Quidditch is a wizarding sport played on broomsticks. It is the most popular game among wizards and witches, and, according to Rubeus Hagrid, the equivalent to Muggles' passion for football. The game is played by two teams of seven people (three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper, and one Seeker) and involves four balls (a Quaffle, two Bludgers, and a Golden Snitch).
The Keeper guards the goal posts, while the three Chasers score goals with the Quaffle by tossing it into one of the opposing team's three goal posts. The two Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team and hit the Bludgers towards the opposing team, and the Seeker catches the Golden Snitch to end the game. The team whose Seeker catches the Snitch is awarded 150 points, but this does not necessarily mean they will win if the other team still has more points after the Snitch is caught.
The object of the game is to score more points than your opponents. Each goal is worth ten points and catching the Snitch is worth one-hundred fifty points. The game ends when the Snitch is caught or an agreement is reached between the captains of both teams. Some games can go on for many days if the Snitch is not caught (the record, according to Quidditch Through the Ages, is three months).
The International Confederation of Wizards' Quidditch Committee is the international body that oversees the game of Quidditch. There is also the International Association of Quidditch and the Federation Internationale de Quidditch Association (FIQA), that organised the Quidditch World Cup every four years. Quidditch is governed in Britain by the Department of Magical Games and Sports, where the British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters are situated.
Quidditch pitches are typically in the shape of an oval, five-hundred feet long and one-hundred eighty feet wide, with a small central circle of approximately two feet in diameter, from which all the balls were released at the start of the game. At each end there are three hooped goal posts of different heights, surrounded by a scoring area. As Quidditch is an aerial sport, Quidditch pitches usually feature spectator seating at high vantage points, whether in towers (such as at Hogwarts) or in a fully-encircling platform style (such as the British stadium that held the 1994 Quidditch World Cup). The three hooped goal posts that are used nowadays, were originally barrel-goals in Goodwin Kneen's time. At the time of the introduction of the Golden Snitch, they were replaced by baskets on stilts, but whilst these were practical, they did carry an inherent problem: there was no size restriction on the baskets, which differed dramatically from pitch to pitch.
By 1620, scoring areas had been added at each end of the pitch, and an additional rule in the game, a 'stooging penalty', meant that only one Chaser was allowed in these areas at any given time, as noted in Quintius Umfraville's book "The Noble Sport of Warlocks". In addition, the size of the baskets themselves had reduced considerably, although there was still a certain amount of variation between pitches. Regulations were finally introduced in 1883 which replaced the baskets with hoops of a fixed size, and the modern Quidditch pitchwas complete. Both these changes caused a considerable amount of controversy, which resulted in riots and threats against the minister.
Quidditch pitches are built in places where they will not attract Muggle attention. This began in 1398 when the wizard Zacharias Mumps emphasised the need for anti-Muggle security while playing the game: "Choose areas of deserted moorland far from Muggle habitations and make sure that you cannot be seen once you take off on your brooms. Muggle-repelling charms are useful if you are setting up a permanent pitch. It is advisable, too, to play at night." The advice of Mumps must not have always been followed as in 1362, the Wizards' Council outlawed playing Quidditch within fifty miles of a known Muggle town. This was amended in 1368, possibly due to growing popularity of the game. This amendment made the playing of the sport within one-hundred miles of a Muggle town illegal, famously worded as not to play "anywhere near any place where there is the slightest chance a Muggle is watching or we'll see how well you can play while chained to a dungeon wall."
The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy of 1692 made all Ministries of Magic responsible for the consequences of magical sports in their territories. The Department of Magical Games and Sports was created for this purpose. Quidditch teams that flouted Ministry guidelines were disbanded. One such instance was the Banchory Bangers.
Rules:
The worldwide popularity and playing of the game of Quidditch is closely monitored and analysed by International Confederation of Wizards' Quidditch Committee
In 1750, the Department of Magical Games and Sports set down official rules for the game of Quidditch.
