Different types of Kabaddi games are played around the world. These are known by different names. Three forms of kabaddi game played in India are Amar, Sanjeevani and Gaminee. Amar is generally played in Punjab, Haryana, the United States, Canada, and other parts of the world, mostly by Punjabi sportsmen. Sanjeevani, is the most played form of kabaddi in India and the world.
Forms of Kabaddi Game
The Sanjeevani, Gaminee and Amar are three popular versions of Kabaddi played with greater rule flexibility. However, under the aegis of the Kabaddi Federation of India only Sanjeevani is officially recognized as the national style (sport). Circle Kabaddi (another version of this game) is pretty popular in north India, and is sometimes referred to as Punjabi style, which underlines a one-against-one strength-testing and struggle for supremacy between the raider and the anti, and not the raider and the entire anti team as in Sanjeevani.
‘Amar’ Form of Kabaddi
In the Amar form of Kabaddi, whenever any player is touched (out), he does not go out of the court, but stays inside, and one point is awarded to the team that touched him. The game is also played on a time basis, i.e. the time is fixed. This form of kabaddi is played in Punjab, Canada, England, New Zeeland, USA, Pakistan and Australia.
In the ‘Amar’ form of Kabaddi, each team consists of 5-6 stoppers and 4-5 raiders. At one time, only 4 stoppers are allowed to play on the field. Every time a stopper stops the raider from going back to his starting point, that stoppers team gets 1 point. On the other hand every time the raider tags one of the stoppers and returns to his starting point, his team gets one point. At one time, only one of the stoppers can try.
‘Sanjeevani’ Form of Kabaddi
In Sanjeevani Kabaddi, one player is revived against one player of the opposite team who is out, one out, one in. The duration, the number of players, dimensions of the court, etc. have been fixed by the Kabaddi Federation of India. This form of Kabaddi is the closest to the present game. In this form of Kabaddi, players are put out and revived and the game lasts 40 minutes with a 5-minute break in between.
There are nine players on each side. The team that puts out all the players on the opponent’s side scores four extra points for a lona’. The winning team is the one that scores most points after 40 minutes. The field is bigger in this form of Kabaddi and the ‘cant’ different in various regions.
Modern Kabaddi resembles this form of Kabaddi especially with regard to ‘out & revival system’ and ‘Iona’. The present form of Kabaddi is a synthesis of all these forms with changes in the rules.
‘Gaminee’ Form of Kabaddi
This is played with nine players on either side, in a field of no specific measurements. The characteristic is that a player put out has to remain out until all his team members are out. The team that is successful in putting out all the players of the opponent’s side secures a point.
This is akin to the present system of lona’. After all the players are put out, the team is revived and the game continues. The game continues until five or seven ‘Iona’ are secured. This form of Kabaddi has no fixed game time.
The main disadvantage of Gaminee is that the player is not in position to give his best performance since he is likely to remain out for the better part of the match until an Iona is scored.
Circle Kabaddi
The players are divided into two equal teams. One team stands inside a circle of about 15-20 yards in diameter depending on the number of players. The other team members come in one by one and try to tag as many players as possible in the circle. They have to ‘chant’ some word repeatedly in one breath. The raider take chance one by one till all the players inside the circle are out. Whichever team can eliminate the other side in shorter period, is the winner.
Langadi Kabaddi
The players are divided into equal teams. Two concentric circle are marked. Team A takes the inside circle and acts as raider. Team B remains within the outer circle and acts as runners. The raider come out hopping on one leg one by one to tag the runners. The runners avoid getting tagged and if anyone tagged, he becomes as prisoner.
The prisoners are made to sit inside the inner circle and the other runner can try to tag the prisoners and if touched, they are released. In trying to release the prisoner, if any of the raiders touches the runner, he will also become prisoner. Like this game continues for a specific time- say 5 minutes. Each team gets a chance and the number of prisoners is counted.
