How long is a kho-kho match?
B · Beginner · The game · 2 of 6A match is two innings. In each inning both teams take one turn chasing and one turn defending. In the National Club Games rule book a turn lasts five minutes, with a two-minute break between turns and five minutes between innings. The length of a turn in senior play is set by a rule book that is not saved.
How it works
- Inning: one chasing turn and one defending turn for each side.
- Match: two innings.
- Turn, in the club book: five minutes.
- Breaks, in the club book: two minutes between turns and five minutes after an inning.
- Chasers on court, in the club book: five seated in the squares and a sixth to start the chase.
- Defenders on court, in the club book: a batch of two at a time.
- Squad at national championships: 15 players, with a coach, a manager and one support staff.
- Substitution: any number, with the referee's leave. Chasers at any time. Runners only before they enter the field.
- A substitute attacker: must give kho before chasing.
- Ending a turn early: the chasing captain may ask the referee to close the turn before time.
The glossary has the turn, the inning, the batch, the substitution, the chaser and the runner.
Tricky cases
Why would a captain end their own chasing turn early?
Because the team already has the points it needs. In the last turn of a match, a chasing side that has passed the other team's total has won, and can ask the referee to close the turn.
Can a tired defender be replaced while their batch is in the field?
No. For runners, substitution is allowed "only before they enter the field".
A fresh chaser comes on as a substitute. Can they chase at once?
No. A substituted attacker "shall not pursue the defenders directly" and must give a kho.
How long is a turn at the senior nationals?
Not stated in the saved documents. The federation's guidelines ask for minute cards numbered 1 to 8 for seniors and juniors and 1 to 6 for sub-juniors, which fits turns of nine and seven minutes.
Why the rule exists
Chasing and defending are different skills, and a fair match has to test each team at both. Two innings also let a team that defended badly first time put it right. Letting the chasing captain end a turn early matters when a side needs a few points and wants to save its legs.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| National Club Games book | Five-minute turns; six chasers; batches of two | KKFI Club Rules Part 2.2; Part 3.1; 3.2 |
| National championships | Squads of 15 players | KKFI Guidelines 5 |
| Senior and junior, sub-junior | Minute cards 1 to 8, and 1 to 6 | KKFI Guidelines 20 |
| Age groups | Senior open; junior under 18; sub-junior under 14 | KKFI Guidelines 4 |
From the rule book
Kho Kho Federation of India, National Club Games Rule Book: Kho-Kho (undated), Part 3 (rules 1 to 3 and 8). Kho Kho Federation of India, Competition Guidelines (version 3.3, updated to November 2025), sections 4, 5 and 20. 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).