How does a kho-kho turn start?
I · Intermediate · The game · 1 of 5The referee tosses a coin. The winning captain shows the choice by pointing: to the central lane to chase, or to the side line to defend. The chasers then sit in the squares facing the side lines, with no two neighbours facing the same way. One chaser stands in a free zone to begin the chase.
How it works
- The toss: the referee stands at the centre of the court, facing the scoring table, with the captains on either side.
- The choice: the winner raises an arm and points with the index finger at the central lane or the side line. No captain touches the coin.
- Seating: the seated chasers occupy the squares "in such a way that no adjacent chasers face the same Side Line".
- The first attacker: stands in either free zone.
- The first defenders: the first batch is inside the field. The other runners are in their seats.
- The start: the timekeeper blows a long whistle followed by a short one, on the referee's direction.
- The end: one long whistle.
- Each minute: the timekeeper calls it, holding up an indicator.
- Staying down: once the turn has started, no chaser may leave a square without getting kho, or change the way they face.
The glossary has the toss, the square, the chaser, the free zone, the timekeeper and the referee.
Tricky cases
Which choice is better, chasing or defending first?
The rules do not say. It is a tactical choice for the captain.
A seated chaser swivels round to face the other side line while a defender is behind them. Allowed?
No. Changing the face after the turn has started is a foul, and repeating it is misbehaviour.
Can the first attacker start from the middle of the court?
No. The chaser who starts the chase stands in one of the free zones.
A chaser stands up early, expecting a kho that does not come. What is the call?
A foul. A chaser must not leave the square, or get up, without getting kho.
Why the rule exists
The alternate seating is the heart of the chasing side's tactics. Wherever a defender runs, there is a chaser nearby who already faces that half and can be sent after them with a kho. Fixing the seats at the start stops chasers from turning to face a defender who has got behind them.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing to chase | Point to the central lane | KKFI Club Rules Part 2.2, note A |
| Choosing to defend | Point to the side line | KKFI Club Rules Part 2.2, note A |
| National Club Games book | Five chasers seated and the sixth standing | KKFI Club Rules Part 2.2, note B |
| Full-size game | More seated chasers | Not checked |
From the rule book
Kho Kho Federation of India, National Club Games Rule Book: Kho-Kho (undated), Part 2 (rule 2) and Part 4 (rule 3). 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).