Timer Responsibilities

· Pick up stopwatches and one-minute/time warning signs from the competition coordinator prior to the first hearing of your shift.

· Report to assigned hearing room and ensure that the room arrangements are satisfactory. The timer’s chair should be placed so that the judges, teacher, and students can see your time signals.

· Begin timing after the head judge finishes reading the entire hearing question and the students begin their formal presentation.

· After three minutes of the formal presentation, hold up the one-minute warning sign. Make sure that the students and judges see it.

· After four minutes, flip the sign over and call "Time!" Judges may allow students to finish their statement before they begin asking follow-up questions. If students fail to use the allotted time of four minutes for their formal presentation, the follow-up questioning period should begin and it will not be necessary to call "Time."

· Allow stopwatch to run during entire hearing including the asking of the follow-up questions. After nine minutes (five minutes into follow-up period), hold up the one-minute warning sign.

· After ten minutes, flip sign over and call "Time!" Allow additional time if judges request it to compensate for any time lost during the allotted ten minutes.

· Repeat the process for each hearing.

· Immediately after the hearings end, return stopwatches and signs to competition coordinator.