Educational Galaxy

Fundamental Skills of Sports – Athletics — EG's own notes, in simple words

Book: Khel Yatra (CBSE, Class 8)  |  Chapter 3  |  Medium: English

Diagram (labels are printed on the image): Athletes sprinting from starting blocks on a track. A general picture about athletics, not a book scene.

A long jumper in flight over the sand pit. A general picture about jumping events.

What the chapter is about

Athletics is one of the oldest and most basic forms of sport, also known as track and field. Its events are classified as track events, field events and combined events, and its fundamental skills fall into running, jumping and throwing. It trains strength, speed, endurance, agility, flexibility and coordination together, and it also builds character — willpower, determination, resoluteness, self-discipline, team spirit and awareness to succeed — which teachers observe in practice and competition.

Running is described as an aerial gait: at times both feet are above the ground. Jumping means propelling yourself into the air with one or both legs, aiming for the greatest height or distance. The unit teaches these skills through numbered skill sessions (FSA-1 to FSA-12) plus lead-up activities, each with warm-up, skill or activity, cool-down and circle time.

Running: the start decides the sprint

There are two types of start. The crouch (sitting) start is used for all running events up to 400 metres: it lets the runner react to the sound and start as fast as possible by placing the centre of gravity correctly in the "set" position. Its three starting positions are the bunch (bullet) start, the medium start and the elongated start. The standing start is used for middle-distance and long-distance races, from an upright position.

The crouch start is taught in three commands, using starting blocks:

1. "On your marks": Stand in front of the blocks; the stronger leg's foot goes on the front block, the other foot on the rear block, only the tip of the foot touching the ground, the rear foot pressed firmly against the block. The rear knee rests on the ground; both hands, shoulder-width apart, touch the ground with thumb and index finger spread into a high bridge. The head is relaxed, eyes on a point on the ground.
2. "Set": Raise the hips by lifting the rear knee off the ground. Body weight is spread almost evenly over the four supports, the head stays natural and relaxed, and the body holds the preliminary tension needed for a powerful start. The front knee angle should be about 90°, the rear knee about 110°–130°.
3. Drive ("go"): Start without delay — a quick response to the gun matters most. Both legs push explosively against the blocks, the rear leg drives forward with the thigh rising rapidly, and the runner accelerates with increasing stride rate and length, the forward body lean greatest at the start and reducing as speed builds.

At the finish, the runner leans forward slightly to break the line, keeps proper arm drive and stride control, and avoids slowing down too soon. Lead-up work includes Chase and Tag (FSA-2) and the Reaction Game (FSA-3): sit behind the start line with your back to the finish line, 20–25 metres away, and on "go" or the whistle, stand, turn from either side and run — a pure test of reaction and strategy in positioning. The book's "Know" note adds cadence: the number of steps per minute, the rate at which a person walks or runs — pupils are asked to calculate their own.

Jumping: four phases every time

Phase	What happens
Approach run	A controlled run building momentum, keeping speed and balance
Take-off	Push off with one or both legs, body aligned for height or distance
Flight	Body in motion after take-off; posture and leg movement keep balance
Landing	Land with bent knees to absorb impact, balanced, avoiding fouls

Long Jump (FSA-4) follows those four phases. Approach: 10 strides for beginners to over 20 for elite jumpers, sprint-like technique, speed rising to maximum controllable speed, with a consistent stride pattern for an optimal take-off. Take-off: a quick "down and back" foot plant, minimal take-off time, the take-off leg bending as little as possible, the free leg's thigh driven to horizontal, and ankle, knee and hip fully extended for upward momentum without losing forward speed. Flight: the book teaches two techniques here — Sail (simplest: legs extended forward, free leg held in take-off position, trunk upright, take-off leg trailing then swinging forward, both legs extending for landing) and Hang (arms and legs stretched backwards, hips pushed forward, take-off leg brought parallel to the free leg, arms up and back; ideal especially for jumpers in the 6–7 metre range). A third technique, Hitch-Kick, is named but not taught in this class. Landing: legs nearly fully extended, trunk leaning forward, arms pulled back, hips pushed towards the touchdown point, feet first, with no backward movement that would lose distance.

Standing Broad Jump (FSA-5) turns jumping into a team relay: teams of five stand behind the start line; each member jumps from where the previous member landed, and the team's combined distance decides the winner. Circle time links the approach run to converting kinetic energy into potential energy. Hopping (FSA-6) races pupils over 15 metres on one leg, then back on the other, fastest wins; circle time compares barefoot versus shod hopping, body weight, gravity, and injury prevention with protective gear. Making an Arch (FSA-7) practises the flight shape: run, plant the strong foot on a block a few steps away, push up and jump making a backward arch in the air, land and repeat 10 times. Landing (FSA-8) practises pit landings — step in from the take-off board, stretch the legs, land feet together with the body slightly forward, bending forward and extending the arms past the legs — in two forms, scoop landing and side fall landing.

