What does OCR A-Level PE contemporary issues cover?

It is Section B of Component 03 and covers the issues facing modern sport: commercialisation and the media (the golden triangle and its effects), technology in sport (analysis, officiating and equipment), drugs in sport (doping, the reasons and the anti-doping response), violence in sport (by performers and spectators), and the modern Olympic Games (their values, political use and commercialisation). It rewards applying these ideas, often synoptically, and reaching a judgement in 20-mark essays.

What is the golden triangle?

The golden triangle is the mutually dependent relationship between sport, sponsorship (commerce) and the media. The media pays for broadcast rights and gains audiences, sport gains money to fund itself, and sponsors pay to reach the audience the media delivers. Each part funds and relies on the other two, which is why commercialisation, sponsorship and media coverage have grown together in modern sport.

How is doping tackled in sport?

Anti-doping organisations such as WADA and national bodies use random in- and out-of-competition testing, the athlete whereabouts system, the biological passport (tracking an athlete's blood values over time to spot abnormal changes), education programmes, and strict sanctions such as bans and stripped medals. Detection lags behind new drugs, so the biological passport and education supplement direct testing.

What is deindividuation and why does it matter for crowd violence?

Deindividuation is the loss of personal identity and individual responsibility that can occur in a large crowd. Anonymous within the group, people may behave violently in ways they would never choose alone, because they feel less accountable. It is a key psychological cause of hooliganism, which is why all-seater stadiums, segregation and CCTV (which reduce anonymity and crowding) help to reduce it.

How should I revise contemporary issues for OCR PE?

Learn the golden triangle, the uses and effects of technology, the classes of drug and the anti-doping strategies, the causes of violence and the ways to reduce it, and the political and commercial history of the Olympics. Then practise applying them, often by linking themes (commercialisation to doping or violence), and rehearse 20-mark essays that build a balanced argument and reach a justified conclusion. Work through the five dot-point pages, then attempt the quiz.

EnglandPhysical Education

OCR A-Level PE contemporary issues in sport: a complete overview of Component 03 Section B

A complete overview of OCR A-Level PE contemporary issues in physical activity and sport (Component 03, Section B). Covers commercialisation and the media, technology in sport, drugs in sport, violence in sport, and the modern Olympic Games, with the 20-mark essay technique the paper rewards.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.812 min readH555-3.2Updated 2026-06-02

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

Jump to a section

What this section demands
Commercialisation and the media
Technology in sport
Drugs in sport
Violence in sport
The modern Olympic Games
Check your knowledge

What this section demands

Contemporary issues is Section B of Component 03 and a frequent home of the paper's 20-mark synoptic essay. It tests the commercial, technological and ethical issues facing modern sport, and rewards applying them, often by linking themes together, and reaching a judgement. This overview ties the dot-point pages together.

Commercialisation and the media

The golden triangle links sport, sponsorship and the media, each funding and relying on the other two. Commercialisation and the media bring benefits (money for the sport, professionalism for performers, access for spectators) and costs (rule and format changes, higher prices, loss of privacy), so the gains fall unevenly. See the commercialisation and the media page.

Technology in sport

Technology is used in performance analysis (video, GPS, notational analysis), officiating (goal-line technology, video review, Hawk-Eye) and equipment (clothing, surfaces). It improves accuracy, feedback and safety but raises issues of cost, access, the disruption of flow and an unfair advantage. See the technology in sport page.

Drugs in sport

Performance-enhancing drugs (steroids, EPO, stimulants, beta blockers) suit different events, and athletes dope for physiological, psychological and social reasons. The case against doping (cheating, health harm, integrity) outweighs the arguments for it, and doping is tackled by WADA through testing, the biological passport, education and sanctions. See the drugs in sport page.

Violence in sport

Violence by performers (the win-at-all-costs ethic, frustration, retaliation) and by spectators (rivalry, deindividuation, alcohol, the media) is reduced by situational measures (all-seater stadiums, CCTV, banning orders, alcohol limits) and longer-term education, though the social causes persist. See the violence in sport page.

The modern Olympic Games

The Games were built on the amateur Olympic ideal but have been a political platform (Berlin 1936, the 1968 Black Power salute, the Cold War boycotts) and were commercially transformed by the profitable 1984 Los Angeles Games. See the modern Olympic Games page.

Check your knowledge

Attempt these, then check the solutions.

Name the three parts of the golden triangle. (3 marks)
Give one benefit and one drawback of officiating technology. (2 marks)
Name the class of drug that suits a power athlete and the class that suits an endurance athlete. (2 marks)
Define deindividuation. (2 marks)
Name the Olympics that were the commercial turning point and say why. (2 marks)

Sources & how we know this

OCR A Level Physical Education (H555) specification — OCR (2016)