Match Structure & Player Setup
Each team consists of 9 players with a limited number of substitutes. A match is played in two innings of 9 minutes each, where both teams take turns chasing the opposition
The game starts with 8 players of the chasing team sitting in the Central Lane, facing alternate directions and positioned two long strides apart.The Central Lane is the rectangular strip dividing the Court into two equal halves between the two posts.
- The Post Lines are perpendicular to the Central Lane and run at right angles to the posts.
- The area from the End Line to the Post Line on both ends is the Free Zone, where the active chaser begins pursuit at the start of an innings.
The defending team also has 9 players, entering the pitch in batches of three. A new batch enters only when the previous three runners are tagged out. After all 9 runners are dismissed, the cycle restarts until the 9-minute innings ends.
Chasing Rules & Methods of Dismissal
The chase begins with one active chaser in the Free Zone. They activate another chaser by touching them and saying “KHO”, making the seated player the new active chaser.
Key chasing rules:- An active chaser can only chase runners on the side they are facing.
- Active chasers cannot cross the Central Lane unless they run around the post.
- Once given “KHO”, a chaser can run only in one direction. They cannot turn back if a runner changes direction.
- To continue pursuit on the opposite side, the chaser must give “KHO” to a teammate facing that direction.
A runner can be dismissed in 3 ways:
- Tagging: The active chaser touches the runner with their palm without committing a foul.
- Out of Field: The runner steps completely out of the pitch and loses ground contact with both feet.
- Late Entry: The runner enters the pitch after the allowed time when the next batch is supposed to start.