High jump and throwing games

High Jump (FSA-9) also has approach, take-off, flight and landing. Its approach run is J-shaped: straight at first (3–6 strides), then curved (4–5 strides), foot plant on the ball of the foot, moderate forward lean early, speed and stride frequency rising throughout, the body leaning inward on the curve, upright near the end, with the centre of mass lowered moderately in the penultimate stride. The book states that only the Straddle technique is discussed in this class. Its lead-up activity pairs pupils at a soft high-jump bar: one gently throws a small ball above the bar, the other must jump, clear the bar and catch the ball before it lands.

Three more activities round out the unit: Heading Suspended Ball (FSA-10) — balls hung from ropes at different heights, a 3-step run-up, head the ball, move to the next highest ball, 4–5 repetitions; Trikona Kainchi Kuda (FSA-11) — a triangular obstacle course with points A, B and C 10 metres apart, jumping on and off boxes between A and B, over 6-inch cones between B and C, and over a pole at C using the high-jump scissor technique, then sprinting back to A as fast as possible; and Putting Ball (FSA-12), the unit's throwing activity, played between two lines 15 metres apart, throwing a ball as far as possible to a partner who returns it — with circle time on injuries in shot put and the different feel of balls of different weights.

Practice set — try it yourself

1. Which start is used for races up to 400 m, and which for middle- and long-distance races?
   Hint: One is low from blocks, the other is upright.
2. Describe the "Set" position, including the two knee angles.
   Hint: Hips up, weight even, front knee about 90°.
3. Name the four phases of a jump in order.
   Hint: Run in, push off, fly, land.
4. How do the Sail and Hang long-jump techniques differ?
   Hint: Sail extends the legs forward; Hang stretches arms and legs backwards first.
5. What shape is the high-jump approach run, and how many strides are in each part?
   Hint: A letter shape — straight, then curved.

Questions with Answers

1. Why is the crouch start used for sprints up to 400 m?
   Because it lets the runner react to the sound and start as fast as possible: the "set" position places the centre of gravity so that an explosive push from the blocks gives the highest possible initial velocity. In a short race, the outcome is decided by a quick start and rising acceleration.
2. Describe the three commands of the crouch start.
   "On your marks": feet on the blocks (stronger foot front, only toes touching the ground), rear knee down, hands shoulder-width apart in a high bridge, head relaxed. "Set": hips raised, weight almost even over the four supports, front knee about 90°, rear knee 110°–130°. Drive: on "go", push explosively with both legs, drive the rear thigh forward, and accelerate with increasing stride rate and length.
3. What are the four phases of the long jump, and what matters most in each?
   Approach: consistent strides, speed rising to maximum controllable speed. Take-off: quick down-and-back plant, minimal time, free thigh to horizontal, joints fully extended. Flight: Sail or Hang, keeping balance and preparing to land. Landing: legs nearly extended, trunk forward, arms back, hips forward, feet first, no backward movement.
4. Why does the book teach only Sail and Hang for flight, and only Straddle for high jump?
   Because this class builds foundations: Sail is the simplest flight technique and Hang suits developing jumpers, while Hitch-Kick and other high-jump styles are more advanced. The book names Hitch-Kick but teaches Sail and Hang, and states explicitly that only Straddle is discussed for high jump in this class.
5. What does the Standing Broad Jump relay teach about energy?
   Its circle time is about converting kinetic energy (energy of the moving run-up and jump) into potential energy (height gained in the jump), and about depending on teammates: the team's total is the sum of all five jumps, so every member's jump counts.

Questions with Answers — Extension

1. (Match) Match: Bunch start — a crouch-start position; Cadence — steps per minute; Sail — legs forward in flight; J-shaped — high-jump approach; Scoop landing — a pit-landing form.
2. (Numbers) A beginner's long-jump approach is 10 strides; an elite jumper's is over 20. The Reaction Game uses lines 20–25 m apart, hopping lines are 15 m apart, and Trikona Kainchi Kuda points are 10 m apart. Which distance belongs to which activity? — As listed: approach in strides, not metres; the rest as stated.
3. (Reason) Why must the take-off leg bend as little as possible at take-off? — To keep take-off time minimal and convert forward speed into upward momentum without losing speed; a deep bend would slow the jumper and waste the approach.
4. (Distinguish) Crouch start versus standing start — when and why? — Crouch (with blocks) up to 400 m for maximum acceleration from a sound signal; standing for middle and long distances, where the start matters less than sustained pace and an upright position is natural.
5. (Sequence) Put these in order: flight, landing, approach, take-off. — Approach, take-off, flight, landing.
6. (True / False) In the long jump, landing with a backward step is fine if the jump was long. — False. Backward movement after landing loses distance and risks a foul; land feet first, body forward.
7. (Apply) A pupil's high-jump approach is run entirely straight. What is wrong, by the book? — The approach must be J-shaped — straight (3–6 strides) then curved (4–5 strides) — so the body leans inward on the curve and is upright, with lowered centre of mass, at take-off.
8. (Explain) Why does circle time for hopping discuss barefoot versus shod hopping? — Because footwear changes how body weight and gravity are felt through the foot, and protective gear changes injury risk; the discussion links technique to safety, not just speed.

How to use this page: Read the summary, say the Key Terms in your own words, then try the practice set without looking. Use the Questions with Answers to check yourself afterwards. Ask your teacher or parent to check your answers.