Muggle Quidditch
 A quidditch game. |
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| Highest governing body | International Quidditch Association [1] |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Quidditch, Broomstickers |
| First played | Middlebury, Vermont |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | full contact[1] |
| Team members | 7 on field, 21 total on roster |
| Mixed gender | Yes |
| Equipment | Quaffle (volleyball), Bludger (dodgeball), Snitch |
Quidditch is a sport based on the fictional sport developed by British author J. K. Rowling in the Harry Potter series of children's novels. The sport was created in 2005 at Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. It has grown into its own separate and distinct sport after six publications of rulebooks.[2]
In quidditch, as in fictional Quidditch, there are seven players on each team: 3 chasers, 2 beaters, 1 keeper and 1 seeker. Quidditch has been adapted for play on the ground, with game play confined to a playing field comparable in size to a hockey rink.[3]
Three circular goals are placed on either side of the pitch. The goals are often circular tubes on top of PVC pipes. All players are required to carry a broom between their legs at all times, on pain of a foul.[4] Volleyballs are used as the quaffle and dodgeballs serve as the bludgers. While the Snitch is a magical object within the canon of the Harry Potter novels, in quidditch the Snitch is simply a tennis ball contained in a sock tucked in the waistband of the snitch runner. The snitch runner is a neutral player affiliated with neither team dressed in all gold or yellow. After release, the snitch runner (and thereby the snitch itself) is allowed to roam an area beyond the playing field. When played on a college campus the range is often the entire campus.[5] The seekers search for the runner around campus; if they fail to catch him, he returns to the field after a pre-determined time.
The game begins with the quaffle and bludgers placed in the center of the field and all players in line with their respective goalposts. After the snitch is out of sight, the referee yells 'brooms up!' to start the game. The game continues until the snitch has been caught. 30 points are awarded to the team who captures the snitch, and the team with the highest amounts of points wins.
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History and influences [edit]
Muggle quidditch has its roots in the fictional Harry Potter sport of the same name. The sport is adapted using elements of rugby, dodgeball, and lacrosse.[6]
Positions in quidditch [edit]
- Chasers are responsible for passing the quaffle and scoring points by throwing the quaffle through one of the opponent's goals for 10 points. Three chasers from a team may be in play at one time. When a bludger hits a Chaser in possession of the quaffle, he or she must drop the quaffle and run back to his or her own goalpost to simulate recovery time.
- Keepers are the goal protectors (similar to goalkeepers in soccer) and must try to block attempts to score by the opposing team's Chasers. One keeper from a team may be in play at a time. The keeper is invulnerable to bludgers when within their team's keeper zone, an area around the team's hoops. Once outside of the Keeper zone, the Keeper serves as a 4th Chaser. .
- Beaters attempt to hit the opposing team's players with bludgers and attempt to block the bludgers from hitting their team's players. Two Beaters on a team may be in play at a time.
- Seekers attempt to catch the snitch. Though the snitch leaves the pitch at the start of the game and often does not return until a predetermined period has passed, seekers are able to search for the snitch off the pitch throughout the game.
Equipment [edit]
The game is played with six standing hoops, three on each side of the oval shaped pitch. The hoops have differing heights which are 1 metre, 1.4 metres, and 2 metres. The game has 3 different balls in play, the quaffle, the three bludgers, and the snitch.
The Quaffle [edit]
The quaffle is a volleyball that is able to be held by chasers and keepers. The quaffle is the ball that is used for scoring in the game. It can only be held by chasers or keepers and may pass through either side of the hoop in order for a score to count.
The Bludger [edit]
The bludger is typically a slightly under-inflated dodgeball that can only be used by the beaters on the field. There are always 3 bludgers in play at one time so that one team may not have sole control of the bludgers. The bludgers are used to hit any other player on the field. Upon being hit by a bludger thrown by an opposing beater the player must dismount their broom and run back to their team's hoops in order to simulate the "knock out effect".
The Snitch [edit]
The snitch is typically a gold sock with a tennis ball or racquet ball placed inside of it. It must then be tucked into the back of a snitch runner's shorts, like a tail. The snitch runner may do everything in his or her power to protect the snitch sock from being grabbed by seekers. Only seekers may make advances towards the snitch sock or the snitch runner and must attempt to get the snitch sock without making forceful contact with the snitch runner. The game ends when the snitch sock is grabbed by a seeker.
International Quidditch Association [edit]
The International Quidditch Association serves as the main association for quidditch and helps organize roughly 1000 teams, 600 teams in the United States alone. The International Quidditch Association holds a World Cup for qualifying members of the association at the end of every season, the first being held in 2007.
International Quidditch Association World Cup [edit]
The first intercollegiate Quidditch World Cup was held in 2007 at Middlebury College in Vermont, between Middlebury and Vassar College from Poughkeepsie, New York. The World Cup last took place at Austin-Tindall Regional Park in Kissimmee, Florida. It is a two-day event from 8 o'clock in the morning until 9 o'clock at night. The event has musical, circus and headlining performers throughout the day, with pool play on Saturday and a single-elimination bracket on Sunday.
The World Cup features:
- 80 college teams from 36 states and four nations.
- Over 1,500 uniformed, broom-riding athletes.
- Big name Harry Potter events such as Harry and the Potters and StarKid Productions.
- Live commentary on every field from trained quidditch commentators.
- Food and libations such as butterbeer, turkey legs, Bertie Botts beans, BBQ, chili, hot chocolate, and real beer.
- Wands, brooms, robes, scarves, and other wizardly gear for sale.
World Cup Champions [edit]
- 2007: Middlebury College
- 2008: Middlebury College
- 2009: Middlebury College
- 2010: Middlebury College
- 2011: Middlebury College
- 2013: University of Texas at Austin
2012 Summer Games [edit]
July of 2012 saw 5 national teams from around the world have the first properly international tournament that the IQA has run, taking place in Oxford, England. The five teams being USA, Canada, France, UK and Australia. The day started off with a round robin and high expectations for Team USA, and UK, mainly. The first match saw the UK get defeated by France, then soon Australia was defeated by USA. This trend continued through the round robin, USA coming out on top, UK being knocked out. Then the finals took place and the placings were Gold: USA, Silver: France, and Bronze: Australia.
References [edit]
- ^ http://www.internationalquidditch.org/2012/10/safety-in-quidditch-a-pre-report/
- ^ http://www.internationalquidditch.org/rules/
- ^ http://www.internationalquidditch.org/rules/
- ^ http://www.internationalquidditch.org/rules/
- ^ Universities fall under game's spell
- ^ Goodale, Gloria (11/17/2010), 'Harry Potter' real-world appeal: quidditch leagues and rock cake recipes, Christian Science Monitor
