Can you really meet the man or women of your dreams after just a few minutes of casual chit-chat? That's the premise behind speed dating, a new mating sport that is being played in bars, clubs and community centers in North America and Europe. 
The best way to describe speed dating is as a cross between a job interview, a blind date and a game of musical chairs. Participants get three to eight minutes, depending on where you are playing the game, to meet scores of different potential partners. With speed dating you can meet as many as twenty-five people (maybe more, depending on the length of the game) in one fell swoop. 

Some see speed dating as being the ideal hybrid between online and offline dating. You get to meet a number of strangers within the safety of a friendly and merry environment that is policed by the organizers. At the end of the night you can ask a partner for a date, but a date only takes place if the other party is in agreement. In most speed dating games, most communication is written or concealed from the potential dates. A big plus is that it spares singles the face-to-face embarrassment of turning someone down. 

You are advised to turn down speed dating events that are too publicly advertised or take place in a bar that is known for its wild antics. Often, with this type of heavily promoted speed dating venture, you run the risk of having an audience gawk at you while you meet potential partners. Always check out the venue before you attend an event to make sure that you are not part of a public spectacle. Speed dating that is held at a church or community venue is probably your safest bet when it comes to privacy, tact and anonymity. 

Speed dating probably best suits busy careerists who would benefit from meeting as many people as they can within a short period of time. This includes busy individuals such as lawyers or performers who have had no time for pursuing romance simply because they have spent a decade or so focusing on education and then launching a business. Speed dating also suits health professionals and individuals who work off-hours, such as waitresses, shift-workers, and health professionals. Speed dating is ideal for those who always find themselves working the traditional date nights such as Friday and Saturday night. 

Speed dating also benefits those who are looking for a more serious relationship, as it is understood that these functions are for individuals who are looking for a long-term connection. If you are sick of the immaturity or addictions that come hand-in-hand with people you meet in bars and clubs then this might be a more efficient way to meet someone who is not intent on wasting your time with their emotional problems. 

This ''mating sport'' also will appeal to those who have become frustrated with the anonymity and long-distance aspects of online dating. Unlike online dating, what you see at a Speed Dating event is what you are going to get. There is no false advertising such as lying about one's age or weight allowed. The problem with blind dates and personals is that they do not satisfy a very crucial requirement needed in order for two people to hit it off and see each other again: physical attraction and chemistry. Speed dating allows you to meet in person and see if the two of you actually click. You are not required to waste the time that you would meeting someone on a blind date. On a blind date, many squander hours of time being courteous to an individual they would rather just get away from. 

The rules of the game are quite simple. The event is usually advertised and singles that want to participate gather at a café or bar. Each ''player'' is given a nametag and a scorecard. 

A timer that allows you to spend seven minutes with each companion rules the game. When your seven minutes is over, a bell is rung, signifying that all players should shift to the next seat to meet the next person. 

Usually you are allowed to discuss anything with the potential partner except your name, your job and where you work. 

Following each introduction, participants mark on their scorecard whether or not they would be interested in having a real date with the other person. How the game ends varies according to the event. Usually, at the end of the game, the organizers check the scorecards and match up which partners have mutual interest in each other. In some versions of speed dating only the women are given the phone number and in others, both the woman and the man are given the number to follow up on for a date. 

Speed dating is the brainchild of Rabbi Yaacov Deyo, who in 1999, wanted to invent a way of allowing single Jewish men and women to meet in a safe, chaperoned environment. Since then the idea has caught on commercially and many online dating sites also feature speed-dating events as part of their activities. 

For many singles, who are tried of the bar scene and weary of blind dates, speed dating offers a fun and safe alternative to going online or placing personal ads. Speed dating has proven to be a fairly successful way of meeting a new partner and its proponents claim that more than half of the players in a game usually walk away with the phone number of a potential love match.