discus throw rules
Discus Throw Rules
Amongst athletic track and field events, discus throw is a prominent event. The article below elaborates the rules of this game, and the specifications of the equipment used in this sport.
Track and field events, needless to say need a lot of strength and endurance. There are many events under the umbrella of track and field events in the Olympics and otherwise. One of them is the discus throw. I am positive that many of you must have seen the athletes fling that unbelievably heavy disc out of that cage. The objective of the athletes is to land the disc farther than his or her opponents. Interestingly enough, this 'so very modern' sporting event has its genesis in a 5th century BC game Discobolus. Thankfully, we are not going to deal with that relic of a subject. We are going to take a look at some basic discus throw rules.
Rules and Regulations
Discus:
- The body of the disc could be made either of wood or other suitable material, having a circular edge with a metal rim.
- It could either be solid or hollow. It should weigh around 2 kg and have a diameter of 22 cm (for men). For women the weight is 1 kg and the diameter is 18 cm. The cross section of the edge should have a radius of 6mm and it should be a proper circle.
- The sides of the disc shall be identical, sans any sharp edges, irregularities, and protrusions.
- The sides should taper in a straight line from the point where the curve of the rim starts to a circle which has a radius of 25 mm to 28.5 mm, from the mid point.
- Finally, the finishing has to be smooth.
- The cage or the enclosure should be prepared and maintained in a way so that it can arrest the flight of a disc weighing 2 kg at a speed of around 25 meters per second.
- Further, there should be no threat to the athlete, of the disc ricocheting or rebounding towards him or her.
- The shape of the cage has to be a 'U'.
- The width of the mouth of the cage has to be 6mtrs and around 7mtrs in front of the middle of the throwing circle. The end points of this mouth would serve as the inner edge of the cage netting.
- The height of the netting panels or draped netting at the lowest point has to be a minimum 4mtrs.
- This netting can be made from natural or synthetic fiber and also from mild or high tensile steel wire.
- The discus can be thrown by an athlete after he or she stands in a circle which has a diameter of 2.5 meter.
- While the athletes attempt the throw, they cannot touch the top of the rim. However, they can touch the inner part of the rim of the circle.
- An athlete is not permitted to touch the ground outside the stipulated circle.
- Furthermore, prior to the disk hitting the ground, the athlete cannot go out of the circle. If he or she does that, it is considered as a foul.
- In Olympics, each of the athletes is given 8 chances and the best of them is recorded to determine the result.
- Another important point is that if the disc ends up outside the landing area, the throw would not be held valid.