How is technology used to analyse and improve performance and to support officials?
The use of sports technology in analysing and improving performance and in supporting officiating, and the advantages and disadvantages of using it.
A focused answer to the WJEC GCSE PE topic on sports technology, covering how technology is used to analyse and improve a performer, how it supports match officials, and the advantages and disadvantages of using technology in sport.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
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What this dot point is asking
WJEC wants you to describe how technology is used to analyse and improve performance and to support officials, and to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of using it.
Technology to analyse and improve performance
A coach or performer can use technology to make training more precise:
- Video analysis: recording an action and playing it back in slow motion, frame by frame, to spot technical faults (a sprinter's start, a swimmer's stroke) and give accurate feedback.
- Wearable devices: heart rate monitors, GPS trackers and fitness watches that measure how hard a performer works, how far they travel and how they recover, so training can be set at the right intensity.
- Data and timing equipment: timing gates, force plates and motion sensors that give objective measurements of speed, power and technique to track progress.
These tools let a coach base decisions on objective data rather than only what they see live.
Technology to support officials
Technology also helps match officials make the right decision:
- Goal-line technology: instantly shows whether the ball crossed the line (used in football).
- Hawk-Eye: tracks the path of a ball to judge close calls (used in tennis and cricket).
- Television match official (TMO) and video assistant referee (VAR): review replays to check key decisions (used in rugby and football).
These reduce mistakes on important decisions and can settle calls too fast or too close for the human eye.
Advantages and disadvantages
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| More accurate feedback and analysis for performers | Equipment can be expensive |
| Better, evidence-based training decisions | Often only available at the top level (can feel unfair lower down) |
| Fairer, more accurate officiating on key decisions | Reviewing decisions slows the game and breaks the flow |
| Builds trust in results among players and fans | Can reduce the human element and the official's authority |
Technology and the spectator
Technology has also changed the experience for spectators and the wider sport:
- broadcasting and replays let fans watch from many angles and see slow-motion replays of key moments,
- graphics and statistics (such as ball-tracking and live data) make watching more engaging,
- social media and apps let fans follow performers and clubs closely.
These uses link technology to the commercialisation and media in sport, because they help sponsors and broadcasters reach larger audiences and earn more money from the game.
Why this matters
Sports technology is part of movement analysis because it is the modern way to apply the planes, axes and levers to real performers. It also links to the socio-cultural area, because technology is driven by the commercialisation and media in sport, and to sport psychology, where video gives a performer feedback to improve.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC style4 marksDescribe two ways technology can help a coach improve a performer.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark question: two marks for each way (the technology and how it helps).
Video analysis lets a coach record a performer and play the action back in slow motion, frame by frame, so they can spot technical faults (for example a sprinter's start or a swimmer's stroke) that are too fast to see live, then give precise feedback to correct them.
Wearable devices such as heart rate monitors and GPS trackers let a coach measure how hard a performer is working and how far they cover, so training can be set at the right intensity and progress can be tracked with data over time.
Markers reward any two valid uses, each named and linked clearly to improving the performer.
WJEC style6 marksEvaluate the use of technology to support officials in sport.Show worked answer →
A 6-mark question: give advantages and disadvantages, then a judgement.
Advantages: technology such as goal-line technology, the television match official (TMO) and Hawk-Eye makes decisions more accurate and fair, so the correct outcome is reached and players and fans trust the result more. It can settle very close calls that an official cannot see in real time.
Disadvantages: it can slow the game down and break up the flow while a decision is reviewed, it is expensive so it is only available at the top level (which can feel unfair to lower levels), and some argue it takes away the human element and authority of the official.
To reach the top band, give at least two advantages and two disadvantages, use real examples (goal-line technology, Hawk-Eye, TMO), and finish with a clear judgement, for example that the gain in fairness for major decisions outweighs the short delay, especially in high-stakes matches.
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC GCSE Physical Education specification (from 2016) — WJEC (2016)