How to Play Kabbadi

Kabaddi is a team sport, played mostly in South Asia. The word 'kabbadi' is derived from a Hindi word that means, 'holding your breath,' which is the activity that underlies all games of kabbadi. It is most often played in your underwear.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Split into two teams of twelve players each. Seven of each team are on the court at one time, and five are kept in reserve. The playing area is 12.5m by 10m, divided into two halves. The game lasts for two periods of twenty minutes, with a five minute break to change sides.

2. The attacking side sends a "raider" who, on a single breath, enters the opponents' half of the court while continually chanting "kabaddi-kabaddi." This is done to show that he is not cheating by taking another breath.

3. The raider attempts to touch and/or wrestle any player on the opposing side and return to his court. The person whom the raider touches will then be out. The trick, of course, is that this all must be done in one breath.

4. The opposing team tries to hold the raider and stop him from returning to his own court. If the raider takes a breath, he is out.

5. Each team takes turns to send a player into the opponents' court.

Tips & Warnings

• A team scores a bonus of two points, called a "lona", if the entire opposing team is declared out.
• Matches are staged on the basis of age and weight.
• Seven officials supervise a kabaddi match: one referee, two umpires, two linesmen, a time keeper and a scorer.
• If a player goes over a boundary line during the course of the play, or if any part of his body touches the ground outside the boundary, he will be out, except if it occurs during a struggle.