Classifying Skills

This lesson covers the classification of skills as required by AQA GCSE PE specification 3.2.1. Skills in sport are not all the same — they vary in complexity, the extent to which the environment affects them, who controls the pace, and whether they use large or small muscle groups. AQA requires you to understand four continua used to classify skills, and to justify where sporting skills sit on each continuum. This topic frequently appears in exam questions worth 4–6 marks, so being able to explain and apply each continuum with confidence is essential.

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What Is a Continuum?

A continuum is a scale with two extremes at either end. Skills are placed along the continuum rather than at fixed points — most skills are not purely one extreme or the other, but sit somewhere between the two.

graph LR
    A["Extreme A"] --- B["Most skills sit somewhere along here"] --- C["Extreme B"]
    style A fill:#2c3e50,color:#fff
    style B fill:#3498db,color:#fff
    style C fill:#2c3e50,color:#fff

Exam Tip: The examiner wants you to say a skill is "towards the basic end" or "towards the complex end" rather than simply labelling it as "basic" or "complex." This shows that you understand the concept of a continuum.

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Continuum 1: Basic–Complex

This continuum classifies skills according to how difficult they are to perform and how much information the performer needs to process.

Feature	Basic Skills	Complex Skills
Difficulty	Simple to perform	Difficult to perform
Decision making	Few decisions required	Many decisions required
Amount of information to process	Low	High
Number of sub-routines	Few	Many
Time to learn	Short	Long
Example	A forward roll in gymnastics	A triple somersault in diving

Sporting Examples on the Continuum

Skill	Position on Continuum	Justification
Running	Towards basic	A natural movement requiring few decisions
Passing in football	Towards the middle	Requires some decision making (where to pass, how hard) but is a relatively straightforward technique
A spin bowling delivery in cricket	Towards complex	Requires coordination of run-up, arm action, wrist position, and tactical awareness of the batter
A gymnastics floor routine	Complex end	Combines multiple difficult skills in sequence with artistic interpretation

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Continuum 2: Open–Closed

This continuum classifies skills based on the environment in which they are performed.

Feature	Open Skills	Closed Skills
Environment	Unpredictable and constantly changing	Predictable and stable
Adaptation	Performer must adapt to the environment	Performer can rehearse and repeat the same movement
External factors	Opponents, weather, terrain, teammates all affect the skill	Few or no external factors
Example	Dribbling past a defender in football	A free throw in basketball

Key Principle

• Open skills are affected by the environment — the performer must react and adapt.
• Closed skills are performed in a stable, predictable environment — the performer controls when and how the skill is executed.

Sporting Examples on the Continuum

Skill	Position on Continuum	Justification
A penalty kick in football	Towards closed	The ball is stationary, the distance is fixed, and the goalkeeper cannot move until the ball is kicked
Tackling in rugby	Towards open	The opponent's movements are unpredictable; the tackler must adapt to changes in speed and direction
A javelin throw	Closed end	Performed in a stable environment with no external interference
A pass in netball during a game	Towards open	Defenders are moving, teammates are changing position, and the passer must adapt
A golf drive	Towards closed (but not fully closed, as wind may affect the shot)	The ball is stationary and the golfer controls the timing, but weather conditions introduce some variability

Exam Tip: Be careful with "closed" skills that have some environmental influence. A golf shot is mostly closed, but wind can make it slightly open. Show the examiner you understand this nuance by saying the skill is "towards the closed end but not fully closed because..."

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Continuum 3: Self-Paced–Externally Paced

This continuum classifies skills based on who or what controls the timing of the skill.

Feature	Self-Paced Skills	Externally Paced Skills
Timing	The performer controls when the skill starts and the speed of execution	The timing is determined by external factors (opponents, environment, starter)
Control	The performer dictates the pace	The pace is dictated by someone or something else
Example	A javelin throw	Receiving a serve in tennis

Sporting Examples on the Continuum