This is basically an Indian game, evolved and developed in India. It has gained great popularity and nowadays, Kho-Kho tournaments have become very common. The game is played between two teams, one of whom is the Runner team and the other the Chaser team. The chasers sit on their haunches, alternately facing opposite sides. One of the chasers stands at one end, ready to give chase. The runners stand around the sitting chasers and run around them, once the chase is given. The aim of the game is for the chasing team to touch as many of the runners as possible. Each runner, who is touched, becomes out. When all the runners have been eliminated, half the game is over. Next, the positions are reversed, the chasers stand, poised for flight, and the runners become the chasers. As you read on, you will understand the intricacies of this super interesting game.

There are two end lines, AB and CD running parallel to one another and equal in length to the width of the Kho-Kho field. The length of the lines is 16 meters. The sidelines are 29 meters long. There are eight squares, 30 cm by 30 cm, for the players to sit in. The distance between two adjacent squares is 230 cm. The area of the Kho-Kho field measures 22 m x 13 m.

Members of the chasing team sit in the squares demarcated. The Attacker or Active Chaser is the player who starts giving chase. He stands at the head of the line, ready to pursue and touch them. The opponents are called the Runners, as they have to run and get away from the chaser's clutches.

Once the game starts, the chaser tries to touch the runners and they run around the line of sitting (potential) chasers. The Chasers have a planned strategy. When a particular runner is standing right in front of a sitting chaser, the standing chaser taps him lightly on the shoulder and says, "Kho!" This means that the sitting chap can get up and give immediate chase. More often than not, he succeeds in catching the runner who is caught unawares. If a Chaser does not say the magic word Kho, the sitter cannot give chase. So the runner must tap his shoulder and utter the word loudly and clearly.

In this way, the defending team is continuously harassed by the chasers giving Kho to one another and catching the runners due to their skilled planning and timing. Just when a runner feels secure, having avoided the chaser, the fellow in front of whom he may have paused for breath, gets the tapping-signal and pounces upon him. He never knows when he is safe.

Once all the runners have been caught, the process is reversed. The Chasers now become the Runners as the latter take their positions in the squares allotted to Chasers. And the second innings begins.

To start the game, the referee calls both the Captains for the toss. The winner of the toss opts for his team to be either the runner or the chaser team.

The eight players sit in their respective squares in such a way that no adjacent chasers face the same side. This makes the chase even more dangerous for the runners, as they never feel safe. The ninth chaser stands ready for pursuit.

At the beginning of the game, only three runners (called Defendants) are inside the limits and the remaining runners occupy the blocks marked for them. After a runner is out, he goes and occupies the block demarcated for him.

Once the game starts, no chaser can leave his square without getting the "Kho" on his shoulder. If he does so, it is considered a foul. Each team consists of 15 players and a coach. Out of the 15, 12 players are named for a match but only 9 take to the field.

An innings consists of chasing and running turns that are of nine minutes each. The captain decides which three runners will first enter the field. Then, as they become out, the next three enter. The captain (Chasers) can also end the turn before the allotted time if he so feels. He can raise his arm and request for the inning to be stopped.

The Chasers score one point for every Runner who is out. If all the runners are out before the time is up, they are sent in again in the same order. The play continues till the time is over. If the points of a side starting the as chasers exceeds the points of the other side by more than 9 points after the first inning, then the former can ask the latter side to follow on its turn as chasers.

Substitution of players is allowed. The teams cannot leave the field till the referee declares the result. The team scoring the higher points is the winner.

Written By

Dr. Vineeta Prasad

Lecturer,JD Women's College,

Patna, India.