What is the baulk line in kabaddi?
B · Beginner · Raiding and defending · 5 of 9The baulk line is the first line across each half, 3.75 metres from the mid line in the men's game. A raider must cross it at least once in every raid. A raider who goes home without crossing it is out, unless they touched a defender or a defender touched them first.
How it works
- Where it is: 3.75 m from the mid line for men and junior boys, 3 m for women, junior girls and sub-juniors.
- The duty: "It is mandatory for a raider to cross the baulk line once during his raid failing which he will be declared out".
- What counts as crossing: some part of the body is on the ground beyond the baulk line, and no part is on the ground between the mid line and the baulk line.
- The exception: once the raider touches a defender, or a defender touches the raider, the baulk line no longer matters. The raider still has to get home with the cant.
- In a tie-breaker: the baulk line also acts as the bonus line.
The glossary has the baulk line, the raider, the mid line, the touch, the empty raid and the cant.
Tricky cases
A raider has one foot over the baulk line and the other still planted behind it. Crossed?
No. No part of the body may be touching the ground between the mid line and the baulk line. The back foot has to be in the air or over the line too.
A raider touches a defender near the mid line and goes straight home. Out for not crossing?
No. After a touch "the raider need not cross the Baulk line but must reach his half with the cant". The defender is out.
A raider's hand touches the ground beyond the baulk line while both feet are behind it. Crossed?
No. The feet are on the ground between the mid line and the baulk line, so the line is not crossed.
A raider never reaches the baulk line and returns after 20 seconds. What is the call?
The raider is out, and the defending team scores a point.
Why the rule exists
Without it a raider could step a toe over the mid line and step back, using up a turn at no risk. The baulk line makes every raid a real one: the raider has to come within reach of the defence before going home.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Men and junior boys | 3.75 m from the mid line | IKF Rule 4f |
| Women, junior girls and sub-juniors | 3 m from the mid line | IKF Rule 4f |
| After a touch by or on the raider | No need to cross | IKF Rule 30 |
| Tie-breaker raids | The baulk line becomes the "Baulk Line Cum Bonus Line" and crossing it earns a point | IKF Rule 55b; 55c |
| Beach kabaddi | No baulk line | Same book, beach chapter (opening pages only read) |
From the rule book
Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India, Rules and Regulations of All Forms of Kabaddi (version 2.1.0, the International Kabaddi Federation rules, 2017), Rules 4f, 4g, 16, 30 and 55. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: Rules and Regulations of All Forms of Kabaddi (PDF, a scan).