Classification of Skills

• PE
• Tertiary Education

Classification of Skill

Objectives

• To understand what a skill is
• Name the different classifications of skills
• Understand the difference between each skill

Skill

A skill is the ability and capacity to execute a movement with maximum certainty and minimum time and effort. 

They are usually acquired or learned.

Classification of Skills

There are 9 types 

• Gross Motor skills
• Fine motor skills
• Open skills
• Closed motor skills
• Continuous skills
• Discrete Skills

• Individual Skills
• Co-active skills
• Interactive skills

Gross Motor Skill

• This involves a great deal of large muscular involvement.
• encompassed total body movement or multi-limb movement
• eg, running, tennis serve, jumping.

Fine Motor Skills

• involve small muscle groups
• tend to be precise in nature
• very high level of hand-eye coordination.
• eg.  shot in snooker, archery, threading a needle, darts

Open Skills

• These skills constantly adapt to changes in the environment.
• fast-paced and largely reliant on the actions of others
• eg. a pass in football (the speed, timing, weight of pass)

Closed Skill

• predictable/preplanned
• stable environment
• performer knows what to do and when to do it.
• eg. shooting a free throw in basketball. 

Continuous Skill

• skills that have no clear beginning or end and involve repetition of the movement. 
• eg, cycling, swimming, rowing.

Discrete Skills

• clear start and end
• involves a single execution of movement to complete the task.
• eg, throwing a cricket ball 

Individual Skill

• skills performed in isolation.
• eg, long jump, javelin throw, high jump 

Co-active Skills

• skills performed at the same time with others but without direct confrontation. 
• eg, swimming, sprinting

Interactive Skills

• performed where others are directly involved
• team sports
• eg, football, hockey, netball 

A classification of skill that is unpredictable and fast-paced

1. Gross motor skill
2. Open skill
3. Closed skill
4. Interactive skill

Involve a single execution of movement to complete the task

1. Individual skill
2. A skill
3. Gross Motor skill
4. Discrete skill

Fine motor skills

1. high levels of hand-eye coordination
2. predictable
3. executed in a single movement
4. performed at the same time with others

What is an Individual skill?

1. performed in isolation
2. involves a single execution of movement
3. constantly changes
4. performed without direct confrontation

Conclusion

• A skill is the ability and capacity to execute a movement with maximum certainty and minimum time and effort.
•  They are classified into 9 types, which are: Gross motor skill, Fine motor skill, Open skill, Closed skill, Continuous skill, Discrete skill, Individual Skill, Co-active skill, Interactive skill.

References

• Physical Education and Sport for Caribbean CSEC Students - Kenny Kitsingh