How heavy is a high school javelin?

800 g, about 1.76 lb, for boys and 600 g, about 1.32 lb, for girls. Lengths are 2.60 to 2.70 m and 2.20 to 2.30 m. Those figures sit in NFHS Rule 6-10-5 as of the 2026 season and they match the World Athletics senior implement exactly.

Which states have javelin in high school?

NFHS counted 21 state associations sponsoring it outdoors as of its 2026 rules announcement, roughly two out of five. It skews toward the West, the Deep South, and New England: Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida all run it at their state meets, for example. Texas, California, New York, and Ohio do not. The exact roster shifts most years, so confirm with your own state association rather than trust a fixed list.

What javelin weight is used for under 14?

600 g for both boys and girls in USATF's 13-14 division. Under 13, USATF uses a mini javelin in the 8-and-under division and an Aero javelin for 9-10 and 11-12, stepping up from a 250 g class to a 450 g class.

Can you throw javelin if your state doesn't sanction it?

Usually yes, outside the school season. USATF Junior Olympic meets run javelin for the 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18 divisions regardless of what a state high school body does. That's the normal route for an athlete in a non-javelin state who wants a legitimate mark on record before college.

High School Javelin Weight: NFHS Specs and States

High School Javelin Weight

High school boys throw an 800 gram javelin, 2.60 to 2.70 metres long. Girls throw 600 grams at 2.20 to 2.30 metres. Both sets of specs now sit in NFHS Rule 6-10-5, which took effect with the 2026 season. For most people reading this, though, the weight is the second question. The first is whether their state runs the event at all, and fewer than half of them do. Youth and masters weights either side of these are in javelin weight by age.

Javelin is a state meet event in fewer than half the states

NFHS's own count, published when it announced the 2026 rules revisions, is 21 state associations sponsoring javelin outdoors. That leaves most of the country without a sanctioned javelin. Coverage shifts most years as individual states add or drop it, so treat any specific count as a snapshot rather than a fixed number, and check your own state association's current event list before you assume either way. Discus and shot are contested almost everywhere, and their high school specs are in high school discus weight.

At least two states ban it outright

Ohio's track and field regulations state flatly that javelin and hammer are not approved events for interscholastic competition, with forfeiture-bylaw penalties, including postseason ineligibility, for schools and athletes that take part anyway. Wisconsin's adaptations are shorter and just as blunt: other events are permissible, but not the javelin or hammer throw. Most non-sanctioning states simply leave it off the event list without comment.

The specs moved into the rules book for 2026

NFHS Rule 6-10-5 now carries javelin construction specifications directly, a change NFHS announced in July 2025 for the 2026 season. The numbers themselves aren't new; they match the World Athletics implement. What changed is that a meet official checking a javelin no longer needs a second document. Separately, and this is a USATF youth policy rather than an NFHS one, USATF has adopted the Aerojav as the standard javelin for its 11-12 division. The full implement specification, including the length windows, is in how much a javelin weighs.

USATF boys throw a heavier javelin than high school boys

This one catches people off guard. NFHS puts boys on the 800 g javelin the day they age into high school, but USATF's own 15-16 and 17-18 divisions use 850 g, a genuinely different implement from the one the same kid throws for his school team. Girls don't see this gap; both bodies use 600 g at every age from 13 up.

Build the throw before you get the runway

Plenty of athletes in non-javelin states start throwing at USATF club meets or wait until college. The arm path and the block transfer either way. Film a standing throw with a training implement and AI checks your alignment against javelin throwers rather than guessing from a shot put model.

Follow up in chat and ask questions. The AI remembers your analysis and speaks the language of javelin coaching.

