What is Circle Style Kabaddi in India? An Explainer

In India, apart from the standard version of Kabaddi, there is a circle style of play as well and there are variations in that as well.

Indian Kabaddi team in a file photo. (Image credit: Twitter)
By Shayne Dias | Mar 18, 2021 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

Kabaddi has a very rich culture in India, with the sport dating back thousands of years ago. The rich history of the sport has resulted in plenty of individuals in India becoming masters of the sport and it has reflected in India’s dominance of the sport. From 1982 to 2014, the Indian Kabaddi team was undefeated in the sport while in the World Cups, India are yet to lose a match. It was only in 2018, 36 years after India participated in multi-nation tournaments that they lost a game and ended without a gold medal.

What explains the dominance of the game? The fact that in India, apart from the standard variation of Kabaddi, there is also a circular variant of the sport. In the circular variant, there are four types of Kabaddi. There is the Sanjeevani Kabaddi, Gamini Kabaddi, Amar Kabaddi and the Punjabi style Kabaddi that has enhanced the game in a great way. Here is a short explainer of each of the circle style of Kabaddi

Circle variations of Kabaddi

Sanjeevani Kabaddi: In this style, one player is revived against one player of the opposite team who is out – one out. The game is played over 40 minutes with a five-minute break between halves. There are seven players on each side and the team that outs all the players on the opponent’s side scores four extra points.

Gaminee Kabaddi: In this, seven players play on either side or a player put out has to remain out until all his team members are out. The team that is successful in ousting all the players of the opponent’s side secures a point. The game continues until five or seven such points are secured and has no fixed time duration.

Amar Kabaddi: This variation of the circular style resembles the Sanjeevani form in the time frame rule. But, a player who is declared out doesn’t leave the court, but instead stays inside, and the play goes along. For every player of the opposition touched ‘out,’ a team earns a point.

Punjabi Kabaddi: In the Punjabi version, there are variations. There is Lambi Kauddi, Saunchi Kauddi, Goongi Kabaddi and many other variations like Lyallpuri, Bahwalpuri, Ferozpuri, Ambarsari and Ambalvi all from the origin of the place.

In the Punjab region, kabaddi is played on a circular pitch of a diameter of 22 meters and an inner circle with a line through the middle of the pitch: the pitch is called “kaudi da bharha”. There are two teams of eight players; one on one raid; and no player leaves the field. If 2 stoppers attack a player, a foul is declared. Punjab style kabaddi does not require the raider saying “kabaddi, kabaddi” throughout the raid. The game lasts for 40 minutes with a change in sides after 20 minutes. In the Punjab Circle Style form of Kabaddi, whenever any player is touched, he does not go out of the court, but stays inside, and one point is awarded to the team that touched him. This game is also played on a time basis, i.e. the time is 30 sec. There are a total of 1000 Kabaddi tournaments all across Punjab which makes this place the hub of Kabaddi