HYROX wall balls: reps, weights and no-rep rules explained
Samuel · 20 July 2026
TL;DR
- Every HYROX division throws 100 wall balls in season 26/27, women's open included: 4kg women open, 6kg women pro and men open, 9kg men pro.
- Targets sit at 2.70m for women and 3.00m for men. The spec is metric; "9-foot and 10-foot targets" is rounding.
- No warnings here: every attempt is a rep or a no-rep, and leaving before 100 valid reps is a disqualification.
- Average splits are 7:28 for men and 6:30 for women, the slowest station in the race with the widest spread.
- Women's open moved up from 75 to 100 reps in September 2024; any source still quoting 75 is stale.
HYROX wall balls are the last thing between you and the finish line: 100 squat-and-throw reps at the wall ball station, number 8 of 8, after 8km of running and seven other stations. This guide covers current reps, weights, penalties and split benchmarks; the rest of the race is in the stations guide. Every rule claim comes from the official 26/27 rulebooks, which beat any blog on a conflict.
How many wall balls are in HYROX?
100, in every division. Singles and doubles have finished on 100 reps since the 24/25 season, and the 26/27 relay rulebook sets the same 100; ball weight and target height do the scaling.
| Division (singles) | Reps | Ball weight | Ball color | Target height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women Open | 100 | 4kg / 8.8lb | White | 2.70m |
| Women Pro | 100 | 6kg / 13.2lb | Gray | 2.70m |
| Men Open | 100 | 6kg / 13.2lb | Gray | 3.00m |
| Men Pro | 100 | 9kg / 19.8lb | Black | 3.00m |
Reps, weights and heights are from the singles rulebook; pound conversions from the official equipment provider. The colors are official: white 4kg, gray 6kg, black 9kg. Heights are metric: 2.70m is 8ft 10in, 3.00m is 9ft 10in, so "9-foot and 10-foot" is rounding. Age groups change nothing: they race Open or Pro standards, and the 60+ groups at Worlds use Open weights and reps.
What are the HYROX wall ball no-rep rules?
Wall balls has no warnings: in the rulebook's words, "it is either a rep or a no-rep". Stations 1-7 get one warning each; station 8 is the exception. A faulty rep carries no time penalty; it does not count.
A valid rep requires all of these:
- Start standing tall, hips and knees extended, ball in both hands. Throwing straight from the floor pickup is not permitted.
- A full squat, hips descending below the knees (below parallel).
- Throw the ball with both hands so it strikes your gender-correct target in the strike zone.
- After the ball touches the target, catch it or let it drop and reset from standing. Catching the ball off the bounce is not permitted.
The sanctions:
| Infringement | Consequence |
|---|---|
| Faulty rep (start, depth, target, catch) | No-rep: does not count, no time penalty |
| Using chalk at the station | 2-minute penalty (chalk is legal only at sled pull and farmers carry) |
| Leaving before 100 valid reps | Disqualification (violation code 09, incomplete station) |
The DQ is new: 25/26 charged 15 seconds per missing rep, and the 26/27 rulebook replaced that with disqualification.
On race day, digital targets that turn green with a "GO" signal at rep 100 are a visual aid: the rulebook states they do not determine rep validity, and the physical target plus judge confirmation remain the official standard. Squat depth boxes appear only at the judge's discretion, not for sitting on.
Did HYROX change wall balls from 75 to 100 reps?
Yes, and the direction matters: women's open went up from 75 to 100, not down. Until 21 September 2024, women's open singles and doubles finished on 75 reps, and world records were restarted around the change. The 24/25 rulebook set the current standard: all women's divisions complete 100 reps. Both the archived 25/26 rulebook and the 26/27 edition confirm it, so any guide still quoting 75 is stale by at least two seasons.
Why are wall balls the last station in HYROX?
No official reason exists: the rulebook fixes wall balls as station 8 without explaining why, so any rationale is speculation. What is documented is how the race's final workout lands. In a simulated-race study of 11 recreational HYROX athletes, the highest heart rate (median 183 bpm), blood lactate (8.5 mmol/L) and perceived exertion (18/20) of the whole race occurred at the wall balls. A small sample, but the only measured account of the station's cost.
The rulebook lets you complete a missed station before entering station 8. Once you are at the wall, the only exit is 100 valid reps.
What is a good HYROX wall ball time?
