7 on field, 21 total on roster; 1 additional player who is not a member of either team Both teams can substitute playersfreely at any time behind their proper keeper zone.
Quidditch[3] is a sport of two teams of seven players each mounted on broomsticks played on a hockey rink-sized pitch. It is based on a fictional game of the same name invented by author J. K. Rowling, which is featured in the Harry Potter series of novels and related media.[3] The game is also sometimes referred to as muggle quidditch to distinguish it from the fictional game, which involves magical elements such as flying broomsticks and enchanted balls. In the Harry Potter universe, a "muggle" is a person without the power to use magic.
The pitch is rectangular 60 by 36 yards (55 by 33m) with three hoops of varying heights at either end.[4] The sport was created in 2005 and is therefore still quite young. However, quidditch is played around the world and actively growing.[5] The ultimate goal is to have more points than the other team by the time the snitch, a tennis ball inside a long sock hanging from the shorts of an impartial official dressed in yellow, is caught. Rules of the sport are governed by the International Quidditch Association, or the IQA, and events are sanctioned by either the IQA or that nation's governing body.
To score points, chasers or keepers must get the quaffle, a slightly deflated volleyball, into one of three of the opposing hoops, which scores the team 10 points.[6] To impede the quaffle from advancing down the pitch, chasers and keepers are able to tackle opposing chasers and keepers at the same time as beaters using their bludgers—dodgeballs—to take out opposing players. Once a player is hit by an opposing bludger, that player must dismount their broom, drop any ball being held, and return to touch their hoops before being allowed back into play.[7] The game is ended once the snitch is caught by one of the seekers, awarding that team 30 points.[8]
A team consists of minimum seven (maximum 21) players, of which six are always on the pitch, those being the three chasers, one keeper, and two beaters. Besides the seeker who is off-pitch, the six players are required to abide by the gender rule, which states that a team may have a maximum of four players who identify as the same gender, making quidditch one of the few sports that not only offers a co-ed environment but an open community to those who do not identify with the gender binary.[10] Matches or games often run about 30 to 40 minutes but tend to be subject to varying lengths of time due to the unpredictable nature of the snitch catch. If the score at the end of the match including the 30 point snitch catch is tied (such that the team that caught the snitch was 30 points behind the other), the game moves to overtime where the snitch is constrained to the pitch's dimensions and the game ends after five minutes or when the snitch is legally caught.
History
Quidditch has its roots in the fictional Harry Potter sport of the same name. To denote the difference, the fictional sport uses the capitalised "Quidditch" whereas the sport played as per the IQA rules uses the uncapitalised "quidditch". In April 2017 Oxford Dictionaries recognised "quidditch" as a word.[4] The sport was created in 2005 at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, by Xander Manshel and Alex Benepe, who later became the first commissioner of quidditch.[5] It has grown into its own separate and distinct sport after ten[6] publications of rulebooks.[7]
After beginning in 2005, the sport grew to the point where, in 2007, the first Quidditch World Cup took place with Middlebury taking the place of the top team. Since then, yearly until 2014, there was a World Cup within the United States, where collegiate and community teams would compete to be the best team. While Canada often sent several Ontario or Quebec teams, and Australia and France each sent a team once, the World Cup in its state never saw true international competition. In 2012, the IQA hosted the Summer Games, where five nations hosted national teams. Two years later, the IQA hosted the Global Games, during which the United States defeated Australia for the gold medal.[8]
Since beginning at Middlebury College, the sport has grown through universities such as UC Berkeley in the United States, but it soon grew internationally, arriving in Canada through McGill University and Carleton University in 2009. In 2010 UCLA became the first major university to create a permanent Quidditch pitch, through the generosity of actor-alumnus Matthew Perry.[9] Quidditch began to take shape around the world with teams beginning in Australia,[10] the UK,[11] and France.[12] It soon spread across Europe and the Americas, arriving in Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Mexico, Argentina,[13] and Brazil. There are now active teams in Malaysia, China, Uganda, the Philippines, New Zealand and Vietnam.
Play
Each match begins with six of the starting players (excluding the seekers) along the starting line within their keeper zone with brooms on the ground and the four balls lined in the centre of the pitch. The head referee then calls "brooms up!" at which players run to gain possession of the balls.[25] The snitch goes on the field at 17 minutes, and the seekers are released at 18 minutes.[26]
Play runs rapidly, with quick change-of-hands of the quaffle, because every goal (each being worth 10 points) scored against a team gives that team the ball. Once a point is scored, the quaffle must be given to the other team's keeper, and almost immediately returns to the offensive[27] with the chasers returning to their keeper zone or proper side of the pitch;[28] beaters are not bound to return to their side of the pitch nor exit the opposing team's keeper zone at any point.[29] Games can last any length of time longer than 18 minutes, depending on the skill and endurance of the seekers and snitch.
