The Game

Two teams compete in Kabaddi, scoring by touching or capturing the players of the opposing team. Each team has 12 players: seven are on court at a time and five are in reserve. The two teams compete for higher scores, alternating defence and offence. Matches are staged on the basis of age and weight.

The game consists of two 20-minute halves, with a break of five minutes for change of sides. The playing area is 12.5m x 10m, divided into two halves. Seven officials supervise a match: one referee, two umpires, two linesmen, a time keeper and a scorer.

The attacking side sends a raider who enters the opponents' half of the court chanting "kabaddi-kabaddi" repeatedly (this is called 'cant' or 'dak'), to show that they are not breathing in.

The raider's aim is to touch and/or wrestle any player on the opposing side and return to their court, all in one breath. The person whom the raider touches will then be out.

The aim of the opposing team will be to hold the raider, and stop them from returning to their own court, until they take another breath. If the raider cannot return to their court in the same breath, they are out.

Each team alternates in sending a player into the opponents' half of the court. If a player goes over a boundary line during the course of the play, or if any part of their body touches the ground outside the boundary, they will be out, except during a struggle.

A team scores a bonus of two points, called a lona, if the entire opposing team is declared out.