What happens if a playoff match ends in a tie in Pro Kabaddi?

Over the years of Pro Kabaddi, we have seen a lot of matches end in breathtaking fashion with the same scores at the end of 40 minutes of gameplay. Almost every time, these matches end in the decider raid when a raider decides to cross the baulk line and walk back to his court to level up the game, as it gifts 3 points to each team in the points table.

The first tied game in Pro Kabaddi history was back in Season 1 between U Mumba and Telugu Titans (Match No. 6), when Rahul Chaudhari scored 16 points in total. As of 24th December 2018, Bengal Warriors, Patna Pirates, and Telugu Titans have played the most (12) tied matches in Pro Kabaddi history.

We are on the verge of concluding an exciting 6th season of Pro Kabaddi as the playoffs are nearing soon. There hasn't been a tied match in the history of Pro Kabaddi playoffs. What happens if a playoff match ends in a tie in Pro Kabaddi? Let's find out!

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So, let's suppose a match ends with the scores level of both teams in a knockout game. In such circumstance, the game continues with 7 minutes of extra gameplay. The extra time of 7 minutes gets classified into two halves, 3 minutes for each half along with 1 minute of coach consultation time.

During these 7 minutes, the rules of the game are same as the initial rules without any change. The team which manages to score more points gets declared as the winner. However, if still, both teams finish on equal scores, then the match gets decided by a raid known as the Golden Raid!

The Golden Raid, however, is a tricky raid for many to perceive. The umpires call out the captains for a toss, this time to decide which team will be up for the Golden Raid. The team that wins the toss gets to execute the Golden Raid. There is no all-out/revival in the Golden Raid as it is just one single raid.

The defenders stand on the bonus cum baulk line (like the image above) and try to catch the raider and avoid him from stealing a point.

In the defense from the opposition, all players should stay on the mat. This time, the baulk line becomes the 'new' bonus line which the raider can cross before touching any defender to earn a point.

However, if the raider crosses the 'new' bonus line after touching or getting touched by the defender, the additional bonus point will not be considered. The defenders who stand upon the 'new' bonus line, try to take a tackling point and win the match for themselves.

After the touch/struggle, the raider has to get to the midline to score points for his team. If there is a tie after the first Golden Raid, the opposing team gets to execute the next Golden Raid with the same rules.

The team which scores the surplus point will get the win. Still, if there is a tie after both Golden Raids, the umpires will declare the winner by a coin toss.

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If a playoff match happens to end in a tie, we all could expect fireworks on the Kabaddi mat with the players performing their level best to achieve the title. As Kabaddi grows competitive day by day with the players attempting to be the best, we can surely expect a tie in a playoff match in the days to come.

One thing is assured though, goosebumps for all!