What happens when a chaser commits a foul in kho-kho?
I · Intermediate · Fouls, ties and officials · 5 of 5When an attacker or a seated chaser breaks a rule, the umpire blows short blasts on the whistle and makes the attacker go the opposite way. A defender who is tagged because of the foul is not out. If the foul gave the chasing side no advantage, the umpire does not call it.
How it works
- A foul: any breach of the rules by an attacker or a chaser.
- Common fouls: a wrong kho, crossing or touching the central lane, receding, turning the shoulder line past a right angle, rising without kho and changing the way a seated chaser faces.
- The signal: a short whistle blown continuously.
- The penalty: the attacker is compelled to go in the direction opposite to the one they were going.
- No kho needed: the attacker follows the umpire's direction and need not give kho.
- The defender is protected: one put out as a result of the foul, or by an action that produced the foul straight away, is not out.
- Who is protected: the defender being chased at the time.
- Advantage rule: a foul that gives the chasers no advantage and the defenders no disadvantage is not signalled.
The glossary has the foul, the advantage rule, the umpire, the attacker, the direction and the recede rule.
Tricky cases
An attacker recedes by half a step while the defenders are at the far end of the court. Is the whistle blown?
No, if it gave the chasing side no advantage. The advantage rule says such a foul "shall not be declared".
An attacker fouls, is sent the other way and immediately tags a defender who was standing there. Out?
No. If the defender being chased becomes out as a result of the attacker following the umpire's direction, they are not declared out.
Does a foul cost the chasing team a point?
No. The penalty is the change of direction and the loss of any tag that came from the foul.
A seated chaser shouts "kho" to confuse the defenders. Foul?
Yes. Saying "kho", or a word like it, by any of the seated chasers is treated as a foul.
Why the rule exists
Sending the attacker the other way is a neat penalty: it gives back to the defender the metres the foul stole. No points change hands, so the game keeps flowing. The advantage rule stops the whistle from interrupting a chase over a slip that changed nothing.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Foul with an advantage | Whistle; attacker sent the opposite way; any resulting tag is void | KKFI Club Rules Part 2.15; 2.16 |
| Foul with no advantage | Not called | KKFI Club Rules Part 2.17 |
| Repeated fouls by a seated chaser, such as changing face | Treated as misbehaviour | KKFI Club Rules Part 2.2, note C |
| Fouls by a defender | The rule book has none of this kind; a defender who touches a chaser is warned, then out | KKFI Club Rules Part 2.13 |
From the rule book
Kho Kho Federation of India, National Club Games Rule Book: Kho-Kho (undated), Part 1 (definition 20) and Part 2 (rules 15 to 17). Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the federation's rule book of kho-kho (current edition not published; the National Club Games rule book was used).