Kabaddi – Betting Guide for Indians

Kabaddi is one of the most popular sports in India and other neighboring countries, such as Bangladesh, where it’s even considered to be the national sport. Kabaddi is also played in other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, and Iran. There are different types of the sport and it is played both inside and outside.

On this page, we will give you pretty much everything you need to know about kabaddi and how to bet on the sport. We start with a quick guide to kabaddi betting and then take a closer look at how the sport works. After that, we give you some info about the most popular kabaddi leagues and look at the history of the sport. We conclude with a FAQ about kabaddi and betting.

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How to bet on Kabaddi

There are quite a few betting sites to choose from when it comes to betting on kabaddi. Many of the major sports betting sites are offering some kind of odds on kabaddi. A good idea is to choose a betting site that focuses on the Indian market as those usually have a better selection of odds on sports that are popular in India, such as kabaddi and cricket. Another reason for choosing a site that focuses on the Indian market is to avoid payment problems.

When betting on kabaddi you can choose to bet with different formats as shown below:

  • Fractional: This is the format used in the UK and Ireland and is in the form of a fraction, such as 6/7 or 3/1. Let’s say you bet on India to win against Pakistan and the odds for the result is 3/4. You will then win 75 Rupees if you bet 100 Rupees as well as getting your stake back.
  • Decimal: Used in the rest of Europe and is on decimal form, such as 1.7 or 3.7. A decimal odds can never be below 0 as the stake is included in your win. If the odds for India to win against Bangladesh is 1.9 you will get 190 Rupees back if you bet 100 Rupees.
  • American: The format used in the US and can be both negative and positive. When positive, say +150, it shows how much you win if you bet 100 Rupees or any other currency. If negative, say -180, it shows how much you need to bet to win 100 Rupees.
  • Hong Kong and Malaysian: Also on decimal form but minus 1. In other words the odds can be under 1, but then your stake is not included.
  • Indonesian: Works the same way as the American format but divided by 100, for example 2.45 or -1.35.

How to create an account

Creating an account on a betting site is quite easy. Here’s a quick guide:

  1. Start by choosing the betting site you want to create an account on. Let’s say you decide to choose 10Cric.
  2. Start by clicking on “Register” in the upper right corner on the 10Cric front page.
  3. Fill out your information, address, username and password.
  4. Last, but not least, choose one of the welcome bonuses offered by 10Cric.
  5. You can now start betting on the site.

Tips for kabaddi betting

  • As mention before it’s good to choose a betting site which focuses on the Indian market as this probably will have a better selection for odds on kabaddi.
  • Look to different sites before you decide, so you are sure to choose a site that suits you. A tip is also to choose a site with a good welcome bonus.
  • Do some research on each team before you place your bet. Look at the stats from recent games and also make sure to check if there are any injuries on key players.

What can you bet on when it comes to kabaddi?

Since kabaddi is not as big as cricket the number of betting alternatives on a regular match are not so extensive, but still quite good. You can of course bet on which team that will win the match and often also the point spread and also on players’ performance, such as the top raider or the best tackler.

The there are also so called outright bets, which means that you bet on the winner of a league or a tournament, such as the Kabaddi World Cup.

How does Kabaddi work?

Kabaddi is quite a tough sport as it involves a lot of physical contact between players. Each team consists of seven players and the match are played on a court that measures 10 x 13 meters with two halves, where each team occupies one half. A match is played in two 20-minute halves with a five minute break in between, in which the teams change sides.

The objective of the game is for one player from one team to run into the defending teams half and try touching or tagging as many players as possible in the defending team without being caught. All of this has to be done in one single breath. This procedure is called a raid and the player who runs into to the opposite half is called a raider.

For every player tagged the raiders team gets one point. If a player is tagged by the raider he is out of the game, but can be “revived” if the team scores a tag later. 

Different versions of Kabaddi

There are different versions of kabaddi that are played around the world. The amateur federation recognises four forms of Indian kabaddi, but the most common forms are standard and circle style.

Standard

The international version of kabaddi, as described above, and also the most common. As earlier mentioned it is played on a 10 x 13 m court. To eligible for a team a player must weigh below 80 kilograms. There are seven players on each team with five substitutes.

Circle style

Circle style kabbadi, or punjab circle style as it’s often called,  is played on a circular field with a radius of 22 meters, which make the court much bigger than in standard kabbadi. It is divided by a mid line to give each team one side to defend. Located in the center of the court is the pala, where the raider must pass through on his way back to his home court.

