A kabaddi bonus point is available when the defending side has at least six players on the mat. The raider crosses the bonus line with one foot while keeping the trailing foot in the air. A bonus adds to the score, but it does not revive a teammate who is out. Those three checks explain why a raid can improve the scoreboard without changing the number of active players.
The official Pro Kabaddi gameplay explainer describes the bonus line and separates bonus scoring from touch points, tackles and revivals. The guide below concentrates on those basic conditions and on straightforward successful raids, rather than disputed contact sequences that require a detailed officiating decision.
| Question | Basic bonus rule |
|---|---|
| When is the line active? | At least six opposing defenders on the mat |
| What foot position matters? | One foot across the bonus line, trailing foot in the air |
| How much does a bonus add? | One point |
| Does it revive a player? | No |
| Does it count towards a Super 10? | Yes, as a raid point |
How many defenders are needed for a kabaddi bonus point?
The official league explanation sets the threshold at six opposing defenders. With six or seven on the mat, the bonus line is active. With five, it is not active under this basic condition. A raider stretching across the same painted line can therefore produce a different scoring outcome depending on the defence's numbers.
For a simple illustration, suppose seven defenders are on court and the raider completes a valid bonus movement before returning safely without a touch. The raiding side gains one point and the defending side loses no player through that bonus. If only five defenders are present, merely making that bonus movement does not earn the same point.
This makes counting players a useful first step when watching a bonus attempt. Looking only at the raider's foot can miss the condition that made the line available in the first place. The rule tests the state of the defence as well as the action of the raider.
What is the foot position for a bonus point?
Pro Kabaddi describes a raider crossing the bonus line with one foot while keeping the trailing foot in the air. The trailing foot's position is part of the action, rather than an incidental detail. Seeing the leading foot reach across does not by itself settle the entire decision.
The league's technical masterclass report also identifies the bonus point as a distinct rule taught to media personnel by its technical director. It sits alongside matters such as the lobby rule and chain tackles. That separation is useful for spectators: one clear still image of a foot does not necessarily explain every event during a raid.
The numerical examples here assume a clean, successful bonus raid. They do not try to decide whether a particular raider crossed before contact or whether a point survives a later tackle. Those sequences should be checked against the applicable competition rules and the officials' decision, rather than inferred from a simplified example.
Why does a bonus point not revive an out player?
The league's gameplay guide explicitly excludes bonus points from revivals. Touch points and tackle points can bring eliminated players back, following the order in which those players went out. A bonus changes the team total without performing that same job.
Imagine a raiding team has two teammates waiting to return. A clean bonus alone adds one to its score but leaves both waiting. If the raider instead obtains a touch point through a successful raid, the ordinary revival process can bring one player back. The total points and the number of revivals should therefore be read separately.
This distinction also explains why a higher raid score does not always mean an equal number of returning teammates. If a successful raid contains both bonus and touch points, the bonus component must be separated before counting revivals. The extra point does not create an extra eliminated defender.
Do bonus points count towards a Super 10?
Yes. Pro Kabaddi's official Super 10 explanation defines the achievement as ten or more raid points by one player in a match. Those raid points may come from bonuses or touches. Technical points awarded to the team do not belong in that individual total.
For example, six touch points and four bonus points make ten raid points for that raider. That is a Super 10 even though the player did not earn ten touch points. This is a hypothetical calculation to explain the category, not a claim about any player's match figures.
Other sports also separate a scoreboard total from the rule that produced it. Our net run rate guide, hockey penalty corner explainer and football offside guide provide further rules reading. For a kabaddi bonus, start with the defenders' count, then the feet, then the separate question of revival.
