors is fine if the athlete is clearly separated from the background.
- From published guidance
- Stability
- Tripod on stable ground. Handheld footage adds shake that spoils timing and angles.
- From published guidance
- Calibration
- No calibration is needed for angles. Distances and speeds need a scale (see Calibration).
- From published guidance
Before you start
- Use one technical cue per block of reps.
- Keep camera position, block settings and distance the same each session.
Cues for the athlete
Plain coaching cues, one thing at a time.
General
- Stay low and push back longer.
- Keep the shin low.
- Split the arms sooner.
- Keep the chest down through clearance.
- Do not stand up early at touchdown.
Why camera position matters
Research behind these rules.
2D angles are only trustworthy when the limb moves in the plane the camera sees. Camera-side joints are measured more accurately than far-side joints, and timing is only as fine as one frame.