Players must not stray over the boundary lines of the pitch, although they may fly as high as desired. The Quaffle must be surrendered to the opposition if any player leaves the boundary (it is unknown what the penalty is if a player on defence leaves the pitch). "Time out" may be called at any time by the Captain of a team. Time out may be extended to two hours if a game has already lasted for more than twelve hours. Failure to return to the pitch after this time will lead to the team being disqualified. Penalties can be awarded to teams by the referee. A single Chaser may take the penalty by flying from the central circle towards the scoring area. The opposing team's Keeper may attempt to stop the shot being scored, but all other players must not interfere (it is unknown if the Seeker may still attempt to catch the Snitch while a penalty is being attempted). Contact is allowed, but a player may not seize hold of another player's broomstick or any part of their anatomy. No substitution of players is allowed throughout the game, even if a player is too injured or tired to continue to play. (Note: According to Goblet of Fire, during the Quidditch World Cup, at some point it lasted for days, and the players had to be switched out so that they could get some sleep). Players may take their wands onto the pitch, but they must not be used on or against any players, any players' broomsticks, the referee, any of the four balls, or the spectators. A game of Quidditch will only end once the Golden Snitch has been caught, or at the mutual consent of both team Captains. Only the Keeper can block quaffle shots thrown by the opposing team.
Fouls:
There are seven hundred Quidditch fouls listed in the Department of Magical Games and Sports records, though the entire list has never been made public (it was the department's view that some wizards and witches "might get ideas"). 90% of these are banned anyway, by the rule concerning wand use against the opposing team (or rather, lack thereof) and the remaining 10% would not occur even to the dirtiest player. There are, however, ten common fouls, named below (names of who the fouls apply to in brackets): Blagging: Seizing the opponent's broom tail to slow or hinder. (All players) Blatching: Flying with the intent to collide. (All players) Blurting: Locking broom handles with the intent to steer an opponent off course. (All players) Bumphing: Hitting Bludgers towards spectators. (Beaters only) Cobbing: Excessive use of elbows towards opponents. (All players) Flacking: Pushing any portion of anatomy through the goal hoop in an attempt to push the Quaffle out - the Keeper should defend from the front, not the rear. (Keepers only) Haversacking: Hand still on the Quaffle as it goes through the goal hoop - the Quaffle must be thrown through the goal. (Chasers only) Quaffle-pocking: Tampering with the Quaffle - e.g. puncturing it so that it falls more quickly or zig-zags. (Chasers only) Snitchnip: Any player other than Seeker touching or catching the Golden Snitch. (All players but Seeker) Stooging: More than one Chaser entering the scoring area. (Chasers only) During the final of the 1473 Quidditch World Cup, all seven hundred fouls were committed. These naturally included all ten aforementioned as well as: Transfiguring of a Chaser into a polecat. Attempted decapitation of a keeper with a broadsword. The release of one hundred blood-sucking vampire bats from under the Transylvanian Captain's robes during the game. Setting fire to an opponent's broom tail. Attacking an opponent's broom with a club. Attacking an opponent with an axe.
The game is played by two teams of seven people (three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper, and one Seeker) and involves four balls (a Quaffle, two Bludgers, and a Golden Snitch).
The Keeper guards the goal posts, while the three Chasers score goals with the Quaffle by tossing it into one of the opposing team's three goal posts. The two Beaters keep the Bludgers away from their team and hit the Bludgers towards the opposing team, and the Seeker catches the Golden Snitch to end the game. The team whose Seeker catches the Snitch is awarded 150 points, but this does not necessarily mean they will win if the other team still has more points after the Snitch is caught.
The object of the game is to score more points than your opponents. Each goal is worth ten points and catching the Snitch is worth one-hundred fifty points. The game ends when the Snitch is caught or an agreement is reached between the captains of both teams. Some games can go on for many days if the Snitch is not caught (the record, according to Quidditch Through the Ages, is three months).
The International Confederation of Wizards' Quidditch Committee is the international body that oversees the game of Quidditch. There is also the International Association of Quidditch and the Federation Internationale de Quidditch Association (FIQA), that organised the Quidditch World Cup every four years. Quidditch is governed in Britain by the Department of Magical Games and Sports, where the British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters are situated.
Quidditch pitches are typically in the shape of an oval, five-hundred feet long and one-hundred eighty feet wide, with a small central circle of approximately two feet in diameter, from which all the balls were released at the start of the game. At each end there are three hooped goal posts of different heights, surrounded by a scoring area. As Quidditch is an aerial sport, Quidditch pitches usually feature spectator seating at high vantage points, whether in towers (such as at Hogwarts) or in a fully-encircling platform style (such as the British stadium that held the 1994 Quidditch World Cup).
The three hooped goal posts that are used nowadays, were originally barrel-goals in Goodwin Kneen's time. At the time of the introduction of the Golden Snitch, they were replaced by baskets on stilts, but whilst these were practical, they did carry an inherent problem: there was no size restriction on the baskets, which differed dramatically from pitch to pitch.
