The games for understanding approach, developed in 1990, focuses on the strategies used in a game to categorize it. There are four possible categories that any game can fall into: target games, such as archery and bowling; net/wall games, such as tennis and squash; striking and fielding games, such as baseball and cricket; and "invasion" games, such as hockey and soccer.
Another classification system for physical education games is based on three major categories. The first category is the physical requirements of the game -- for example, the equipment required and the space needed for the playing field. The second category is the game structure, including the number of participants, the rules and regulations and strategy. The third category is the personal requirements of the game, such as motor skills, fitness levels and sociability.
Physical education games can also be classified by component. The first component is the game's form. For example, is it a new game made up by the teacher or is it a well-known classic? The second category is movement skills required. Does the player need to be able to perform certain kinetic movements? This is followed by movement concepts and tactics required, which involves the skills a player would need to be able to be engaged mentally in the game. The last category is the educational results of the game, which emphasizes the benefits that the player gains from playing, ranging from strategic planning skills to group social skills.
A classification scheme proposed in 2003, focuses on four developmental levels that children need to go through in order to learn a specific game and excel at it. The levels are low-level, complex, lead-up and official sports. If you were teaching your class how to play basketball, for example, the low-level skill would be teaching them to dribble. The complex level would be dribbling and moving with the ball. The lead-up would be moving from one side of the gymnasium to the other while avoiding other players and then shooting through a hoop. The official sport level would involve applying rules and teams and playing the sport as it is played nationally.