In circle style each team has eight players on the court with five substitutes. Another difference from standard kabaddi is that there is no weight limit on the players in circle style. There are also some differences when it comes to counting points. 

What is a raid on how does it work?

A raid is really what kabaddi is all about and it is performed by the raider. In a raid the objective for the raider is to tag as many players as possible in their own half of the court. The raider runs in to the opposite half and after he has tagged players he must run back to his own half without being caught.

To earn points the raider must cross the baulk line 3.5 m into the defending teams half. If the raider crosses the bonus line which is located at the end of each side he gets a bonus point. A player that is tagged by the raider is out of the game. But for every point the team earns from tagging or tackling a player, one player is “revived”.

A raid must be performed in one single breath and to make sure it is the raider must shout “kabaddi” without interruption. Each raid has a 30-second limit and if the defending team manage to stop the raider they earn one point.

If a raider scores three points or more in one single raid it is called a “super raid”. An “all out” is when the raider tags all seven players in the defending team.

Popular Kabaddi leagues

In south Asia kabaddi is one of the most popular sports and there are professional leagues in countries like India and Pakistan. A couple of the most popular leagues are listed below.

#1 – Pro Kabbadi League

The number one kabaddi league in India, which was launched in 2014. A total of 12 teams are playing in the Kabaddi Pro League with every team playing 22 matches every season. The two top teams advance to the semifinals, while the teams on place 3-6 faces each other in the so called “Eliminators” for the other two spots in the semifinals.

The Pro Kabaddi League is one of the most popular sport leagues in India. The first season was seen by over 400 million viewers on TV, which was almost as much the Indian Premier League in football.

#2 – Super Kabaddi League

Super Kabaddi League is the biggest kabaddi league in Pakistan. The league was launched in 2018 with 10 teams participating. Just like in the North American hockey league, NHL, a draft took place before the start season, where the 10 teams had an opporutnity to pick 10 players for the roster. In the Super Kabaddi League there are also a number of international players from Sri Lanka, Iran, Bangladesh and Malaysia.

History of Kabaddi

The history of Kabaddi goes back 4,000 years, which also makes kabaddi one of the oldest sports in the world. Exactly where the sport first started is disputed. Most people claim it originated in India during the Vedic period, while some claims the sport originated in the Iranian provinces Sistan and Baluchistan 5,000 years ago.

Kabaddi has also been mentioned in Buddhist literature and there is some evidence that even Buddha himself played the sport for recreation. Today tibetan monks carry on the tradition as they play the game regularly. They see kabaddi both as a way of testing their strength and as a tool for meditation.

Over the centuries kabaddi has evolved in many ways. In 1918 the first official rules were formulated in the Indian state Maharashtra and in 1950 standard rules and regulations were introduced by the All India Kabaddi Federation.

The first international kabbadi tournament took place in 1980 when India won the Asian Kabaddi Championship defeating Bangladesh in the final. Ten years later, in 1990, kabaddi became a part of the Asian Games. Up til 2018 India had won 7 out of 8 goldmedals in the Asian Games.

In 2004 the first Kabaddi World Cup took place in Mumbai, India with 12 participating countries. Among those of course big kabaddi nations like India, Bangladesh and Iran, but also Germany, UK and Canada. Not very surprisingly India won after defeating Iran in the final with 55-27. Since then there have been two more Kabbadi World Cup, in 2007 and 2016, both won by India.

In 2012 the first Kabaddi World Cup circle style was played, which was of course also won by India. The Kabaddi World Cup circle style has since been played almost every year. Up til 2020 India had won 6 of 7 tournaments while Pakistan had won one.

FAQ about Kabaddi Betting Online

Is Kabaddi legal to bet on?

Officially, betting in India is illegal in most states. But, since online betting is not regulated in Indian law, you can’t say it is illegal to bet on kabaddi online. In some states the government is even pushing for betting to be legalized. A good tip is therefore to be aware of the official views on online betting in each state.

Where can I bet on Kabaddi online?

Many betting sites online are offering odds for kabaddi, like for example odds for the Indian Pro Kabaddi League and the Pakistani Super League. A couple of the sites that have odds for kabbadi are Melbet and Campeon. On our site you can find all best betting site for kabaddi.

What is Kabaddi?

Kabaddi is a team contact sport where you get points by tagging the players in the opposite team. If you like a more in-depth description of the sport go to the top of this page.

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