In the new iteration of Rulebook 10, mandatory handicaps for the snitch runner go into effect if the snitch has not been caught within a certain time. These handicaps are cumulative and remain in effect until the end of the game. Once the seekers are released, the runner must remain between the two keeper zones. If the snitch has not been caught at the 23-minute mark, the first handicap is issued, requiring the runner to stay within 1.5 yards (1.4m) of mid-pitch. The second handicap, at 28 minutes, constrains the runner to keep one arm behind their back; the third and final one, at 33 minutes, restricts him/her to within 1.5 yards (1.4m) of the intersection of mid-pitch and the sideline opposite the scorekeeper and benches.
The game ends after the snitch has been caught through what is called by a clean catch. The catch is determined by the Snitch Referee, The Head Referee, and the Snitch Runner. The team that caught the snitch is awarded 30 points, regardless if they are winning or losing the game.[30] The winner is determined not by the snitch catch but by the number of points earned throughout the entirety of the game play. Depending on the score teams will delay the snitch catch in order to better their chances of winning. Teams that are losing will defend the snitch by placing themselves between the Snitch Runner and the opposing seeker.
Positions
Chasers are responsible for passing the quaffle and scoring points by throwing the quaffle through one of the opponent's goals for 10 points. When a bludger hits a chaser in possession of the quaffle, they must drop the quaffle, remove the broom from between their legs, and touch their own hoops to rejoin play. Chasers not in possession of the quaffle must perform the same knockout procedure when hit by a bludger, but do not have a ball to drop. Chasers may enter into physical contact with opposing chasers or keepers. There are three chasers on the field for each team, identified by a white headband.
Keepers can be likened to goalies in other sports, and must try to block attempts to score by the opposing team's chasers. The keeper is invulnerable to bludgers as well as having indisputable possession of the quaffle when within their team's keeper zone, an area around the team's hoops. Once outside of the keeper zone, the keeper may serve as a fourth chaser. Keepers may enter into physical contact with opposing keepers or chasers. There is one keeper on the field for each team, identified by a green headband.
Beaters attempt to hit the opposing team's players with bludgers and attempt to block the bludgers from hitting their team's players. Beaters are subject to the same knockout procedure as chasers or keepers when hit with a bludger, but unlike chasers and keepers, they may attempt to catch a bludger thrown at them. If they succeed in catching a bludger, they are not knocked out, and the beater who threw the bludger may remain in play. As there are three bludgers for the four beaters on the pitch, the fourth, bludger-less beater puts pressure on the team in control of both bludgers (often called "bludger control" or "bludger supremacy"). Beaters may enter into physical contact only with other beaters. Two beaters on a team may be in play at a time, identified by black headbands.
Seekers attempt to catch the snitch. They may not contact the snitch but are permitted to contact the other seeker. Seekers are released after 18 minutes of game time. There is one seeker on the field for each team, identified by gold or yellow headband.
Equipment
The game is played with six standing hoops, three on each side of a square pitch. Each player must hold a broomstick between their legs. There are three different types of balls in play, and five in total: the quaffle, three bludgers, and the snitch.
One quaffle and three bludgers lined up for "brooms up" before a quidditch match
Broomstick
Probably the most iconic piece of equipment for quidditch, the broomstick serves the purpose of being a "handicap" such as one-handed dribbling in basketball or using only your feet in association football. The player must stay mounted on their broomstick for every moment of play unless they have been hit with a bludger, in which case the player needs to dismount from their broom and return to their hoops.[14] To be mounted on the broomstick means that the player must hold the broom between their legs and not have it fully on the ground. It can be supported by their thighs or hands equally, just as long as it is not attached to their person nor fully resting on the ground. Because of it being a handicap, sometimes players do not play with the brooms.
Players ride a variety of objects considered to be brooms depending on level of seriousness. Many teams tend to play on PVC pipes of about three feet (1m) in length; these are usually made, but can also be purchased from quidditch suppliers such as Petersons or Blue Hawk.
Hoops
Three hoops are placed on either side of the pitch of differing heights (3ft or 0.91m, 4.5ft or 1.4m and 6ft or 1.8m), placed two broomsticks apart (92in or 2.3m).[15] Chasers and keepers can score by throwing the quaffle through any one of the hoops, from either front or back, gaining ten points for their team per score. Any player experiencing a knock-out effect from either dismounting their broomstick or getting hit with a bludger must touch with any part of their body excluding the broom any one of their hoops before returning to play.
Quaffle
The quaffle is a slightly-deflated regulation volleyball that can only be manipulated by chasers or keepers. Used for scoring, it may pass through any hoop from either side. Regardless of which team caused the quaffle to pass through the hoop, as long as it is in play, a goal is scored against the team whose hoop was scored upon, which is counted to be 10 points.[16]
Bludgers
The bludger is a slightly-deflated dodgeball that can only be manipulated by beaters. At any given time there are four beaters in play, but only three bludgers. The bludgers are used to hit any other player on the field. Upon being hit by a bludger previously in the possession of an opposing beater, the player suffers the knockout effect. This means they must dismount their broom, drop any ball that they may have been carrying, and touch their team's hoops before resuming play. It's worth noting that there is no friendly fire, meaning that bludgers thrown by beaters cannot affect any of their teammates.[16]
Golden Snitch
Seeker (l) and Snitch (r) at King's Cup Quidditch Tournament, Syracuse University, April 2015.
