Kabaddi Rules and Basics – How to Play Kabaddi

Kabaddi is a popular contact team sport in South Asia and originated in Ancient India. It is famous in the Indian subcontinent and other neighboring Asian countries. Kabaddi has been mentioned in histories of India, but it became popular as a competitive sport in the 20th century. Here is an article with all you need to know about Kabaddi rules and how to play Kabaddi. 

Kabaddi is the national sport of Bangladesh. However, it is the state game of various Indian states including, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Karnataka. Kabaddi is famous in other parts of the world with Pakistani and Indian communities like the UK. Here Kabaddi is governed by the England Kabaddi Federation UK. Continue reading the article to know all about Kabaddi rules and basics. 

Variation of Kabaddi

There are different variations of Kabaddi in India. These versions differ according to the region, and some popular variations include Gaminee, Amar, Punjabi, and Sanjeevani versions. All of the versions have slight differences in the interpretation of the Kabaddi rules.  

There are some other games also that are similar to Kabaddi, including Hududu in Bangladesh, Hututu in Maharashtra, and Baibalaa in the Maldives. 

Kabaddi is governed by the International Kabaddi Federation. It consists of around 30 national associations that oversee the sport and its rules. The association also conducts the Kabaddi World Cup contested by women’s and men’s national teams. 

Object of the Game

Now that you know what is Kabaddi, let’s have a look at the object of the game. 

The overall object of Kabaddi is to score more points as compared to the opposition team within the determined time frame. In order to do this, each team should try to score points by both defending and attacking. 

While attacking, the offensive team needs to sean a raider into the opposition’s half. Teh raider needs to touch one or more members of the opponent team to score a point. On the other hand, while defending, the intent is to capture the raider. The defending team uses wrestling to ground the raider. Moreover, the defending team can also try to prevent the raider from returning to their half before their breath is up. 

Players and Equipment

Kabaddi game is played between two teams consisting of twelve players each. Nevertheless, only seven players of each team are allowed to play on the field at a time. The kabaddi field measures 13mx10m. It is divided into two halves, and each team occupies one half of the field.

Kabaddi games can be played on different types of surfaces, including clay courts and the spare ground where the playing field has been chalked out. 

Kaddi does not need any other special equipment, accessories, or clothing. It is a simple game open to everyone. 

A kabaddi match consists of two halves. Each half is 20 minutes, and there is an interval of five minutes. During the match, the last raider of each half is allowed to complete the raid even if the time is over. 

Kabaddi Scoring

Scoring is relatively simple in Kabaddi. In this game, both the teams get one point for each opponent that they eliminate out of the game. Eliminating an opponent or putting one out is done in different ways. 

While attacking, raiders need to touch the opposition members to put them out. On the other hand, when defending, the team tries to put the raider out by preventing them from returning to their own half. 

Players can also score bonus points in Kabaddi. During the game, a raider can score extra points successfully by touching the bonus line present in the opposition’s half. A team gets three bonus points when all the opponents are out. Moreover, a team also gets one point when any player of the opposing team goes out of the boundary. 

Read More – Full Guide on How to Play Cricket

Extra Points

Below mentioned are some of the ways to score extra points.

• Super Raid – If the raider gets three or more defenders of the opposing team out, then it is called a super raid. 
• All Out – If a team sends off all the players of the opposing team, then it is called all out. A team gets extra points at this point.
• Super Tackle – If a defending team tackles the raiders successfully with one three or fewer defenders in the side, then it is called super tackle. The defending team gets some extra points for extra tackles. 

Winning the Game

At the end of the Kabaddi game, the team with the highest points is the winner. In case both the teams have the same points at the end of the match, then it is deemed to be a draw. 

Kabaddi Rules

Here are basic kabaddi rules to help you understand the game better. 

• Each team consists of 12 players. Moreover, only 7 players are allowed to play in the field at a time.
• Due to the physical nature of the game, kabaddi matches are categorized on the basis of age and weight.
• Six officials look after a match. The officials include a scorer, a referee, two umpires, and two assistant scorers.
• Each match consists of two halves of 20 minutes. In addition to this, there is a halftime break of 5 minutes. 
• A kabaddi match begins with a coin toss, and the winner gets the choice to decide whether to raid first or not. In the second half of the match, the team that did not raid in the first half gets the chance to raid.
• In order to score a point when raiding, a raider should take a breath and run into half of the opposition. The raider needs to tag one or more players of the opposition team and then get back to their own half before inhaling again. 
• In order to prove that the raider has not taken another breath, they have to yell and repeat the word “Kabaddi continuously.” If a raider fails to do this, they have to return to their own side of the pitch without points. In this case, the opposition team gets the point for successfully playing the defense.
• When defending, the players should try to prevent the raider from tagging them and getting back to their half of the court. While defending, a team can score points by preventing the raiders from returning to their half without tagging any player. Defenders are allowed to grab the raider only by torso or limbs. They can not grab the raider by their clothes, hands, hairs, or anywhere else. 
• Each team gets the turn for defending and raiding. After halftime, each team switches the sides of the courts. In addition to this, the team that has raided in the first half begins the second half by defending. 
• The match continues in the same way until the time is over. At the end of the game, the team with the highest points wins the match. 

Warning Cards

During the game, warning cards are allotted to the players in case of a foul. Below mentioned are the types of warning cards used in the game. 

• Green Card – This card is a warning sign. In case a green card is allotted twice to a player, then the next card is the yellow card.
• Yellow Card – In case of a yellow card, the player is suspended temporarily for two minutes. In case a yellow card is allotted twice, the next card should be the red card. 
• Red Card – In case a red card is allotted to any player, the player is suspended from the match. The player can also be debarred from the tournament.

Final Words

Kabaddi is an entertaining and fun game. It is simple and does not require a lot of equipment. Kabaddi originated in India, and at the present time, it is played in different parts of the world. If you find the information about kabaddi rules interesting, drop a comment.