Kabaddi
PKL 2021: What is the meaning of these frequently used terms?
Here, we take a look at the meaning of some of the most frequently used terms in the PKL
PKL
The Pro Kabaddi League has become a household name among the Indian audience since the inception of this league. PKL deserves credits to modernize this game which was played in a reckless form before. Pro Kabaddi League introduced and evolved many terms to put a foundation of modern-day Kabaddi.
The viewership statistics of PKL are increasing drastically adding new audiences every season. These modern-day terms may cause a tangle among spectators. Here we take a look at the meaning of some of the most frequently used terms in the PKL.
Midline
It is the line drawn on the mat to distinguish two courts. A raider must cross the midline before the countdown to return safely. The standard length of the midline is 10 meters on a mat.
Baulk line
It is the line drawn 3.75 meters distance from the midline. A raider must cross the baulk line to validate his raid. Eight meters in length is considered the standard size for the baulk line. If a raider returns without crossing the line, the opponent team is awarded a point.
Bonus line
It is a unique line drawn 1.75 meters distance from the endline. The bonus line is only active when defending side has six or more players on the court. A raider is rewarded with a bonus point if he crosses the bonus line with a trailing foot in the air. A raider can only score one bonus point in one raid and it remains valid even if he involves in touches later on.
Lobby
Lobby zones are installed with a width of 1 meter on the vertical sides of the Kabaddi court. Players are prohibited to enter the lobby unless the touch struggle between raider and defenders initiate. The lobby does not activate if a bonus point is scored and players to enter these zones without struggle are declared out.
Super Raid
A raid is recalled as 'Super Raid' when a raider scores three or more raid points in a single raid. Super Raid is inclusive of both ways of scoring raid points; touchpoints and bonus points.
Super Tackle
Super Tackle opportunity only activates when there are only three or fewer defenders on the court. And it is recalled as 'Super Tackle' if defenders successfully manage to dismiss a raider. The defending side gets awarded with two points for Super Tackle.
Empty Raid
When a raider returns to his court without any struggle or bonus points, it is called an Empty Raid. Teams often imply it to slow down the pace of the game. Famous players like Anup Kumar, Jasvir Singh and Manpreet Singh used it to kill the time and protect the lead.
Do-or-Die Raid
If a raiding side performs two consecutive empty raids, their third raid is called a 'Do-or-Die raid'. A raider must score the point in this raid or he will be declared. Many tacticians of Kabaddi use this term to apply defensive strategy and take raiding risks only when it's necessary. We have seen many raiders in past like Rishank Devadiga and Sukesh Hegde who successfully mastered this aspect of raiding.
Golden Raid
It is a tie-breaker term used in knockouts games of Pro Kabaddi. Golden raid is rewarded through a toss procedure. As a thrilling twist, the baulk line shall be treated as a bonus line. A raider must return to his court successfully otherwise the opposition team will get the golden raid.
It will continue until a successful golden raid happens. Although another round of golden raids will commence with another coin toss.
Super 10
It is a raiding term used when a player completes ten raid points in the match. A Super 10 is a successful landmark for a raider equivalent to a century for batsmen in cricket. Pardeep Narwal holds the record of most Super 10s in PKL (59) while Naveen Kumar Goyat topped the chart in the previous season with 22 Super10s.
High 5
High 5 is a term used for defenders when they complete five tackle points in the match. Defenders receive praises after reaching this mark equivalent to bowler achieving fifer in cricket. Legendary cover defender Surjeet Singh achieved the most High 5s in the history of Pro Kabaddi scoring 27 in 94 matches.
Substitution
Pro Kabaddi teams are allowed to make five substitutions for each match. Unlike many team sports, a substituted player can be re-substituted to play. Many coaches often use substitutions as tactics to fill the voids of a raider or defender on the court. Only players from the substitution bench are eligible for the change.
All Out
It is a frequently used term in Kabaddi when a team afield out all opposition players. All out forcing side gets awarded with two extra points while all seven opposition players take the field again. Kabaddi is a unique sport where teams or players are not permanently out and are allowed to make a comeback.
Revive sequence
A player is revived when his team outs an opposition player. Players are allowed to take the field in the same order as they were out. Where earliest out player will take the field first.
