Kabaddi & Kho-Kho

Standard international Kabaddi matches consist of two halves of 20 minutes each with a 5-minute break in between.

A point is awarded to the raiding team when the raider touches an opponent or puts them out of bounds and returns to their half safely.

A Kho-Kho team consists of 12 players, but only 9 players take the field at a time to participate in the game.

Lona (or Loni) is awarded when all seven players of the opposing team are out, granting two extra points to the team that performed the all-out.

The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) is the governing body for the sport of Kabaddi in India, founded in 1973.

The chasers are the players on the team that is currently attacking; their objective is to touch the opposing 'defenders' to get them out.

A Kho-Kho court is rectangular in shape, measuring 27 meters by 16 meters for men.

Kabaddi was included as a competitive medal sport for the first time in the 1990 Asian Games held in Beijing.

A raider must chant 'Kabaddi' continuously from the moment they enter the opponent's court until they return; failing to do so results in being declared out.

The 'Free Zone' is the area behind the two poles in a Kho-Kho court, where the chaser is not restricted by the rule of chasing only in the direction they are facing.

Kabaddi is widely believed to have originated in the ancient state of Tamil Nadu or Maharashtra, with historical roots dating back thousands of years.

There are two lobbis (side strips) on either side of the Kabaddi court which become active only after a struggle or contact between the raider and a defender.

A Super Tackle is awarded when a team has 3 or fewer defenders on the court and they successfully tackle the raider, earning them 2 points instead of 1.

The central lane or median is the longitudinal line running through the center of the Kho-Kho court connecting the two poles.

The Kho-Kho Federation of India (KKFI) is the national governing body; currently, there is no single established global federation as dominant as the AKFI for Kabaddi.

Defenders in Kho-Kho enter the court in batches of three. Only three defenders are on the field at any one time during a turn.

Standard professional and international Kabaddi for men does not have a weight limit, although junior and certain domestic levels may have weight restrictions.

A 'Do-or-Die' raid occurs when a team has had two consecutive empty raids; the third raid must result in a point, or the raider is declared out.

The objective of the defending team in Kho-Kho is to stay on the field for as long as possible without being touched by the chasers.

Sanjeevani, Gaminee, and Amar are recognized styles of Kabaddi, whereas 'Kusti' refers to Indian wrestling.

A standard Kho-Kho court for men measures 27 meters in length and 16 meters in width.

When a raider is physically stopped and held by the defenders until they lose their breath or touch the ground outside the line, it is called a 'Tackle'.

The word 'Kho' is given by the sitting chaser to an active chaser to transfer the responsibility of chasing the defenders.

A standard Kabaddi team consists of 12 players, with 7 playing on the field and 5 acting as substitutes.

The lobby is the 1.5-meter-wide area surrounding the rectangular playfield in Kho-Kho.

Historians often link the strategy of the 'Chakravyuha' in the Mahabharata to the defensive tactics used in Kho-Kho.

According to standard rules, the lobby is inactive until contact is made with an opponent; stepping into it prematurely results in the raider being declared out.

A standard match consists of two innings. Each innings comprises 9 minutes of chasing and 9 minutes of defending.

The 'Cant' is the continuous, audible chanting of the word 'Kabaddi' without breaking breath, which a raider must maintain throughout the raid.

There are 8 cross lanes that intersect the central lane in a standard Kho-Kho court.

Violent behavior, including pulling hair or clothes, is a foul leading to a technical point for the opposing team and often a warning or suspension.

The International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) was established in 2004 to promote the sport globally.

The two wooden poles placed at the ends of the central lane are officially referred to as 'Posts' in Kho-Kho rules.

The Sanjeevani style is the modern format of Kabaddi where players can be revived, which is the version used in international tournaments.

A 'Super Tackle' occurs when the defending team has 3 or fewer players on the mat and successfully tackles the raider, earning two points instead of one.

The active chaser is the only player permitted to move in any direction across the court to tag the defenders.

The central lane, which connects the two poles, is 30 cm wide.

The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India was founded in 1973.

The Bonus Line, located 1 meter behind the baulk line, allows the raider to score an extra point if they touch it while at least 6 defenders are on the mat.

The key difference is that in the Sanjeevani style, players are revived (brought back into play) when their team scores a point, whereas in Gaminee, players remain out for the duration of the match.

The central lane of a standard Kho-Kho court measures 23.50 meters in length and 30 cm in width.

In the Sanjeevani style, a player is revived when a member of their team tags an opponent or earns a point, allowing a previously out player to return.

The poles in Kho-Kho are used by the chaser to change direction or as pivot points to trap the defender.

A standard Kho-Kho court contains 8 cross lanes that intersect the central lane perpendicularly.

In the Gaminee style of Kabaddi, there is no revival; once a player is out, they remain out for the entire duration of the match.

The act of one chaser touching another teammate while saying 'Kho' to transfer the responsibility of chasing is officially recognized as 'Relaying the chase'.

The free zone at the end of the central lane in Kho-Kho measures 2.75 meters by 30 centimeters.

If a raider steps out of the boundary line (outside the lobby) without a struggle or contact with a defender, they are declared out.

The World Kho-Kho Federation (WKKF) is the global governing body for the sport, established to promote it internationally.

In the standard professional 'National Style' Kabaddi (like Pro Kabaddi), there is no specific weight restriction for players.