Dead Heat

About

Dead Heat is a name derived from a rare situation that occurs in various racing sports. A dead heat happens when the performances of competitors are judged to be so close that no difference between them can be resolved. When a dead heat occurs, the result is declared a tie and the competitors are awarded a joint ranking. This phenomenon can occur in both head-to-head races and competitions where competitors race sequentially and are ranked by finishing time. Historically, photo finishes have been a long-standing method of resolving outcomes too ambiguous to be distinguished by the naked eye. Over time, improvements in technology have played a significant role in reducing the frequency of dead heats. Digital super-slow motion replay and pressure-sensitive digital timers have increased precision in resolving these ambiguous outcomes. As a result of these technological advances, dead heats are declared less often than they once were.