As the popularity of kabaddi grew in recent years, so did the interest in betting on the sport. Kabaddi has millions of fans across India, Bangladesh, and Asia – most of these people like to punt as well, especially on the Indian Pro Kabaddi League. Of course, before you rush and place a wager on whatever your choice of sports is, you need to learn the fundamentals of the games first, various kabaddi markets and then betting on Kabaddi online.
Despite being a relatively simple game in terms of the game basics, kabaddi does have a few rules that are important to know, especially when it comes to scoring points. The PKL has additional rules to make the sport even more entertaining for viewers.
Below we’re breaking down all the different rules for each aspect of the game.
Professional men’s kabaddi is played on a rectangular field that measures 13 meters in length and 10 in width. The women’s team plays on a slightly smaller field of 12 m x 8 m.
The field has a centre (or mid) line to separate the two halves. Additionally, there are baulk and bonus lines, which may play a role in scoring points.
There is also the circle-style kabaddi, which is usually played outdoors and almost exclusively by amateurs. There don’t seem to be standard measurements for how big the circle should be.
Two teams play each other, and each team consists of 12 players. However, only 7 players may take the field at any given time, provided they are in the defensive position. Only one player will take the field for the raiding team. Team members will raid in sequence as the game plays out.
Since kabaddi is very physical in nature, matches are usually categorised according to age, weight and gender. This means that men will never play against women or youths against adults.
Professional kabaddi is strict in its rules, which also applies to the length of a match and how long a raid is supposed to take. The match consists of two halves of 20 minutes each with a 5-minute half-time break in between.
A raid is meant to last the length of one breath, which means 30 seconds in reality. Since the raider shouts ‘kabaddi’ repeatedly and the sport can get very physical, 30 seconds is about all a raider can manage.
In circular kabaddi, a match does not have a fixed duration.
To determine which team gets the first raid, a coin is tossed. The winner of the coin toss gets to choose whether they want to have the first raid or not. With the beginning of the second half of the match, the team that did not get the first raid will now begin with a raid.
The raiding team will send one player (the raider) into the opposition’s half of the field. The raider first takes a breath and then aims to tag as many players of the opposing team before returning to their own half of the field. They must do so before inhaling again. Points are scored for each player of the opposing team that is successfully tagged, but only if the raider manages to return to their half before the time runs out.
All the while, the raider must chant ‘kabaddi’ to prove that they have not taken a fresh breath. If they fail to do so, they must return to their own half without points. Instead, the defending team will receive a point.
The defending team will also score a point if they prevent the raider from returning to their half successfully. The defence is only allowed to tackle raiders by grabbing their torso or limbs but not their hair or clothes. Defenders are also not allowed to move into the opposing team’s half.
Teams take turns between raiding and defending. During half-time, court sides are switched, and the game continues until the time is up.
During a raid, when a defending player is tagged, that player is removed when the raid is successful, meaning the raider manages to return to their half of the field without taking another breath or being tackled and held back.
All players that are tagged out will have to leave the field and cannot be replaced by reserve players.
Players that step outside the boundary lines of the court are also removed, no matter whether they are raiding or defending.
A raider that is captured and cannot return to their half of the court within one breath is also out.
Should a team have three consecutive raids that are unsuccessful, the third raider is removed. The only exception is when a raider manages to cross the baulk line and returns to their side of the court. Even without tagging someone this will count as a successful raid.
Defenders moving across the centre line before it is their turn to raid are also removed from the court.
In order to bring players back to the court (or reviving them), all that needs to happen is for their team to score a point, regardless of whether that team is currently raiding or defending.
Of course, a player is only officially revived once the point has been scored successfully at the end of a round of raiding or defending.
Penalties are handed out for breaking the rules. That usually means the opposing team will get a score and the raid is over. Here are some rule breaks that will result in penalties:
The PKL aims to popularise kabaddi beyond local gameplay and make it entertaining for the masses. As such, it is vital that the action on the field captures the audience’s interest. Therefore, the PKL made a few changes to the rules of kabaddi.
The rules are simply meant to ensure additional opportunities to score points. For instance, the “do-or-die-raid” after a team plays two unsuccessful raids. This means a player must score or they will be declared out.
Another difference is when the defending team has three or fewer players, which means that their tackles are now considered “Super Tackles”, scoring them two points instead of one.
Beyond that, the Pro Kabaddi League follows the same rules that we outlined above.
We have talked about how to get started betting on kabaddi, but there is more to it than signing up for an account, making a deposit and betting on the Match Winner.
