The World Health Organization defines a fall as "an involuntary event that causes a loss of balance and results in the body hitting the ground or another firm surface that stops it" (WHO, 2021a).

The authors of this manual, from the Safe Fall - Safe Schools program, propose the falling skill as a Generic Motor Skill (GMS), a motor skill that can be taught and perfected, defining it as follows:

The falling skill is the generic motor response of an individual carried out in the event of a voluntary or involuntary occurrence that causes a loss of balance, resulting in the impact of the body against the ground or another surface, allowing for a protective and safe position to be adopted to eliminate or minimize potential injuries caused by falling.