Langdi

लंगड़ी टांग | நொண்டி ஆட்டம் | લંગડી | ಕುಂಟಾಟ | ଚୁଟା ଗୁଡୋ | Hopscotch

Introduction

Langdi is one of the first team sports that a child in India plays in school. A chaser hops on either leg while the other leg is kept folded in the air and chases other players who keep moving to avoid getting caught.

The term Langdi means to limp or to hop on one foot. This foundational field sport is useful in training for games like kho-kho, volleyball, football and gymnastics.

Other Names

Region Name
North-eastern states Kukuraju, Aroni, Gamosa
Karnataka Kuntata
Odisha Chuta gudo
Tamilnadu Nondi attam
Region Name
Punjab Langda sher
Delhi Langdi tang
Gujarat Langdi
UK, USA Hopscotch

The Play

The game is played by two teams, chasers and defenders. The chasers send one player at a time to the field to catch as many runners as possible while hopping on one foot. The defenders send three players at first. After all the three players are tagged out, the next batch of three runners enters the game. The team that tags the most opponents in the given time period wins the match.

Number of Players

Any number of players divided into two equal teams can play informally. We recommend a minimum of six players each and that captainship be assigned to one player from each team.

For informal play, the captains of both the teams keep score records and perform the role of referees.

For official matches, there are two teams with fifteen players per team, twelve active players and three extra players. There are also two umpires, one referee, one timekeeper and two score keepers.

Equipment Needed

Chalks or lime powder to mark boundaries, a stopwatch to check time duration and a whistle to announce turn or innings change and to declare fouls are needed.

The Playground

The ground is 15 m x 15 m, and the langdi court is a square with sides of length 10 m each, shown in Fig. 12.1 as square ABCD. The chaser’s entry zone is outside the field on the left, marked WXYZ, and the runner’s entry zone is on the opposite side near the corner, marked MNOP.

The line dividing the court into two equal rectangular halves is the central line: EF in Fig.12.1. The rectangle near the chaser’s entry zone is Field 1: ADFE. The other half-court near the defenders’ entry zone is Field 2: EBCF. The Langdi Field

The players wear T-shirts/banyans and half pants. They usually play without shoes or are allowed to wear flat-bottomed canvas shoes. On a wooden ground indoors, players should wear lightweight sports shoes.

For official matches, T-shirts are numbered in the front and back.

Play Duration

Each match has two innings. Each innings involves chasing and defending turns, lasting for 9 minutes.

There is an interval of 5 minutes after an inning and a 2-minute break between turns.

A chaser catching the defenders

Playing Method

The team that wins the toss plays as defenders, and the opposing team will be chasers.

  1. At the start, the defenders send three players into the field. These defenders enter the field from the entry zone. Only after these three defenders are out, the next set of three defenders can enter.
  2. The chasing team sends a chaser who hops on one foot and tries to tag any of the three defenders present on the field. The captain of the chasing team decides the sequence of the players performing langdi before the round starts. A new chaser will enter the field one by one to chase after the existing chaser is out.
  3. Defenders are declared out if the chaser touches them with the palm. Any defender who steps out of the ground is also out.
  4. When all the chasers are out, then the turn for the chasers is over. Score is calculated based on the number of defenders tagged out.
  5. The end of the allotted time also ends the turn.
  6. The team that catches most defenders n gets a higher score and is declared the winner.
  7. Generally, only one match at a time is played as this play is strenuous for legs.

Rules

  1. Except for the chaser on the move, no other chaser shall enter the field. The next chaser will enter the field only after the previous chaser has left.
  2. Defenders must not disturb or obstruct the chasers, or else they will be declared out.
  3. When a chaser touches a defender with his or her palm, the defender will be declared out.
  4. Other than the touch with the palm, no touch is valid for declaring the defender                 
  5. After the first batch of three defenders is ruled out, the new batch of three defenders enter the field immediately from the entry zone. These three players must enter together.
  6. If all the defenders are tagged out before the chaser’s turn is over, the defenders play again and maintain the same order of entering the field. The order of the defenders entering the court will not be changed during a turn.
  7. After the completion of the first innings, if the points of the chasers exceed the points of their opponents by nine or more, then the chasers will have the option of again taking their turn as chasers.
  8. If a match is not completed for any reason, it will be continued at another time with the same players and the same captain. It resumes from the unfinished turn, and the teams start off with the scores from the earlier play.

