A spotter is someone trained to look for something. Spotter may refer to:

Sports

Spotter (auto racing) A spotter in auto racing is a trained team member whose job is to relay information to their driver, keeping them alert of what is occurring on the track. They are typically positioned higher, atop one of the grandstands or other support building ...

, a type of navigator in auto racing * Spotter (weight training), someone who assists someone lifting a weight in order to prevent injuries *

Spotting (climbing) Spotting is a technique used in climbing, especially in bouldering, where the climbers are close to the ground and ropes are not normally used. The spotter stands below the climber, with arms raised or at the ready. If the climber falls, the spot ...

, a person who stands below a climber for accident prevention

Military or policing

Spotter (sniping) A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...

, member of a sniper team who assists in observation of targets and handles ancillary tasks *

Spotter plane A surveillance aircraft is an aircraft used for surveillance. They are operated by military forces and other government agencies in roles such as intelligence gathering, battlefield surveillance, airspace surveillance, reconnaissance, observat ...

, an aircraft used for surveillance *

Artillery observer An artillery observer, artillery spotter or forward observer (FO) is responsible for directing artillery and mortar fire onto a target. It may be a ''forward air controller'' (FAC) for close air support (CAS) and spotter for naval gunfire su ...

or spotter, a person who is responsible for directing artillery and mortar fire *

Informant An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a “snitch”) is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law-enforcement world, where informan ...

, a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency

Hobby observation

Weather spotter Weather spotting is observing weather for the purpose of reporting to a larger group or organization. Examples include National Weather Service (NWS) co-op observers and Skywarn storm spotters. Storm spotters A storm spotter is a specific type ...

, an individual who observes the weather to inform media or others **

Storm spotter Storm spotting is a form of weather spotting in which observers watch for the approach of severe weather, monitor its development and progression, and actively relay their findings to local authorities. History Storm spotting developed in the ...

, a weather spotter who observes severe weather events * Aircraft spotter, a hobbyist who tracks and records the movement of aircraft * Bus spotter, a hobbyist who seeks to see all buses in a particular fleet or produced by a particular manufacturer * Wildlife observation, noting the occurrence or abundance of animal species for research or recreation *

Trainspotter A railfan, rail buff or train buff (American English), railway enthusiast, railway buff or trainspotter (Australian/British English), or ferroequinologist is a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems. Rail ...

, a person interested, recreationally, in rail transport *

Ship watching Ship watching is a form of outdoor activity and tourism that is carried out worldwide by observing the passage of various ships in the waterways where there is a lot of ship traffic. In the United States, for example, ship watching is practised i ...

, tracking and observing the passage of various ships * Satellite spotter, a hobbyist who observes and tracks artificial satellites that are orbiting Earth

Other uses

* Spotter (maneuvering), an individual who helps guide a vehicle * A local writer for ''

Spotted by Locals Spotted by Locals is a publisher of a series of travel guide A guide book or travel guide is "a book of information about a place designed for the use of visitors or tourists". It will usually include information about sights, accommodation, r ...

'' travel guides * Various dolphin species of the genus ''

Stenella ''Stenella'' is a genus of marine mammals in Delphinidae, the family informally known as the oceanic dolphins. Species Currently, five species are recognised in this genus: The common name for species in this genus is the "spotted dolphins" o ...

'' * Shark spotter, someone who engages in shark surveillance for

shark attack prevention There are a range of shark attack prevention techniques employed to reduce the risk of shark attack and keep people safe. They include removing sharks by various fishing methods, separating people and sharks, as well as observation, education ...

* An American term for a

banksman In Irish and British civil engineering, a banksman is the person who directs the operation of a crane or larger vehicle from the point near where loads are attached and detached. The term 'dogman' may be used in Australia and New Zealand, while 's ...

Sports

Military or policing

Hobby observation

Other uses

See also