icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
AQA

Planes of movement and axes of rotation

I can name and describe the three planes of movement and axes of rotation.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 10
AQA

Planes of movement and axes of rotation

I can name and describe the three planes of movement and axes of rotation.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A plane is an imaginary flat surface running through the body along which movement takes place
  2. An axis is an imaginary line that runs through the body's centre of gravity, allowing the body to rotate.
  3. There are sagittal (left and right), frontal (front and back) and transverse (top and bottom) planes.
  4. The sagittal (side-to-side), transverse (forward/backward) and longitudinal (rotational) axis enable movement analysis.

Keywords

  • Transverse plane - divides the body into top and bottom

  • Frontal plane - divides the body into front and back

  • Sagittal plane - divides the body into left and right

  • Axis - an imaginary line passing through the body around which it rotates

Common misconception

The transverse plane is linked with the transverse axis.

They share the same name, however the transverse plane is linked with the longitudinal axis. The transverse axis is linked with the sagittal plane.


To help you plan your year 10 physical education lesson on: Planes of movement and axes of rotation, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Using whole body models or play doh will provide visual representation of each plane of movement and axes of rotation. Link the plane and axes together and consider an mnemonic to make the pairings memorable.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

Play dough, jelly babies or 3D model that can be manipulated and moved around. Sporting images for reference

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following images is correct for a cartwheel?
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q2.
Which image shows an athlete rotating their whole body?
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q3.
Which movement is defined as the angle of the joint decreasing?
abduction
adduction
Correct answer: flexion
extension
Q4.
Which of the following sports includes a skill named a full twist jump.
football
handball
skiing
Correct answer: trampolining
Q5.
Which of the following movement demonstrates extension of the knee.
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q6.
A pirouette is a skill using of the whole body.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: rotation, rotate, circular , rotates
Q1 image 2 Yojo626/Shutterstock Q1 image 3 Gwoeii/Shutterstock Q2 image 1 Yojo626/Shutterstock Q2 image 2 GSapphire/Shutterstock Q2 image 3 ORLY Design/Shutterstock Q5 image 1 GSapphire/Shutterstock Q5 image 2 ORLY Design/Shutterstock

6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following image is correct for the sagittal plane?
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q2.
Which of the following is the correct description of the sagittal axis?
an imaginary line running from head to toe.
an imaginary line running through the hips
Correct answer: an imaginary line running through the belly button.
Q3.
Which of the following images moves along the transverse plane and rotates around the longitudinal axis.
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q4.
Match the plane of movement with the correct axis of rotation.
Correct Answer:sagittal plane,transverse axis
tick

transverse axis

Correct Answer:frontal plane,sagittal axis
tick

sagittal axis

Correct Answer:transverse plane,longitudinal axis
tick

longitudinal axis

Q5.
Match the sporting movement to the correct plane and axis.
Correct Answer:full twist in trampolining,transverse plane, longitudinal axis
tick

transverse plane, longitudinal axis

Correct Answer:front somersault,sagittal plane, transverse axis
tick

sagittal plane, transverse axis

Correct Answer:cartwheel,frontal plane, sagittal axis
tick

frontal plane, sagittal axis

Q6.
The transverse plane is an imaginary line and flat surface which divides the body into and bottom halves.
Correct Answer: top, Top, upper
Q3 image 2 Gwoeii/Shutterstock Q3 image 3 Yojo626/Shutterstock