Definition of shot put

What is meant by shot put?

Shot put is defined as one of the athletics competitions in which the player throws a heavy metal ball made of stainless steel or brass. Its weight for men is 7.26 kilograms, while its weight for women is only 4 kilograms. The shot put is carried out from a circle with a diameter of 213 cm, which contains in its front part a metal plate called the toe plate, ten centimeters above the ground. The athlete holds the shot put with one hand so that it is close to his neck. The player who can deliver the shot put to the farthest possible distance by throwing it is considered Winner of this sport's competitions.

Origins and history of shot put

The origins of shot put go back to an ancient sport that relied on the same principle of throwing stones during the era of the ancient Greeks. In the Middle Ages, this sport was practiced in a similar way by British military sports groups that used military cannon balls to throw instead of stones. However, the modern form This sport dates back to the nineteenth century; It was played as a type of highland games that were held in Scotland. This is done by throwing competitors a heavy stone or metal with the aim of bringing it beyond the competition line.

In the nineteenth century, the sport of shot put became part of local competitions after it was one of the sports included in the British Amateur Championship in 1866 AD, and it was one of the competitive sports included in the list of the first Olympic Games tournament in 1896 AD. However, it was limited to men only, and in 1948 AD, women's competitions were included in the Olympic Games programs, and since its appearance in the Olympic Games, the popularity of the sport of shotball has grown significantly in many countries around the world.

Shot put laws

The International Association of Athletics Federations is the Which is known by the abbreviation (IIAF), the body responsible for setting the laws of the game of shot put. The following shows violations of shot put and its laws:

• The player has the right to execute the shot within a maximum period of 60 seconds from the moment he enters the playing circle on the shot put court.
• The player is prohibited from touching the upper edge of the toe board or the outer edge of the throwing circle while executing the throw.
• The player is prohibited from touching the ground outside the throwing circle while executing the throw.
• Throws are performed using only one hand.
• The shot put must be in contact with the player's shoulder before the shot is executed.
• It is prohibited to lower the shot below shoulder level when executing the throw.
• The shot put must fall into its landing zone after being thrown.
• The toe board should be made of wood and painted white.
• The player is prohibited from leaving the execution circle before the shot put hits the ground.
• The player is prohibited from wearing gloves to execute the throw.

Shot put violations

A foul is counted if the player commits any of the following violations:

• The player does not stand inside the circle before executing the throw.
• Lower the shot put from the vertical level of the shoulders while executing the throw.
• The player touching any area outside the execution circle or touching the toe board.
• Landing the shot put outside its landing zone.
• The player does not leave the back half of the execution circle after completing the throw.

Shot put tournaments

There are many international championships in which shot put is considered one of the competitions held, and among these championships are the following:

• Summer Olympics.
• World Athletics Championships.
• World Athletics Indoor Championships.
• Asian Games.
• The Commonwealth Games is a British athletics championship for men only.

The best shot put players in history

The following table shows a list of the ten best players in the history of volleyball:

Records in shot put

The following table shows the five best records recorded throughout the history of the sport of volleyball, in addition to the name of the player who achieved the record and the date of achieving this achievement:

Summary of shot put

Practicing shot put requires the player to have a great deal of balance, coordination, and strength, and it also requires great muscle strength. Athletics in general and shot put in particular depend on the strength of the player’s muscles, so players in this sport constantly exercise in order to strengthen their muscles. This is to achieve better results in shot put, and this sport also requires its players to be agile.