How many time-outs and substitutions does a kabaddi team get?
I · Intermediate · Fouls, officials and ties · 6 of 7Each team may take two time-outs of 30 seconds in each half, and the time is added back to the match. A team may make up to five substitutions, with the referee's permission, once a raid has ended. A player who is out or suspended cannot be substituted.
How it works
- Time-outs: two in each half, 30 seconds each.
- Who calls one: the captain, the coach or any playing member, with the referee's permission.
- Staying put: players on the court must not leave their half during a time-out. Leaving costs a technical point.
- Official time-out: taken by the referee or umpire for an injury, an interruption by outsiders, re-marking the lines or anything unforeseen.
- Added on: both kinds of time-out are added to the match time.
- Substitutions: a maximum of five, from five reserve players.
- Several at once: any number of eligible players can change in one substitution.
- Coming back: a substituted player can be brought back on.
- When: after a raid is completed, when the referee or umpire allows it.
- Who cannot be replaced: out players and suspended players.
The glossary has the time-out, the substitution, the referee, the half, the out player and the technical point.
Tricky cases
A team has used all five substitutions and a player is injured. Must it play short?
It depends. The referee has discretion to allow a substitute for the injured player. That injured player cannot play again in the match.
Can a team swap three players in one go?
Yes. "In one substitution any number of eligible players can be substituted."
Can a team take an unused first-half time-out in the second half?
No. The allowance is two in each half. The rule gives no carry-over.
Can a team change its raider in the middle of a raid?
No. The officials allow a substitution only "after the completion of the raid".
Why the rule exists
Time-outs are short because kabaddi is played in a tight rhythm of alternate raids, and a long break would let a tiring defence recover for nothing. Barring substitutes for out players protects the heart of the game: a team must earn its players back by scoring.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Team time-out | 30 seconds; two a half | IKF Rule 51a |
| Official time-out | For injury, outside interruption or re-lining; no limit stated | IKF Rule 51c |
| Substitutions used up, player injured | Referee may allow a replacement | IKF Rule 52a |
| A particular event | The organising committee may redefine the time-out rule with IKF approval | IKF Rule 51d |
| Tie-breaker raids | No substitution from the seven fielded players | IKF Rule 55f |
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 51, 52, 55 and 66. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: Rules and Regulations of All Forms of Kabaddi (PDF, a scan).