One of the oldest sports in the Southeast Asian countries, Kabaddi is more than just a game—it’s a tradition that is still pretty relevant in the rural region of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and other Southeast Asian nations. Like other sports popular among betters, Kabaddi’s history dates back to ancient times. Originating in the state of Tamil Nadu in India, the sport became travelled across the sub-continent throughout centuries.
From being a rural sport to getting international recognition among the most iconic tournaments and games, Kabaddi’s stature has improved as it is being compared to other international sports like as football, cricket, and hockey. The show of strength, agility, and technique draws fans towards this sport that hasn’t lost its charm, but only gained more exposure, especially in the past few years.
Here, we will talk about the game rules of kabaddi and how it is played. This article will surely help you get a basic idea of how the game is played and what role does everyone play during a match.
Read More About Kabaddi BettingStandard Game Rules in Kabaddi
For a game to be successful, a certain set of game rules must be followed, so there is fair play and the best one comes out as the deserving winner. Kabaddi game rules involves two teams competing against each other bound by certain rules that make the game interesting and worth watching. Here, we list the 7 basic rules of the game, so you get the exact idea of how the game is played.
Team Members
Kabaddi has a total of 10 to 12 players but only 7 players play the match at one time. The remaining players sit out of the playing ground and are substitutes who replace the players on the ground whenever the need arises. Replacement of the players is strategically done to suit the current status of a game.
Game Duration
Most kabaddi matches consist of 2 halves, each of which stretches to around 20 minutes and have a 5-minute interval for players to have refreshments, relax, and strategize. During each match, the last raider of each team is allowed to complete his/her raid even when the match duration is complete.
Scoring
Scoring in kabaddi is pretty easy to understand and similar to other team sports like football and hockey. A single point is awarded when one of the team members from a team is made out by the opponent team. Two points are additionally awarded in case all the members are made out by the opponent team members.
Time Out
This is the same as football, hockey, and various other field games where each team gets the chance to call for a ‘Time Out’. Kabaddi teams get a 30 seconds Time Out for each half. The captain, coach, or any other team member can call for a Time Out but with the permission of the referee. In case the team has violated the instruction of staying on the ground during Time Out, a technical point is awarded to the opponent team.
Substitution of Players
There are a total of 5 reserved players that can be substituted. If a player gets suspended by the referee, the substitutes for that particular player wouldn’t be allowed on the ground. The team has to play with a lesser number of players. No one can substitute for a player that is out. One major thing that you should know about Kabaddi substitutions is that they are only done during intervals or time outs.
Bonus Points
The game is considered active when the court consists of a minimum of 6 players. Upon crossing the bonus line, the raider is awarded a single point. If the raider is caught by the opponent team, a single point is awarded to the opponents. No revival is offered for a bonus point. The bonus point is not awarded to the raider in case he/she crosses the line after a struggle or a touch.
Final Result
The team who has better scores is declared the winner of the match.
Technical Officials in Kabaddi
Now, when you know about the format of the game, it is important that you also know about the role of each technical official that is involved in making the game a success.
For the Kabaddi game rules to be followed each Kabaddi match consists of 1 referee, 2 assistant scorers, 1 scorer, and 2 umpires. The final verdict over a technical decision is only the umpire’s call. However, the referee has been given the right to give his/her decision in case both the umpires are not agreeing.
Duties of the Referee
A referee has to perform the following duties:
- Take the toss
- Properly record the time
- Supervise the entire match
- Announce the current score on each side 5 minutes before the match ends
- Warn each team about the remaining 5 minutes during the second half
Duties of the Umpire
The umpire has to conduct the entire match and announce decisions adhering to the rules of the game.
Duties of the Scorer
The scorer performs the following tasks during a Kabaddi match:
- Fill the score sheet
- Announce the final score with due permission from the referee whenever each half of the match ends
- Completes the score sheet in entirety and get it signed by the referee and the umpires
Duties of Assistant Scorers
- The assistant scorers have to:
- Maintain the record of the players that are made out
- Keep a check on the out players to see if they are seated in the ordered they were made out
- Help the referee in case any of the players go out of the boundary of the court
Warning Cards
Let us now discuss the relevance of each card that a referee displays to the players during a match:
Green Card
This is a type of warning card that is, when displayed twice, amounts to direct enforcing of the Yellow Card the next time. This card is shown to a player, coach, or the manager.
Yellow Card
When a yellow card is shown to a team member, that particular player, coach, or manager is suspended from the game for 2 minutes. If the yellow card is shown twice, the next card that’ll be shown will directly be the red card.
Red Card
Once a red card is shown to a player, coach, or manager, the concerned person is suspended from the match or is debarred from being part of any match during the tournament.
Online Betting on Kabaddi
Today, Kabaddi has been recognized internationally and is one of the few sports native to the sub-continent that is added to the Asian Games. Evolving over the years, Kabaddi has also become a bettor’s choice. Different online betting sites have added Kabaddi in their sports betting section with latest events constantly updated for bettors to wager on their choice of markets. Kabaddi has millions of fans spread all across the world who also love to wage their money on the sport, especially on popular events like the Pro Kabaddi League.
Here are some of the premier online betting sites that have events and markets available for players who want to wage on kabaddi:
