Fundamentals

Youth & Junior Arm Wrestling: Is It Safe for Kids?

Arm wrestling is a sport young people can take up early and compete in seriously — federations run junior and youth world championships, and the junior ranks are where many of the sport's future stars begin. But youth arm wrestling comes with one safety issue that every parent, coach, and young puller needs to understand, because it is different from the risk adults face.

The one thing to know first: the elbow growth plate

In an adult, the serious arm wrestling injury is a broken upper-arm bone (see arm wrestling injuries). In a teenager whose bones are still growing, the weak point is different — it's a growth plate on the inside of the elbow called the medial epicondyle, where the forearm muscles attach.

A sudden, forceful effort — almost always the jerky lunge to finish or save a match — can pull that growth plate clean off the bone (an "avulsion fracture"). The growth-plate cartilage simply isn't as strong as fully formed bone, and during the teenage years the muscles get strong faster than the bones can keep up. Once the bones finish growing in adulthood, this particular injury essentially stops happening.

The medical picture is consistent and worth taking seriously:

  • In the largest review of these injuries, every case was male, with an average age of about 14.6 years and over 90% between ages 13 and 16.
  • Most happened with no prior warning or pain — the fracture came suddenly.
  • It typically occurred on the dominant arm, in the final push to win a match.
  • Crucially, it happened in casual matches between friends just as often as in competition — so unsupervised kid-versus-kid arm wrestling is not "safer" than an organized event.

The good news: with proper treatment (a cast, or minor surgery), these injuries generally heal well with full recovery.

How young pullers stay safe

The injury is preventable, and the prevention is simple:

  • Steady force, not sudden jerks. Doctors who study the injury are specific: teens should "maintain a steady force instead of making sudden, jerky movements." The explosive lunge to finish is exactly what tears the growth plate.
  • Technique before strength. Teach hand and wrist control first; a young puller should win on leverage and skill, not by throwing everything into one violent surge. (See the techniques guide.)
  • Always supervised. Because informal matches carry the same risk, kids shouldn't be having all-out arm wrestling contests unsupervised — at school, at parties, anywhere.
  • Concede a lost position. The same rule that protects adults protects teens: it's never worth a fracture to avoid a loss.
  • Match fairly by size and age, and warm up properly first.

Youth divisions and weight classes

Organized arm wrestling has a full junior structure. Under World Armwrestling Federation (WAF) rules the youth/junior age groups are:

  • Sub-Junior — ages 14–15
  • Junior — under 18
  • Youth — under 21

Each tier competes in its own weight classes, separately for boys and girls and for the right and left arm, with medals awarded for each. Typical brackets run from around 45–50 kg at the lightest up to a heavyweight class, so young athletes always face opponents of a similar size. The two-tier Under-18 / Under-21 junior structure has been used at world and continental championships since 2013.

Getting started young

Arm wrestling is one of the most accessible sports to begin: the only equipment you truly need is your own arm, and because technique and leverage can beat raw size, a smaller or younger athlete can be competitive quickly. Many local clubs welcome children, run youth tournaments sorted by weight class, and provide on-the-spot coaching for first-timers, so no prior experience is needed.

Teenagers already compete and win at a high level — Canada, for example, has had 13-year-old national champions — and the junior divisions are a genuine pathway into the senior sport. The key is simply to learn it the right way: technique first, steady force, and proper supervision.

Where to go next

Frequently Asked Questions

Is arm wrestling safe for kids and teenagers?+

It can be, with supervision and good technique — but teenagers carry a specific risk adults don't. Because their bones are still growing, a sudden, forceful effort can pull the growth plate off the inside of the elbow. The risk is highest around ages 13–16, so young pullers should use steady, controlled force and avoid all-out, jerky finishing moves.

At what age can you start arm wrestling?+

Many clubs run youth tournaments sorted by weight class for children as young as seven, focusing on technique rather than maximal strength. The main caution applies to the early-to-mid teenage years, when growth plates are most vulnerable to a hard, jerky pull — that's when supervision and steady technique matter most.

Why do teenagers break their elbow arm wrestling?+

In a still-growing arm, the muscles attach to a growth plate on the inside of the elbow (the medial epicondyle) that is weaker than the surrounding bone. A sudden switch to maximal force — usually the lunge to finish a match — can pull that growth plate off. Adults, whose bones have finished growing, instead tend to break the upper-arm shaft.

What are the youth weight classes in arm wrestling?+

Under World Armwrestling Federation rules, juniors compete in two tiers — Under-18 and Under-21 — each with its own set of weight classes for boys and girls, and with separate right- and left-hand events. There are also Sub-Junior (14–15) categories.

Do kids compete in real arm wrestling tournaments?+

Yes. Federations run junior and youth divisions at national, continental, and world championships, with medals awarded by weight class, age group, and arm. Teenagers have won national titles, and the junior ranks feed the senior sport.

Want to see team arm wrestling in action?

TAWF runs the first professional, team-based arm wrestling league. Check the schedule or see how the team format works.