 |
| Bengal Warriors raider Mahesh Goud gets hoisted in the July 27 league match against U Mumba of Mumbai |
It’s fast and it’s macho! It’s the Pro Kabaddi League! Before you book your seat at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Wednesday or tune in to the live telecast on Star Sports to cheer your team, here’s what you need to know
 |
Bengal Warriors (Calcutta)
Captain: Nilesh Shinde
Owner(s): Kishore Biyani (Future Group)
Media partner: The Telegraph
VERSUS
 |
Bengaluru Bulls
Captain: Manjit Chillar
Owner(s): Kosmik Global Media, a production company
----------------
 |
| Calcutta captain Nilesh Shinde. (Bishwarup Dutta) |
● Match starts: 8pm (organisers suggest you take your seats by 7.30pm)
● Venue: Netaji Indoor Stadium, the Warriors’ home turf
●Seats: 12,000 people
● Tickets: Available online at kyazoonga.com, at select Big Bazaar stores and at the venue. For the opening match, prices are Rs 100 and Rs 250 and for the next six matches, Rs 150 and Rs 300. Season tickets also available for Rs 500 and Rs 1,000
● Can’t carry: Food, water and video camera
● Can carry: Still camera
----------------
● Journey so far: Bangalore have the nose in front, winning their two matches so far. Bengal have lost their only match to Mumbai 36-25
----------------
● Surface: Mat
● Court contours: 13mx10m
● Play field: 13mx8m (it widens to 13mx10m, including the lobbies, once the struggle starts, which means, once there is contact between the raider and the first defender)
 |
Areas and lines on court (see diagram)
● Middle line: JI — The line that divides the field into two halves, each half is called a court
●Baulk line: MN and QR — 3.75m from midline. If this line is touched, a raid is considered successful even if no defenders are tagged
●Bonus line: OP and ST — 4.75m from the midline. Comes into play when there are at least six defenders on court. A raider who touches it gets a bonus point. But none of his “out” players can come in because of it
●Lobby: The court widens by one metre on each side once the “struggle” starts as the lobbies on either side get included
Rules
► Seven players start the game. There are five substitutes available
► A player can’t weigh more than 85kg
► 20-minute halves with a 10-minute break
► The teams take turns sending a “raider” into the other half
► To win a point, the raider must take a deep breath and hold it, run into the opposing half, tag one or more members of the opposite team, then return to his home half before inhaling again
► The raider has to chant “kabaddi, kabaddi” to show the referee he has not inhaled in the opposition half
► The defenders tagged in a successful raid have to leave the court temporarily (the same number of players of the raider’s team who were “out” can return to court)
► For every player tagged in a successful raid, one point is earned
► When all the defenders of a particular team are out, a “lona” is scored and the opposition gets two points but all seven defenders can come back on court
► The leaders on points at full time wins (there can also be a draw such as the match between Mumbai and Vizag)
How a raider can be out:
► A raider is out if he strays out of court (including the lobby), essentially if he is pushed out of the playing area. If he takes a defender with him, the defender is out too
► If a raider inhales during a raid, he is out. The chant “kabaddi, kabaddi” has to begin before he leaves his half
