Dice Shot Put Game: Safe or Power? Rules and Odds
Dice shot put is a throwing event for two to six athletes, and it is really a game about decisions. Before each of your three throws, you choose: a safe throw with two dice that almost never fouls, or a power throw with three dice that goes much further but fouls whenever a 1 shows up. Your best throw counts, and the longest throw wins. A competition takes about ten minutes and needs three dice, paper and a pencil.
What you need
- Three six-sided dice, or a dice roller that can roll two or three dice.
- A score sheet with a row for each athlete and three boxes for their throws. Write S or P next to each throw.
- A random name picker to set a fair throwing order.
Who throws first?
Put every athlete’s name into the random name picker and draw them one by one to set the throwing order. Keep the same order in all three rounds. Throwing later is a small advantage, because you know the distance you need to beat, but the random draw makes that fair for everyone.
How to play
- In each round, every athlete throws once, in the throwing order.
- Before you roll, say “safe” or “power”.
- Safe throw: roll two dice. A double 1 is a foul. Otherwise the distance is 10 m plus the total.
- Power throw: roll three dice. If any die shows a 1, you stepped out of the circle: foul. Otherwise the distance is 8 m plus the total.
- Write the distance on the score sheet, or an X for a foul.
- After three rounds, each athlete’s best throw counts. The longest best throw wins. On a tie, compare second-best throws, then third-best, then throw once more.
This is a simple home version, not an official game. In real shot put, athletes push a heavy metal ball from a circle: the shot weighs 7.26 kg for men and 4 kg for women. A throw is a foul if, for example, the athlete steps out of the circle or onto the top of the stop board at the front. Ryan Crouser of the USA holds the men’s world record at more than 23 m, so the longest power throws in this game beat the real record.
The safe throw chart
In the tables below, the first column is what you roll, “Distance” is how far the shot goes, and “Chance” is the exact probability. With two dice there are 36 ways to land.
| Roll of two dice | Distance | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Double 1 | Foul: no mark | 1 in 36 |
| 3 or 4 | 13 or 14 m | 5 in 36 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | 15 to 17 m | 15 in 36 |
| 8, 9 or 10 | 18 to 20 m | 12 in 36 |
| 11 or 12 | 21 or 22 m | 3 in 36 |
A safe throw lands between 13 and 22 m, and 17 m is the most common distance, because 7 is the most likely total of two dice, as our guide to dice probability explains.
The power throw chart
With three dice there are 216 ways to land. A power throw is a foul unless all three dice show 2 or more, which happens 125 times in 216.
| Roll of three dice | Distance | Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Any die shows a 1 | Foul: no mark | 91 in 216 |
| Total 6 to 8 | 14 to 16 m | 10 in 216 |
| Total 9 to 11 | 17 to 19 m | 43 in 216 |
| Total 12 to 14 | 20 to 22 m | 52 in 216 |
| Total 15 to 18 | 23 to 26 m | 20 in 216 |
Safe or power?
The next table puts the two throws side by side. “Chance of a foul” is the exact probability that the throw gets no mark, and “Average valid throw” is the average distance of the throws that count.
| Throw | Chance of a foul | Average valid throw |
|---|---|---|
| Safe | 1 in 36, about 3% | about 17.1 m |
| Power | 91 in 216, about 42% | exactly 20 m |
Power throws go about 3 m further, but fail more than 4 times in 10. So which is better? The last table compares three plans for all three throws. “Average best throw” is the exact average of your best mark, counting no mark as zero, and the last column is the chance that your best throw reaches 20 m.
| Plan for three throws | Average best throw | Best throw 20 m or more |
|---|---|---|
| Always safe | about 19.1 m | about 42% |
| Always power | about 19.5 m | about 70% |
| Power, but safe on the last throw if you have no mark yet | about 20.4 m | about 67% |
The smart plan gives the longest average best throw: go for power, but if you still have no mark before your last throw, play safe so you do not end up with nothing. Always going for power reaches 20 m slightly more often, but about 7% of the time it leaves you with three fouls. Playing safe every time almost never fouls, yet it rarely produces a winning throw.
Tips
- Use one die of a different colour as the third, power die, so everyone sees which throw was chosen.
- Say “safe” or “power” before rolling. A choice made after the roll does not count.
- Keep a tally of fouls for each athlete. Who takes the most risks?
- Hang a paper tape measure on the wall from 13 m to 26 m and pin each athlete’s best throw on it.
Classroom ideas
- Probability: why does a power throw foul 91 times in 216? Work out the chance that none of the three dice shows a 1, 5 × 5 × 5 out of 216, and subtract it from the whole.
- Decisions: before you play, ask each student which plan they think is best. Then compare with the table.
- Data: record every safe and every power throw in the class. Which has the higher average?
- Measurement: measure out 20 m on the playground. How far is that compared with the classroom?
Variations
- Six throws: after three rounds, the top half of the athletes get three more throws, as in big real competitions.
- Discus: use the same rules, but add 30 m to every distance.
- One power throw only: each athlete may use power just once in the competition.
- Team event: teams of two add their best throws together.
For more track and field with dice, try our dice long jump game or our dice high jump game.
Want a throw that flies further? Try our dice javelin game, with an angle die and a speed die.
Want a throw with a spin and a release? Try our dice discus game.
FAQ
How do you play shot put with dice?
Before each of three throws, choose safe or power. A safe throw is two dice plus 10 m and fouls only on a double 1. A power throw is three dice plus 8 m and fouls if any die shows a 1. Your best throw counts.
Is a safe or a power throw better?
The power throw goes further on average but fouls about 42% of the time. The best plan is power on every throw, unless you have no mark before your last throw: then play safe.
How many athletes can play?
Two to six athletes work well.
What happens on a tie?
Compare the second-best throws, then the third-best. If still tied, each athlete throws once more.
How far can you throw in the game?
A safe throw reaches up to 22 m, and a power throw up to 26 m with three sixes.
How heavy is a real shot?
7.26 kg for men and 4 kg for women.