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Shot put

Track and field event

  • 9 min read
  • 11 chapters
Tomasz Majewski podczas startu w 2. Memoriale Kamili Skolimowskiej, 20 września 2011 roku w Warszawie.
Kastom · CC BY-SA 3.0

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History

The ancient Greek poet Homer mentions competitions in rock throwing by soldiers during the siege of Troy, but there is no record of any weights being thrown in Greek competitions. The first evidence for stone- or weight-throwing events was in the Scottish Highlands, and dates back to about the 1st century. The 16th-century English king Henry VIII was noted for his prowess in court competitions of weight and hammer throwing.

The first events resembling the modern shot put likely occurred in the Middle Ages when soldiers held competitions in which they hurled cannonballs. Shot put competitions were first recorded in early 19th century Scotland, and were a part of the British Amateur Championships beginning in 1866.

Competitors take their throw from inside a marked circle 2.135 metres (7 ft) in diameter, with a "toe board" or "stop board" 10 centimetres (4 in) high at the front of the circle. The distance thrown is measured from the inside of the circumference of the circle to the nearest mark made on the ground by the falling shot, with distances rounded down to the nearest centimetre under IAAF and WMA rules.

The following rules (indoor and outdoor) must be adhered to for a legal throw:

  • Upon calling the athlete's name, the athlete may choose any part of the throwing circle to enter inside. They have one minute to commence the throwing motion; otherwise it counts as a forfeit for the current round.
  • The athlete may not wear gloves; IAAF rules permit the taping of individual fingers.
  • The athlete must rest the shot close to the neck, and keep it tight to the neck or the chin throughout the motion.
  • The shot must be released above the height of the shoulder, using only one hand.
  • The athlete may touch the inside surface of the circle or toe board, but must not touch the top or outside of the circle or toe board, or the ground beyond the circle. Limbs may, however, extend over the lines of the circle in the air.
  • The shot must land in the throwing sector, which is a circular sector of 34.92° centered on the throwing circle. The throwing sector has been narrowed multiple times over the years to improve safety, most recently in 2004 from 40°. The current throwing sector angle (34.92°) was chosen because it provides a sector whose bounds are easy to measure and lay out on a field (10 metres out from the center of the ring, 6 metres across).
  • The athlete must leave the throwing circle from the back half.

Foul throws occur when an athlete:

  • Does not pause within the circle before beginning the putting motion.
  • Does not complete the putting movement initiated within sixty seconds of having their name called.
  • Allows the shot to drop below their shoulder or outside the vertical plane of their shoulder during the put, or does not keep the shot close to the neck until its release.
  • During the putting motion, touches with any part of the body (including shoes):
    • the top or ends of the toe board
    • the top of the iron ring
    • anywhere outside the circle.
  • Puts a shot which either falls outside the throwing sector or touches a sector line on the initial impact.
  • Leaves the circle before the shot has landed.
  • Does not leave from the rear half of the circle.

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