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One of India's biggest sports outside cricket is kabaddi, which has reached households across the country. One of the biggest reasons for this surge in popularity has been the Pro Kabaddi League which started in 2013 and is now celebrating its 10th edition. As everyone has shown keenness around this sport, SportsTiger presents you with this guide on how to play kabaddi.
Here is a basic guide on how to play kabaddi:
What is the equipment required for kabaddi?
The sport of kabaddi only requires a kabaddi mat with dimensions of 13m x 10m, which has two baulk lines that are 3.75m from the centre line. The mat also has two bonus lines that are 1m inside the baulk lines.
How many teams go head-to-head in kabaddi?
A kabaddi game has two teams comprising seven players each on the mat, with three additional substitutes.
How long is a kabaddi match?
A game of kabaddi is 40 minutes in duration which is divided into two halves of 20 minutes each.
How to play kabaddi?
Each kabaddi game sees teams taking turns attacking each other. The team on the offence will send its player, a raider, who must cross the baulk line and enter the opponent's half of the court. The raider must continuously chant "Kabaddi" while being in the opponent's half of the court.
The raider now needs to touch one or more defenders without being tackled and then return to their half of the court without being caught. The raider scores one point for each defender they touch and successfully returns to their half.
On the defensive front, the team can score points by tackling the raider and preventing them from returning to their half. The defensive team can also score points by catching the raider outside the bounds of the court. In the end, the team with the most points of the game, wins.
