Year 10 Paper 4: Skeleton, Muscles and Fitness Testing
Covers the skeletal and muscular systems, movement analysis, and the components of fitness measured through fitness testing data.
Year 10 here means a typical teaching order, not a syllabus rule. No exam board defines what belongs to Year 10, and schools sequence the course differently. Check it against your own scheme of work before using it to decide what a class has covered.
Questions
Question 1 [2 marks]
Training Methods and Fitness Testing Data
A rugby player trains using circuit training, moving between different exercise stations.
State two advantages of circuit training as a method of improving fitness.
Question 2 [3 marks]
The Skeletal System
A rugby player is tackled and lands heavily on his shoulder.
State three functions of the skeletal system that are important to this rugby player.
Question 3 [3 marks]
Movement Analysis: Levers, Planes and Axes
A cricketer bends sideways at the waist to field a ball rolling just out of easy reach.
Name the plane and axis used for this sideways bending movement, and name the joint action taking place at the spine.
Question 4 [4 marks]
The Muscular System
A sprinter drives her leg powerfully backward and downward against the blocks at the start of a race.
Name the muscle at the back of the hip that contracts to extend the hip during this drive, state whether it is the agonist or antagonist, and explain why this muscle is especially important during the initial acceleration phase of a sprint.
Question 5 [3 marks]
Components of Fitness
A footballer keeps the ball in the air using only her feet, thighs and head, controlling exactly where and when the ball is struck.
Identify the skill-related component of fitness being demonstrated, define it, and explain why it is important for this skill.
Question 6 [4 marks]
The Muscular System
A rugby prop holds a static scrum position, pushing against the opposition without his body moving.
Identify the type of muscle contraction taking place in his leg muscles during the scrum, and explain how this differs from the contraction used when he later sprints to make a tackle.
Question 7 [4 marks]
Training Methods and Fitness Testing Data
Five members of a football squad complete the Illinois agility test, with these times in seconds:
16.2, 15.8, 17.1, 16.5, 15.9
Calculate the mean time for the squad, giving your answer to 2 decimal places.
Question 8 [4 marks]
The Skeletal System
A swimmer performs front crawl, sweeping her straight arm out to the side and then back in towards her body during recovery.
Name the joint action shown when the arm moves away from the midline of the body, and the joint action shown when it moves back towards the midline. Name the plane in which this movement mainly takes place, and identify the joint at which it occurs.
Question 9 [4 marks]
Components of Fitness
A weightlifter can lift a very heavy barbell slowly in a deadlift, but needs a completely different quality to lift a lighter bar explosively above her head in a clean and jerk.
Identify the components of fitness shown by these two lifts, and explain the difference between them.
Question 10 [4 marks]
Training Methods and Fitness Testing Data
A hockey squad completes the sit and reach test at the start of the season to measure flexibility at the hips and lower back.
Identify the component of fitness being tested by the sit and reach test, and describe how the test is carried out.
Question 11 [5 marks]
Components of Fitness
In a 100 m race, sprinters must respond to the starting gun as quickly as possible before then running at their maximum pace to the finish line.
Identify the two skill-related components of fitness required at the start and during the race, define each one, and explain the difference between them.
Question 12 [5 marks]
Movement Analysis: Levers, Planes and Axes
A trampolinist performs a skill combining a forward somersault with a half twist of her body, all within one movement.
Identify the plane and axis used for the somersaulting part of this skill, and identify the plane and axis used for the twisting part.
Question 13 [5 marks]
The Skeletal System
A basketball player pushes off through her ankle before extending her knee explosively during a lay-up.
Identify the type of synovial joint found at the ankle, and identify the joint action occurring there as she pushes off. Explain one way this joint's range of movement differs from a ball and socket joint's.
Question 14 [6 marks]
Components of Fitness
A hockey goalkeeper must dive to save a shot, then get back to her feet quickly to make a second save, and repeat this many times throughout a match.
Explain which components of fitness this goalkeeper relies on most, and how each one contributes to her performance.
Question 15 [6 marks]
The Muscular System
A shot putter explodes into the put, driving powerfully from a crouched position, then holds her follow through position steady for a moment to avoid fouling.
Explain which type of muscle contraction is used during the explosive drive, and which is used while holding the follow through position, and explain which muscle fibre type is best suited to the drive phase.
Question 16 [6 marks]
Training Methods and Fitness Testing Data
A PE department uses a simple ruler drop test to measure students' reaction time, but a teacher questions whether the test is both reliable and valid.
Explain the difference between reliability and validity in fitness testing, using the ruler drop test as your example.
Question 17 [6 marks]
Movement Analysis: Levers, Planes and Axes
A basketball player performs a lay-up, jumping off one foot and extending her whole body upward and forward towards the basket.
