Pro Kabaddi Do-or-die rules and meaning explained

The Pro Kabaddi League is one such league that has encouraged kabaddi, resulting in four tremendously successful seasons, reviving the sport to a level where a society worshipping cricket started chanting 'Le panga' in the same breath.

The beauty of the sport lies in its rules and regulations, which provides a smart and compact package with a simple set of rules that are sure to get you on your feet.

An unexpected result for every match was what the promoters needed to ensure the commercial success of the league. The rules are such that they ensured that even the underdogs can surprise the giants in the league, leaving the audience with their hearts skipping a beat.

A few changes were made from the international rules as well, with the 'do-or-die' raid topping the charts - making the game more challenging for the players and more exciting for the audience, whose numbers seem to be increasing with every passing season.

A do-or-die raid is a raid in which after two consecutive empty raids, a raider has to score a mandatory point, or else he is declared out and the opponent scores a point. The introduction of this rule was revolutionary and along with the spectators, it got on to the nerves of the players as well.

This rule certainly helped the scoring rate of the game by ensuring that every third raid is going to be a score for either team. A match is at its peak when a team is on the verge of getting all out and it sends in a raider on a do-or-die raid - a situation that is similar to a sniper aiming at a target with a single bullet left.

A raider while going for a third raid after a set of two consecutive empty raids feels immense pressure, knowing the fact that it could ultimately change the game. The rule helped boost up many emerging stars, who kept their calm in this situation and capitalised on it. On the other hand, some big names even suffered a lot due to the introduction of this rule.

Ajay Kumar, who will play for the Bengaluru Bulls this season, has emerged as one of the key players in do-or-die raids, scoring most of his points in this situation only. This quality ensured his place in the squad and made him a valuable prospect.

All such rule innovations, such as the super tackle and do-or-die raids, and their proper implementation, havechanged the face of kabaddi in India. It is extracting talent every day and redefining the face of professionalism in sports by providing them with a platform where they can prove their worth.