An athletic timing device includes a housing carrying a touch-less sensor. The device is self-contained and can be easily placed at generally any point on a surface used for athletic activities, e.g., a football field, basketball court, or a track. The collective design of the sensor and the housing facilitates activation of the sensor without interfering with normal athletic activities, i.e., activities can be performed and timed under normal conditions without physical contact between the timing device and objects involved in the athletic activity. Example activities that can activate the sensor include snapping a football, kicking a soccer ball, or sprinting away from (or back to) the device.