KhoKho Game Rule

As you read in previous posts about Management Rules , Player Rules, Match Rules and Now in this post I will discuss GAME Rules as one of the most important parts of Kho-Kho is explained below 

1. Play Field shall be marked as shown in the picture 

   

   
   
   
   

2. The referee shall call both the captains for the spin of the coin (Toss). He shall stand at the centre of the Court facing the Scoring Table with both the captains on either side. He shall instruct one of them to call the choice of the side of the coin. He shall then spin the coin and announce the winner of the toss. 

3. The winner of the toss shall raise his arm immediately and indicate by his index finger either to the Central Lane or to the Side-Line for opting Chasing or Defense respectively. No captain shall touch or pick up the coin. If any captain does so, Referee shall announce the captain of the other side as the winner of the spin of the coin. The captains of both sides shall wear a band on their sleeve.

4. Any 8 Chasers shall occupy the Chaser Block facing the Side-Line in such a way that no two adjacent Chaser facing the same Side Line. The ninth Chaser (Attacker) shall stand in either of the Free Zones to start the chase. Once Free Zone is opted by an Attacker to start the attack, then he should not be allowed to change the same.

5. After the commencement of a turn, no Chaser shall leave the Chaser Block without getting a KHO or change the face. If he does so, it is a Foul and repetition of the same will amount to misbehaviour. Referee/Umpire can compel the Chaser(s) to sit in a manner which was assumed at the commencement of the turn.

6. At the commencement of a turn, the first batch of three Defenders shall be inside the Field and remaining Runners shall occupy the seats meant for them. After a Defender is out, he shall occupy the seat meant for him near the End Line.

7. An Attacker cannot cross the Central Lane between the Post Lines to go to the other half of the Court or to the Free Zone.

8. Foul shall not be declared if an Attacker while Chasing, touches/crosses that line of the Central Lane which lies on the side of his Chasing half. However, if an Attacker while touching or at the time of touching or as a result of action in putting out the Defender does so, Foul shall be declared and Defender shall not be declared out.

9. If a KHO is given, it shall be given from behind a Chaser by touching the Chaser by hand between an imaginary shoulder line and waistline and uttering the word "KHO" with a sufficiently loud tone so that the Defender and officials can hear. Chaser shall not get up without getting a KHO.

   • If the action of uttering the word KHO precedes the action of touching by hand, then it shall be deemed as Foul.

   • The single action of touching will not be deemed as Foul. However, only uttering 'KHO' and do not touch a Chaser by hand, will be considered as Foul. If an Attacker touches a Chaser sitting in the Chaser Block nearest to the Post, when Defender is near the Post, KHO must be given.

   • If an Attacker utters any word other than the word 'KHO', it will be deemed as Foul. Uttering the word 'KHO' or any word resembling 'KHO' by any of the Chasers will also be treated as Foul.

10. The following three actions of an Attacker where a 'KHO' is given will be allowed. However, the feet of an Attacker shall not go beyond the Cross Lane.

    • An Attacker's front foot need not necessarily be in touch with Cross Lane.

    • An Attacker may be in the Cross Lane.

    • An Attacker's at least one foot should be in touch with the Cross Lane all the time, while the other portion of his body may go beyond that Cross Lane.

    • After touching a Chaser except nearest to the Post (1^st & 8^th Chaser) if an Attacker moves away beyond the Cross Lane, he shall be deemed to have continued his attack and he shall not be allowed to utter 'KHO' from the distance.
      However, if an Attacker moves along with the Cross Lane toward the Side-Line without committing any Foul, he may come back and give 'KHO'.

    • An Attacker cannot rest or support on a Chaser to put out a Defender. It will be deemed as Foul.

11. An Attacker shall not give a KHO to the extended arm, leg or any part of the body tilted towards him by a Chaser. Touching the back of the Chaser should not be insisted upon.

12. After giving a KHO, an Attacker shall cease to be so and shall sit down immediately on the Chaser Block of the Chaser to whom a KHO was given.

    • After giving a KHO, it shall not be a Foul, if the Chaser while sitting loses the contact of the Cross Lane.

