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Movement analysis in sport

To help people understand the different types of movement in
sport, specific terminology is used so that it is clear exactly what
types of movements have taken place in order to analyse that
movement.
Part of Physical Education Applied anatomy and physiology

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Planes and axes of movement
Movement analysis in sport - Eduqas

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How does the body of a gymnast move when she is doing a somersault?

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All body movements occur in different planes and around different
axes.

A plane is an imaginary flat surface running through the body.

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An axis is an imaginary line at right angles to the plane, about
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which the body rotates or spins.
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Planes of movement BBC: Get Inspired

There are three planes of movement: BBC Sport

BBC News: Fitness

1. Sagittal plane - a vertical plane that divides the body into left
and right sides. Flexion and extension types of movement
occur in this plane, eg kicking a football, chest pass in netball, Revisionworld: PE
walking, jumping, squatting.
Seneca Learning
2. Frontal plane - passes from side to side and divides the body
into the front and back. Abduction and adduction movements Youth Sport Trust
 occur in this plane, eg jumping jack exercises, raising and eChalk: PE
lowering arms and legs sideways, cartwheel.
NHS: Teen Healthy Eating
3. Transverse plane - passes through the middle of the body and
divides the body horizontally in an upper and lower half.
Rotation types of movement occur in this plane, eg hip rotation
in a golf swing, twisting in a discus throw, pivoting in netball,
spinning in skating.

Movements are parallel to the plane in which they take place.

Axes of movement

There are three axes of movement around which the body or body
parts rotate:

1. Frontal axis - this line runs from left to right through the
centre of the body. For example, when a person performs a
somersault they rotate around this axis.
2. Sagittal (also known as the antero-posterior) axis - this line
runs from front to back through the centre of the body. For
example, when a person performs a cartwheel they are
rotating about the sagittal axis.
3. Vertical axis - this line runs from top to bottom through the
centre of the body. For example, when a skater performs a
spin they are rotating around the vertical axis.

The line runs from left to right through the centre of the body.

Frontal axis

The line runs from front to back through the centre of the body.

Sagittal axis

The line runs from top to bottom through the centre of the body.

Vertical axis

Question
What plane of movement and axis of rotation does a forward roll
take place in?
The different stages of a forward roll.

Reveal answer

The topic of movement analysis links closely with the topics on the
skeletal system and the muscular system.

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Glossary

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