What is the duration of a senior men's kabaddi match?

A senior men's kabaddi match lasts 40 minutes, divided into two halves of 20 minutes each, with a break of 5 minutes between the halves. For women and junior players, matches are traditionally played in two halves of 15 minutes each.

Key rules of kabaddi:

• Each team has 7 players on the court and up to 5 substitutes, making a squad of 12.
• The teams change sides after the first half.

A raider enters the opponent's half, chanting "kabaddi, kabaddi" without taking a breath, and tries to touch defenders and return to his own half. In modern rules, a raid must be completed within 30 seconds.

Points are scored for each defender touched (if the raider returns safely), for tackling the raider, and for "bonus" points when the raider crosses the bonus line.

If a team puts out all seven opponents, it gets a "Lona" (all out), worth two extra points.

In the Pro Kabaddi League, a "do-or-die raid" rule applies: after two empty raids, the third raid must earn a point, or the raider is out.

If a match ends in a tie in a knockout stage, extra time or a "golden raid" may be used to decide the winner.

The court and lines:

• Men's court: 13 m x 10 m including two lobbies of 1 m each.
• Baulk line: 3.75 m from the midline; bonus line: 1 m beyond the baulk line.

Kabaddi's growth:

Kabaddi was demonstrated at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

It became part of the Asian Games in 1990 (Beijing). India won every men's gold until 2018, when Iran won.

The Kabaddi World Cup was first held in 2004 in Mumbai, and India won it.

The Pro Kabaddi League began in 2014.

Why not the other options?

• ✗30 minutes is the traditional duration for women's and junior matches (2 x 15).
• ✗60 minutes is the duration of a hockey match.
• ✗50 minutes is not a standard kabaddi duration.