Scoring

  1. The chasing team scores one point each for any defender declared out.
  2. If there is a tie, one more inning (one turn for both the teams as chasers and defenders) will be played. Before starting the tiebreaker innings, a break of 5 minutes is to be given.

Alternatively, a quick tiebreaker innings is also played on a minimum chase basis. As soon as the first point is scored, the turn will be declared over, and the time taken for the scoring of this first point is recorded for both teams. The team that took less time to score this point will be declared the winner of the match.

Positions, Roles and Techniques

Roles Positions Tasks Strategy | Techniques
Chaser Take a position at the chaser’s entry zone marked along the boundary of the field. Chase the defenders by hopping on one foot to tag them out. Take long steps to avoid stress on the knees while hopping on one leg. Change the direction of moves rapidly to catch less attentive defenders.
Defenders Enter the court from the defender team’s entry zone in a batch of three players. Run and escape the chaser’s touch, and stay in the court as long as possible. Shift rapidly in different directions, and dodge to mislead the chaser.
Chasers’ Captain Stand at an appropriate place from where the game can be observed well. choose to perform at any point. Decide the sequence of players to perform langdi and keep a note of the number of tagged out defenders.   Maintain the score sheet. Wisely select the opening set of chasers to perform, to tag out the maximum number of defenders as early as possible. Sending weaker performers at the start boosts the opponent’s confidence.
Runners’ Captain Watch from outside in the beginning. Go as the last player. Identify the first batch of three players and plan the next batches to enter the field. Maintain the score sheet. Select the fastest three players in the first batch, so as to extend the play the longest.

Key Skills Required

While chasing, players should be skilled enough to balance on one foot while hopping. They must not lose balance and yet run with speed. The runners should be swift and agile to escape the chasers.

Langdi can be played extempore as it requires little arrangement and can be played by anyone irrespective of age and gender. The players just have to hop on one foot, so any individual with average hopping speed can participate. It can be a great family gathering game between the different age groups.

Balancing on one foot is tough for many individuals, and they may find this game challenging.

Caution

The ground should be of a comfortable temperature. During summer, the ground becomes hot, especially during the day, and could hurt the feet of the players as the game is played barefoot.

Skills Developed

Playing langdi strengthens leg muscles and improves the stability of movements. Along with physical ability, it enhances swift reflexes, concentration, alertness and energy levels.

There is an effort to popularise this game amongst young footballers in Germany as a base game.

Life Lessons

This basic game teaches children to enjoy playing without any complex rules and tough competitions that involve do-or-die situations. Players learn through this large group game that even unskilful, weaker or untrained participants can play roles in forming a team to sustain through the given timeline.

Current State

Langdi is now professionally played in clubs after the formation of the Langadi Federation of India in 2009. Langdi made its entry into the international sports field in 2013 as a bilateral competition between Nepal and India. In 2014, the first triangular championship was conducted in Bhutan between Nepal, India and Bhutan.

The fourth National Men’s and Women’s Langdi Championship was held in Chandigarh, India, in May 2013. Mumbai University introduced Langdi as a sport at the college level in 2014 to encourage fitness amongst its students. The first Asian Games for Langdi were organised in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2015.

Variations of the game

Instead of using only one leg, some variations allow both legs, one at a time, to allow equal exercise and muscle formations for both legs. An imbalance may also cause strain in other parts of the body.

This approach has invited praise as well as criticism. Using the weaker leg also increases the risk of injury. Most people have a dominant leg, and supporters of one-leg-only format support using only one leg for the game. In archery, long jump and triple jumps, the players use their dominant leg.

Similar Games

Nondi: As discussed in Chapter 3, Nondi also involves hopping on one leg.

Glossary

Fields The demarcated area restricting the designated players inside during the game
Central line The line that divides the ground into two halves
Change of leg When a chaser changes his or her foot and starts playing langdi on the other foot
Retired If runners leave the field of their own accord