A discus is not one object. Six weights are in regular competition, from the 0.75 kg disc thrown by masters women to the 2 kg disc thrown in an Olympic final. Which one is legal for you depends on your age, your sex, and whose rule book your meet runs under. The table below gives every weight in kg and lb along with the rim diameter that goes with it, because a discus that passes the scale can still fail the calipers. For the same information arranged by competition level, see discus weight by age.
Most people assume there's a men's discus and a women's discus. There are six in regular use: 0.75, 1, 1.5, 1.6, 1.75 and 2 kg. The 1.6 kg is the odd one out. It's a US implement, thrown by high school boys and by USATF athletes aged 15 to 18, and it appears nowhere in the World Athletics rule book.
From age 11 through an Olympic final, women throw the same 1 kg disc. No other throwing implement works that way. Shot put steps up from 6 lb to 4 kg, and the men's discus climbs through four weights before it settles at 2 kg. Women only get a lighter implement at 75 and over, when masters rules drop it to 0.75 kg. The shot put ladder does the same thing for women, as girls' shot put weight shows.
Two legal 2 kg discs can behave nothing alike in the air. Rim weight is why. A high-spin disc carries roughly 80% of its mass out at the rim, holds its plane longer, and rewards a thrower who can generate real rim speed. A low-spin disc forgives a sloppy release. The rule book regulates mass and dimensions, not where the mass sits. Flight also depends on how it leaves your hand, which the release angle data for throwing events quantifies.
Getting the legal weight right takes ten seconds. Knowing whether you're releasing flat, off-axis, or with the rim already dropping takes video. Film one throw from behind the ring and AI reads your release position and the plane of the disc against throwers at your level.
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These are exact legal specifications, not estimates. Diameter is the outside diameter of the metal rim, and where boys and girls differ the boys' figure is listed first.
| Level / Division | Boys / Men | Girls / Women | Rim diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| USATF 11-12 and 13-14 | 1 kg (2.20 lb) | 1 kg (2.20 lb) | 180-182 mm |
| Middle school (state or league rule) | 1 kg (2.20 lb) typical | 1 kg (2.20 lb) typical | 180-182 mm |
| High school, NFHS | 1.6 kg (3.53 lb) | 1 kg (2.20 lb) | 209-211 / 180-182 mm |
| USATF 15-16 and 17-18 | 1.6 kg (3.53 lb) | 1 kg (2.20 lb) | 209-211 / 180-182 mm |
| World Athletics U18 | 1.5 kg (3.31 lb) | 1 kg (2.20 lb) | 200-202 / 180-182 mm |
| World Athletics U20 | 1.75 kg (3.86 lb) | 1 kg (2.20 lb) | 210-212 / 180-182 mm |
| NCAA, all three divisions | 2 kg (4.41 lb) | 1 kg (2.20 lb) | 219-221 / 180-182 mm |
| World Athletics senior / Olympic | 2 kg (4.41 lb) | 1 kg (2.20 lb) | 219-221 / 180-182 mm |
| Masters 35-49 | 2 kg (4.41 lb) | 1 kg (2.20 lb) | 219-221 / 180-182 mm |
| Masters 50-59 | 1.5 kg (3.31 lb) | 1 kg (2.20 lb) | 200-202 / 180-182 mm |
| Masters 60 and over | 1 kg (2.20 lb) | 1 kg (2.20 lb) | 180-182 mm |
| Masters women 75 and over | n/a | 0.75 kg (1.65 lb) | 166-169 mm |
Common questions athletes and coaches ask about this topic.
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