GAME OF KHO KHO

KHO-KHO


Kho-Kho is one of the most popular Indian game. It is most popular in the whole of India It orginated at Pune Gymkana in the state of Maharastra. Its team in India is called kho-kho federation of India (K.K.F.I)

Kho-Kho is a game played in 2 innings by 12 nominated players out of 15, on each side. Intially 9 players start the game and 3 are kept reserve. One team becomes the chasers and the other the defenders or runners, the chaser pursues the runners;tags and touches them and makes them out. Each team has to chase and defend for 9 minutes twice in a match.


FIELD


The Kho-Kho Playground is rectangular. It is 27 meters in length and 15 meters in breadth, There are two rectangles at the end. One side of the rectangle is 16 meter and the other side is 2.70 meters. In the middle of these two rectangles, there shall be two wooden poles. The central lane is 21.60 meters long and 30cm cross 30cm on the lane. There are eight cross lanes which lie across the small squares and each of it is 15 meters in length and 30cm in breadth, at right angles to the central lane and divided equally into two parts of 7.30m each by central lane. At the end of central lane, two posts shall be fixed. They shall be 120cm above the ground and their circumference shall be not less than 30cm and not more than 40cm. The post shallbe made of wooden poles which are smooth all over. The posts shall be fixed firmly in the free zone tangent to the post-line at a height between 120 to 125cm. The top of the post shall be flat and free from any sharp edges.

Equipment




The equipment used in kho- kho are posts, strings, measuring tape (metalic), lime powder, wire nails, two watches, two types of rings having inner circumference of 30cm and 40cm, score sheets and stationery to write results etc.






Game


The game starts with the spin of the coin. Referee shall call both the captains for the spin of the coin. He shall instruct one of them to call the choice of the side of the coin and then declare the winner of the spin of the coin.

Any eight chasers shall sit on the square facing the side lanes in such a way that no adjacent chasers face the same side lane. The 9th active chaser shall stand in either of the rectangles to start that pursuit.

After the commencement of the turn, no chaser shall leave the square without getting 'Kho' or change the face of the square. If he does so, he commits a foul and repetition of the same will amount to misbehavior.

Scoring

The side of the chasers shall score one point, for each runner out.

In the knock out system, the side that scores more points at the end of match shall be declared as the winners. If the points are equal, an additional inning shall be played as follows. As soon as the first point is scored the turn shall be closed by the referee. He shall stop the 'stop watch' with him simultaneously. The time to put the first defenders shall thus be noted. The side that has taken less time to score the first point (minimum chase) shall be declared as winner of the match. The process shall follow till the winner is decided.

If the points of a side starting the match as chasers exceed the points of the other side by 9 or more points after the first innings, the former side shall have the option of requiring the latter side to follow on its turn as chasers, without forfeiting their rights to take their innings as chasers afterwards in case the other side exceeds their score.

Game Regulations

Chaser

The players sitting in the squares are known as chasers. An attacker (active chaser) is a player who pursues the players of the opposite side (runners) with a view to tag and touch them.

Runners

The players of the side other than the chasers side are known as runners. The runners who are inside the limits for their turn of running are known as defenders.

To give Kho

To give kho perfectly, an active chaser should touch the sitting chaser by hand from behind and utter only the word 'KHO' loudly and distinctly. The feet of an active chaser shall not go beyond the cross lane.

Foul

If a sitting or an active chaser violates or commits the breach of any rule, it is known as a foul. A foul is to be declared by a continuous 'short' whistle until the foul is corrected.

To take a direction

If an active chaser goes from one post line to the other post line and after getting a kho, he goes towards a particular post line, he is said to have taken a direction.

Shoulder line

An imaginary line running through the centers of the shoulders of a player is known as shoulder line.

To recede

While going in a particular direction, when an active chaser touches the ground which he/she had already covered, he/she is said to have receded.

To leave the rectangle

When an active chaser lets go his contact of his feet with the rectangle and comes in contact with the ground between the post lines, he is said to have left the rectangle (Free zone).

To reach the rectangle

When an active chaser lets go his contact of his feet with the ground between the post lines and comes in contact with the ground of the rectangle, he is said to have reached the rectangle.

Out of limits

If a defender loses his contact of the ground within the limits and comes in contact with the ground outside the limits, he is said to have gone out of limits.

Entry

A runner is said to have entered the limits as soon as he loses the contact with the ground outside the limits with his feet and comes in contact with the ground inside the field with his feet.