Kabaddi Rules
& Regulations
All you need to know: court, teams,
raids, scoring, fouls, and special rules.
Field Dimensions & Court Layout
The court measures 13 m × 10 m for men (11 m × 8 m for women/juniors) with 3 m lobbies on each end. Lines are 5 cm wide: the mid-line divides halves, the baulk line sits 3.75 m from mid-line, and the bonus line 1 m in front of the baulk line .
Team Composition & Match Setup
- Seven players per side on court, plus up to five substitutes on bench.
- Match duration: two halves of 20 min each, with a 5 min interval.
- Toss decides choice of court or first raid.
Raid & Cant
A “raider” enters the opponent’s half, chanting “kabaddi…kabaddi…” continuously on one breath to validate the raid. Raid duration max 30 sec; failure to chant or return before time yields no points and raider is out.
Scoring System
- Touch points: 1 point per defender tagged and safe return.
- Bonus point: if raider crosses bonus line after touch.
- Super raid: 3+ tags in one raid = 2 bonus points.
- Super tackle: defense of ≤3 players tackles raider = 2 points.
Fouls & Cards
Referees use cards for misconduct:
- Green Card: warning.
- Yellow Card: 2 min suspension + 1 point to opponent.
- Red Card: ejection from match.
Common fouls: leaving court, unsporting behavior, coaching from outside playing area.
All-Out (Lona)
- When a raiding team eliminates all seven defenders, they score a Lona: 2 bonus points, and all defenders revive.
Additional Rules
- Revival: each point scored revives one player from out.
- Timeouts: each team allowed one 30 sec timeout per half.
- Tie-break: in knockout, 5-player “sudden death” raids decide winner.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION
Raider must cross bonus line after touching.
5-player tiebreak raids determine victor.
Yes, but cannot score from lobby alone.