Why can a kho-kho chaser not turn back?
I · Intermediate · The chase · 2 of 5Because of the direction rule. An attacker who gets kho chooses a way to go, towards one post or the other, by the first step across the cross lane or the first turn of the shoulders. They must then keep going that way until the free zone. Turning the shoulders past a right angle or stepping back is a foul.
How it works
- Which half: the new attacker goes to the half they are facing.
- Taking a direction: by going beyond the cross lane towards a post line, or by turning the shoulder line towards a post, whichever comes first.
- Keeping it: the attacker goes that way until reaching the free zone, unless a kho is given first.
- Shoulder line: an imaginary line through the centre of the shoulders.
- The right-angle limit: turning the shoulder line through more than a right angle from the direction taken is a foul.
- Receding: touching ground already covered while going in a direction. It is judged by the rear foot.
- In the free zone: neither rule applies.
- Out of court: an attacker who runs outside the side line must still keep the direction and not recede.
The glossary has the direction, the shoulder line, the recede rule, the free zone, the attacker and the foul.
Tricky cases
An attacker gets kho, steps one foot over the cross lane to the left, then wants to go right. Allowed?
No. The first action decides it. Going beyond the cross lane has taken the direction.
An attacker twists the upper body to look behind while running forward. Foul?
It depends on how far. Turning the shoulder line more than a right angle to the direction taken is a foul. Less than that is not.
An attacker stops, and the rear foot slides back a little. Is that receding?
Yes, if it touches ground already covered. The ground covered is judged by the rear foot.
An attacker reaches the free zone and turns round to go back down the same side. Allowed?
Yes. The rules about direction and receding do not apply in the free zone. On leaving it the attacker must head for the other free zone.
Why the rule exists
This is the rule that gives the defender a chance. A good defender waits until the attacker is committed and then cuts back behind them. The attacker cannot follow. Only a kho to a teammate facing the right way can, which turns the chase into a relay of quick decisions.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| In the court | Direction fixed; no receding; shoulder line within a right angle | KKFI Club Rules Part 2.6 to 2.8 |
| In the free zone | Neither rule applies | KKFI Club Rules Part 2.10 |
| At a pole dive | Dragging the rear leg and turning the shoulder line past a right angle are not fouls | KKFI Club Rules Part 2.15, note B |
| Outside the side line | The rules still apply between the extended post lines | KKFI Club Rules Part 2.12 |
From the rule book
Kho Kho Federation of India, National Club Games Rule Book: Kho-Kho (undated), Part 1 (definitions 21 to 23) and Part 2 (rules 6 to 10 and 12). 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).