That is a classic betting market available for any sport, where you can choose one team or the other to win the match or you bet on a draw, which bookmakers usually view as unlikely and therefore offer long odds, which would yield a handsome return.
More specific to kabaddi betting are the following markets:
Outright winner: This is an important option during the Pro Kabaddi League or other big kabaddi tournaments, where you decide which team will win the tournament. It’s not just a decision among two teams playing in a match, but you are looking at all teams participating in the tournament. The available odds will tell you a lot about who a bookmakers views as the favourite team to win, but prior to a tournament to begin, a lot of movement is still possible here.
Top Raider: Here you bet on the raider who you think will outperform all other raiders that participate in a match. All players of both teams are available to bet on under this option and each of them gets dedicated odds, which are based on recent performances and overall track record. Top raiders in the league will get the lowest odds as they are most likely to perform well. You will still place a winning bet here, if they perform as expected, but returns are low.
Alternatively, you can choose to bet on so-called dark horses – players who could potentially perform very well but aren’t necessarily seen as top raiders.
Top Tackles: Defence is just as important as offence, which means the defending team can score points by preventing the raider to successfully return to their half of the field. Some players are excellent at tackling their opponent and that makes this an obvious kabaddi betting market. Just like for top raider, you’ll get all players listed under that option and can bet on the one you believe will come out as the top tackler in a match. Check out the top 10 tacklers of the current season to narrow down your options.
Team to Score 15 Points in 1st Half: If you want to get serious about betting on kabaddi, this is a market typically available for PKL matches, which are heavier on point scoring than other tournaments. Here you must decide whether a team manages to score 15 points in the first half of the match. It is a simple yes/no bet, though by no means an easy bet. You really should know the strengths and weaknesses of a team before deciding this particular bet.
Depending on the kabaddi betting site you are using, you will also find very common markets for kabaddi that will include:
Quite a few of these options have a comprehensive selection of markets, especially during live betting, where you get further options of Total Over/Under as well as Even/Odd bets. These markets are also available for sports such as cricket or football, though it always depends on the bookmaker, which betting options they are interested in offering. For instance, Asian Handicap markets are not available at ever betting site. And some betting sites offer markets that are unique to them and not available anywhere else.
Online bookies have almost replaced regular bookies and there are many reasons why. First and foremost, people choose online bookies over land-based betting shops because it’s far easier to bet online. You just need to make an account, deposit some money and you’re on your way. The next thing to do is pick your favorite sport and start creating your first betting slip.
After you’ve registered at a respectable bookie, the next step is to deposit funds into your account. You can do this with a variety of payment methods – we suggest checking them before registering to see if the website supports the method you’d like to use. Most online bookies accept standard debit and credit cards, but when it comes to e-wallets, things are a bit different. Different bookies accept different web wallets, so pick the one that lists your preferred payment method.
Additionally, you should also make sure that you can withdraw your winnings with your card or e-wallet. Once you deposit money into your account, you should claim the welcome bonus most bookies offer. Don’t miss this step – after all, who wouldn’t like extra free funds for punting? When you’re finished with the whole process and you’ve learned everything when it comes to betting, you’re ready to place your first wager.
The good news about online bookies is that most offer a variety of sports you can place your bets on. The bad news is that there are just as many, if not more markets, and that can be confusing. The best online bookies in the industry offer a load of markets most beginners aren’t even aware of, so when you see them on a website, it can confuse you at first sight.
However, they are there for a reason. Other markets than the industry standard 1x2 bet give you a greater chance of winning. These markets offer a freedom of choice beyond the standard bets so you can try your hand at something more exciting.
If you’re planning to bet on the outright favorite in a match, things are rather simple. You pick a side (home or away) and place a bet on their odds. You can also bet on a draw where it applies. However, wouldn’t it be much more fun if you could bet on the number of goals, red or yellow cards or goals per half? These additional markets are often more lucrative than the standard ones, so if the outright winner odds are not enticing at all, we suggest giving them a good look.
Won your first slip? Congratulations! Now all you need to do is collect your winnings. To do this, most online bookies have a Banking page where you can see the terms and conditions for withdrawing your winnings. There’s usually a minimum and maximum withdrawal limit, and some bookies will pay out your winnings in instalments, especially if you’ve won a lot of money. Make sure to read the T&Cs carefully so you aren’t disappointed later.
The withdrawals are usually issued on the payment method you used to deposit. This doesn’t mean that you can’t use other methods – for more information on this, check the terms and conditions of your preferred bookie.