The relative importance of the skill, fitness, and social objectives of physical education have always stirred debate among physical educators. The profession would have been better served, it is argued, if more time had been spent strengthening each objective rather than arguing the merits of these desirable goals. The first section of this paper discusses the reasons for a lack of consensus concerning the skill objective. These reasons include a lack of standardization of curriculum and sports skill teaching; a lack of teacher preparation; and a lack of expectations in terms of skill attainment. The second part of the paper presents a review of literature looking specifically at the role of performance in teacher training; the effect of teaching styles on motor skill learning; skill tests; motor learning studies using traditional sports or novel tasks; research regarding basic skills; and journal features on specific sports. The third section presents suggestions for criterion-referenced standards for basketball, volleyball, and tennis. (MT)