Timing criteria for all categories is this (at least how I have done it):

• Run begins exactly when the highlight on the "NEW” button, on the game-load screen, disappears for the last time.
• Run ends exactly when the highlight on the last “NEXT” button disappears for the last time, on the screen that precedes the screen that shows the ingame timer and stamp counts etc.

Both events need to be judged frame-by-frame from the vod, and the time difference of these two events forms the official run time.

These rules ensure fair and accurate timing for runs of all categories regardless of the type of the ending.

If there is a timer visible on the video, the judge may utilize this timer to verify that the footage does not have discrepancies, but it is not used for timing the runs.

If these events are impossible to discern from the video, or the game has glitched in such manner that the highlight of the button fails to appear or to disappear, it is up to the moderator’s discretion whether the time can be deduced by some other means, such as from microphone sounds indicating mouse/keyboard actions. If the moderator is unable to judge the exact time, the run will be rejected.

The closer that the run is towards the leaderboard top or the closer the time is to other leaderboard entries, the more accurate the timing must be. For runs where the exact timing is not relevant for its position on the leaderboard, we may settle for less accurate timing (whole-second accuracy), if frame-timing turns out too difficult to determine.

Therefore, all players are instructed to make sure that your footage is good quality and that all parts of the game screen are visible at all times and that the game audio is audible at all times.