Shot put weight depends on age and gender. The HS boys' shot is 12 lbs; the HS girls' shot is 4 kg (8.8 lbs). College men throw 16 lbs; college women throw 4 kg. Below: the full chart with NFHS, USATF, and World Athletics standards, plus the implements you'll actually see at meets. Every legal weight in one list, each with the governing body attached, sits on how much a shot put weighs.
Standard 12-lb shot for HS boys in all NFHS-governed competition. Some indoor JV meets use a 10-lb shot for younger boys, but state and outdoor meets are 12 lbs. The diameter limits that get an implement rejected at weigh-in are covered on the high school shot put weight page.
Same weight from HS through NCAA and World Athletics for women. The implement size stays constant across levels.
Standard adult men's shot. The jump from 12 to 16 lbs at the college level is a major transition; freshmen often throw 3-5 feet shorter in their first year. What that step actually costs a first-year man is worked through on the college shot put weight page. Every adult weight after that, including the masters step-downs, is charted in the men's shot put weight ladder.
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Per NFHS, USATF, NCAA, and World Athletics 2025-2026.
| Level | Boys / Men | Girls / Women |
|---|---|---|
| USATF 11-12 | 6 lbs / 2.72 kg | 6 lbs / 2.72 kg |
| USATF 13-14 | 4 kg / 8.8 lbs | 6 lbs / 2.72 kg |
| HS (NFHS) | 12 lbs | 4 kg / 8.8 lbs |
| NCAA Indoor / Outdoor | 16 lbs / 7.26 kg | 4 kg / 8.8 lbs |
| Masters 40-49 | 16 lbs / 7.26 kg | 4 kg / 8.8 lbs |
| Masters 50-59 | 6 kg / 13.2 lbs | 3 kg / 6.6 lbs |
| Masters 60-69 | 5 kg / 11 lbs | 3 kg / 6.6 lbs |
| Masters 70-79 | 4 kg / 8.8 lbs | 3 kg to 74, then 2 kg |
| Masters 80 and over | 3 kg / 6.6 lbs | 2 kg / 4.4 lbs |
| World Athletics | 7.26 kg / 16 lbs | 4 kg / 8.8 lbs |
The table above is the US ladder. This section answers the plain question, converts every weight both ways, and adds the British and Australian age groups, which use kilograms and different age cut-offs.
The men's shot put weighs 7.26 kg (16 pounds) and the women's 4 kg (8.8 pounds). Those are the World Athletics, Olympic and NCAA weights. Everything lighter is a youth or masters implement: US high school boys throw 12 pounds (5.44 kg), high school girls 4 kg, and the youngest USATF divisions throw 6 pounds (2.72 kg). The weight is fixed by the rulebook the meet runs under, not by the athlete, so the first question is always which rulebook.
| Kilograms | Pounds | Who throws it |
|---|---|---|
| 2 kg | 4.4 lb | UK U12 option, masters women 75+ |
| 2.72 kg | 6 lb | USATF 11-12 and 13-14 girls, UK U12 and U14 girls |
| 3 kg | 6.6 lb | UK U14 boys and U16 and U18 girls, Little Athletics U13 to U17 girls, masters women 50-74 |
| 4 kg | 8.8 lb | High school and college women, USATF 13-14 boys, UK U16 boys, Little Athletics U15 and U16 boys |
| 5 kg | 11 lb | UK U18 boys, Little Athletics U17 boys, masters men 60-69 |
| 5.44 kg | 12 lb | US high school boys (NFHS) |
| 6 kg | 13.2 lb | UK U20 men, masters men 50-59 |
| 7.26 kg | 16 lb | Men: World Athletics, NCAA, masters 35-49 |
From 1 April 2026 UK Athletics moved its junior age groups from U13, U15, U17 and U20 to U12, U14, U16, U18 and U20. The shot weights moved with them, and an athlete in the second year of an old group keeps the same implement for another year. The English Schools championships use school years instead: Junior (Years 8 and 9) boys throw 4 kg and girls 3 kg, Intermediate (Years 10 and 11) boys 5 kg and girls 3 kg, Senior (Years 12 and 13) boys 6 kg and girls 4 kg.
| Age group | Boys / men | Girls / women |
|---|---|---|
| U12 | 2 kg or 2.72 kg | 2 kg or 2.72 kg |
| U14 | 3 kg | 2.72 kg |
| U16 | 4 kg | 3 kg |
| U18 | 5 kg | 3 kg |
| U20 | 6 kg | 4 kg |
| Senior and U23 | 7.26 kg | 4 kg |
| Age group | Boys | Girls |
|---|---|---|
| U6 and U7 | 1 kg | 1 kg |
| U8 | 1.5 kg | 1.5 kg |
| U9 to U12 | 2 kg | 2 kg |
| U13 and U14 | 3 kg | 3 kg |
| U15 and U16 | 4 kg | 3 kg |
| U17 | 5 kg | 3 kg |
Which weight should you train with?
Throw the competition weight for the rulebook you will compete under this season, and use one weight up for strength work only once technique holds together at the lighter one. A 13-year-old moving from a 6 lb to a 4 kg shot loses two to four feet of distance for a few weeks; that is the implement, not the athlete.
Common questions athletes and coaches ask about this topic.
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