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Year 11
AQA

Self-paced/externally paced and gross/fine continua

I can classify skills based on their characteristics and place them on the self-paced/externally paced and gross/fine continua.

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New
New
Year 11
AQA

Self-paced/externally paced and gross/fine continua

I can classify skills based on their characteristics and place them on the self-paced/externally paced and gross/fine continua.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Fine motor skills involve small, precise movements, typically using smaller muscle groups.
  2. Gross motor skills involve larger movements, typically using larger muscle groups.
  3. Self-paced skills are initiated and controlled by the performer.
  4. Externally paced skills are controlled by external factors, such as the environment or an opponent.

Keywords

  • Skill - a learned action/learned behaviour with the intention of bringing about pre-determined results, with maximum certainty and minimum outlay of time and energy

  • Gross skill - using large muscle groups to perform big, strong, powerful movements

  • Fine skill - small and precise movement, showing high levels of accuracy and coordination, involves the use of a small group of muscles.

  • Self-paced skill - the skill is started when the performer decides to start it and the speed, rate or pace of the skill is controlled by the performer

  • Externally paced skill - the skill that is started because of an external factor and the speed, rate or pace of the skill is controlled by external factors, eg an opponent

Common misconception

Skills must be one classification or the other, e.g. a skill is either gross or fine.

Ensure pupils understand a continua allows for skills to be classified anywhere along it, and that some skills may well fall somewhere between two different classifications.


To help you plan your year 11 physical education lesson on: Self-paced/externally paced and gross/fine continua, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage pupils to justify their placement of sporting examples on the continua by referring back to the characteristics required to be classified that way. This is an important skill which may be examined.
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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

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6 Questions

Q1.
What do we call the range or scale that skills are classified against?
Correct Answer: continua, continuum
Q2.
Which is the correct definition for each type of skill?
Correct Answer:basic,a skill which is quickly learned as there are very few decisions
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a skill which is quickly learned as there are very few decisions

Correct Answer:complex,a skill which requires a lot of decision making and coordination
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a skill which requires a lot of decision making and coordination

Correct Answer:open,a skill performed to deal with a changing/unstable environment
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a skill performed to deal with a changing/unstable environment

Correct Answer:closed,a skill which is not affected by the environment
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a skill which is not affected by the environment

Q3.
Which of these skills uses the most amount of muscular power?
frisbee throw
basketball chest pass
Correct answer: high jump
netball shooting
Q4.
Put these skills in order from the most open to the most closed.
1 - basketball lay up
2 - football throw-in
3 - badminton serve
4 - dance routine
Q5.
Which type of skill is batting in softball? Open or closed?
Correct Answer: open
Q6.
Match the skills with their place on two different continua.
Correct Answer:basic and closed,weight lifting
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weight lifting

Correct Answer:basic and open,throwing the ball to run someone out in cricket
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throwing the ball to run someone out in cricket

Correct Answer:complex and closed,tumbling in gymnastics
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tumbling in gymnastics

Correct Answer:complex and open,basketball lay-up
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basketball lay-up

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the skill classification to the definition.
Correct Answer:self-paced,the skill is started when the performer decides to start it
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the skill is started when the performer decides to start it

Correct Answer:externally paced,the skill that is started because of an external factor
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the skill that is started because of an external factor

Correct Answer:gross,using large muscle groups to perform big, strong, powerful movements
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using large muscle groups to perform big, strong, powerful movements

Correct Answer:fine,high levels of accuracy and coordination, involves small muscles
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high levels of accuracy and coordination, involves small muscles

Q2.
Which of the following are self-paced skills?
Correct answer: tennis serve
Correct answer: archery
receiving a pass in netball
Correct answer: basketball free throw
making a catch in cricket
Q3.
Which of these are characteristics of externally paced skills?
Correct answer: speed, rate or pace of a skill is determined by external factors
the performer decides when to execute the skill
Correct answer: the skill is started because of an external factor
the speed, pace or rate at which it is performed are determined by the performer
Q4.
In the game of golf, the best example of a fine skill is...
driving a tee shot
chipping on to the green
Correct answer: putting
Q5.
Which of these self-paced skills are also classified as closed skills?
Correct answer: diving
Correct answer: javelin
crown green bowls
jogging
Q6.
Put these skills in order from the most gross to the most fine.
1 - long jump
2 - batting in cricket
3 - flick serve badminton
4 - archery