    • The natural time needed to sit on the Chaser Block after giving a KHO must be given. However, this action should not obstruct the Defender and if obstructed, a Foul shall be declared.

    • After receiving a KHO, an Attacker can touch a Defender before leaving the Chaser Block.

13. After getting a KHO, the Chaser will immediately be an Attacker and shall move towards the half that he is facing and shall go in the direction which he has taken by going beyond the Cross Lane of the Chaser Block or turning his Shoulder line towards any of the Posts. He cannot recede. As long as any part of the foot of an Attacker is touching the ground of a Cross Lane, he is not supposed to go beyond that Cross Lane.

    • While moving on Cross Lane, if an Attacker at the time of the chase, slides/steps back, is not a Foul.

    • If an Attacker steps back at the time of getting up after a Flat Dive is allowed.

14. An Attacker shall take the direction to which he turns his shoulder line. An Attacker, while going in a particular direction turns his shoulder line through more than a right angle to the direction which he has already taken, it shall be a Foul.

15. During the execution of Post Dive, dragging of supporting leg and turning of the shoulder line more than 90 ° shall not be a Foul, but touching or crossing Central Lane by any part of the body will be a Foul.

16. An Attacker shall take direction according to one of the actions, whichever he performs first, mentioned in rule no. 13 above.

17. Once an Attacker has taken a direction, he has to go to that direction till he reaches the Free Zone unless he gives a KHO before that. An Attacker shall not go to the other half of the Court unless he turns around the Post through the Free Zone.

18. The rules about taking the Direction and Receding shall not be applicable in the FREE ZONE.

19. The Chaser/s should sit in a manner which does not obstruct the Defender/s. If a Defender is touched as a result of such an obstruction, Defender shall not be declared out. If chaser does so, it shall be declared as Foul.

20. The deliberate action of moving/tilting shoulder, thigh or any other part of the body by a Chaser towards a Defender who is running near the Central Lane, which may cause to obstruct or obstructed the Defender, it shall be treated as a Foul and he shall be warned by Referee/Umpire.

21. During a turn, an Attacker may go out of Court but he shall follow all the rules about taking Direction and Receding even when he is out of Court.

22. An Attacker shall not be insisted to enter the play Field/Court through the Free Zone if he goes beyond the extended imaginary Post Line. Rules about taking Direction and Receding are not applicable even when an Attacker is in the area (towards Free Zone side or behind the Post) of imaginary extended Post Line.

23. A Defender cannot touch a Chaser. If he does so, he shall be warned once verbally in a turn. If he repeats the same, he shall be declared out.

24. A Defender shall be declared out if he is touched by hand by an Attacker without violating any rule or if he goes out of Field. he shall be declared out by a short blow of the whistle.

    • Deliberately pushing, catching, pulling even by uniform or hitting the Defender will be treated as misbehaviour.

    • While Chasing a Defender, if an Attacker after violating any rule, pushes a Defender out of the Field, the Defender shall not be declared out.

25. If a Defender is put out as a result of a Foul or a Foul is committed immediately as a result of the action taken implies that there should not be a time lapse between Foul and action while putting a Defender out, he shall not be declared out. The protection from being out due to a Foul is applicable to an Active Defender.

26. If an Attacker/Chaser violates any rules, the Referee/Umpire shall declare a Foul by blowing a short whistle continuously and shall immediately compel an Attacker to go in the direction opposite to that of which he is going. Immediately on hearing a signal given by the Referee/Umpire by his whistle, an Attacker shall go to the direction indicated by the Referee/Umpire and if the Active Defender, thereby becomes out, he shall not be declared out and an Attacker shall have to follow the direction indicated by the Referee/Umpire. He is not compelled to give a KHO.

27. If a Foul committed either by an Attacker or Chaser, does not give any advantage whatsoever to the Chasing side in their chase and disadvantage to the Defenders, it shall not be declared as Foul. The Foul shall be ignored.

28. An Attacker cannot change his Direction by simply kicking the Post by his leg. if he does so, it will be declared as Foul