Variable.

The idea

A variable skill is one where the performer must adapt movement to changing environmental demands, so no two executions are identical. In AQA A-Level Physical Education, variable practice means rehearsing the skill in varied conditions: different distances, speeds, angles, surfaces or opponents. A tennis forehand practised from feeding machines, then rallying, then returning serve is variable practice. The classification matters because it shapes how practice is structured: closed, stable skills suit fixed, repetitive drills, while open, variable skills need variability so the performer builds adaptable movement solutions. The learner should be able to identify whether a skill is variable and select a practice structure that matches it.

What earns the marks

• Defines a variable skill as one performed in unpredictable or changing conditions, so each execution differs.
• Links variability to open skills, where the environment or opponent changes the required response.
• Explains that variable practice varies distance, speed, angle, surface, timing or opposition.
• States that variable practice develops adaptability and decision-making transferable to competition.
• Contrasts variable practice with fixed, repetitive practice suited to closed, stable skills.
• Applies the term to a named sporting example, such as a pass in invasion games or a return in tennis.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Treating variable as meaning the skill is difficult.

  Put it right: Variability concerns changing conditions and execution, not difficulty.

• Assuming all practice should be variable.

  Put it right: Closed skills such as a gymnastic vault benefit from fixed, repetitive practice.

• Confusing variable practice with massed practice.

  Put it right: Variable concerns variation in conditions, while massed concerns rest intervals.

• Believing variable practice removes the need for technique.

  Put it right: Technique is still refined, but under changing conditions.

Exam tips

• Define the term precisely before applying it to a sporting example.
• Use a named skill and state exactly what changes between attempts.
• Link the practice structure to the classification of the skill, not just to the sport.