Kabaddi: The set of rules which defined Modern Kabaddi
There are specific rules viewers need to know. Kabaddi, an ancient sport that had lost its significance in the Indian subcontinent, was revived with the introduction of the Pro Kabaddi League, where talented men from the country compete in the sport
Modern Kabaddi Set of RulesRules that define the sport: What is a raid?
Kabaddi is played on a rectangular court with a padded floor divided into two zones by a midline. Every rear boundary is placed next to a baulk line. The space between the rear border and the baulk line contains a bonus line. Each team that includes seven players takes turns raking the opposing team. One raider enters the opponent’s zone, tries to touch one or more defenders, and then escapes to his zone. The raider is allowed to do so in one breath, so he is required to chant the word kabaddi continuously audibly.
The raider must cross the baulk line to finish a raid. To do so, he must have both feet across the line or one foot across and the other in the air. A player is not allowed to step outside the defending zone. Defenders or antis often hold hands in pairs to maintain a strong formation. Once a raider touches an anti, the defenders tackle the raider to curb him from touching the ground in his zone. As the raider struggles, the playing area expands to the defence’s lobby, a marked area around the court. The raider must keep both feet outside the lobby to be considered out of bounds. A raid must be scored within 30 seconds.
How a raid progresses
- If the defenders stop the raider, he is declared out. The antis score a point and are allowed to revive one player (a raider who stopped earlier)
- If the raider escapes, then every defender who came in contact with the raider is out. The raiders secure one touch point for each and may revive the same number of players.
- If a raider facing six or more defenders crosses the bonus line before touching any defender and then escapes, the raider scores an additional bonus point.
- A player who is out cannot play until revived. Players are restored in the same order they had left.
How a match ends
If a team is entirely out, the opponents secure two additional points, and the entire team is revived. If the game concludes in a tie, a mini-game is played. A sudden-death raid (golden raid) is played if the mini-game is also tied.
Teams are allowed to play in total capacity, and the bonus line moves up to the baulk line. A coin toss decides the team that starts the raid. The other team starts a golden raid if the raid is empty. If both raids are empty, the winner is chosen through a coin toss.