Javelin, Discus, Shot Put & Hammer Weights by Level (High School, College, Pro)

Javelin, discus, shot put and hammer weights are not one number. They change with the level of competition and with the division, and an implement bought at the wrong weight is one an athlete can practice with but never throw at a meet. The short version: high school boys throw a 12 lb shot, a 1.6 kg discus and an 800 g javelin. College and senior men move up to a 16 lb (7.26 kg) shot and a 2 kg discus, with the same 800 g javelin. Girls and women use a 4 kg shot, a 1 kg discus and a 600 g javelin in high school, college and senior competition. Below are the figures for high school (NFHS), college (NCAA) and World Athletics age-group and senior competition, with the rule book behind each number, plus circle sizes and buying tips.

Throwing Implement Weights by Level

The tables list the minimum competition weight for each implement. An implement must meet or exceed the weight shown, and some rule books also cap how much heavier it can be. Sources: high school figures follow the NFHS rule book (see the NFHS shot put and discus implement specifications and the NSGA summary of the 2026 NFHS javelin rule); college figures follow the NCAA Track and Field Rules Book; U18, U20 and senior figures follow the World Athletics Book of Rules. Pound figures are converted at 1 kg = 2.20462 lb and rounded to two decimals; the 7.26 kg implement is commonly called the 16 lb shot or hammer.

Shot Put

Discus

Javelin

Hammer

The hammer is not an NFHS event; states that offer it set their own rules, so check your state association for the high school implement weight.

Circle sizes do not change with level. The shot put and hammer are thrown from a 2.135 m (7 ft) circle and the discus from a 2.50 m (about 8 ft 2½ in) circle, so one circle serves high school, college and senior meets. World Athletics specifies a 34.92-degree landing sector for the shot put and discus; check your rule book for the sector your meets use.

Javelin Weight: How Heavy Is a Javelin?

A men's or boys' javelin weighs 800 g (1.76 lb) and a women's or girls' javelin weighs 600 g (1.32 lb). Those minimums hold in high school, college and senior competition; World Athletics U18 athletes throw 700 g (boys) and 500 g (girls). World Athletics also sets minimum lengths: at least 260 cm (about 102 in) for the men's javelin and at least 220 cm (about 87 in) for the women's. The run-up uses a runway at least 30 m (about 98 ft) long, and a legal throw lands inside a sector of roughly 29 degrees.

High school javelin is newer to the national rule book. The NFHS added javelin specifications to its Track and Field Rules Book effective with the 2026 season, and 21 state associations include the event (NFHS announcement, July 22, 2025). Tip requirements can vary by state, so confirm with your state association before ordering.

Many javelins also carry a distance rating (50 m, 60 m, 70 m) and a flex number. Choose those with your coach based on the athlete's current marks, not the weight class alone.

Discus Weight and How Big a Discus Circle Is

High school boys throw a 1.6 kg (3.53 lb) discus measuring 209–211 mm (about 8.3 in) across. Girls and women at every level throw a 1 kg (2.20 lb) discus about 18 cm (7.1 in) across. College and senior men use a 2 kg (4.41 lb) discus about 22 cm (8.7 in) in diameter. U20 men throw 1.75 kg and U18 boys 1.5 kg.

The discus circle is 2.50 m (about 8 ft 2½ in) in inside diameter, larger than the 7 ft shot put circle. If you are setting up a ring, the circle size is the same whether the facility hosts high school or college meets.

Beyond weight, the spec that matters most is rim weight: the share of the discus's mass concentrated in its outer rim. Lower rim weights are more forgiving for developing throwers; higher rim weights reward the fast, polished rotation of advanced athletes. Rubber and adjustable training discs are useful for practice, but only a discus that meets your rule book's weight and size specifications is legal in competition.

Shot Put Weight by Level

High school boys throw a 12 lb (5.443 kg) shot. Girls and women throw a 4 kg (8.82 lb) shot in high school, college and senior competition. College and senior men throw 7.26 kg (16 lb), U20 men 6 kg, U18 boys 5 kg and U18 girls 3 kg. Every shot put is thrown from a 2.135 m (7 ft) circle with a 10 cm high stop board, often called the toe board, at the front.

The same weight comes in different diameters depending on material and construction. Turned iron shots are machine-turned to a specific weight and diameter. Cast iron shots are the economical practice-and-meet choice, but cast iron chips when thrown onto gravel or stone. Indoor shots use a polyethylene shell filled with fine lead shot, and brass shots are machine-turned from brass. Whatever the material, the shot must meet the weight and diameter limits in your rule book.

Hammer Throw Weight and the Indoor Weight Throw

The senior and college hammer weighs 7.26 kg (16 lb) for men and 4 kg (8.82 lb) for women. U20 men throw 6 kg, U18 boys 5 kg and U18 girls 3 kg. The hammer is thrown from the same 2.135 m (7 ft) circle as the shot put, inside a cage that World Athletics requires to have a 6 m (about 19.7 ft) wide opening. The hammer is not an NFHS event; states that offer it set their own rules, so check your state association.

