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Unit 3: Fundamental Skills of Sports — Athletics – Class 8 Physical Education Chapter 3 Notes & NCERT PDF

Class 8Physical Education and Well-beingChapter 3NCERT book: Khel Yatra - Physical Education and Well-being Class 8

Notes and a simple summary of Chapter 3 of the NCERT Class 8 Physical Education and Well-being book, with the official chapter PDF, flashcards, an MCQ quiz and an AI tutor for your doubts.

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Unit 3: Fundamental Skills of Sports — Athletics

Introduction

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 are running, jumping and throwing (plus walking). Athletics improves strength, speed, endurance, agility, flexibility and coordination, and it also builds character – willpower, determination, self-discipline and team spirit.

Key Ideas

Running and race starts

Running is an aerial gait – there is a moment when both feet are off the ground.

There are two types of start:

  • Crouch (sitting) start – used for all running events up to 400 metres. It has three variations: bunch (bullet), medium and elongated starts.
  • Standing start – used in middle- and long-distance races; the athlete starts upright with one foot slightly ahead.

    • In this grade you learn only the crouch start.

    FSA-1 The crouch start – phases

    1. "On your marks"

  • Stronger leg on the front block, other leg on the rear block; rear knee on the ground.
  • Hands shoulder-width apart; thumb and index finger spread to form a high bridge; eyes on a point on the ground.

    • 2. "Set"

  • Raise the hips by lifting the rear knee. Weight is spread almost evenly over the four supports.
  • Best angles: about 90° at the front knee and 110°–130° at the rear knee.

    • 3. Drive ("Go")

  • React instantly to the gun and push explosively with both legs against the blocks.
  • The arm opposite the swinging leg drives forward; the elbow bends to about 90°.

    • 4. Acceleration

  • Marked forward lean at first; the lean decreases as stride length and rate grow, so that after about 20 m the runner reaches normal sprinting position.
  • Lifting the head too early to look at the finish makes runners stand up too soon.
  • A long gap between "set" and "go" risks a false start.

    • 5. Finish

  • Keep top speed through the line. Finishing techniques:

    • - Run through – full speed beyond the line

    - Lunge – lean the upper body and push one leg forward

    - Shoulder shrug – move one shoulder forward to cross first

    Jumping

    Key components of every jump: approach run → take-off → flight → landing (land with bent knees).

    FSA-4 Long Jump

  • Approach: 10 strides for beginners to over 20 for elite jumpers; accelerate to maximum controllable speed.
  • Take-off: quick "down and back" foot plant; free-leg thigh to horizontal; ankle, knee and hip fully extended.
  • Flight: three techniques – Sail, Hang and Hitch-Kick; this grade learns Sail (simplest, legs extended forward) and Hang (arms and legs stretched back before coming forward; ideal for jumpers in the 6–7 metre range).
  • Landing: legs nearly extended, trunk leaning forward, arms pulled back; avoid falling backward to prevent distance loss.

    • FSA-9 High Jump

  • Approach: J-shaped – straight at first (3–6 strides), then curved (4–5 strides); velocity increases throughout.
  • Take-off: active, flat foot plant; take-off foot points to the landing area; free-leg thigh driven parallel to the ground; body vertical at the end.
  • Flight: two main techniques – Straddle and Fosbury Flop; this class learns Straddle (clear the bar facing downwards, take-off leg goes over first, body parallel to the bar).
  • Landing: head drawn to chest, land on shoulders and back, knees apart.

    • Throwing – FSA-12 Putting Ball

  • Two throwing lines 15 metres apart; partners face each other.
  • Lock a medicine ball near the neck and push it as far as possible, extending the leg and lifting the chest.
  • Circle time compares balls of different weights and sizes and discusses shot-put injuries.

    • Activities & Drills

  • Crouch shuttle run: lines A and B 25 m apart; cover A→B→A→B→A (4 lengths) from a crouch start.
  • FSA-2 Chase and Tag: Group A runs to a line 15 m away and back; Group B waits 5 m from that line to tag them.
  • FSA-3 Reaction Game: sit facing away from a finish line 20–25 m away; on "go" stand, turn and sprint.
  • FSA-5 Standing Broad Jump relay: teams of 5; each jumps from where the last landed; longest total wins.
  • FSA-6 Hopping: lines 15 m apart; hop there on one leg and back on the other.
  • FSA-7 Making an Arch and FSA-8 Landing (scoop and side-fall landings in the pit).
  • FSA-10 Heading Suspended Ball: 3-step run-up, head balls hung at rising heights.
  • FSA-11 Trikoṇa Kainchī Kūda: a triangle course with points 10 m apart – boxes, 5 small cones, then a scissor-technique jump over a pole.