The snitch is a tennis ball placed at the bottom of a yellow long pouch that is attached to the back of the snitch runner's shorts as if it were a tail. The snitch runner may do everything in their power to protect the snitch from being caught by seekers, for example: pushing, punching, running, or even throwing the player's broom away. Only seekers may make advances towards the snitch or the snitch runner, and no forceful contact with the snitch runner is allowed. If the snitch is not caught within a certain period of time, a series of handicaps go into effect against the runner to limit their freedom of movement, one at a time. In most leagues, the game ends when one of the seekers grabs the snitch, awarding 30 points to their team.[16] However, some leagues are tinkering with snitch rules. For example, in 2019, Major League Quidditch made the snitch worth 40 points. Instead of ending the game, a catch contributed to a "set score" that a team must surpass to win.[18]
As of the release of Rulebook 8, the snitch is relegated to playing only on the field in the same fashion of the other players. Previously, snitch runners left the pitch to be pursued by seekers returning to the field after a predetermined amount of time.
Rules
The IQA has released ten iterations of the Rulebook, each building upon the last. Currently, Rulebook 9 is available in Italian, while Rulebook 8 is available in French, and there are translations until Rulebook 5 in Mandarin and Spanish.
Playing
Each match begins with six of the starting players (excluding the seekers) along the starting line within their keeper zone with brooms on the ground and the four balls lined in the centre of the pitch. The head referee then calls "brooms up!" at which players run to gain possession of the balls.[19] After brooms up is called, the seekers must not interfere with other positions, and wait near the pitch until the end of the seeker floor, usually 18 minutes. The snitch goes on the field at 17 minutes, and the seekers are released at 18 minutes.[20]
Play runs rapidly, with quick change-of-hands of the quaffle, because every goal (each being worth 10 points) scored against a team gives that team the ball. Once a point is scored, the quaffle must be given to the other team's keeper, and almost immediately returns to the offensive[21] with the chasers returning to their keeper zone or proper side of the pitch;[22] beaters are not bound to return to their side of the pitch nor exit the opposing team's keeper zone at any point.[23] Games can last any length of time longer than 18 minutes, depending on the skill and endurance of the seekers and snitch. Many tournaments introduce snitch handicaps, such as asking the snitch to use only one hand, no hands, or remain on the centre line, to ensure games fit within reasonable time slots.
The game is won only after the snitch has been caught cleanly, and the team that caught the snitch is awarded 30 points.[24] The winner is determined not by the snitch catch but by the number of points earned; thus it is not unknown for teams that are losing by a wide margin to try delaying a snitch catch so that they can narrow the opponents' lead, along with the reverse, with the winning team trying to extend their lead.
Fouls and illegal plays
Depending on the severity of the foul, a player found committing an illegal play will result in a blue, yellow, and/or a red card. Cards are issued upon the discretion of the Head Referee. If need be the Head Referee may consult with their AR's (Assistant Referees) to determine which card should be given to the offending player.
When a blue card is issued, it is considered to be a non-stacking yellow card, and can either result in being sent back to hoops or spend one minute in the penalty box. When a yellow card is issued the player must sit in the penalty box for one minute. If the opposing team scores before the minute is up then the player will be allowed to return to the game. They are still considered off broom and must tag their team's hoops in order to resume play. If a player receives two yellow cards, then the card will become red. If a player receives a red card, that player must sit in the penalty box for two minutes.
When a red card is given that player must sub out for another player, that player will then serve two minutes within the penalty box. If a Keeper has been given a red card, they must give their headband to another chaser on their team, both teams are required to have a keeper on the pitch at all times.
Contact rules are fairly straightforward and are similar to other contact sports. Tackles are legal between the knees and shoulders. A player may not initiate a tackle with two hands. All tackles must be initiated from the front side of the opposing player. Any back tackles made will result in a yellow card, however, if the player turns their back into the tackle with no chance for adjustment, it is not considered illegal. Players can only tackle other players of their same position (with keepers considered chasers) if they have the ball. Pushes are allowed if the arm is held straight; it is illegal to push if the arm is bent and then extended when pushing another player.[31] Players are not allowed to dive for balls, slide into contact, trip opposing players, or initiate contact around the neck or over the shoulder. If a player is found making any of these offenses it will result in a card depending on the severity of the offense.
After several various types of illegal play, after an injury, or after a snitch catch, the head referee will blow their whistle three times to indicate stoppage of play, in which every player must drop in place their broom.[33]
The snitch can no longer leave the pitch and is also subject to 'brooms down', but can 'take a knee' by having any part of their body except their feet touch the floor. In this case, the seekers cannot advance towards the snitch at all until three seconds after the snitch is back up – if they do so, they will be sent back to hoops.
