Javelin throw rules rules, for watching
Start with the rules you see all the time, then the ones that change results.
Settling an argument? Search all 18 rules
- How do you win the javelin throw?
- What makes a javelin throw legal?
- When does a foot on a line make the throw a failure?
- When may a javelin thrower step off the runway?
- What makes a landing good?
- From where to where is a throw measured?
- What may a thrower put on their hands?
- What are the javelin and its runway?
- How many throws does each athlete get?
- Two athletes throw the same distance. Who is placed higher?
- How does an athlete reach the final?
- How long does an athlete have to take their throw?
- In what order do athletes compete, and what if something goes wrong?
- What may a thrower put down as a marker, and when may they practise?
- What do the yellow and red cards mean in a field event?
- How does an athlete challenge a red flag or a result?
- What help may an athlete have between trials?
- What must an athlete wear to compete?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| TR plus rule number | World Athletics, Competition and Technical Rules, 2026 Edition, the Technical Rules. Read in full for this set: Part I (TR 1 to 13), TR 25 (general conditions for field events), TR 32 (general conditions for the throws) and TR 38 (javelin). The other throwing rules (TR 33 to 38) and TR 39 (combined events) were read for the "Where it differs" rows |
| CR plus rule number | The Competition Rules in the same book. Read for this set: CR 25 (results codes) and CR 29 (call room) |
| "commentary" | The explanatory notes printed in green under a rule. The book says they "provide interpretation to the Rules and practical guidance for their implementation" |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
Not covered: Part V of the Technical Rules (short track, which is indoor athletics); the Athletic Shoe Regulations ("Book C"); the Track and Field Facilities Manual, which holds the detailed cage and netting specifications; Competition Rules 1 to 24; the conditions for records in CR 31; the Eligibility Rules; anti-doping; para athletics; the regulations of any one championship (qualifying standards, numbers in the final).
Not covered: Part V of the Technical Rules (short track, which is indoor athletics); the Athletic Shoe Regulations ("Book C"); the Track and Field Facilities Manual, which holds the detailed cage and netting specifications; Competition Rules 1 to 24; the conditions for records in CR 31; the Eligibility Rules; anti-doping; para athletics; the regulations of any one championship (qualifying standards, numbers in the final).