Classification of skills

Question 1

What is a skill?

Answer 1

An action or task that has a goal and that requires voluntary body and/or limb movement to achieve the goal and is learned rather than being innate

Question 2

What are the six continua?

Answer 2

1) difficulty (simple—complex)
2) environmental influence (open—closed)
3) pacing (self-paced—externally-paced)
4) muscular involvement (gross—fine)
5) continuity (discrete—serial—continuous)
6) organisation (high—low)

Question 3

What are simple skills?

Give an example

Answer 3

• little decision making
• transferable

E.g. passing in football/netball

Question 4

What are complex skills?

Answer 4

• requires decision making
• coordination is important
• subroutines (basic skills) need to be linked together

E.g. layup in basketball, run up in high jump

Question 5

What are open skills?

Give an example

Answer 5

• environment constantly changing
• includes perceptual skills
• movements are adapted to external cues
• usually-externally paced

E.g. dribbling in football

Question 6

What are closed skills?

Give an example

Answer 6

• environment is stable
• technique does not need to be adapted
• mostly self-paced

E.g. serve in badminton, serve in tennis

Question 7

What are self-paced skills?

Give an example

Answer 7

• timing under athlete’s control
• pace under athlete’s control
• usually closed skills

E.g. free throw in basketball, penalty/free kick in football

Question 8

What are externally-paced skills?

Give an example

Answer 8

• timing is dictated by external factors
• pace is dictated by external factors
• usually open skills

E.g. returning a tennis serve

Question 9

What are gross skills?

Give an example

Answer 9

• large muscle groups
• requires power
• accuracy/precision is not important

E.g. rugby tackle in rugby, front stroke in swimming

Question 10

What are fine skills?

Give an example

Answer 10

• small muscle groups
• requires high levels of control and accuracy/precision

E.g. archery, darts

Question 11

What are discrete skills?

Give an example

Answer 11

• clear beginning + end
• skill can be repeated BUT performer must start again from the beginning
• single, SPECIFIC skill

E.g. a penalty flick in hockey

Question 12

What are serial skills?

Answer 12

• several discrete elements that are put together right make an integrated movement/sequence of movements

E.g. sequence of skills in a triple jump

Question 13

What are continuous skills?

Give an example

Answer 13

• no obvious beginning or end e.g. end of one movement is the beginning of the next

E.g. cycling

Question 14

What are high organisation skills?

Answer 14

• has sub-routines/ lots of elements
• very difficult to separate these

E.g. dribbling in basketball

Question 15

What are low organisation skills?

Answer 15

• split up sub-routines that are easily identified as separate elements/ movements

E.g. a tennis serve