Kabaddi is a contact team sport that originated on the Indian subcontinent in Tamil Nadu . It is popular in South Asia and is the state game of the Indian states of Tamil Nadu , Karnataka , Andhra Pradesh , Telangana , Maharashtra , Bihar and Punjab . It is also the national sport of Bangladesh . Two teams compete, each occupying its own half of the court. They take turns sending a "raider" into the opposing team's half and earn points if the raider manages to touch opposing team members and return to the home half, all while taking only a single breath. However, if the raider is tackled and prevented from returning, the opposing team gets the point. The Pro Kabaddi League (officially known as the VIVO Pro Kabbadi for sponsorship reasons) is a franchise-based professional kabaddi league in India, consisting of 12 teams. The sixth season may see the number of teams increased to 18 just like foreign football tournaments in order t