Free first analysis, no account required

Offline history cached on your device

Priority-tagged coaching notes

AI chat follow-up on every analysis

Sources: NFHS Track and Field Rules Book Rule 6-10-5 and the NFHS 2026 rules revision release, state association meet schedules and record books, USATF Competition Rules and Weights and Measures Handbook, World Athletics Technical Rules Book C2.1 (TR38), NCAA Track and Field Rules.
Level / Age group	Boys	Girls
USATF 8 and under	Mini javelin, 300 g class	Mini javelin, 300 g class
USATF 9-10	Aero javelin, 250 g class	Aero javelin, 250 g class
USATF 11-12	Aero javelin, 450 g class	Aero javelin, 450 g class
USATF 13-14	600 g (1.32 lb), 2.20-2.30 m	600 g (1.32 lb), 2.20-2.30 m
High school, NFHS Rule 6-10-5	800 g (1.76 lb), 2.60-2.70 m	600 g (1.32 lb), 2.20-2.30 m
USATF 15-16 and 17-18 (own youth rules)	850 g (1.87 lb), 2.60-2.70 m	600 g (1.32 lb), 2.20-2.30 m
World Athletics U18	700 g (1.54 lb), 2.30-2.40 m	500 g (1.10 lb), 2.00-2.10 m
World Athletics U20 and senior	800 g (1.76 lb), 2.60-2.70 m	600 g (1.32 lb), 2.20-2.30 m
NCAA, all three divisions	800 g (1.76 lb), 2.60-2.70 m	600 g (1.32 lb), 2.20-2.30 m
Tip to centre of gravity	900-1060 mm on the 800 g	800-920 mm on the 600 g

Sources: NFHS Track and Field Rules Book Rule 6-10-5 and the NFHS 2026 rules revision release, state association meet schedules and record books, USATF Competition Rules and Weights and Measures Handbook, World Athletics Technical Rules Book C2.1 (TR38), NCAA Track and Field Rules.

Level / Age group

Boys

Girls

USATF 8 and under

Mini javelin, 300 g class

USATF 9-10

Aero javelin, 250 g class

USATF 11-12

Aero javelin, 450 g class

USATF 13-14

600 g (1.32 lb), 2.20-2.30 m

High school, NFHS Rule 6-10-5

800 g (1.76 lb), 2.60-2.70 m

600 g (1.32 lb), 2.20-2.30 m

USATF 15-16 and 17-18 (own youth rules)

850 g (1.87 lb), 2.60-2.70 m

600 g (1.32 lb), 2.20-2.30 m

World Athletics U18

700 g (1.54 lb), 2.30-2.40 m

500 g (1.10 lb), 2.00-2.10 m

World Athletics U20 and senior

800 g (1.76 lb), 2.60-2.70 m

600 g (1.32 lb), 2.20-2.30 m

NCAA, all three divisions

800 g (1.76 lb), 2.60-2.70 m

600 g (1.32 lb), 2.20-2.30 m

Tip to centre of gravity

900-1060 mm on the 800 g

800-920 mm on the 600 g

High School Javelin Weight

What the NFHS rule actually says

Javelin is a state meet event in fewer than half the states

At least two states ban it outright

The specs moved into the rules book for 2026

USATF boys throw a heavier javelin than high school boys

Build the throw before you get the runway

Javelin weight and length by level and age

High School Javelin Weight FAQ

The full javelin index

Film a javelin throw and check the alignment.

High School Javelin Weight

Javelin is a state meet event in fewer than half the states

At least two states ban it outright

The specs moved into the rules book for 2026

USATF boys throw a heavier javelin than high school boys

Build the throw before you get the runway

Javelin Video Analysis

High School Discus Weight

High School Shot Put Weight

Optimal Release Angle for Throwing Events

Javelin AI

Online Javelin Coaching

Javelin App

Frame-by-Frame Javelin Video Analysis

Fix My Javelin Form

Javelin Drills

Javelin Technique

Javelin Tips

How to Javelin Throw

Common Javelin Throw Mistakes

Javelin Workouts

Javelin Training Plan

Javelin Warm-Up

Javelin for Beginners

High School Javelin

Perfect Javelin Throw Form

Javelin Weight by Age

Why Your Javelin Tail Hits First

Javelin Block Leg

Javelin Drills Without a Javelin

Javelin Crossover Step Drills

How Much Does a Javelin Weigh?

Why Your Elbow Hurts Throwing Javelin

Why Your Javelin Isn't Going Far

Why Your Javelin Goes Left

What Is a Good Javelin Throw?

Average Javelin Distance by Age

Decathlon Training Plan

Heptathlon Training Plan

Hammer Throw Technique

Hammer Throw Drills

D1 Track Recruiting Standards by Event

How to Make a Track Recruiting Video

High School Track Records by Event

Film a javelin throw and check the alignment.