Kho-Kho Rules
Rules for Kho- Kho
Chaser
The players sitting in the squares are known as chasers. An attacker (active chaser) is a player who pursues the players of the opposite side (runners) with a view to tag and touch them.
Runners
The players of the side other than the chasers side are known as runners. The runners who are inside the limits for their turn of running are known as defenders.
To give Kho
To give kho perfectly, an active chaser should touch the sitting chaser by hand from behind and utter only the word ‘KHO’ loudly and distinctly. The feet of an active chaser shall not go beyond the cross lane.
Foul
If a sitting or an active chaser violates or commits the breach of any rule, it is known as a foul. A foul is to be declared by a continuous ’short’ whistle until the foul is corrected.
To take a direction
If an active chaser goes from one post line to the other post line and after getting a kho, he goes towards a particular post line, he is said to have taken a direction.
Shoulder line
An imaginary line running through the centres of the shoulders of a player is known as shoulder line.
To recede
While going in a particular direction, when an active chaser touches the ground, which he/she had already covered, he/she is said to have receded.
To leave the rectangle
When an active chaser lets go his contact of his feet with the rectangle and comes in contact with the ground between the post lines, he is said to have left the rectangle (Free zone).
To reach the rectangle
When an active chaser lets go his contact of his feet with the ground between the post lines and comes in contact with the ground of the rectangle, he is said to have reached the rectangle.
Out of limits
If a defender loses his contact of the ground within the limits and comes in contact with the ground outside the limits, he is said to have gone out of limits.
How the game is played
Each team consists of twelve players, but only nine players take the field for a contest. A match consists of two innings. An innings consists of chasing and running turns of 7 minutes each. Eight members of the chasing team sit in their eight squares on the central lane, alternately facing the opposite direction, while the ninth member is an active chaser, and stands at either of the posts, ready to begin the pursuit. Members of the chasing team have to put their opponent out, touching them with their palms, but without committing a foul. The defenders, who try to play out the 7 minutes time, and the chasers who try to dismiss them provide all the action in Kho-Kho. A defender can be dismissed in three ways: 1) if he is touched by an active chaser with his palm without committing a foul, 2) if he goes out of the limits on his own, 3) if he enters the limit late.
Defenders enter the limit, in batches of three. After the third and last defender of batch is out, the next batch must enter the limits, before the successful active chaser gives a ‘kho’. Defenders have full freedom of movement on both sides of the central lane, but the active chaser cannot change the direction to which he is committed. He cannot cross the central lane. An active chaser can change position with a seated chaser, by touching him from behind by palm, and uttering the word ‘kho’ loudly, and simultaneously, chase or attack is build up through a series of ‘khos’ as the chase continues with a relay of chasers.
At the end of the innings there is an interval of 5 minutes and an interval of 2 minutes, in between the turns. Each side alternates between chasing and defence
Read More
