Question 1

What is the lobby in a kabaddi court and when can players enter it?

Accepted Answer

The lobby is a 1-metre-wide strip running along both long sides of the court, between the playing area and the outer boundary. Under normal play, the lobby is out of bounds for both the raider and the defenders. However, once the raider makes contact with a defender — initiating what is called a "struggle" — the lobby immediately becomes part of the active playing area. At that point, both the raider and the defenders can move into the lobby. If a player steps into the lobby before a struggle has begun, they are declared out and the opposing team scores a point.

Question 2

Why is the baulk line so important in kabaddi?

Accepted Answer

The baulk line is the minimum penetration threshold that makes a raid valid. A raider who fails to cross the baulk line — keeping both feet on the near side of it — has completed an invalid raid. In the PKL, after two consecutive invalid (empty) raids, the third becomes a Do-or-Die raid. The baulk line also forces raiders to enter deep into the opposing half, which creates the attacking and defensive confrontations that define kabaddi as a sport. Without the baulk line, a raider could safely tag a defender right at the mid-line and return instantly — the baulk line prevents this by requiring genuine penetration into enemy territory.

Question 3

What surface is kabaddi played on officially?

Accepted Answer

At the PKL and all major international competitions (Asian Games, Kabaddi World Cup), kabaddi is played on a synthetic mat — typically composed of Japanese synthetic rubber combined with ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam, 25–40mm thick, laid over carpeting on a hard floor. This mat surface absorbs the impact of tackles and allows players to be wrestled to the ground safely. At the traditional village and state-level tournaments common across Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, and other states, kabaddi is played on levelled soil or mud outdoors — a harder, more abrasive surface that demands different physical conditioning.

Question 4

Is the bonus line distance the same in all kabaddi formats?

Accepted Answer

No. In the senior men's format (PKL and international), the baulk line is 3.75 metres from the mid-line, and the bonus line is 1 metre further — placing it at 4.75 metres from the mid-line. In the women's and junior format, the baulk line is 3.00 metres from the mid-line, with the bonus line at 4.00 metres. Beach kabaddi uses the same dimensions as the women's format but with only four players per side. Indoor mat kabaddi uses men's dimensions but with five players. The relative positioning (bonus line always 1m beyond the baulk line) is consistent across all standard formats.

Question 5

How much space is needed to set up a kabaddi court?

Accepted Answer

The playing court itself is 13 × 10 metres for the senior men's format, but the total ground area required is larger to accommodate the sitting blocks, officials, and safe margins around the boundary. The AKFI recommends a minimum total ground size of 20 × 20 metres. The sitting block for out players and extra players (reserves) must be placed at a minimum distance of 2 metres from the end lines. This total space requirement makes full-size kabaddi practical for sports halls, gymnasium floors of at least 20 × 20 metres, or open outdoor areas of equivalent size.

Question 6

How is beach kabaddi different from the standard court format?

Accepted Answer

Beach kabaddi is played on sand rather than a mat, on a smaller 11 × 8 metre court with 4 players per side instead of 7 — the sand surface slows movement and increases fatigue significantly compared to a mat, so both the court and squad size are scaled down to keep matches fast-paced and manageable. It's promoted internationally by the Kabaddi World Federation (KWF) primarily for recreational and beach-games events rather than as the sport's primary competitive format.

Question 7

Why does the bonus line sit exactly 1 metre beyond the baulk line?

Accepted Answer

The 1-metre gap gives a raider who has already committed to crossing the baulk line a further, harder-earned target immediately in front of them, rather than making the bonus and baulk thresholds the same line (which would let one crossing satisfy both rules at once). Keeping the bonus line meaningfully separate is what makes the bonus point a genuine additional risk-reward decision — should the raider push one more metre into defensive territory for the extra point — rather than an automatic freebie tied to the baulk crossing itself.

Kabaddi Court Dimensions

Kabaddi Court Dimensions

Court Layout

Important Notes

What are Official Kabaddi Court Dimensions?

How to Use This Calculator

Court Dimensions by Format

Why the Baulk and Bonus Lines Decide Every Raid

?Frequently Asked Questions