Kho-Kho is an exciting Indian sport in which two teams compete. One team tries to tag members of the opponent team, while they try to avoid being tagged. The game involves quick movement, agility, speed, leg strength and teamwork, with players taking turns to defend and chase.
The unit has three aims: Learn and Play through interactive games and group exercises; Develop Skills through exciting lead-up activities; and Work as a Team by supporting each other. Each of the thirteen sessions (FSA 1 to FSA 13) has a warm-up, a skill, a lead-up activity, a cool-down and a Circle Time.
Lead-up: a circuit of 20 seconds in the stance, 10 metres of frog jump and 10 metres of duck walk. In Circle Time on Strength, discuss which body parts felt the stress and which activities build strength and stamina.
The chaser starts from the sitting stance. For running left, take the left leg out first; for running right, the right leg. Run with an upright posture and head up, swing the arms naturally back and forth and focus on the defender.
Lead-up: Rise and Run. Sit in the stance on a starting line; run at the long whistle and sit at the short whistle. Sitting or rising on the wrong whistle is a foul.
The kho signal is both oral and touch: tap the back of the teammate and shout 'kho' at the same time. While giving kho, at least one leg must be behind the cross lane. There are three types of giving kho: simple touch kho, early kho and late kho. In Circle Time, players discuss how they anticipated who would give them the kho.
Lead-up: Modified Shuttle Run. Two parallel lines 10 metres long and 30 cm apart. From sitting stance, run straight to the finish and back at the whistle. If the feet touch the boundary lines or the body moves sideways, start again.
Dodging is a defender's skill for avoiding the chasers. It combines quick footwork, agility and strategic movement.
Lead-up: Move to Safety. Runners try to cross 20 metres past chasers at the centre without being tapped; each runner who reaches the end-line scores a point. In Circle Time, explain how leaning and dropping a shoulder can wrong-foot a player.
There are two types: straight running and sidewards running. Start slow, walking or jogging through the pattern with proper footwork, and add dodging, chasing and tagging gradually. Increase speed slowly with quick, controlled movements. Practise lateral movements by crossing one foot over the other between cones, which improves agility and coordination. Finally, react to random directions or visual cues from the teacher. Lead-up: Kho-Kho with single chain pole to pole running.
Chasers use the pole turn to make quick turns and tag the runners.
Lead-up: Pole Shuttle Run. Team members sit in a row 4 metres from the pole; each runs to the pole, turns and comes back to give kho to the next. The team with the minimum time wins. In Circle Time, discuss what happens when the elbows are flexed and when they are not.
Lead-up: Elbow Lock Challenge. Teams line up about six metres apart; two players lock elbows, sing one or two lines of a folk song while circling, and pull at the end of the first stanza.
Covering teaches offensive (chaser) strategies in coordination with teammates, keeping proper position and pursuing the defender. The chaser reads the defender, walks towards them on a straight line and moves straight, left or right when an opportunity comes. One-on-one pursuit drills improve speed, timing and anticipation. In the Covering Chase Relay, each player takes 3 steps, attacks left, touches a cone at 45 degrees and returns to give kho; the 8th player touches the pole. At the time of receiving kho, both hands of chasers should be outside the centre line.
The team creates a barrier that moves with the runners to corner them and stop them crossing the centre line. Positions follow the line-up order at the start of the match, players move as one unit (practised first in slow motion), and hand and sound signals start the chain. Lead-up: the Sitting Relay Race with teams of nine, sitting 2 to 3 metres apart.
A fake is a strategy to mislead the defenders, create openings and gain advantage. Timing and unpredictability are crucial, and fakes should fit smoothly into the flow of play. Reaction time drills and one-on-one faking drills make fakes natural. Fake kho may also be used near a pole. Lead-up: Ace-of-the-fake, where eight sit in formation and the team gives three actual and two fake kho, then shouts 'Pancham'.
From the sitting position, the chaser predicts the defender's speed, direction and pattern and, as the defender approaches, extends one arm to tap the toe or feet without falling over the centre line. Lead-up: Grab the Cone, touching cones placed one metre beyond a restraining line without crossing it.
A defence strategy with three in front, two in the middle and three at the back, forming a strong barrier. The teacher demonstrates it, and players first practise without the chaser to focus on technique. Lead-up: Standing Kho-Kho in a circle with six groups.
| Session | Key technique | Lead-up activity | Circle Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| FSA 1 Sitting | On toes in the block, hands form a bridge, lean a little forward | 20 s stance + 10 m frog jump + 10 m duck walk | Strength |
| FSA 2 Chasing | Left leg first to go left, right leg to go right; upright, arms swing, eyes on defender | Rise and Run (long whistle run, short whistle sit) | Footwork |
| FSA 3 Giving Kho | Tap the back and shout kho together; one leg behind the cross lane | Practise kho in different techniques | Anticipating the Kho |
| FSA 4 Running on a Straight Line | Upright, hands parallel to ground; acceleration drills; eyes on end-point | Modified Shuttle Run (10 m lines, 30 cm apart) | Realising mistake and how to improve |
| FSA 5 Dodging | Leaning, quick turns (defender); changing speed (chaser) | Move to Safety (20 m) | Wrong footing a player |
| FSA 6 Zig-Zag Running | Start slow, speed up gradually, lateral cross-over steps, random cues | Single chain pole to pole running | Reaction Time |
| FSA 7 Pole Turn | Plant inner foot, pivot, swing free leg, push off | Pole Shuttle Run (sit 4 m from pole) | Pole turning technique |
| FSA 8 Covering Chase | Walk straight at the defender, then move straight, left or right | Covering Chase Relay (3 steps, cone at 45 degrees) | Anticipation |
| FSA 9 Chain | Moving barrier to corner the runner; positions, unison, signals | Sitting Relay Race (teams of 9) | Reaction Time |
| FSA 10 Fake Kho | Mislead defenders; timing and unpredictability | Ace-of-the-fake (3 real + 2 fake, shout Pancham) | Unpredictable fake kho |
| FSA 11 Pole Dive | Low body; plant foot on dive side, opposite hand grabs pole; push off | Elbow Lock Challenge | Footwork and safety for pole dive |
| FSA 12 Toe Tapping | From sitting, extend one arm to tap the toe without falling over the centre line | Grab the Cone | Stretch to reach |
| FSA 13 3-2-3 Chain | Three front, two middle, three back | Standing Kho-Kho | Appreciating Performance |