Understanding Kabaddi : Super tackle

“Raiders win you matches but the defense wins you tournaments”

An old proverb changed to match Kabaddi terminology.

It takes a special skill to catch a top raider who is in form and terrorizing the defense, but it takes a very special mentality to hold him down multiple times that too with three defenders or less.

What is a super tackle?

A super tackle situation arises when the raider gets caught in the opposition half by three or less defenders, the defending team will be awarded 2 points for the effort rather than the solitary point they get when a raider goes out although only one person can be revived.

The basic strategy raiders take is attack one corner of the sides and try and get back as soon as possible after getting one or maybe two people. But when the defense is tight and the defenders are better than average most of the standard strategy does not work. That is where the top raiders show their class, for e.g Pardeep Narwal and Anup Kumar, Rahul Chaudhari etc.

Shrikant Tewthia and C Arun are specialists in successful super tackles and are valued very much for their efforts by their teams.

Not getting caught too often in a super tackle shows the raider’s class or rather the helplessness of the defenders when they are down to three or less.

As any point in Kabaddi leads to gaining a positive momentum in the game, none does it better than the two points getting a super tackle and the additional points after an all out. Psychologically, super tackles show team spirit and trust of defenders in each other and one such moment can define the match and turn it on its head completely.

If the super tackle was done on a top raider of the opposition who is in good form and that too with two defenders it’s like cherry on top of the icing of the cake. It is rare to see such situations as usually raiders get the better of defense in such situations or just do an empty raid an rely on their defense to create that opening to reduce the opposition further.