What is fair play in sport and why do some performers cheat?
The concepts of sportsmanship and gamesmanship, deviance in sport, and the reasons for and consequences of doping and other forms of cheating.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE PE on ethics and deviance in sport: sportsmanship and gamesmanship, deviance, the reasons performers take drugs, the types and effects of performance-enhancing drugs, and the consequences of cheating.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to define sportsmanship and gamesmanship, explain deviance in sport, and give the reasons for and consequences of doping and other forms of cheating.
Sportsmanship and gamesmanship
Deviance in sport
Doping: reasons and consequences
Examples of banned substances and methods include anabolic steroids (to build muscle), stimulants (to increase alertness) and blood doping (to carry more oxygen). All are banned and tested for.
It helps to link the drug type to the athlete who might misuse it, because applied questions ask exactly this. Anabolic steroids mimic testosterone to build muscle and allow harder training, so they tempt power and strength athletes such as sprinters and throwers, but they carry serious side effects including liver damage, heart problems and aggression. Stimulants raise alertness and reduce the feeling of fatigue, so they tempt athletes who need fast reactions, but they can cause irregular heartbeats and overheating. Beta blockers steady the hands and slow the heart, so they tempt performers in precision sports such as archery, snooker or shooting. Blood doping and the hormone EPO raise the number of red blood cells, so they tempt endurance athletes such as cyclists and distance runners because more oxygen reaches the muscles, but thickened blood greatly increases the risk of clots and strokes. Anti-doping bodies such as WADA test for all of these, and the whereabouts and out-of-competition testing systems exist because the threat of being caught is one of the strongest deterrents.
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 20194 marksExplain, using examples, the difference between sportsmanship, gamesmanship and deviance in sport.Show worked answer →
A Paper 2 item testing three linked concepts with examples.
Award marks for: sportsmanship is fair, ethical, respectful play (for example kicking the ball out so an injured player is treated); gamesmanship gains an advantage by stretching the rules without breaking them (for example time-wasting or sledging to unsettle an opponent); deviance breaks the accepted rules or norms (for example doping or deliberate violence).
Markers reward a clear distinction plus a correct example for each of the three. Mixing up gamesmanship and deviance is the common error.
AQA 20226 marksDiscuss the reasons why a performer might take performance-enhancing drugs and the consequences they could face.Show worked answer →
A Paper 2 extended item marked across reasons and consequences with development.
Reasons: to win at all costs, for the money, fame and sponsorship that winning brings, because of pressure from coaches or a nation, or the belief that rivals are already doping so it "levels the field". Consequences: serious long-term health damage, a ban or lifetime ban, fines, stripped medals and records, and a destroyed reputation, plus harm to the image and integrity of the sport.
The best answers develop both sides and conclude that the short-term gain rarely outweighs the health and reputational cost.
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Physical Education (8582) specification — AQA (2016)