Indoors, NCAA athletes contest the weight throw: a 35 lb (15.88 kg) implement for men and 20 lb (9.08 kg) for women, thrown from a circle with the same 2.135 m inside diameter as the shot put. The weight throw is not an NFHS event either; states that offer it set their own rules.

Youth and Masters Throwing Weights

World Athletics publishes U18 and U20 implement weights, and they are in the tables above. U.S. middle school and youth programs follow their state association or a youth governing body such as USA Track & Field, and those weights differ by age bracket and by organization. Masters athletes throw implements that change by age group under World Masters Athletics rules. For any of these groups, check the current rule book for the specific meet before buying, rather than relying on a generic weight chart.

From the Trainer: Buying Implements That Get Used

As a certified personal trainer, I treat throwing implements the way I treat any training load: the right weight, used often with good technique, beats a rack of gear that sits in the shed. Buy the competition weight for each group first, then add a second implement per group before you add specialty pieces. Weigh and measure everything before the season starts, because larger meets inspect implements against the current NFHS or NCAA rules, and a shot or discus that has chipped or worn can come in under spec. Store implements on a cart rather than loose on the ground. And remember that throwers are strength athletes: pair technical work with a structured lifting program. Our strength equipment buying guide covers how to set up that room.

Sources

• World Athletics Book of Rules
• NCAA Track and Field and Cross Country Rules Book (PDF)
• NFHS Shot Put and Discus Implement Specifications (PDF)
• NFHS: Addition of Javelin Specifications Highlight High School Track and Field Rules Revisions (July 22, 2025)
• NSGA: Javelin Specifications Added to NFHS Track and Field Rule Book

Last verified 2026-10-23 against the rule books listed above.

Shop Throwing Equipment

Browse the full track and field collection, or go straight to shot put equipment and discus equipment. We carry a wide selection from the Gill Athletics range, including Gill Porter cages and implements and Gill accessories for the throws area.

Javelins

For high school programs, Gill's Tru-Flight men's javelins (800 g) and Tru-Flight women's javelins (600 g) are its value line recommended for high school competition, with rubber-tipped versions for states that need them. Gill's OTE line includes the OTE Apex 800 g, which Gill positions for intermediate athletes, and the OTE Competition 600 g. For drills, the Gill javelin weight slips over the tip in 100 g and 200 g sizes for 600 g and 800 g javelins.

Discus

Gill's S-Series is its low- to mid-spin line, sold in roughly 60% to 80% rim weights in the 1.0K, 1.6K and 2.0K sizes. The high-moment G-Series comes in 83% or 85% rim weight, including the 1.6K G-Series and 2.0K G-Series. For practice, Gill also makes a rubber discus, and the adjustable training discus changes in 0.05K steps but is not legal for competition.

Shots

Gill's turned iron shots are machine-turned to the weight and diameter specifications for NFHS, NCAA and World Athletics, in 4.0K, 12 lb and 16 lb with several diameters each. Cast iron shots run from 6 lb to 20 lb, including 3K, 4K, 5K and 6K, which covers youth sizes, every competition weight above and heavier or lighter training weights. Indoors, choose indoor hardshell shots; brass shots are also available.

Circles and Cages

Circles. Gill builds one Shot/Hammer version and one Discus version of its aluminum throwing circle, each listed as meeting NFHS, NCAA and World Athletics specifications; it is cast into concrete (the discus version can also surface-mount). The aluminum circle forms bolt together for an in-ground pour. A portable discus circle platform breaks down into eight pieces for storage, and synthetic circle plugs keep debris and standing water out of depressed circles between meets. The indoor shot and weight throw circle is a plywood circle listed as meeting NFHS, NCAA and World Athletics specifications.

Cages. Match the cage to your rule book. For high school, Gill's High School 6-Pole Aluminum Discus Cage carries a 13'6" net and meets NFHS specifications, and the Brutus high school discus cage uses hammer-cage-strength poles for high-wind sites. For college facilities, the NCAA aluminum discus cage (732130) meets NCAA specifications, with eight poles and a 16'7" net, and the NCAA hammer cage (742110) meets NCAA specifications and uses 7 m tall aluminum moveable doors. For shot put, there is a 4-pole aluminum shot cage.

Field Accessories, Storage and Strength

Finish the field with a sector line marking tape kit and a shot put return that rolls shots back from the sector so nobody has to carry them. Keep implements off the ground on an implement cart, and build the throwers' weight room around a power rack.

Starter Bundles

Starting a program from scratch? The High School Boys Throws ValuePack bundles four 1.6K discs and two 12 lb shots, and the High School/College Girls Throws ValuePack bundles four 1K discs and two 4K shots. Questions about which implement fits your rule book? Email support@peakflowfitness.com and we will help you match it.

Related reading: Strength Equipment Buying Guide · Pitching Machine Buying Guide · Basketball Hoop & Backboard Buying Guide