Kabaddi Rules for Beginners: Raids, Tackles and Points

Kabaddi is the national sport of Bangladesh, known in villages for generations as ha-du-du. Today it is also a fast, televised sport with professional leagues in South Asia that draw millions of viewers. If you have watched a match and wondered why a single raider suddenly earned several points, this guide will help. Here are the basic rules of modern kabaddi in plain language.

The court and the teams

Two teams face each other on a rectangular court divided by a midline. Each team has seven players on the court at a time, with substitutes on the bench. The match is played in two halves with a short break in between, and teams switch sides at half-time.

The raid

The heart of kabaddi is the raid. One player, called the raider, crosses into the opponent's half. The raider must keep chanting "kabaddi" or follow the timed-raid rule used in professional leagues, where each raid has a time limit, commonly 30 seconds.

The raider's aim is to touch one or more defenders and return safely to their own half. Every defender touched is out, and the raider's team earns one point for each.

The tackle

The defenders, also called antis, try to stop the raider from returning. If they hold the raider in their half until the raid ends, the raider is out and the defending team earns a point. Good teams defend in pairs and chains, holding hands to trap the raider.

Key lines on the court

• Midline: divides the two halves.
• Baulk line: a raider must cross this line in the opponent's half for the raid to be valid.
• Bonus line: deeper than the baulk line. If a raider touches it with a foot while the other foot is in the air, and enough defenders are on court, they earn a bonus point.

Special points

• Bonus point: earned by crossing the bonus line, as described above.
• All out: if one team gets every opponent out, it earns extra points and the opposing team's players all return.
• Super tackle: when the defending team has only three or fewer players and still tackles the raider, it earns an extra point. This rewards brave defending.
• Do-or-die raid: in professional leagues, after two empty raids in a row, the next raid must score a point, or the raider is out.

Revival

When a team scores a point, one of its out players comes back on court, in the order they went out. This revival rule keeps matches close and dramatic.

What makes a great kabaddi player

• Raiders need speed, balance and quick reflexes to escape.
• Defenders need strength, timing and teamwork.
• All-rounders who can raid and defend are the most valuable.

Kabaddi in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a proud history in the sport, competing regularly in South Asian and Asian events. Village kabaddi remains popular during festivals, and televised leagues have brought new fans to the professional version. For an introduction to how fans follow kabaddi matches and markets online, see this kabaddi guide.

How to watch a kabaddi match

When you watch your first match, follow one raider at a time. Watch how they feint toward one side of the court and then move to the other, and how the defenders shuffle as a chain. Keep an eye on the scoreboard after each raid: the number of players left on court for each team tells you how close a team is to an all out. Within a few minutes the pattern of the game becomes easy to read and very exciting.

Final thought

Once you understand raids, tackles and bonus points, kabaddi becomes one of the most exciting sports to watch, with momentum swinging every 30 seconds. More sports guides are on the notoutbd.live homepage.

This article is for information and for readers aged 18 and over.