    • Safety First

  • Land with bent knees and use proper landing techniques in the pit.
  • Use protective gear and discuss barefoot vs shoe hopping.
  • Warm up (jogging, dynamic stretching) and cool down (fast-to-slow jogging, static stretching) every time.

    • Key Terms

  • Track and Field – athletics events (ट्रैक और फील्ड)
  • Aerial gait – both feet off the ground in a stride (हवाई चाल)
  • Crouch start – sprint start from blocks (क्राउच स्टार्ट)
  • Starting blocks – foot supports for sprint starts (स्टार्टिंग ब्लॉक)
  • False start – starting before the signal (गलत शुरुआत)
  • Acceleration – increasing speed (त्वरण)
  • Cadence – steps taken per minute (कदम दर)
  • Take-off board – where the long jump starts (टेक-ऑफ बोर्ड)
  • Sail / Hang – long-jump flight styles (सेल / हैंग तकनीक)
  • Straddle – high-jump style clearing the bar face down (स्ट्रैडल तकनीक)
  • J-shaped approach – high-jump run-up (J-आकार दौड़)
  • Centre of gravity – point where body weight acts (गुरुत्व केंद्र)

    • Fun Facts

  • Cadence is the number of steps per minute – you can calculate your own.
  • The Fosbury Flop and Hitch-Kick exist but are left for higher grades.

    • Common Mistakes

  • Lifting the head immediately after the start – it makes you stand up too early.
  • Slowing down before the finish line – always run through.
  • Landing backwards in the long-jump pit – you lose distance.
  • Using a standing start for a 100 m sprint – sprints up to 400 m use the crouch start.

    • Check Yourself

  • What knee angles are recommended in the "set" position?
  • Name the three finishing techniques.
  • Describe the J-shaped approach in high jump.
  • Which two long-jump flight techniques do you learn in this grade?

    • 💡 Key Learning Points

    • ✓Athletics (Track and Field) has track, field and combined events built on running, jumping and throwing.
    • ✓The crouch start (for races up to 400 m) has on-your-marks, set, drive, acceleration and finish phases.
    • ✓In the set position the front knee is about 90° and the rear knee 110°–130°; normal sprinting posture is reached after about 20 m.
    • ✓Long jump has approach, take-off, flight (sail and hang taught) and landing phases.
    • ✓High jump uses a J-shaped approach and, in this grade, the straddle technique.

    👨‍🏫 Teaching Tips

    • →Check each student's block setting, hand bridge and head position before the 'set' command.
    • →Film or observe starts from the front and side so students can see their knee angles.
    • →Run the 25 m crouch shuttle and Reaction Game to train reaction time in a fun way.
    • →Mark the J-shaped high-jump approach with cones: straight 3–6 strides, curve 4–5 strides.
    • →Practise scoop and side-fall landings in the sand pit before full long jumps.
    • →Let students calculate their cadence and compare it at jogging and sprinting speeds.
    • →Use lighter medicine balls first in Putting Ball and discuss how to avoid shot-put injuries.

    📋 Assessment Questions

    1. Can the student demonstrate the crouch start phases on the correct commands?
    2. Can the student explain why the standing start suits long-distance races?
    3. Can the student describe the sail and hang techniques in long jump?
    4. Can the student describe the straddle technique and J-shaped approach?
    5. Does the student use safe landing techniques?

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    Keep learning

    All chapters in Khel Yatra - Physical Education and Well-being Class 8

    1. 1. Unit 1: Foundations of Physical Education and Well-being
    2. 2. Unit 2: Physical and Motor Fitness
    3. 3. Unit 3: Fundamental Skills of Sports — Athletics
    4. 4. Unit 4: Fundamental Skills of Sports — Table Tennis
    5. 5. Unit 5: Fundamental Skills of Sports — Volleyball
    6. 6. Unit 6: Yoga