
Taking on this role improves time management skills. One of the skills Toastmasters practice is expressing a thought within a specific time. The Timer is responsible for monitoring time for each meeting segment and each speaker. Time is of the essence! Throughout the entire meeting, Settings -> Background & Filters -> Virtual Backgrounds will be open in the lower-left of your screen with GREEN/YELLOW/RED. Left-click on each small image below to open the full-size version in a separate tab and then right-click to select the option to save it to your device:

Explain Role
- At the beginning of the meeting, the Toastmaster explains the Theme and introduces you.
- In a minute or less, explain your role as the Timer while incorporating the Theme:
- Demonstrate the virtual backgrounds via Zoom:
- GREEN: Minimum qualifying time
→ 1 minute for Table Topics and Humor/Inspiration
→ 2 minutes for Evaluations (including General Evaluation)
→ 5 minutes for most Presentations (4 minutes for Ice Breakers) - YELLOW: Median qualifying time
→ 1 minute 30 seconds for Table Topics and Humor/Inspiration
→ 2 minutes 30 seconds for Evaluations (including General Evaluation)
→ 6 minutes for most Presentations (5 minutes for Ice Breakers) - RED: Maximum qualifying time
→ 2 minutes for Table Topics and Humor/Inspiration
→ 3 minutes for Evaluations (including General Evaluation)
→ 7 minutes for most Presentations (6 minutes for Ice Breakers)
- GREEN: Minimum qualifying time
- Let everyone know there is a 30-second grace period for all minimum and maximum qualifying times. For example, a Table Topics response that is 37 seconds qualifies, as does an Ice Breaker speech that is 6 minutes 21 seconds; the former qualifies by 7 seconds, and the latter is 9 seconds away from being disqualified (this is practice for a contest setting).
- Demonstrate the virtual backgrounds via Zoom:

Monitor Time
- Immediately after explaining your role, ensure these roles are explained in a minute or less by signaling GREEN at 30 seconds, YELLOW at 45 seconds, and RED at 1 minute:
- Grammarian/Ah-Counter
- Body Language Monitor
- Quizmaster
- General Evaluator
- Table Topicsmaster
- Next, time these roles and signal GREEN/YELLOW/RED according to your role explanation in the first section:
- Humorist/Inspirationist
- Presenters
- Table Topics Participants
- Evaluators
- Feel free to use this step-by-step guide, created by Alyssa Tan and Alondra Sánchez, for the Timer role:

Give Report
- At the end of the meeting, the Toastmaster calls on you to give your report in a minute or less:
- There will be nowhere near enough time for your entire report. Just give the highlights!
- Report the times for the Presentations, Table Topics Participants, and Evaluations.
- Let anyone know if they got disqualified by going under or over on time; otherwise, just say everyone qualified by being within time (again, this is practice for a contest setting).
- Be sure to incorporate both the Toastmaster’s Theme and the Grammarian/Ah-Counter’s Word of the Day.
- Crown the Leader(s) of Time Management (whoever got closest to YELLOW).
- Following your report, ensure these reports are a minute or less by signaling GREEN at 30 seconds, YELLOW at 45 seconds, and RED at 1 minute:
- Grammarian/Ah-Counter
- Body Language Monitor
- Quizmaster
- Last, ensure the General Evaluator stays within time by signaling GREEN/YELLOW/RED according to your role explanation for Evaluations in the first section.