Explain, referring to the sagittal and frontal planes and their axes, how the player's body moves during take-off and how a defender jumping straight up to block would move differently.
Question 18 [6 marks]
The Muscular System
A long jumper drives explosively from the take-off board, extending fully at the hip, knee and ankle to generate maximum lift.
Identify the muscle acting as the agonist at the hip, at the knee and at the ankle during this extension, and explain why fast twitch muscle fibres are especially important in these muscles for the take-off.
Model solutions
| Question 1[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| many components of fitness being trainable in one session, e.g. strength, muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness | B1 |
| the method being easy to adapt to be sport specific, or suiting large groups training at once | B1 |
| Final answer: Any two of: trains multiple components at once, easy to adapt/make sport-specific, suits large groups, easy to monitor progress | |
| Question 2[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| support, e.g. holding the body upright and maintaining posture | B1 |
| protection, e.g. protecting organs such as the lungs from the impact | B1 |
| movement, e.g. providing attachment points for muscles so joints can move (accept blood cell production or mineral storage) | B1 |
| Final answer: Any three of: support, protection, movement (muscle attachment), blood cell production, mineral storage | |
| Question 3[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the frontal plane | B1 |
| the sagittal axis | B1 |
| lateral flexion | B1 |
| Final answer: Frontal plane, sagittal axis; lateral flexion at the spine | |
| Question 4[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| gluteals (gluteus maximus) | B1 |
| agonist (prime mover) | B1 |
| a correct explanation, e.g. powerful hip extension against the blocks generates much of the force needed to accelerate quickly out of the blocks | B1 |
| a correct additional detail, e.g. this muscle is especially important because the whole body's weight must be driven forward from a stationary start | B1 |
| Final answer: Gluteals (gluteus maximus), the agonist extending the hip to generate driving force out of the blocks | |
| Question 5[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| coordination | B1 |
| a correct definition, e.g. the ability to use two or more body parts together, smoothly and accurately | B1 |
| a correct explanation, e.g. it lets her judge and time the movement of her feet, thighs and head with the flight of the ball to keep it up | B1 |
| Final answer: Coordination - using body parts together smoothly and accurately; needed to time each touch with the ball's flight | |
| Question 6[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| isometric contraction during the scrum | B1 |
| the muscle staying the same length (tension increases with no visible movement) | B1 |
| isotonic contraction during the sprint | B1 |
| the muscle changing length as it contracts, producing movement at the joint | B1 |
| Final answer: Isometric during the scrum (no change in muscle length); isotonic during the sprint (muscle changes length) | |
| Question 7[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| adding the five times, total = 81.5 | M1 |
| dividing the total by 5 | M1 |
| mean = 16.30 seconds | A1 |
| correct units, seconds | B1 |
| Final answer: 16.30 seconds | |
| Question 8[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| abduction (moving away from the midline) | B1 |
| adduction (moving back towards the midline) | B1 |
| the frontal plane | B1 |
| correctly linking the movement to the shoulder joint | B1 |
| Final answer: Abduction then adduction, occurring mainly in the frontal plane at the shoulder | |
| Question 9[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| strength identified for the deadlift | B1 |
| power identified for the clean and jerk | B1 |
| a correct definition of strength, e.g. the maximum force a muscle can exert in one effort, regardless of speed | B1 |
| a correct definition/distinction for power, e.g. power combines strength and speed, so it is the ability to exert force quickly | B1 |
| Final answer: Strength (deadlift) is maximum force regardless of speed; power (clean and jerk) is strength combined with speed | |
| Question 10[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| flexibility | B1 |
| the performer sitting with legs straight, feet against a box, and reaching forward as far as possible along a scale | B1 |
| the performer holding the furthest reached position momentarily so a reading can be recorded | B1 |
| the score being the distance reached, in cm, either past or short of a fixed zero point | B1 |
| Final answer: Tests flexibility; the performer reaches forward with straight legs and the furthest distance held is recorded on the scale | |
| Question 11[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| reaction time identified for the start | B1 |
| speed identified for the race itself | B1 |
| a correct definition of reaction time, e.g. the time taken to respond to a stimulus | B1 |
| a correct definition of speed, e.g. the maximum rate at which a person is able to move over a set distance | B1 |
| a correct explanation of the difference, e.g. reaction time is about how quickly the body begins to move, while speed is about how quickly it then covers the ground | B1 |
| Final answer: Reaction time (responding to the gun) and speed (covering the distance); reaction time is about starting to move quickly, speed is about how fast the body then travels | |
| Question 12[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the sagittal plane (somersault) | B1 |
| the transverse axis (somersault) | B1 |
| the transverse plane (twist) | B1 |
| the longitudinal axis (twist) | B1 |