Pitch
The quidditch pitch is usually marked with cones or with painted lines,[25] and it is where all play occurs (a rectangle of 36 by 66 yards or 33m ×60m around the pitch).[26] Balls are not allowed to be kicked off the pitch under penalty, nor is play allowed in the spectator zones. Players are asked to return to the pitch when play continues out of bounds.
On the edge of the pitch is a penalty box where players who have committed fouls that warrant yellow cards are sent for one minute.[27]
Officials
Each official game requires having several referees present as well as an official snitch. The referees consist of:
Head referee, who enforces the rules and takes disciplinary action against players;
Assistant referees, who assist the Head Referee in calling whether players are subject to the knockout effect, watching plays away from the quaffle and watching for balls and players going out of bounds;
Snitch referee, who watches plays around the snitch runner, including knockouts and potential catches, ruling whether the snitch runner is down, and enforcing snitch handicaps;
Goal referees, who watch the shots taken towards the goals and ruling whether the quaffle is out of bounds at their endline.[28]
The snitch runner, being a neutral player and assistant referee, may help the referees to determine whether or not the catch was clean.[28]
Rulebook 8
The release of Rulebook 8 coincided partially with the reformation of the IQA. As USQ released the rulebook, the IQA chose to adopt the eighth iteration as the de facto international standard where the proceeding rulebook will be released under the guise of the IQA. The changes from the Rulebook 7 to Rulebook 8 were minimal except in two areas: blue cards and snitching.
A technical foul results in a blue card on a player where that player must substitute with another player of the same position. The substitution does not, however, result in a power play for the other team, and play is not stopped when this card is rendered. A play may accrue an unlimited number of technical fouls during a match.[29]
Snitching also changed in Rulebook 8 resulting in the deletion of off-pitch seeking. Where before, the snitch would be "released" before each match by running off the pitch during a set amount of time, now the snitch is released to the field, limited to the playing area, at 17 minutes (the seekers being released at 18 minutes). Many NGBs choose to continue playing under Rulebook 7 rules.[29]
Rulebook 9
The release of Rulebook 9 coincided partially with the reformation of the IQA. As USQ released the rulebook, the IQA chose to adopt the eighth iteration as the de facto international standard where the proceeding rulebook will be released under the guise of the IQA. The changes from the Rulebook 8 to Rulebook 9 were minimal.
Rule book 9 requires that if a chaser or keeper decides to reset the play by throwing the quaffle back to their side of the pitch, there must be a chaser and/or keeper to receive the quaffle. If there is no one to receive the ball, it will be considered a turnover and the offending team will lose possession of the quaffle.
Rulebook 10
The release of Rulebook 10 coincided partially with the reformation of the IQA. As USQ released the rulebook, the IQA chose to adopt the eighth iteration as the de facto international standard where the proceeding rulebook will be released under the guise of the IQA. The changes from the Rulebook 9 to 10 were minimal.
Rule book 10 now requires that once an opposing team has scored, the keeper and or point chaser must keep the ball moving forward at all times. The rulebook has become more strict on tackling and cards are given at the discretion of the head referee. In addition, moving screens are illegal. This means that if a person wishes to screen for another player that is in possession of the quaffle, the person setting the screen must have their feet planted.
World Map of quidditch activity. Dark blue indicates full member, lighter blue indicates developing member and the lightest blue indicates emerging areas.
The International Quidditch Association serves as the central governing body for quidditch worldwide and helps to coordinate with national associations around the world through the IQA Congress. Previously, The IQA held a World Cup for qualifying members of the association at the end of every season, the first being held in 2007, ending in 2014 with its restructuring.[30] Now, the only tournament the IQA oversees is the international Global Games.
Each nation in which quidditch is played has or is in the process of developing a national organisation. The job of the national organisation is to organise quidditch within the country, create membership policies for teams, organize referees, snitches, and coaches and be the bridge between that nation's teams and the IQA.
Previously known as the Global Games and Summer Games, the World Cup is the IQA's tournament for national teams. Any quidditch-playing nation is offered the chance at competing on the world level at this tournament. The latest iteration was held in Florence, Italy in 2018. The United States won, defeating Belgium in the final to claim their third championship. The 2016 IQA World Cup was held in Frankfurt, Germany on 23–24 July 2016, where Australia defeated the United States in the finals, becoming the first country other than the United States to hold the title of IQA World Champions. The 2014 competition was held in Burnaby, Canada where it saw the US taking first with Australia coming in with a close second. The Games, hosted by US Quidditch, attracted limited media presence and saw a small gathering of spectators. The results were, in order: United States, Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Mexico, France, Belgium.
The original World Cup was titled "Summer Games" to match the Olympics being held in London, United Kingdom. July 2012 saw 5 national teams from around the world compete in this first international tournament run by the IQA, taking place in University Parks, Oxford, England. The five teams were from the US, Canada, France, UK, and Australia.[31]
Similar to the World Cup, the European Games is an international tournament open to national teams. Inclusion within the European Games is limited to members of the European Committee (also known as Quidditch Europe or QEurope). The first European Games were held in Sarteano, Italy in July 2015.[32]
The European Quidditch Cup, also known as EQC and formerly known as the European Quidditch Championship,[33] is a yearly championship tournament for teams in Europe. EQC began first in France in Lesparre-Médoc on 13 October 2012 where a minimal number of teams attended due to the fact that quidditch was only recently introduced to Europe.[34] The tournament quickly grew however and during the 2015–2016 season, Gallipoli, Italy, hosted EQC IV on 16–17 April 2016, with 40 teams attending from 13 countries.[35] The next European Quidditch Cup will be held in Mechelen, Belgium, on 25–26 March 2017, and will see 32 attending teams from 15 countries.[36]
Asian-Pacific Quidditch Cup
The inaugural Asian Quidditch Cup took place between the 30 and 31 July 2016 in Malaysia. It was held again in 2017 and held biennially to match the World Cup/Regional tournament alternations. The teams that competed at the inaugural Asian Quidditch Cup were the Australian National University Owls (ANU), Damansara Dementors, and Subang Chimaeras. The ANU Owls emerged champions.[37]
The 2017 Asian Quidditch Cup was attended by 5 teams, namely the Australian National University Owls (Australia), Damansara Dementors (Malaysia), Flame Owls (Vietnam), Hanoi Draco Dormiens (Vietnam), and Seoul Puffskeins (South Korea). Single round-robin was played to decide the Champion. The ANU Owls was once again crowned Champion, winning all 4 games.[38]
The 2019 tournament was renamed to the Asia-Pacific Quidditch Cup, and was contested by 10 teams from 6 different countries in Seoul, South Korea. The returning teams were Damansara Dementors, Hanoi Draco Dormiens and Seoul Puffskeins. New teams that attended were CNUE The Muggles from South Korea, HKU-Victorian Dragons from Hong Kong, Sydney City Serpents from Australia, and Tokyo Penguins, Azabu Stirring, Kaminari Monsters and Katayaburi Quidditch from Japan. The Sydney City Serpents continued Australia's winning streak, after beating Tokyo Penguins in the grand final 170*-20.[39]
Major League Quidditch (MLQ) was founded in 2015 as the sport's first exclusive league, with the goal of presenting quidditch in a form that mirrors other sports' top leagues. MLQ features standardized schedules, high-level officiating, in-depth statistics and live or previously recorded footage of all games. The league included eight teams across the United States and Canada for its inaugural season in the summer of 2015. Due to a technicality, timing of contractual signings, and practices, Christopher "Champo" Champitto, Washington Admirals, became the first documented professional quidditch player, with a salary of five (5) USD, there are multiple reports of teams in USQ paying coaches. The league expanded to 16 teams for the 2016 season with the slogan "#16for16". For its third season in 2017, the league introduced practice squads behind the 16 teams, as well as developed a policy to allow league official teams to play unaffiliated teams.[40][41]
Beginning in 2017, the Quidditch Premier League (QPL) is a semi-pro league in the United Kingdom[42] that, as of 2019, is split into four divisions and 17 teams.[43]
Quidditch Premier League
UK North Division
UK Central Division
UK South Division
European Division
Northern Watch
Northern Angels
Scottish Thistles
Yorkshire Roses
East Midlands Archers
West Midlands Revolution
Eastern Mermaids
Welsh Dragons
Southeast Knights
Southwest Broadside
London Monarchs
London Lions
Cologne Talons
Brussels Atoms
Amsterdam Pride
Lille Géants
Paris Lumiéres
Regional or league tournaments
Canadian Nationals
Canadian Nationals is the national championship tournament for Quidditch Canada.[44] The 2014–2015 national championship were held in Burnaby, British Columbia on 28 March 2015. Its precursors, East and West Regionals, were held in Kingston, Ontario and Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on 1 and 7 February 2015, respectively.[45]
QUAFL
Yearly, the Australian Quidditch Association hosts QUAFL (Quidditch united Australian federated league), an all-Australian championship that determines which Australian team is the best. The first tournament was held in December 2011 at UNSW, Sydney and won by the hosts. The second tournament was hosted by Macquarie University and was won again by the UNSW Snapes on a plane. The tournament in 2013 was held at the University of Western Sydney on 30 November and 1 December. The winning team was the Perth Phoenixes. Melbourne Manticores defeated UNSW Snapes On A Plane in the 2014 tournament final held at Macquarie University. The same teams would make the 2015 tournament final, held at Monash University, where the Manticores would once again emerge triumphant. Wrackspurts QC from Victoria took out the 2016 tournament held at the Australian Institute of Sport. Most recently in the 2017 tournament held at the same location as 2016, the Whomping Willows of Victoria (in their first year as a team) took out the QUAFL cup.
USQ Championships
Also known as the USQ World Cup, the championship tournament within US Quidditch is a continuation of the former club tournament called "Quidditch World Cup". There, qualifying teams from regional championships compete to see which team is the best in the US. USQ membership policy dictates that any team outside the US will be eligible to compete in this and any other USQ tournament as long as they pay the membership fees in full, but, to date, only two teams outside the US have registered as such: University of British Columbia's A and B teams. This policy, however, has since been discontinued. The first US Quidditch Cup champion, since the forming of a separate USQ nationals, was Quidditch Club Boston (QCB) in 2016.
The IQA World Cup is the former "world" championship of quidditch, which was held yearly in the United States. As it was maintained by the former IQA, it was almost a purely US-based tournament, seeing little turnout from teams outside of the country. This tournament was discontinued in 2014 when the IQA took on its new role as international sports federation, choosing instead to host then-Global Games now-World Cup as a world championship with individual teams relying on their national governing body for a culminating tournament.
The 2020 Tournament will be hosted at Shawnee Sports Complex in Dunbar WV. (67)
British Tournaments
The British Quidditch Cup was held in Oxford, England, on 9 and 10 November 2013, and was won by the Oxford University's first team, The Radcliffe Chimeras.[47] The BQC was repeated on the weekend of 7 March 2015 held in Wollaton Park, Nottingham. At this tournament the defending Champions, The Radcliffe Chimeras, were defeated in the final by Southampton Quidditch Club 1, with Keele Squirrels coming third. In total 24 teams were registered to compete with 23 doing so.
Also significant in the UK are the two regional tournaments – Northern Cup and Southern Cup. Originally devised as independently organised tournaments by Keele University Quidditch Club in March of 2014, and the Southampton Quidditch Club the following November, the inaugural tournaments were won by Bangor Broken Broomsticks and Radcliffe Chimeras. The tournaments were then taken over by QuidditchUK, to ensure consistency between the two, as the tournaments are now used as qualification criteria for the European Quidditch Cup.[48] The second Northern Cup took place on the 31 October–1 November 2015, and was won by Nottingham Nightmares, who defeated Durhamstrang in the final.[49] The second Southern Cup took place on the 14–15 November and was won by the Radcliffe Chimeras, who defeated Warwick Quidditch Club in the final. The following year, the Velociraptors won Northern and Warwick Quidditch Club Southern.[50][51] The top three teams from each regional tournament (from Northern: the Velociraptors, Durhamstrang, and Tornadoes Quidditch Club and from Southern: Warwick Quidditch Club, Werewolves of London, and Brizzlebears) qualified for the European Quidditch Cup, which will take place on the 25–26 March 2017.[52]
In 2017, the increasing number of teams led to the introduction of the Development Cup, or Dev Cup for short, where teams that did not qualify for BQC could play. The style is a round robin tournament, leading to all teams playing eight games (in the first one) over two days. The first winners of this were the Liverpuddly Cannons, who won all of their games.
Other long-standing tournaments include the Annual Mercian Cup, a mercenary tournament hosted by Derby Union Quidditch, Reading University's Whiteknights Tournament, and Oxford's unique Valentines Cup, a fantasy tournament where players signed up in pairs. Since awareness of quidditch in the UK is rising exponentially, every year new tournaments are being devised.
Each season, regions generally host one to two larger tournaments, mostly following the North American/European school model of two terms (autumn-winter, winter-spring) where there is one larger tournament per semester in addition to that region's regional championship.
Fantasy tournaments
Fantasy tournaments are tournaments where players sign up individually and are seeded to teams at a drawing by the team captains. Each year, there are quite a few fantasy tournaments, with greater numbers being during June–August during the off-season.
Gender or "four maximum" rule and the LGBT community
Since its inception, quidditch has sought gender equality on the pitch.[54] One of the most important requirements within the sport is its 'four maximum' rule:
A quidditch game allows each team to have a maximum of four players, not including the seeker, who identify as the same gender in active play on the field at the same time. The gender that a player identifies with is considered to be that player's gender, which may or may not correspond with that person's sex. This is commonly referred to as the "four maximum" rule. USQ accepts those who don't identify within the binary gender system and acknowledges that not all of our players identify as male or female. USQ welcomes people of all identities and genders into our league.
In 2013, US Quidditch created Title 93⁄4, a branch of the IQA that actively promotes advocacy and awareness as well as gender equality and inclusivity,[56] whose role moved on to the IQA under its "Initiatives".[54] The sport has also been illustrated to yield a positive experience for athletes of all genders, increased desires for inclusivity and stereotype reduction.[54] Testimonials include: "The gender rule makes playing safe for me. I'm trans and genderqueer, two reasons I never know which team to join ... so having a non-binary option means I don't have to choose."[57]
Variants
There are other variants of real-life Quidditch, notably played in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Hungary amongst other places. These variants often play with rules similar to the fictional sport within the Harry Potter universe but differ wildly from the IQA rules, including but not limited to: playing without brooms, brooms serving a different purpose, referees throwing balls to act as snitches, differing bludger and beater roles, riding bicycles instead of brooms, etc.[58]
A version of "real life" quidditch is also portrayed in the film The Internship, however it strays wildly from quidditch's ruleset.[59]
Corrigan Quidditch
While Middlebury College certainly began the sporting craze for quidditch, an independent form of the sport originated in the early spring of 2007 on the campus of the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, Georgia.[60] This version of the sport uses a Flying Disk as its quaffle, dodge balls as bludgers, and a golden-yellow 'super ball' for the snitch. This form of the game (known affectionately as 'Corrigan Quidditch' after its originator, an English professor at the university who taught a Harry Potter class that term and developed the game for tournament play as an outgrowth of that course) does not call for players to hold a broom between the legs. Additionally, all of the playing apparatus is located within the playing pitch (quaffle, bludgers, snitch, beater's bats, and keeper's brooms). The two brooms are used only to defend the goals, which rise five (1.5), ten (3), and fifteen feet (4.6m) above the pitch at each end of an elongated octagonal playing field approximately 200 feet (60m) long. 'Corrigan Quidditch', as does the Middlebury version, has its own official rule book but features whimsical offenses including a 'Queensbury' (moving both feet whilst holding the quaffle) and an 'Impermissible' (which allows the offended chaser to run with the quaffle (without incurring a Queensbury offense) and make a 'try' at the goals, defended only by the opposing keeper). Play includes non-participating teams who stand around the pitch and take control of both 'bludgering' players as well as 'sending off' the snitch at irregular intervals during play to allow the seekers (who are kept secret during play) to attempt a game-winning catch. 'Corrigan Quidditch' was the form of play originally covered in the world press during that significant summer when the seventh Harry Potter book (and fifth Harry Potter movie) was released. Unlike the world-popular Middlebury version, 'Corrigan Quidditch' remains a local event still played on its originating campus.[61]
Kidditch
Modified rules with less contact have been used for younger (school age) players.[62] These rules include no tackling, modified hoops, and a little lee-way on calls made by referees.
Wheel-chair Quidditch
The Australian Quidditch Association has a set of rules for wheel-chair Quidditch. It is rarely used elsewhere; however, it is starting to gain traction in several other countries.
In popular culture
The movie The Internship, featured the main characters playing Quidditch.
Mudbloods, is a quidditch documentary on how quidditch began in USA.[64]
Fly The Movie: Journey To Frankfurt, is a documentary following Quidditch players on Team UK as they prepared for the Quidditch World Cup in Germany in 2016.[65][66]
Quidditch is a fictional sport invented by author J. K. Rowling for her fantasy book series Harry Potter. It is a dangerous but popular sport played by witches and wizards riding flying broomsticks.
"Power play" is a sporting term used to describe a period of play where one team has a numerical advantage in players usually due to a rule violation by the opposing team.
Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup is a 2003 sports action video game that features the fictional sport of Quidditch from J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter franchise, using the likeness from the films. The user plays in the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup competition.
The International Quidditch Association (IQA) is the governing body for the sport of quidditch. It was founded as the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association in 2009 following the very first intercollegiate quidditch match. In 2010, the IQA took its current name, and 2016 saw its induction as an international sports federation with its creation of the Congress. It now comprises more than ten national associations governing quidditch in their respective nations.
The US Quidditch Cup, is a quidditch tournament held in the United States and organized by US Quidditch. Held every year since 2007, it features collegiate and community clubs primarily from the United States. The tournament was formerly known as Quidditch World Cup, but that name now refers to the international championship IQA World Cup.
Oxford Universities Quidditch Club (OUQC) is the quidditch club of both the University of Oxford and Oxford Brookes University. It is composed of two teams: a first team, the Radcliffe Chimeras, and a reserve second team, the Quidlings.. Both teams are official QuidditchUK (QUK) teams. QUK is the UK quidditch governing body, and is a constituent part of the International Quidditch Association (IQA).
The Belgium national quidditch team, also known as the Belgian Gryffins, is the national team of Belgium in quidditch. The team was founded in 2014 upon the announcement of the 2014 IQA Global Games, the International Quidditch Association's second international tournament featuring national teams.
Quidditch Canada is the governing body that oversees quidditch within Canada under its mother organization, the International Quidditch Association.
The United Kingdom National Quidditch Team, colloquially known as Team UK, is the official national Quidditch team of the United Kingdom. Team UK made its debut in 2012 at the IQA Summer Games in Oxford, UK where it placed 5th of 5 teams. The team then played in Canada at the 2014 IQA Global Games in Burnaby, BC on July 29, 2014 where it placed 4th of 7 teams and in the European Games in Sarteano, Italy in July 2015, placing 2nd of 12. Team UK gained its first medals at the IQA World Cup 2016 in Frankfurt on July 23–24, 2016, finishing 3rd out of 21 teams. In 2017 the team gained its first international trophy, winning the IQA European Games, beating France in the final.
Belgian Quidditch Federation, or BQF, is the governing body of quidditch in Belgium. It was founded in 2012 as a Facebook page to garner interest from potential players and teams within Belgium and began to take shape in 2013 with the introduction of its first two teams: Deurne Dodo's and the Brussels Qwaffles. The organisation began to take shape as a non-profit in early 2014 with the formation of the newly-international International Quidditch Association in the form an international federation. Belgian Quidditch Federation maintains one delegate within the IQA Congress as a member of Quidditch Europe alongside Quidditch Nederland (QNL) and the Luxembourgish Quidditch Federation (FLQ). On 10 October 2014, BQF changed its name from Belgium Muggle Quidditch to its current name to better integrate with other sports in the country.
US Quidditch is a non-profit organization that governs the sport of quidditch in the United States of America. Quidditch is a sport which combines elements of lacrosse, dodgeball, and rugby, and is derived from the fictional sport of the same name from the Harry Potter series. Quidditch was founded in 2005 at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. The sport is currently played at more than 100 colleges in the United States.
The IQA World Cup is an international quidditch tournament contested by the national teams of the members of the International Quidditch Association, the sport's global governing organisation. The championship, which was named Summer Games and Global Games in its first two editions, has been awarded every two years since 2012. The current champions are the United States, who defeated Belgium in 2018.
Quidditch is a growing team sport in Canada. Due to its relative youth within the sports scene of Canada, adoption is not as widespread as other sports such as rugby or ultimate. However, adoption is picking up with additional university and community teams each year. As a result of its inclusivity and its many niche styles of play, a wider spectrum of individuals are drawn to this sport than other mainstream sports. For the moment, the majority of teams are based in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta, but teams are rapidly starting up in Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Manitoba. Quidditch Canada is the governing body for the sport across the country; there are no associations within Quidditch Canada that govern provincially/territorially.
The IQA European Games (EG) are the biennial games for the sport of quidditch held in Europe where national governing bodies send national teams to compete. The European Games were created in response to the IQA World Cup, the biennial tournament wherein nations from across the world compete in a similar style to the FIFA World Cup. Both Games alternate years so in the off years regional tournaments such as the European Games or the Asian Quidditch Cup can occur. These games are the highest level of championships in quidditch aside from Global Games. The 2015 champions were Team France, narrowly beating Team UK.
The 2015 IQA European Games, also known simply as the European Games, was the inaugural European championship for the sport of quidditch organized jointly by Sarteano2015, Quidditch Europe and the International Quidditch Association. The tournament was held the weekend of the 24–26 July 2015 in the city of Sarteano, Italy. France took first against the United Kingdom with a final score of 90*–50, and Norway came in third winning 150*–80 against Belgium.
The Spanish national quidditch team is a team created with Spanish quidditch players. Since 2015 it has represented Association Quidditch Spain in the different national team tournaments organized by the IQA.
The Northern and Southern Cups are the two major regional quidditch tournaments of the United Kingdom. Organised by QuidditchUK, the tournaments serve both as qualification prerequisites for other tournaments, such as the European Quidditch Cup and the British Quidditch cup alongside being their own stand alone tournaments. Regionals are often considered the most important tournaments of the year, after the British Quidditch Cup. As of the 2016-17 season, these regional tournaments served as qualifiers for the latter tournament, as there were now more teams in the United Kingdom than its national championship could support. Those teams that fail to qualify for BQC each season compete in the Development Cup instead.
The 2016 IQA World Cup is the third edition of the IQA World Cup, the international quidditch championship organized by the International Quidditch Association. It was held in Frankfurt, Germany on 23–24 July 2016. Australia won the Cup 150*–130 against the United States, who had won all the previous editions. 21 nations competed, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. A crowdfunding campaign aimed to send the Ugandan team as the first ever African nation to compete internationally. However, the team members failed to obtain a German visa and withdrew from the competition. The Peruvian team also withdrew before the competition due to a lack of funds. A documentary entitled Fly The Movie: Journey To Frankfurt followed the British team in their preparation before the Cup.
The United States national quidditch team is the official quidditch team of the United States. The team is regulated by US Quidditch and is a national member of the International Quidditch Association. The team has won the most IQA World Cup titles, winning the 2012, 2014, and 2018 titles. The USNT only competes in events once every two years; at the IQA World Cup, as it is geographically ineligible for the only other current international Quidditch event; the IQA European Games.
The 2018 IQA World Cup was the fourth edition of the IQA World Cup, the international quidditch championship organized by the International Quidditch Association, the sport's global governing body. It was held in Florence, Italy between 27 June and 2 July 2018. Australia were the defending champions. The United States won their third championship after beating Belgium in the final. Over 800 athletes participated in competition.
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