What is a false start in a reaction test?

A false start is moving before you could have reacted to the signal. In track sprinting, World Athletics treats any reaction under 0.100 seconds after the gun, as measured by sensors in the starting blocks, as false. Since 2010 a single false start disqualifies the athlete.

Why a minimum time

A reaction needs time to travel: the sound reaches the ear, the brain recognises it, the signal goes down to the muscles. The rule assumes that can’t happen in less than a tenth of a second. A faster “reaction” means the athlete guessed when the gun would go.

Why tests need the same idea

Any reaction test with a fixed or predictable delay can be beaten by guessing. Good tests do two things:

1. Random delay before the signal, so you can’t time it.
2. False-start detection, so moving early doesn’t count as a fast score.

How Cowboy Duel handles it

Cowboy Duel is my app. You hold the phone upright and flip it on the signal; if you flip before the signal, it’s flagged as a false start instead of a win. That keeps head-to-head SHOWDOWN rounds fair, since the impatient player doesn’t win by luck.

What a false start tells you

Lots of false starts in a row usually mean you are trying to predict, not react. Relax your grip, watch for the signal, and accept a slightly slower but honest time. That honest time is the one that improves with practice.

Related: how to improve reaction time and the Cowboy Duel guides.