How can we describe the direction of movements in sport using planes and axes?
The three planes of movement (sagittal, frontal, transverse), the three axes (transverse, sagittal, longitudinal), and the movements and sporting actions that occur in each.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE PE on planes and axes of movement: the three planes, the three axes, the movements that happen in each, and the sporting examples such as a somersault, a cartwheel and a full twist.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to know the three planes and three axes of movement, the movements that happen in each, and which plane and axis a given sporting action uses.
Planes of movement
Think of a plane as the flat sheet of glass the body moves along, and remember that a movement stays in that plane as it happens. There are three planes:
- Sagittal plane: divides the body into left and right. Forward and backward movements such as flexion and extension happen here, for example a forward somersault or running.
- Frontal plane: divides the body into front and back. Side-to-side movements such as abduction and adduction happen here, for example a cartwheel or a star jump.
- Transverse plane: divides the body into top and bottom. Rotating movements happen here, for example a full twist or a discus turn.
Axes of movement
Think of an axis as a rod skewered through the body that it spins on. There are three axes, and each one pairs with exactly one plane:
- Transverse axis: runs side to side. Used with the sagittal plane, for example a forward somersault rotates around the transverse axis.
- Sagittal axis: runs front to back. Used with the frontal plane, for example a cartwheel rotates around the sagittal axis.
- Longitudinal axis: runs top to bottom through the body. Used with the transverse plane, for example a full twist rotates around the longitudinal axis.
Pairing planes with axes
A memory aid is that the plane and its axis never share a name in the obvious pairing: the sagittal plane works with the transverse axis, and the transverse plane works with the longitudinal axis. The only matching name is the frontal plane with the sagittal axis. Picture the axis as a skewer pushed through the body, and the plane as the flat sheet the body sweeps across as it spins on that skewer. A diver doing a forward dive with a tuck rotates head over heels on a skewer running side to side (transverse axis), sweeping through the sagittal plane. A figure skater spinning upright rotates on a vertical skewer (longitudinal axis), sweeping through the transverse plane. Most everyday sporting movements such as running, jumping and a squat happen in the sagittal plane about the transverse axis, which is why flexion and extension are the most common movements you will be asked to analyse.
Worked example
Try this
Q1. Name the plane and axis used in a forward somersault. [2 marks]
- Cue. Sagittal plane, transverse axis.
Q2. State the plane and axis used when a trampolinist performs a full twist. [2 marks]
- Cue. Transverse plane, longitudinal axis.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20182 marksIdentify the plane and axis of movement used when a gymnast performs a cartwheel.Show worked answer →
A Paper 1 application item, one mark for the plane and one for the axis.
Award marks for: the frontal plane (the movement is side to side, dividing the body into front and back) and the sagittal axis (the body rotates around a line running front to back).
A frequent error is pairing the frontal plane with the wrong axis. Learn the fixed pairing: frontal plane goes with the sagittal axis.
AQA 20224 marksUsing two different sporting actions, explain how the plane and axis of movement differ between a forward somersault and a full twist.Show worked answer →
An AO2 question rewarding correct pairings applied to two contrasting actions.
Award marks for: a forward somersault is a head-over-heels rotation in the sagittal plane about the transverse axis; a full twist is a turn about the body's long line in the transverse plane about the longitudinal axis.
For full marks, make the contrast explicit: the somersault rotates forwards and backwards while the twist rotates around the body's vertical line, so the planes and axes are completely different.
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Physical Education (8582) specification — AQA (2016)