| a correct additional detail, e.g. the two rotations happen around different axes at around the same time, showing a single skill can combine more than one plane and axis | B1 |
| Final answer: Somersault: sagittal plane, transverse axis; twist: transverse plane, longitudinal axis - both occurring together in the one skill | |
| Question 13[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a hinge joint at the ankle | B1 |
| plantarflexion occurring as she pushes off (pointing the toes down) | B1 |
| a correct description of the push-off movement, e.g. this straightens the ankle to help drive the body upward and forward | B1 |
| a correct difference, e.g. a hinge joint only allows movement in one plane (flexion and extension), giving it less freedom of movement than a ball and socket joint | B1 |
| a correct additional detail, e.g. a ball and socket joint allows movement in multiple planes, including rotation, which a hinge joint cannot do | B1 |
| Final answer: Hinge joint; plantarflexion drives the push-off; a hinge joint moves in one plane only, unlike the multi-directional ball and socket joint | |
| Question 14[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| power, needed to explosively push off and dive across the goal to reach the shot | B1 |
| reaction time, needed to read and respond to the shot as quickly as possible | B1 |
| agility, needed to change body position quickly while diving and then recovering | B1 |
| muscular endurance, needed to keep making repeated dives and saves throughout the match without a drop in performance | B1 |
| balance, needed to control the body position when diving and landing safely | B1 |
| a correct overall link showing how these components combine, e.g. together they allow her to react, move explosively and recover repeatedly across the whole match | B1 |
| Final answer: Power, reaction time, agility, muscular endurance and balance, each linked to diving, recovering and repeating saves | |
| Question 15[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| isotonic (concentric) contraction used during the explosive drive | B1 |
| a correct explanation, e.g. the muscles shorten as they contract, producing the movement that drives the shot forward | B1 |
| isometric contraction used while holding the follow through position | B1 |
| a correct explanation, e.g. the muscles stay the same length, keeping the body still without visible movement | B1 |
| fast twitch fibres being best suited to the drive phase | B1 |
| a correct explanation, e.g. fast twitch fibres contract quickly and forcefully, producing the power needed for an explosive, short duration action | B1 |
| Final answer: Isotonic (concentric) contraction for the explosive drive, isometric contraction to hold the follow through; fast twitch fibres suit the drive | |
| Question 16[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a correct definition of reliability, e.g. whether a test produces consistent results if it is repeated under the same conditions | B1 |
| a correct application, e.g. the ruler drop test is fairly reliable if the same person always drops the ruler from the same height in the same way | B1 |
| a correct definition of validity, e.g. whether a test actually measures what it claims to measure | B1 |
| a correct application, e.g. the test may lack full validity, since catching a falling ruler is a slightly different skill from reacting to a sound or a moving opponent in real sport | B1 |
| a correct explanation of the distinction, e.g. a test can be reliable (consistent) without being fully valid (accurately measuring the real thing) | B1 |
| a correct overall link, e.g. both reliability and validity need to be considered before drawing conclusions from a fitness test's results | B1 |
| Final answer: Reliability is whether a test gives consistent results on repeat testing; validity is whether it truly measures what it claims; the ruler drop test can be reliable but only partly valid, since catching a ruler differs from reacting to a real sporting stimulus | |
| Question 17[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the lay-up take-off involving forward and upward movement mainly in the sagittal plane | B1 |
| this movement occurring around the frontal (transverse) axis | B1 |
| a correct application, e.g. flexion and extension at the hip and knee drive the body forward and up in this plane | B1 |
| a defender jumping straight up moving mainly in the frontal plane | B1 |
| this movement occurring around the sagittal axis | B1 |
| a correct overall comparison, e.g. the lay-up combines forward travel with the jump, while a straight vertical block stays closer to one point on the floor | B1 |
| Final answer: The lay-up take-off is mainly sagittal plane movement about the frontal axis; a straight vertical jump to block is mainly frontal plane movement about the sagittal axis | |
| Question 18[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| gluteals (gluteus maximus) as the agonist at the hip, extending it | B1 |
| quadriceps as the agonist at the knee, extending it | B1 |
| gastrocnemius as the agonist at the ankle, causing plantarflexion | B1 |
| a correct explanation of why fast twitch fibres matter, e.g. they contract quickly and forcefully, generating the power needed for the movement | B1 |
| a correct link to the event, e.g. take-off lasts a very short time, so fibres that fatigue quickly are not a disadvantage here | B1 |
| a correct overall link, e.g. all three muscles must contract together, powerfully and quickly, to convert the horizontal speed of the run-up into the vertical lift needed at take-off | B1 |
| Final answer: Gluteals (hip), quadriceps (knee) and gastrocnemius (ankle) all act as agonists, extending fully; fast twitch fibres in each give the fast, powerful contraction needed for the short, explosive take-off | |