Kabaddi
Kabaddi is a contact team sport played between two teams on opposite halves of a court. One player (the raider) crosses into the opponent's half to tag defenders and then attempts to return to their own half, while defenders try to stop the raider by holding them in the defending half under the applicable rules.
In International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) rules, a raid is defined as the raider entering the opponent's half with the repeated and clear chanting of the approved word "KABADDI" (the "cant"). The raider must begin the cant before touching the opponent's half, and the raid is completed when the raider reaches their own half safely with cant within the time defined in the rules.
- Hu-tu-tu (western India)
- Ha-do-do (eastern India and Bangladesh)
- Chedu-gudu (southern India)
- Gudu (Sri Lanka)
- Theechub (Thailand)
Court, teams, and match timing (IKF rules)
IKF rules specify that kabaddi can be played on a synthetic ground ("kabaddi mat") or on a soft soil surface. The field of play for men and junior boys is 13 x 10 meters; for women and junior girls it is 12 x 8 meters; and for sub-junior boys and girls it is 11 x 8 meters.
The playfield is divided into two halves by a midline, with boundaries marking the limits of play. IKF rules define 1-meter-wide lobbies along both vertical sides of the playfield, with the lobbies becoming part of the field of play once a struggle starts.
Team size and substitutions
Under IKF match rules, each team fields seven players on court at a time, with a larger match-day playing group listed as a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 12 players (the remainder serving as substitutes). IKF rules allow substitutions with referee permission, and substituted players can be re-substituted, subject to the substitution provisions in the rules.
Match duration
IKF rules set men's and junior boys matches at 40 minutes, played as two halves of 20 minutes with a 5-minute interval. Women's, junior girls, and sub-junior matches are 30 minutes, played as two halves of 15 minutes with a 5-minute interval, and the rules allow the last raid of each half to be completed even after the scheduled time has ended.
Raids, lines, and scoring (IKF rules)
IKF terminology defines the cant as repeated and clear chanting of the approved word "KABADDI" while raiding, and defines a raid as the raider entering the opponent's half with cant to attack. IKF definitions also tie the raid to a 30-second limit in the conditions for a catch and for reaching one's half safely, and provide that a raider who loses the cant in the opponent's half is out.
Baulk line, bonus line, and lobbies
IKF rules define the baulk line as the first parallel line from the midline toward the end line in each half. For men and junior boys it is 3.75 meters from the midline; for women, junior girls, and sub-juniors it is 3 meters. The bonus line is parallel to the baulk line toward the end line, with a 1-meter distance between the baulk line and bonus line.
IKF rules also define when these lines are considered crossed and state that lobbies become part of the field of play after a touch or struggle occurs during the raid.
How players are put out
IKF rules define "to put out a defender" through contact between raider and defender during the raid combined with the raider returning to their own half with cant without breaching the rules. IKF rules define a catch as defenders holding the raider in the defending half and preventing the raider from reaching their own half until the raider loses the cant, the referee/umpire blows the whistle, or 30 seconds of the raid are over.
IKF rules also state that it is mandatory for a raider to cross the defending team's baulk line once during the raid, failing which the raider is out, with an exception stated for situations where contact occurs (touch or defenders touching the raider) and the raider then reaches their half with cant.
Points, all-out, and bonus point
IKF scoring rules award one point for every opponent out, and award two extra points for an all-out in addition to the points scored in the raid. IKF rules also state that out players are revived in the same order as they were put out.
IKF rules define an empty raid as a raid where the raider crosses the defending team's baulk line at least once and returns safely with cant without scoring or losing a point. The third raid after two empty raids by a side is defined as a "do or die" raid.
IKF bonus point rules apply when there are at least six defending players in the half. One point is awarded to the raider for crossing the bonus line under the bonus provisions, and IKF rules specify conditions where the defending team can also be awarded a point depending on whether the raider is caught and how the raid completes.
Formalization and major competitions
Encyclopaedia Britannica describes kabaddi as indigenous to South Asia and reports that the basic rules were formalized in India in the early 20th century and published in 1923. Britannica also reports that the game received international exposure when it was demonstrated at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.
Kabaddi debuted as a sport at the 11th Asian Games (Beijing 1990), which the Olympic Council of Asia lists among the debuting sports for those Games.