ZTL CTLR EXPRESSED CONCERN REGARDING AVAILABILITY OF STAFFING AND POSSIBLE CTLR JUDGEMENT ERRORS.

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I PROVIDED RADAR ASSOCIATE TRAINING FOR APPROX 2 1/2 HRS. AT THE END OF THAT TIME IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO WERE AT THE END OF THEIR SHIFT; BUT THERE WERE NO CTLRS TO RELIEVE THEM. THE SUPVR ASKED ME TO TERMINATE TRAINING AND RELIEVE ONE OF THE CTLRS FROM A RADAR POS. MY TRAINEE; WHO HAD ALSO BEEN ON POS FOR 2 1/2 HRS; WAS ASSIGNED AS MY RADAR ASSOCIATE. THE SUPVR DID ASK US IF WE FELT OK TO WORK THE POS; AND WE BOTH SAID YES. WE WORKED THE NEW POS FOR AN ADDITIONAL 1 1/2 HRS. FOR NEARLY THAT ENTIRE PERIOD WE WORKED A HOLDING PATTERN FOR ATL. WE WERE CONTINUALLY CLRING ACFT INTO HOLDING AND 'STEPPING THEM DOWN' IN 1000 FT INCREMENTS. MY DESIRE TO HELP MY FELLOW CTLRS GET POS RELIEF AT THE END OF THEIR SHIFT CAUSED ME AND MY TRAINEE TO MAKE AN ERROR IN JUDGEMENT TO SAY IT WAS OK TO WORK THIS COMPLEX TFC AFTER ALREADY WORKING A POS FOR 2 1/2 HRS WITHOUT A MENTAL BREAK. THE FAA'S NEW OPERATING METHODS OF RUNNING AT BARE MINIMUM STAFFING OR LOWER IS CREATING THESE TYPES OF SAFETY SITUATIONS ON A MORE REGULAR BASIS AND PLACING CTLRS IN POS TO MAKE THESE BAD JUDGEMENTS. AN OPERROR OR ACCIDENT DID NOT OCCUR. HOWEVER; THE STAGE WAS SET FOR THAT TYPE OF OCCURRENCE AND HAPPENS MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY.