Pro Kabaddi League 2025: Player Auction Rules You Need to Know

PKL Season 12 Player Auction: All You Need to Know About Rules and Format

All 12 Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) franchises are gearing up to rebuild their squads during the upcoming two-day Season 12 Player Auction.

Retained Players

Ahead of the auction, teams retained a total of 83 players across three categories:

Elite Retained Players (ERPs): 25

Retained Young Players (RYPs): 23

Existing New Young Players (NYPs): 35

Top stars like Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal, Ashu Malik, Devank Dalal, Naveen Kumar, Mohammadreza Shadloui, and Fazel Atrachali are among the non-retained players who will be up for grabs.

Who Will Be in the Player Pool?

Over 500 players are set to go under the hammer, including top Indian talents released after Season 11 and promising names from the domestic circuit. The auction will also feature international players from around the globe.

Team Composition Rules

Squad size: Minimum 18, Maximum 25 players

Overseas players per team: Minimum 2, Maximum 4

Player purse: ₹5 crore per team (adjusted based on retained players)

Player Categories & Base Prices

Players are split into four categories, each with a set base price:

Category A: ₹30 lakh

Category B: ₹20 lakh

Category C: ₹13 lakh

Category D: ₹9 lakh

Each category is divided into Raiders, Defenders, and All-Rounders for strategic squad building.

Retention Rules

Elite Retained Players (ERP): Teams could retain up to 3 players in this category to avoid losing key performers.

RYP & NYP: A total of 58 young players were retained under these categories. These are players with limited PKL experience, retained for future development.

Final Bid Match (FBM) Explained

The FBM rule lets teams buy back released players by matching the highest auction bid.

What’s New in Season 12 FBM?

Teams can now retain a player for 1 or 2 seasons, offering more flexibility and team continuity.

Previously, retention via FBM was limited to just one season.

FBM Usage Limit:

Teams with 6 ERPs retained → 1 FBM

Teams with 5 ERPs retained → 2 FBMs

Teams with 4 or fewer ERPs retained → 3 FBMs

UP Yoddhas are allowed only 2 FBMs regardless of retention count.

The PKL Season 12 Player Auction promises intense bidding, strategic plays, and plenty of surprises as franchises look to assemble championship-worthy squads.