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New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

Planes and axes in sport

I can identify and apply the planes of movement and axes of rotation to various sporting examples.

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New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

Planes and axes in sport

I can identify and apply the planes of movement and axes of rotation to various sporting examples.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The body rotates around the frontal axis moving along sagittal plane.
  2. The body rotates around the sagittal axis moving along the frontal plane.
  3. The body rotates around the vertical axis moving along in the transverse plane.

Keywords

  • Frontal axis - a line of rotation which goes from side to side through the hips

  • Vertical axis - a line of rotation which goes through the body from head to toe

  • Sagittal axis - a line of rotation which goes through from front to back through the belly button

  • Plane - an imaginary flat surface running through the body along which movement takes place

Common misconception

Any of the three planes can be paired with the three axes.

Planes and axes are always paired as: sagittal plane with the frontal axis, frontal plane with the sagittal axis and transverse plane with the vertical axis.


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

Revisit the Play-Doh or jelly babies activity so the student can have lots of reptition of rotation. Get the students moving or playing 'Simon Says' to align with the sporting example being discussed/shown.
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Teacher tip
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Equipment

Play-Doh, jelly babies, 3D models. Sporting images.

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

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which term is correct for an axis?
direction of travel
Correct answer: line of rotation
flat surface
movement at a joint
Q2.
Which of the following is the correct description of the frontal axis?
an imaginary line running from head to toe
Correct answer: an imaginary line running through the hips
an imaginary line running through the belly button
Q3.
The vertical axis runs through the body from head to ...
Correct Answer: toe, feet, foot
Q4.
Which of the following images moves along the frontal plane and rotates around the sagittal axis?
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q5.
Which of the following images is correct for the frontal plane?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q6.
Match the description to the correct plane of movement.
Correct Answer:saggital plane,a flat surface which divides the body into left and right
tick

a flat surface which divides the body into left and right

Correct Answer:frontal plane,a flat surface which divides the body into front and back
tick

a flat surface which divides the body into front and back

Correct Answer:transverse plane,a flat surface which divides the body into top and bottom
tick

a flat surface which divides the body into top and bottom

Q4 image 2 Yojo626/Shutterstock Q4 image 3 Gwoeii/Shutterstock

6 Questions

Q1.
Which plane of movement is paired with the frontal axis?
Correct answer: sagittal plane
frontal plane
transverse plane
Q2.
Which of the following is correct for a plane of movement?
line of rotation
Correct answer: movement takes place
runs from head to toe
runs from side to side
Q3.
Which is the following images demonstrates rotation around the vertical axis and movement along the transverse plane?
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q4.
A somersault rotates around which axis and moves along which plane?
An image in a quiz
sagittal axis, frontal plane
vertical axis, transverse plane
Correct answer: frontal axis, sagittal plane
Q5.
A cartwheel rotates around which axis and moves along which plane?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: sagittal axis, frontal plane
vertical axis, transverse plane
frontal axis, sagittal plane
Q6.
A figure skater, completing a full spin, rotates around the vertical axis moving along the plane.
Correct Answer: transverse
Q3 image 1 Gwoeii/Shutterstock Q3 image 2 Abdul Razik Latif/Shutterstock Q3 image 3 Asier Gonazalez Barciela/Shutterstock Q4 Abdul Razik Latif/Shutterstock Q5 Gwoeii/Shutterstock