Boys throw 12 pounds. Girls throw 4 kilograms. Those two numbers cover almost every high school track meet in the United States, indoors and out, because NFHS Rule 6-10-2 sets them and nearly every state association adopts the NFHS rules book for track. The details that trip people up are the diameter limits, the middle school implement that is a full step lighter for boys, and what happens in the first week an eighth grader picks up the varsity shot. The same rules book sets the high school discus weight, and the two implements are usually bought together.
The boys' shot has a minimum weight of 5.443 kg, which is 12 lb, and a diameter between 98.4 mm and 117.5 mm. The girls' shot has a minimum weight of 4.0 kg, which is 8.818 lb, and a diameter between 95 mm and 110 mm. Weight is the number everyone quotes. Diameter is the one that gets an implement rejected at weigh-in. Every other legal weight in the sport is listed in the shot put weight chart by age and grade.
There is no lighter indoor shot in the NFHS rules book. A boy throws 12 lb in a January field house and 12 lb at the state meet in May. What changes indoors is the build, not the mass, since many facilities require a coated or softer-shelled shot so the landing area does not take the damage.
The NFHS rules book carries a middle school recommendation of 4 kg for boys and 6 lb for girls. A boy going from 4 kg to 12 lb adds 1.44 kg, about 36 percent more mass, and freshman marks fall several feet because of it. Girls step from 6 lb to 4 kg, a larger proportional jump but off a much lower base. The next step up, from 12 lb to 16, is covered in college shot put weight.
The heavier implement tends to collapse the same thing first, which is a left side that gives way just before release. Film a put from the side and AI checks your block, release height, and finish against high school throwers using the same weight.
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NFHS figures are rules book minimums. State associations set their own middle school weights, and several publish something different.
| Level | Boys | Girls | Rule source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle school, 7th and 8th | 4 kg / 8.8 lb | 6 lb / 2.72 kg | NFHS suggested regulation |
| Texas junior high, 7th and 8th | 4 kg / 8.8 lb | 6 lb / 2.72 kg | UIL specifications |
| HS freshman and JV | 12 lb / 5.44 kg | 4 kg / 8.8 lb | NFHS Rule 6-10-2 |
| HS varsity indoor | 12 lb / 5.44 kg | 4 kg / 8.8 lb | NFHS Rule 6-10-2 |
| HS varsity outdoor | 12 lb / 5.44 kg | 4 kg / 8.8 lb | NFHS Rule 6-10-2 |
| State championship | 12 lb / 5.44 kg | 4 kg / 8.8 lb | NFHS Rule 6-10-2 |
| USATF age 15-18 | 12 lb / 5.44 kg | 4 kg / 8.8 lb | USATF youth rules |
| NCAA, the next step up | 16 lb / 7.26 kg | 4 kg / 8.8 lb | NCAA rules |
| Minimum legal diameter | 98.4 mm / 3.875 in | 95 mm / 3.740 in | NFHS Rule 6-10-2 |
| Maximum legal diameter | 117.5 mm / 4.625 in | 110 mm / 4.331 in | NFHS Rule 6-10-2 |
Common questions athletes and coaches ask about this topic.
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