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New
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Year 11
AQA

Spectator behaviour

I can explain the positive and negative influences of spectators on sports events, performance and participation.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 11
AQA

Spectator behaviour

I can explain the positive and negative influences of spectators on sports events, performance and participation.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Spectators can positively influence matches by creating an exciting atmosphere and providing a home-field advantage.
  2. Spectators can negatively impact matches by increasing pressure on performers.
  3. Negative influences of spectators include the potential for crowd trouble or hooliganism and safety concerns.
  4. The presence of spectators can negatively affect participation rates among younger performers.
  5. Safety measures and crowd management are important to mitigate the negative effects of spectator behaviour.

Keywords

  • Spectator - a person who watches a sports event and can influence the atmosphere

  • Home-field advantage - the benefit gained from playing in a familiar environment with local support

  • Amateur - this term defines someone who takes part in an activity as a hobby, rather than for financial gain

  • Hooliganism - disorderly, aggressive and often violent behaviour by spectators at sporting events

Common misconception

Believing that spectators always have a negative effect on performance and safety and the impact of spectators is only relevant in professional sport.

Spectators have positive contributions to sport like creating an atmosphere and providing home-field advantage which can not only affect professional sport, but also amateur and youth sport too.


To help you plan your year 11 physical education lesson on: Spectator behaviour, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Relate examples to how it may be experienced as a young child to ensure students understand how powerful a spectator presence can be.
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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

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6 Questions

Q1.
Who are spectators?
the officials of the game/event
the athletes performing
the coaches of the performers
Correct answer: the people watching the game/event
Q2.
Complete the sentence to identify one of the key word definitions. Amateur is a term that defines someone who takes part in an activity as a , rather than for financial gain.
profession
Correct answer: hobby
elite athlete
job
Q3.
Order the types of behaviour from most positive to most negative.
1 - sportsmanship
2 - gamesmanship
3 - deviance
Q4.
What type of behaviour is being described? "Bending the rules to gain an advantage (but not breaking them)."
Correct Answer: gamesmanship
Q5.
Identify the correct definition of sportsmanship.
bending the rules to gain advantage (but not breaking them)
a convention or unwritten rule in an activity and it is not an enforceable rule
Correct answer: conforming to the rules, spirit and etiquette of a sport
disorderly, aggressive and often violent behaviour by spectators at sporting eve
Q6.
Match the example to the correct type of behaviour.
Correct Answer:sportsmanship,shaking hands with an opponent after losing a tennis game
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shaking hands with an opponent after losing a tennis game

Correct Answer:gamesmanship,faking an injury as your opponent is about to serve
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faking an injury as your opponent is about to serve

Correct Answer:deviance,taking performance enhancing drugs to improve reaction to the ball
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taking performance enhancing drugs to improve reaction to the ball

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keyword to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:spectator,a person who watches a sports event and can influence the atmosphere
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a person who watches a sports event and can influence the atmosphere

Correct Answer:home-field advantage,the benefit gained from playing at a familiar environment
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the benefit gained from playing at a familiar environment

Correct Answer:amateur,this term defines someone who takes part in an activity as a hobby
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this term defines someone who takes part in an activity as a hobby

Correct Answer:hooliganism,disorderly, aggressive and often violent behaviour by spectators
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disorderly, aggressive and often violent behaviour by spectators

Q2.
More spectators are going to watch live sport. What does this increase?
Correct answer: commercialisation
cooperation
cultivation
circulation
Q3.
Which are examples of positive influences of spectators?
Ticket prices increase because there is more demand.
Media outlets can charge more to advertising companies.
Correct answer: Teams get a home-field advantage.
Correct answer: Spectators create a positive atmosphere for performers to enjoy.
Q4.
Performers often play better with more spectators to help boost motivation and improve ...
Correct Answer: confidence, self confidence, self-confidence
Q5.
Negative influences of spectators at sport events include increased pressure and there is a lot of planning and costs to keep spectators safe. What are the other negative influences of spectators?
Correct answer: hooliganism
develops confidence in the other team
Correct answer: can intimidate younger players
creates more media attention
Q6.
Match the type of influence to the example.
Correct Answer:positive on elite athlete,Creating a positive atmosphere will help the performer play well.
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Creating a positive atmosphere will help the performer play well.

Correct Answer:negative on elite athlete,There is a risk of hooliganism with large crowds.
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There is a risk of hooliganism with large crowds.

Correct Answer:negative on amateur player,In a youth sport league, the younger players may feel intimidated.
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In a youth sport league, the younger players may feel intimidated.