What is a kho, and how is it given?
B · Beginner · The chase · 4 of 6A kho is how the chase passes from one player to another. The attacker touches a seated chaser by hand, from behind, and then says "kho" aloud. That chaser gets up as the new attacker. The one who gave the kho sits down at once in the square left empty.
How it works
- From behind: the kho is given from behind the seated chaser.
- By hand: a touch with the hand, not on a limb the chaser holds out.
- Touch, then word: the touch must not come after the word. Both together is allowed.
- Loud enough: so that the defenders and the officials can hear.
- Only "kho": any other word from the attacker is a foul. So is "kho", or a word like it, from a seated chaser.
- No early rising: a chaser must not get up without getting kho.
- Sit at once: the giver sits in the receiver's square, with the natural time to sit allowed.
- From the cross lane: the attacker's feet must not have gone beyond that chaser's cross lane when the kho is given.
- No leaning: an attacker must not rest on a seated chaser to reach a defender.
The glossary has the kho, the attacker, the chaser, the square, the cross lane and the foul.
Tricky cases
The attacker says "kho" and then touches the chaser. Good kho?
No. If saying the word comes before the touch, it is a foul.
A seated chaser sticks an arm back so the attacker can reach it sooner. Can the kho be given on the arm?
No. The attacker shall not give kho by touching an arm, leg or other part "extended or tilted towards him by a Chaser".
The attacker runs past a seated chaser, then comes back to give them kho. Allowed?
No. Having gone beyond that chaser's cross lane, the attacker has continued the attack and cannot give that kho. Coming back would also be receding.
After giving kho, the attacker stays standing in a defender's path. Is that a foul?
Yes. The time needed to sit is allowed, but it "should not obstruct the game of Defender".
Why the rule exists
The kho is the chasing side's only way to change direction or cross to the other half, so it has to be unmistakable. A clear touch and a loud call let the defenders react fairly and let the umpire see exactly when one attacker stopped and the next began.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Word before touch | Foul | KKFI Club Rules Part 1.19 |
| Touch and word together | Allowed | KKFI Club Rules Part 1.19 |
| Kho on an outstretched limb | Not allowed | KKFI Club Rules Part 2.4, note A |
| Chaser nearest a post | A kho may be given on a touch there | KKFI Club Rules Part 1.19 |
| Wazir in the modern format | Reported to move with fewer limits | Not checked |
From the rule book
Kho Kho Federation of India, National Club Games Rule Book: Kho-Kho (undated), Part 1 (definition 19) and Part 2 (rules 4 and 5). 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).