Kabaddi

Kabaddi (sometimes written Kabbadi or Kabadi) Punjabi: ਕਬੱਡੀ, IPA: [kəbəɖɖi]) is a team sport originally from the Indian subcontinent. It is popular throughout South Asia, and has also spread to Southeast Asia, Japan and Iran. Amar kabaddi is the main form of kabaddi played in Punjab. Amar literally means invincible. This form of Kabaddi is played in Punjab and Punjabi Diaspora overseas. In the 'Amar' form of Kabaddi, whenever any player is touched (out), he does not go out of the court, but stays inside, and one point is awarded to the team that touched him. This game is also played on a time basis, i .e the time is fixed.

This form of kabaddi is played in Punjab, Canada, England, New Zealand, USA, Pakistan and Australia. In the Amar form of Kabaddi, each team consists of 5-6 stoppers and 4-5 raiders. At one time, only 4 stoppers are allowed to play on the field. Every time a stopper stops the raider from going back to his starting point, that stoppers team gets 1 point. on the other hand, every time the raider tags one of the stoppers and returns to his starting point, his team gets one point.

At one time, only one of the stoppers can try to stop the raider. If more than one touch the raider, an automatic point is awarded to the raider's team. If the stopper is pushed out by the raider or vice versa, then the team whose member is still in the field gets a point. If both the raider and the stopper go out, the result is a common point, where nobody gets a point.

There is a 30 second time limit for the raider from the moment he leaves until he returns to his starting point. This rule was only recently introduced (1994) after controversy with some raiders abusing the old system where they were able to struggle through a point until they ran out of breath from repeating the word kabaddi.^[1][2]

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