What happens if a kabaddi match ends in a tie?
I · Intermediate · Fouls, officials and ties · 7 of 7In a knockout match, each team takes five raids, by five different raiders, against a full seven. The baulk line doubles as the bonus line, so crossing it is worth a point. If the scores are still level, a toss decides who takes a golden raid, and the first team to lead wins.
How it works
- Seven a side: both teams field seven players.
- Baulk line cum bonus line: a raider who crosses the baulk line gets one point, under the bonus point rules.
- Touch points on top: a raider who crosses and then puts defenders out gets those points as well.
- No out, no revival: players put out stay on. Only the points count.
- Five raiders: each team gives the referee five different raiders, by shirt number, in their order of raiding.
- Alternate raids: five each, and the team that raided first in the match raids first.
- No substitutions: from the seven fielded players.
- Golden raid: if still level, a fresh toss. The winner of the toss raids.
- A second golden raid: if the first changes nothing, the other team takes one.
- Leading point: in the golden raid, the team that scores the leading point wins.
- Last resort: if both golden raids leave it level, the toss decides the match.
The glossary has the golden raid, the baulk line, the bonus line, the bonus point, the toss and the revival.
Tricky cases
One of the five named raiders is injured before their turn. Who raids?
One of the other two players of the seven on the court.
A raider crosses the baulk line and is then caught. Who scores?
Both. The bonus rules apply, so the raider's team gets a point for crossing and the defence a point for the catch.
In the golden raid, the raider is caught without scoring. Who wins?
The defending team. It has scored the leading point.
Can a league match go to a golden raid?
No. In a league a level match is a tie, with one league point to each team. The tie-breaker is for knockout matches.
Why the rule exists
The tie-breaker is kabaddi's version of a penalty shoot-out. Putting seven defenders back, switching off revival and paying a point for crossing the baulk line makes every raid a clean, separate contest between one raider and a full defence.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| League match | A tie stands | IKF Rule 57 |
| Knockout match | Five raids each | IKF Rule 55 |
| Still level | Golden raid by the winner of a fresh toss, then one by the other team | IKF Rule 56 |
| Still level after both | Decided by toss | IKF Rule 56 |
| Pro Kabaddi League | The league sets its own tie-break for play-off matches | C; not in this book |
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 53, 55 and 56. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: Rules and Regulations of All Forms of Kabaddi (PDF, a scan).