Unit 1.2. Opportunities and
Pathways
RATIONALISATION OF SPORT
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• KNOW THE MEANING OF THE TERM
“CODIFICATION”
• UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF THE
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ON SPORT
• BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN HOW SPORT DEVELOPED
AFTER THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
TASK 1
1. HOW DID THE CHURCH INFLUENCE PREINDUSTRIAL SPORT?
2. WHAT WAS THE MAIN FOCUS OF EARLY UK
SPORTS?
3. NAME AN EXAMPLE OF A POPULAR
RECREATION
4. WHAT IS A “MOB” GAME?
5. NAME 3 CHARACTERISTICS OF POPULAR
RECREATIONS
ANSWERS
1. SPORT WAS OCCASIONAL – HOLY DAYS
2. PREPARATION FOR WAR
3. HAXEY HOOD, SHROVETIDE FOOTBALL, BEAR
BAITING, COCK FIGHTING
4. A VIOLENT GAME INVOLVING LARGE
NUMBERS OF PEOPLE, FEW RULES AND NO
BOUNDARIES
5. SCOWL CORN: NATURAL, SIMPLE, LOCAL,
CRUEL, OCCASIONAL, COURTLY, RURAL,
OCCUPATIONAL, WAGERING
The Development of Competitive Sport
Festivals of Sport
Codification of Sport
• Rationalisation refers to the bringing of ideas and
games together to establish more central themes
• Codification refers to the “coding” of sports,
establishing rules that are recorded and accepted.
• For codification to take place there must be a
• Reason for it
• Need for it
• Process that occurs
The Development of Competitive Sport
Rationalisation of Sport
•
•
•
•
Industrial revolution
Urbanisation
Public school development
Oxbridge melting pot
Festivals of Sport
The Development of Competitive Sport
The rationalisation of sport
Societal influences upon Sport
• England had traditionally been a rural
agricultural country,
• No requirement for an educated population,
necessary skills were handed down.
• Industrialisation caused a massive change to
society
The Development of Competitive Sport
The rationalisation of sport
The effect of the
Industrial revolution.
• Industrialisation caused a massive change to
society
– People need to learn new skills
– Need for an educated workforce
– Population shift to create new / bigger towns
– Impact upon the types of recreation activities
available
The Development of Competitive Sport
The rationalisation of sport
Society facilitates Rationalisation
Industrialisation;
• Created the need for a different workforce with different
pressures on time.
• Created the need for factories and centralised populations,
not as much work in the countryside.
• Led to a need for a new educated middle class, (growth of
new, 2nd tier of public schools) to run factories, operate
banking and trade institutions
• Led to the need for an educated workforce and a growth of
state education / schools
The Development of Competitive Sport
The rationalisation of sport
Society facilitates Rationalisation
Urbanisation;
• Need for centralised population to produce machinery / work
was in the towns.
• Less space, need for sport to move from mass participation to a
more spectatored event.
• Need for rules to limit playing size of participants.
• Need for specific environments, initially to play but also to cater
for those wanting to observe.
• Increased centralised population would facilitate greater
competition against a greater variety of opposition – would
encourage regional leagues.
The Development of Competitive Sport
The rationalisation of sport
Society facilitates Rationalisation
Working Conditions;
• Initially very poor, need to work long hours resulting in less
opportunity for sport and recreation type activities.
• Created the need for a different type of workforce with
different pressures on time.
• New middle / liberal class began to exert pressure leading to a
gradual increase in free time,
– Saturday 1/2 day,
– 10 hour Act,
– Early Closing Movement
The Development of Competitive Sport
The rationalisation of sport
Growing popularity of sport.
Reasons for the growth in the popularity of sports;
• Popularity of activities in the public schools
• Students leaving school and continuing to play
• Reduced working hours – more time for workers
• Rationalisation and early codification brought games that
could be played between groups
• Dense populations facilitated leagues
• Landowners seeing the commercial value through spectator
revinue and patronage of teams.
TASK 2
• IN PAIRS:
• The Industrial Revolution led to many changes
within British society. Explain the effect that
the Industrial Revolution had on the
organisation and codification of sport after
1800. (6 MARKS)
HOMEWORK
• DESIGN A POSTER TO OUTLINE THE IMPACT
OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION ON
SPORT
• INCLUDE:
– CODIFICATION
– URBANISATION
– SOCIAL INFLUENCES