PE Glossary

Balance	Stability through an even distribution of weight. Dynamic balance – maintaining balance when moving.
Competence	To do something successfully or efficiently.
Concentration	Exclusive attention for a period of time.
Conditioned/modified game	Games or sports that are simplified to suit the skills, strategic understandings and characteristics of students through alterations to the game’s constraints such as rules, equipment and/or size of playing area.
Confidence	A belief in your ability to complete a physical skill or task given.
Control	To exercise restraint or direction over; dominate; command. Learners from a young age should be encouraged to focus on controlling their movements. When travelling in a space learners’ attention should be drawn to spatial awareness and moving with control. When performing a sequence or balance, good control through sound body tension should be an expectation and when stopping, learners should be taught to hold still.
Coordination	Smoothly and successfully performing more than one motor task at the same time e.g. ball, hand and eye coordination.
Core stability	The major muscles of the core are those in your stomach and back. ‘Core stability’ is the ability to support the spine and keep the body stable and balanced. It is essential for ‘quality’ performance and also for completing manual tasks safely and effectively in everyday life.
Creativity	The act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity is characterised by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to make connections and to generate solutions.
Cue recognition	Recognising and responding to relevant information whilst filtering out unwanted information.
Decision Making	Observations inform judgements that lead to the selection of a course of action among alternatives; every decision making process produces a final choice, even if the choice involves no action.
Dodging and feinting	Dodging – to make a sudden movement in a new direction. Feinting – a movement that is made in order to deceive an opponent.
Eye hand/eye foot coordination	Eye hand coordination – eyes and hands working together to perform a task e.g. catching a ball or handwriting. Eye foot coordination – eyes and feet working together to perform a task e.g. kicking a ball, dodging an opponent.
Flexibility	The range of movement through which a joint or sequence of joints can move.
Fluency	Movement which is smooth, graceful, effortless.
Focus	To direct one’s attentions or efforts.
Force	Strength or energy used in a physical movement.
Impulsive responses	To act without considering the consequences.
Kinaesthetic Awareness	A sensation by which bodily position, weight, muscle tension and movement are perceived by an individual.
Leadership	Guiding a team/group or individual e.g. leading a warm up, taking on a specific role within a team, taking responsibility for completing a task etc.
Manipulate object	Handling/controlling a piece of equipment or apparatus.
Moderate to vigorous physical activity	Moderate – physical activity (exercise) that generally requires sustained rhythmical movements. A person should feel some exertion but should be able to carry on a conversation comfortably during the activity. Vigorous – physical activity (exercise) that is intense enough to result in a significant increase in heart and respiration rate.
Movement; – Basic/additional components of movement – Quality movement – Moves with purpose	The variables that are combined in composing and performing movement. The components of movement are effort, time, space and relationships. Quality movement is movement that shows control/accuracy/precision Focused movement designed to achieve an outcome.
Motor skills; Fine motor skills Gross motor skills	Fine motor skills; small physical actions e.g. manipulating the hands or the fingers. Large physical actions e.g. running, skipping and jumping etc.
Multi-processing	Acknowledging several pieces of information at the same time.
Performance	An expression of something. To execute a movement or movement sequence.
Prioritising	Dealing with the components of a task according to their importance.
Propel an object	Pushing an object away from the body e.g. throw a ball, kick a ball, strike a badminton shuttle with a racquet.
Refine	To improve and hone knowledge, understanding and skills by making subtle or fine distinctions.
Resilience	A capacity to deal constructively with change or challenge, allowing a person to maintain or re-establish their social and emotional well-being in the face of difficult elements. It involves thoughts, feelings and actions. Resilience is an integral part of learning as it underpins the ability to respond positively to setbacks or mistakes.
Rhythm and timing	Rhythm creates the context for timing. Rhythm can be established in partnership with an external stimulus like the flight of the ball, the movement of team mates or music. Rhythm can also be established with an internal
	stimulus, like running or skipping. Demonstrating rhythm requires balance and relaxation. Timing appears as ‘moments of interest’ in the context (the flow) of rhythm.
Roles	A function, position or part played by a performer.
Self-control	The ability to demonstrate restraint and be in charge of one’s environment.
Sequential thinking	Thinking in a logical, step by step manner.
Six basic dance actions	Travelling, Elevation, Turning, Gesture, Stillness and Falling.
Strength	The ability of a muscle or muscle group to overcome a resistance.
Technique	A technique is the way of performing a skill e.g. skill – passing; technique – chest pass.