What do the green, yellow and red cards mean in kabaddi?
I · Intermediate · Fouls, officials and ties · 5 of 7Kabaddi has three cards. Green is a warning, and the next card after it is yellow. Yellow suspends the player for two minutes and gives the other team a technical point. Red puts the player out of the match, and a second yellow to the same player in a match counts as a red.
How it works
- Green card: a warning. "If green card is shown then the next card will be a Yellow Card."
- Yellow card: a two-minute suspension and one technical point to the other team.
- Second yellow: to the same player in a match, it is deemed a red card.
- Red card: suspension for the rest of the match. The player may not sit in the well or on the field of play.
- Second red in a tournament: the player is barred from the rest of the tournament.
- When the two minutes start: when the player has left their half.
- If the player was already out: the suspension starts after they are revived, and the team cannot revive the next player in their place.
- Short-handed: no substitute comes on. The team plays with fewer players.
- Who can be carded: players, coaches, managers and other team officials.
The glossary has the warning cards, the technical point, the referee, the revival, the substitution and the bonus point.
Tricky cases
What gets a player carded?
Persistently questioning decisions, derogatory remarks about the officials, pointing or gesturing to demand a decision, and the dangerous holds. A "legitimate appeal" is allowed.
A suspended player's team is defending with six. Does the bonus line apply?
Yes. Suspended players are counted as if they were on the field for the bonus point.
A player who is sitting out gets a yellow card for abusing the umpire. When is the suspension served?
After that player's turn to be revived comes. The two minutes begin then, and the team may not bring back the next player in the queue instead.
Can a red-carded player be replaced by a substitute?
No. "If any player is suspended or disqualified from the match, no substitution is allowed for that particular player."
Why the rule exists
The three steps let officials match the penalty to the offence and give a player one chance to stop. Linking the yellow card to a technical point means misconduct always costs the team something on the scoreboard, not only the player's time.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Green card | Warning; the next card is yellow | IKF Rule 65a |
| Yellow card | Two minutes off; one technical point to the other team | IKF Rule 65b |
| Second yellow in a match | Treated as red | IKF Rule 65b |
| Red card | Out of the match | IKF Rule 65c |
| Second red in a tournament | Out of the tournament | IKF Rule 65c |
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 21, 52, 53 and 65 and the Technical Officials chapter, paragraphs 6 and 7. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: Rules and Regulations of All Forms of Kabaddi (PDF, a scan).