Planes and Axes - Spec-Mandated Worked Examples
Analyse movement like an examiner. Learn the three planes and three axes of the body, the fixed pairings between them, and the worked examples - somersault, cartwheel and spin - that show each one.
Learn it by doing, the way you will be assessed
Free and interactive, so you can rehearse the thinking away from the workshop or studio.
Start revising freeWhat you'll cover
Analyse the movement
To analyse how an athlete moves, PE uses planes (imaginary surfaces the body moves along) and axes (imaginary lines the body rotates around). There are three of each, and they pair up in fixed ways. This module drills those pairings with the worked examples the exam expects: a somersault, a cartwheel and a spin.
Plane and axis words
Four terms unlock movement analysis:
Match each term to what it describes
- Sagittal plane
- Frontal plane
- Transverse plane
- Vertical axis
- Divides the body into left and right
- Divides the body into front and back
- Divides the body into top and bottom
- The line running top to bottom that the body spins around
Read the somersault
A gymnast performs a front somersault. Which plane is this movement in?
- The sagittal plane
- The frontal plane
- The transverse plane
- The lateral plane
The three pairings
Each plane pairs with one axis, and each pairing has a classic worked example: - Sagittal plane + frontal axis -> a front somersault or forward roll - Frontal plane + sagittal axis -> a cartwheel or star jump - Transverse plane + vertical axis -> a pirouette or spinning throw Learn the pairs together - naming one should remind you of the other.
Which are true?
Select the TWO correct statements about planes and axes.
- A somersault happens in the sagittal plane, around the frontal axis
- A pirouette happens in the transverse plane, around the vertical axis
- A cartwheel happens in the sagittal plane
- There are five planes of movement
Somersault versus cartwheel
Two rotations, two different plane-and-axis pairs.
Read the spin
An ice skater performs a flat spin on the spot. Which axis do they rotate around?
- The vertical axis
- The frontal axis
- The sagittal axis
- The diagonal axis
Put it together
The body moves in three _____ and rotates around three _____. A front somersault happens in the _____ plane. A cartwheel happens in the _____ plane. A spinning skater rotates around the _____ axis.
Analyse a movement
Put the steps of analysing a movement into a sensible order.
- Watch the movement and describe what the body does
- Decide which way the body divides as it moves (the plane)
- Decide which line the body rotates around (the axis)
- Name the plane and its paired axis
- Give a sporting example of the same movement
Match each movement term to its meaning
- Flexion
- Extension
- Abduction
- Adduction
- Decreasing the angle at a joint, bending it
- Increasing the angle at a joint, straightening it
- Moving a limb away from the midline of the body
- Moving a limb towards the midline of the body
Name the plane and axis
Three movements. Identify the plane or axis each time.
- A trampolinist performs a forward somersault. Which plane is the movement in?
- A gymnast performs a cartwheel. Which axis do they rotate around?
- A discus thrower spins around before releasing the discus. Which plane and axis is this?
Analyse a movement
Choose a sporting movement (such as a somersault, cartwheel or spin) and analyse it. State the plane and the axis, and justify your answer.
- Name the movement and a sport it appears in
- State the plane the movement happens in
- State the axis the body rotates around
- Justify your answer by describing the direction of the movement
Name both halves
The exam almost always wants both halves of the pair. Never write just the plane - name the plane and its paired axis: sagittal with frontal, frontal with sagittal, transverse with vertical. Then justify it from the direction of movement: forward or backward rotation is sagittal-frontal, sideways is frontal-sagittal, spinning on the spot is transverse-vertical. Plane plus axis plus reason - top band.