How do you score in kho-kho?
B · Beginner · The game · 3 of 6In the rule book read for this page, the chasing side scores one point for each defender it puts out, and the team with more points at the end of the match wins. A team far enough ahead after the first inning can make the other side chase again at once, which is called the follow-on.
How it works
- One point: "The chasing side shall score one point for each Defender out."
- The winner: the side with more points at the end of the match.
- All out before time: if every runner is out before the turn ends, they go in again in the same order. The chasing side keeps scoring.
- Follow-on: after the first inning, a side that chased first and leads by nine points or more may make the other side take its chasing turn again straight away.
- Compulsory: the book's clarification makes the follow-on mandatory when the lead is more than nine.
- Winning by an inning: a match won after a follow-on is recorded as won by an inning.
- League matches: two league points for a win, one each for a tie and none for a loss.
- Conceding: in the second inning the defending side may ask to close its turn and concede, if it is 15 or more points behind.
The glossary has the out call, the follow-on, the inning, the turn, the batch and the minimum chase.
Tricky cases
All the defenders are out with a minute left. Does the turn end?
No. The runners go in again in the same order of defence, and each one put out is another point.
A team leads by nine after the first inning. Must it enforce the follow-on?
No. At exactly nine it is an option. The book makes it mandatory only when the difference is more than nine.
Is a diving tag worth more than an ordinary one?
Not in this rule book, where every defender out is one point. The modern televised format is reported to give more, and that format's rules are not saved.
A team trails by 16 in the last turn. Can it stop?
Yes. The defending side may ask the referee to close the turn and concede, since the difference is 15 or more.
Why the rule exists
One point for each defender keeps the score an honest count of what happened. The follow-on is borrowed from cricket for the same reason it exists there: when one side is far ahead, it saves time to let the weaker side try to catch up first.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| National Club Games book | One point for each defender out | KKFI Club Rules Part 3.4 |
| Lead of nine after the first inning | Follow-on available; mandatory above nine | KKFI Club Rules Part 3.7 |
| League stage | 2, 1 and 0 league points | KKFI Club Rules Part 3.5 |
| Knockout stage | A level match goes to an extra inning, then minimum chase | KKFI Club Rules Part 3.5 |
| Modern senior format | Reported to give two points for a tag, with bonuses | Not checked |
From the rule book
Kho Kho Federation of India, National Club Games Rule Book: Kho-Kho (undated), Part 3, rules 3 to 5 and 7. 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).