Discus Equipment List

The discus throw is one of several events that can take place at a track-and-field meet. It involves throwing a flat, circular object known as a discus, which can be made of wood, metal, plastic, or fiberglass, all with the objective of seeing which competitor can throw the discus farthest. The equipment that is needed to both train for the discus throw and perform the event itself is discussed below.  

What Equipment Do You Need for Discus?

The 11 pieces of equipment listed below are all helpful and, in a few cases, necessary for discus throwing. Some are for discus events at meets, while others are for training. In total, seven of the items are needed for the actual event, and four are purely pieces of training equipment. They are listed in alphabetical order.

• Cage
• Discus
• Discus Case
• Field Distance Markers
• Marking Flags
• Measuring Tape
• Medicine Ball
• Recording Sheets
• Rubber Discus
• Training Chain
• Weights

Discus Event Equipment

These pieces of equipment are utilized during the discus event itself, and include the actual discus that is thrown, the cage, field distance markers, marking flags, and other pieces of equipment. In alphabetical order, these pieces of equipment are:

Cage

The cage is a three-sided wall that surrounds the thrower as they throw the discus. Its purpose is to protect the viewers in case the discus slips out of the thrower’s hand as they release it. There is no standard height for the cage, but typically, it is around four meters tall.

Discus

Obviously, the most important piece of equipment for the discus throw is the discus itself. As was mentioned above, the discus can be made of a few different materials, but metal is the most common material today. As for the weight of the discus, the standard Olympic weights are two kilograms for men and one kilogram for women, but these will vary depending on the level of competition.

Discus Case

The discus case is used to carry the discus wherever it needs to go. The case is designed to both protect the discus while it is being carried around and make it easy for the thrower to carry to and from their event. Typically, these cases are made of a nylon-type material.

Field Distance Markers

The field distance markers are used at discus throwing events in order to alert competitors and judges of specific distances from the throwing zone. As was mentioned above, the objective of the game is to throw the discus the farthest, so knowing how far away certain distances are is key to the game.

Marking Flags

While field distance markers alert competitors of general distances, marking flags are placed in specific spots where competitors have thrown the discus. Flags are used for each individual to let them know how far they have thrown the discus on previous throws, as participants get multiple throws in each event rather than a single throw. 

Measuring Tape

The measuring tape does what one would think: it measures the exact distance of each throw during an event. The field distance markers alert competitors of general distances, but the tape is used to determine exact distances, as oftentimes, meets can come down to less than one foot between first and second place.

Recording Sheets

Back to actual discus competitions, recording sheets are pieces of paper that judges use to record specific throws for each player. They are used to keep track of results throughout the competition, as there are lots of throws throughout a discus event. They are also useful for recording specific information about each player so that they know for sure whose throw they are tracking at a given point.

Discus Training Equipment

These pieces of equipment are not used in the discus event itself, but rather for training purposes, helping a discus thrower increase their strength, power, and form as they prepare for a discus meet. In alphabetical order, these pieces of training equipment are:

Medicine Ball

The medicine ball is the first piece of equipment on the list that is used for training rather than actually competing. Medicine balls are heavy weight-training balls that can be used to build up strength in order to throw the discus farther. There are lots of various throws and training techniques that can be used with the medicine ball.

Rubber Discus

The second piece of training equipment on the list, rubber discuses are used to practice throwing techniques. They come in various weights, and can be useful both for beginners first starting to learn how to throw a discus and veteran throwers who are looking for different weights and materials to practice with. 

Training Chain

Like the medicine ball, a training chain can be used to build strength and increase distance on a discus throw. These chains can be attached to the discus and add an extra pound (or more or less depending on the size) to the weight of the discus when practicing. The idea is that after training with the chain, the discus will feel much lighter once the chain is removed.

Weights

Lastly, like a lot of sports, weight training can be useful for adding the strength that is necessary in order to be able to throw a discus farther. Some weight training exercises that can be especially helpful for discus specifically are bench presses and leg squats. These exercises train muscles that are especially important for discus.