PKL Season 12 Introduces Revamped Format and Expanded Playoffs

As the Pro Kabaddi League enters Season 12, the competition launches on August 29 across four venues in Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, Chennai, and Delhi, featuring 12 teams and a revamped format designed to intensify every match. The league will span 108 league-stage fixtures, with each team playing 18 games, followed by an expanded playoff structure that introduces play-ins and a sequence of eliminators and qualifiers, all aimed at delivering more decisive outcomes and heightened drama for fans nationwide.

The changes are among the most significant in PKL’s history. A new tie-break system, including the Golden Raid, will apply to league-stage matches to prevent draws, with a five-raid shootout conducted under special rules before resorting to a coin toss if needed. The points system has been simplified so that a win yields two points and a loss zero, making the standings easier to track. The playoffs have been restructured to include play-ins, enabling the top eight teams to contend for the title, and introducing three Eliminators and two Qualifiers to culminate in a grand final. Organizers say the adjustments are intended to heighten competition, extend fan engagement, and keep more...