Wall balls

The standard to brief

The athlete squats with the hip crease below the top of the knee, then throws the ball so that it strikes the target at or above the target height. A common gym standard is a 6 kg (14 lb) ball to 2.74 m (9 ft) and a 9 kg (20 lb) ball to 3.05 m (10 ft); set your own by division.

Common no-reps

• Hip crease not below the top of the knee at the bottom of the squat.
• Ball hitting below the target, or missing the target.
• Ball not received and squatted with (catching it standing and throwing again).

Judging notes

• Wall balls are rep-or-no-rep: call “no rep” out loud and keep counting from the last good rep.
• Stand side-on to see the squat depth; a second judge or a camera angle helps for target height in a big heat.
• Count down from the target (100 → 0) out loud; athletes find it easier to hear what is left.

Setting it up in a gym

1. Mark target heights on the wall or rig for each division and check them with a tape measure.
2. Give each athlete at least 1.5 m of wall; balls rebound wide when athletes tire.

Equipment

• Medicine balls per division weight
• Targets at each height
• Tape measure

Scaling for beginners

Lighter ball and lower target for a scaled division; keep the depth standard.

Formats that use it

• Classic 8-station hybrid race: 100 reps
• Partner / relay format: 100 reps
• Team relay of four: 100 reps
• Half simulation: 50 reps
• Indoor sim (no run route): 100 reps
• 30-minute class sim: 40 reps