Under 5:35 for men or 5:20 for women puts you in the fastest quarter of the field. Across 395,452 solo results from seasons 24/25 and 25/26, wall balls averaged 7:28 for men and 6:30 for women: the most time-consuming station, over three times longer than farmers carry.
| Bracket | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Top 10% | under 4:45 | under 4:33 |
| Top 25% | under 5:35 | under 5:20 |
| Average | 7:28 | 6:30 |
| Bottom 25% | 8:43 | 8:14 |
| Bottom 10% | 11:13 | 10:33 |
The gap between the fastest and slowest athletes exceeds 6 minutes, the widest spread of any station. The bracket data pairs splits with rep schemes: front-of-race athletes hit 4:00–4:30 unbroken or in 2x50; competitive amateurs land 5:00–6:00 on 4x25 or 5x20; recreational racers sit at 6:30–8:00 or beyond.
The Red Bull 100
The Red Bull 100 is a challenge layered onto station 8: complete all 100 wall balls unbroken and earn a finisher patch. It is not a side station: per the official challenge rules, it happens within your race at a HYROX event, in individual Open and Pro categories only. Unbroken means one continuous set: no walking away, no resting the ball on the floor, no deliberate pauses. No-reps do not void an attempt.
Most athletes break the station into sets like 4x25 or 40-30-30, which makes unbroken rare. Front-of-race women such as Lauren Weeks, Megan Jacoby and Joanna Wietrzyk routinely manage it, and Red Bull reports Hunter McIntyre first went unbroken at the 2025 Worlds.
HYROX wall balls vs CrossFit wall balls
The movement looks identical; the tests are different. CrossFit's benchmark Karen is 150 wall-ball shots for time, done fresh: men throw a 20lb ball to a 10-foot target, women 14lb to 9 feet. HYROX is 100 reps of 4-9 kg wall balls after 8km of running and seven stations.
The loads do not map across. HYROX men's open (6kg / 13.2lb) is lighter than CrossFit's men's Rx 20lb and close to the women's Rx 14lb; only men's pro (9kg / 19.8lb) approximates the 20lb ball. Heights are close but not equal: 10ft and 9ft (3.05m and 2.74m) against HYROX's 3.00m and 2.70m.
Judging is the sharpest contrast: HYROX runs station judges, digital targets, a no-warning protocol and a DQ for leaving early, while Karen is a gym benchmark with no judging apparatus. Karen benchmarks: 12–15 minutes beginner, 8–11 intermediate, 6–7 Rx'd, under 5 at the top.
What wall ball does HYROX use?
The Centr x HYROX Competition Wall Ball; Centr is the official equipment provider of HYROX. Per the product specs, every competition ball is 35.5cm (14in) in diameter regardless of weight, with a PVC outer shell, non-slip scuff-resistant vinyl and double-stitched seams. Competition weights are 4 kg, 6 kg and 9 kg; the 2 kg and 12 kg versions are training weights and never appear in a race. A 9 kg ball is the same size as a 4 kg ball, just denser.
How do wall balls work in doubles and relay?
Doubles teams share 100 reps with one ball, one partner working at a time, split freely, per the doubles rulebook. Swap by handing the ball over or letting it drop: a flying transition, one partner throwing and the other catching in the squat, is a no-rep. The resting partner must stay on their feet in the marked area under the rig, or no-reps accrue.
Weights follow the singles logic: women's doubles 4kg; women's pro, men's and mixed doubles 6kg; men's pro doubles 9kg. In mixed doubles each partner throws to their own gender's target: women 2.70m, men 3.00m.
In relay, the teammate who takes Run 8 takes all 100 reps, per the relay rulebook: 4kg for women's teams, 6kg for men's (no Pro division, so no 9kg ball). Once wall balls commence, the other three enter through a marked Relay Entry Point, and after rep 100 all four run to the Finisher Stage together.
Where to practice wall balls
The equipment bar is the lowest of any HYROX station; the standards are the point: a competition-spec ball at your division's weight and a target at 2.70m or 3.00m. A wall ball setup is easy to find compared with a sled track, so the reliable route is the 2,355 gyms listed as official HYROX affiliates, built around HYROX training; 943 listed gyms also carry a SkiErg, a fair proxy for station-focused facilities. The harder gaps sit elsewhere: see the sled push guide for the station most gyms cannot replicate. When the standards feel automatic, put a date on them: 61 upcoming HYROX races are on the FindRox calendar.
Frequently asked questions
Do women still do 75 wall balls in HYROX?
No. Women's open moved from 75 to 100 reps on 21 September 2024, and the 26/27 rulebook lists 100 for every division.
What happens if you leave the wall balls early?
Disqualification. The 26/27 rulebook codes it as violation 09, an incomplete station. This replaced the 25/26 penalty of 15 seconds per missing rep.
Does the digital target decide your reps?
No. The screens are a visual aid; the ball must hit the target itself, and the judge's confirmation is the official standard.