THE EVENTS

Open Stone Put

There is no standard size or weight of the stone. Most games use stones of between 16lbs and 24lbs. The stone must be put with one hand and with the stone remaining against the neck throughout the throw until the release. Any throwing style may be used as long as the rules are followed and the style is deemed safe by the judge.

Braemar Stone Put

The same rules apply in the Braemar Stone Put as in the Open Stone Put except there is no approach allowed. The stone must be put from a standing position. Reversing the feet after the release is allowed.

Weight for Distance

The weight will be thrown with one hand only. The total weight of each implement will be 28 lbs., 42 lbs. and 56 lbs. The implement shall not measure more than 18" in overall length. Any throwing style may be used as long as the rules are followed and the style is deemed safe by the judge. The backline will be drawn 9' 0" from the trig.

The Hammer Throw

The hammerhead shall be spherical and made of metal, and the shaft shall be of wood, rattan, or bamboo. The total weight of each hammer will be 16 lbs., and 22 lbs. The men shall throw the 16 lb. and 22 lb. hammers. The length of the hammer will be no longer than 50" in overall length. The hammer will be thrown with the feet in a fixed position. There is no approach allowed in the hammer throw. The competitor may move his feet after the hammer is released. No back line is drawn for the Hammer Throw and sidelines are normally not drawn either. All fouls besides the backline foul still apply.

The Caber

The caber is actually not tossed or thrown but turned end over end. There is no standard size or weight of a caber but the caber should be of a length and weight such that at least half the competitors can turn it. The caber is to be made only of wood. The caber shall be placed upright for the competitor, with the heavy end on top. The attempt begins when the competitor lifts the caber from the ground. If the competitor drops the small end of the caber back to the ground after having picked it up, this shall count as one attempt. It is recommended that a back judge and a side judge be used. The judge may set boundaries if he feels the ground in a certain area is not suitable for the caber to be tossed or to provide safety for the spectators. Competitors may take any length of run they wish and may toss the caber from where they choose, as long as it is within the judge's boundaries. The caber must pass through the vertical position (90 degrees from the ground) in order to count as a turned caber. It is up to the judge to determine if the caber has passed through it. The "clock face method" of judging shall be used. The caber, in a perfect toss, will pass through the vertical position and land with the small end pointing directly at 12 o'clock away from the competitor in an imaginary straight line extending from the competitor through the initial landing point and in line with the direction of the run. A valid throw is when the small end of the caber passes through the vertical position and falls away from the competitor to land within the 180-degree radius between 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock.

Weight for Height

The weight will be thrown with one hand only. The weight shall be made of metal but can be of various shapes and sizes including spherical, bullet or box shaped. The handle can either be attached directly to the weight or attached with a length chain. The handle may also be of various shapes and thickness such as a ring, triangle or a "D" shape. The total weight of each implement shall be 42 lbs. and 56 lbs. Any throwing style may be used as long as the rules are followed and the style is deemed safe by the judge.

For more information contact:
Bill Patterson
Tel/fax: 0463-34-2557 Email: paterson@mc.scn-net.ne.jp

General Rules for All Events

1. A Scottish Heavy Events competition is defined by at least five of the events listed above. If only five events are used, then no two events will be similar (such as two stones, two weight throws for distance, or two hammers).
2. If an implement breaks during a competition and cannot be repaired quickly, the round in which it broke should be started over with a new implement being used. If the judge determines that time does not allow for this, then a new implement will be used and the round continued where it left off.
3. In the interest of safety, the judge has the right to disqualify any competitors who in his opinion do not have the ability to complete a throw without injuring themselves, other competitors or spectators. The judge also has the right to disqualify any competitors who display poor sportsmanship.
4. All competitors competing will wear a kilt during the competition. A limited number of kilts are available if reserved before the event.
5. The judge may apply a time limit to each throw if he feels it is necessary. If the competitor does not begin the throw within this time limit the attempt will be a foul.
6. In the event of a tie after tie-breaking methods have been applied, the points for the places in question will be added together and divided evenly among the tied competitors.
7. The trig is to be made of wood. The trig will be 4' 6" long, 6" tall, and 6" wide. Every effort shall be made to secure the trig to the ground so that it will not move during the event if a competitor steps against it.
8. The winner of the event may take three extra throws to try to break a Games record. Extra throws taken for records will not count for points in the scoring system.
9. Individual fingers or the thumb of the throwing hand may be taped but the fingers or thumb will not be taped together. No straps or other devices besides a glove will be used to aid the competitor in holding the implement. No footwear that may aid in increasing the athlete's height will be used in the events thrown for height.
10. In order for a competitor to win or place in an overall competition, he must attempt to compete in all of the events. At the discretion of the judge, if the competitor does not attempt to compete in all the events then he will not receive points or awards for the individual events or the overall competition.
11. The points for an event are usually awarded in one of two ways: one point method with least points wins, or one point method with most points wins.