The 0.1-second rule
Under World Athletics rules, an athlete who moves within 0.1 seconds after the starting signal has false-started. At major meets, sensors built into the starting blocks are linked to the start signal to detect this automatically. Today a single false start can mean disqualification.
Source: Wikipedia, False start; World Athletics Technical Rules (Book C)
What anticipation is
Reaction-time research also often treats times faster than about 100–200 ms as anticipatory responses: the movement started before the stimulus. When the signal comes at a steady rhythm, the body learns the beat.
| Type | Pattern |
|---|---|
| Real reaction | Moves after the signal; scores cluster in a steady range |
| Anticipation | Moves before the signal; occasionally amazing, often too early |
Why the wait is random
In Reflex Lab’s Reaction Time the wait from red to green changes every round (1.5–4 s on Normal, 1–5 s on Hard), so you can’t learn the beat. Tap before green and the round is voided and restarts.
Breaking the guessing habit
- If “Too soon!” shows up often, it’s telling you about a habit, not your speed.
- Hover your finger over the screen without pre-loading the press.
- Watch your average. Guess-heavy runs have a great best score and a shaky average.
In the app
Practise holding back with Impulse Control
Reflex Lab’s Impulse Control (Go/No-Go) asks you to tap green circles and hold back on red squares. Tapping red costs 2 points, so a trigger-happy habit shows up in the score.
Add a decision with Color Trap
Color Trap is a Stroop task: decide whether the word’s meaning matches its ink color and tap Match or No match. You have to look and decide, so anticipation doesn’t help.
FAQ
Does the app reject times under 100 ms?
The app only voids taps made before green; every tap after green is recorded. If you see under 100 ms, a guess probably landed, so focus on your average.
How fast are sprinters?
Research cited on Wikipedia’s Mental chronometry page reports mean reaction times of 166 ms for men and 169 ms for women among sprinters at the Beijing Olympics.
Reflex Lab: Brain Speed Test
No sign-up, fully offline, records stay on your device. Free on Android.