Cue
A cue is a short, focused instruction a coach gives to direct an athlete's attention and shape a movement or decision.
Definition
A cue is a concise prompt, a word, phrase, or signal, that a coach uses to direct an athlete's attention toward a specific aspect of performance. Cues are often distinguished by focus: an internal cue points to the body ('squeeze your glutes'), while an external cue points to the effect or environment ('drive the floor away'). Research in motor learning frequently finds external cues effective for skill execution, though the best choice depends on the athlete and task.
Good cues are brief and memorable so they can be applied in the moment without overloading the athlete with information. They may be verbal, visual, or tactile, and are a core tool of coaching communication alongside feedback. A coaching cue is unrelated to the cue used in billiards or snooker, which is a piece of equipment.
Where you’ll hear “cue”
Sports that use this term:
Fitness
Strength and general fitness training — the foundation that supports every other sport.
Football
The world’s most popular team sport — endless running, teamwork and community in one game.
Basketball
A fast, dynamic team sport of running, jumping and quick decisions on court.
Swimming
A full-body, low-impact endurance sport suitable for almost every age and ability.
Explore across the knowledge base
Follow the threads that connect Cue to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Coaching concepts
- Feedback and CueingFeedback from your senses, a coach, or video plus short instructional cues guide skill learning — including internal vs external focus of attention.
- Constraints-Led PracticeA coaching approach that adjusts the task, environment or rules so a desired movement or decision emerges in practice, rather than being explicitly instructed.
- Deliberate PracticeFocused, effortful practice that targets a specific weakness with full attention and immediate feedback — not just repeating what you already do well.
- Repetition QualityThe attention and intent behind each repetition matter more than raw volume — focused, well-executed reps build skill faster than mindless numbers.
Practice & sessions
- Coached sessionA session led by a coach, who sets the focus, gives feedback and shapes the practice around what you need.
- Technical sessionA session built around technique — grooving and refining the mechanics of how a movement or shot is executed.
- Individual practicePractising on your own — you set the focus, run the drills and work at your own pace, with no partner or coach present.
- Team practicePractising with a full team — working on roles, patterns of play and communication so the group performs together, usually under a coach.
Lifestyle
- 15 minutesShort, focused bursts of movement you can fit into a spare 15 minutes, with no long session required.
- 10 minutesTen focused minutes is enough for a quick, worthwhile session — a short run, a compact circuit or a mobility routine.
- 20 minutesTwenty minutes is enough for a solid, focused workout — a proper run, an interval session or a full-body circuit.
- At homeMovement you can do in your living room — from bodyweight strength to yoga — with little or no equipment.
- In winterCold-weather sport — snow activities, indoor training and warm-up-first sessions for short, chilly days.
Sports communication
- Player-to-coach communicationHow a player shares information back to a coach — questions, how something felt, or a heads-up about availability — so coaching becomes a two-way exchange.
- Coach-to-player feedbackHow a coach shares usable information with a player about what they did and what to try next — usually specific, well timed and focused on one thing at a time.
Sports science
- Reaction timeThe short delay between a signal and the start of the movement made in response to it.
- BiomechanicsThe study of how the body produces and controls movement — the mechanics behind every technique in sport.
- Range of motionHow far a joint can travel through its movement — the arc available at a joint, and the foundation of flexibility and mobility.
- ProprioceptionThe body’s internal sense of where its parts are and how they are moving — the awareness behind balance and coordinated movement.
- Motor controlHow the brain and nervous system organise the muscles to produce coordinated, controlled movement.