Kabaddi is one of India’s oldest contact sports and has become a major television sport since the launch of the Pro Kabaddi League in 2014. India’s men’s and women’s teams have won several Asian Games gold medals in the sport. The game looks chaotic at first, but the rules are simple. Here is a guide to kabaddi rules as followed in most senior competitions.
The court and the teams
Each team has seven players on court and some substitutes. The court is divided into two halves by a mid line. Each half has a baulk line and a bonus line. The exact court size differs by category; for senior men it is usually 13 metres by 10 metres.
The raid
A team sends one player, called the raider, into the opponent’s half. The raider must keep chanting “kabaddi” in one breath, which is called the cant. In professional leagues such as the PKL, a raid has a time limit of 30 seconds. The raider tries to touch one or more defenders and return to the home half without being caught.
How raid points are scored
- Each defender touched by a raider who returns safely is out, and the raiding team gets one point per defender.
- If the raider crosses the bonus line with one foot while the other foot is in the air, and there are at least six defenders on court, a bonus point is given.
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The tackle
Defenders, also called antis, try to stop the raider from returning by holding them. If the raider is held in the opponent’s half, the raider is out and the defending team gets one point. Defenders must not hold the raider by the hair or clothes, and dangerous play is penalised.
Super tackle
When the defending team has three or fewer players on court and still tackles the raider, it is called a super tackle. The defending team gets an extra point.
Revival
When a player of one team is declared out, a player from the other team who is out gets revived, in the order in which they were out. This keeps the game balanced.
All out
If all seven players of a team are out, the opponent gets two extra points for an all out, and all seven players of the team return to the court.
Do or die raid
In the PKL, if a team has made two empty raids in a row, its third raid becomes a do or die raid. The raider must score at least one point or will be declared out.
Duration
A senior match has two halves of 20 minutes each with a short break. The team with more points at the end wins.
Bottom line
Raid, touch, return and tackle are the heart of kabaddi rules. Once you know the bonus line, all out and super tackle, following a match becomes easy and exciting.
Source / स्रोत: Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India, Pro Kabaddi League
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