By 1620, scoring areas had been added at each end of the pitch, and an additional rule in the game, a 'stooging penalty', meant that only one Chaser was allowed in these areas at any given time, as noted in Quintius Umfraville's book "The Noble Sport of Warlocks". In addition, the size of the baskets themselves had reduced considerably, although there was still a certain amount of variation between pitches. Regulations were finally introduced in 1883 which replaced the baskets with hoops of a fixed size, and the modern Quidditch pitchwas complete. Both these changes caused a considerable amount of controversy, which resulted in riots and threats against the minister.
Quidditch pitches are built in places where they will not attract Muggle attention. This began in 1398 when the wizard Zacharias Mumps emphasised the need for anti-Muggle security while playing the game: "Choose areas of deserted moorland far from Muggle habitations and make sure that you cannot be seen once you take off on your brooms. Muggle-repelling charms are useful if you are setting up a permanent pitch. It is advisable, too, to play at night." The advice of Mumps must not have always been followed as in 1362, the Wizards' Council outlawed playing Quidditch within fifty miles of a known Muggle town. This was amended in 1368, possibly due to growing popularity of the game. This amendment made the playing of the sport within one-hundred miles of a Muggle town illegal, famously worded as not to play "anywhere near any place where there is the slightest chance a Muggle is watching or we'll see how well you can play while chained to a dungeon wall."
The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy of 1692 made all Ministries of Magic responsible for the consequences of magical sports in their territories. The Department of Magical Games and Sports was created for this purpose. Quidditch teams that flouted Ministry guidelines were disbanded. One such instance was the Banchory Bangers.
Rules:
The worldwide popularity and playing of the game of Quidditch is closely monitored and analysed by International Confederation of Wizards' Quidditch Committee
In 1750, the Department of Magical Games and Sports set down official rules for the game of Quidditch.
Players must not stray over the boundary lines of the pitch, although they may fly as high as desired. The Quaffle must be surrendered to the opposition if any player leaves the boundary (it is unknown what the penalty is if a player on defence leaves the pitch).
"Time out" may be called at any time by the Captain of a team. Time out may be extended to two hours if a game has already lasted for more than twelve hours. Failure to return to the pitch after this time will lead to the team being disqualified.
Penalties can be awarded to teams by the referee. A single Chaser may take the penalty by flying from the central circle towards the scoring area. The opposing team's Keeper may attempt to stop the shot being scored, but all other players must not interfere (it is unknown if the Seeker may still attempt to catch the Snitch while a penalty is being attempted).
Contact is allowed, but a player may not seize hold of another player's broomstick or any part of their anatomy.
No substitution of players is allowed throughout the game, even if a player is too injured or tired to continue to play. (Note: According to Goblet of Fire, during the Quidditch World Cup, at some point it lasted for days, and the players had to be switched out so that they could get some sleep).
Players may take their wands onto the pitch, but they must not be used on or against any players, any players' broomsticks, the referee, any of the four balls, or the spectators.
A game of Quidditch will only end once the Golden Snitch has been caught, or at the mutual consent of both team Captains.
Only the Keeper can block quaffle shots thrown by the opposing team.
Fouls:
There are seven hundred Quidditch fouls listed in the Department of Magical Games and Sports records, though the entire list has never been made public (it was the department's view that some wizards and witches "might get ideas"). 90% of these are banned anyway, by the rule concerning wand use against the opposing team (or rather, lack thereof) and the remaining 10% would not occur even to the dirtiest player. There are, however, ten common fouls, named below (names of who the fouls apply to in brackets):
Blagging: Seizing the opponent's broom tail to slow or hinder. (All players)
Blatching: Flying with the intent to collide. (All players)
Blurting: Locking broom handles with the intent to steer an opponent off course. (All players)
Bumphing: Hitting Bludgers towards spectators. (Beaters only)
Cobbing: Excessive use of elbows towards opponents. (All players)
Flacking: Pushing any portion of anatomy through the goal hoop in an attempt to push the Quaffle out - the Keeper should defend from the front, not the rear. (Keepers only)
Haversacking: Hand still on the Quaffle as it goes through the goal hoop - the Quaffle must be thrown through the goal. (Chasers only)
Quaffle-pocking: Tampering with the Quaffle - e.g. puncturing it so that it falls more quickly or zig-zags. (Chasers only)
Snitchnip: Any player other than Seeker touching or catching the Golden Snitch. (All players but Seeker)
Stooging: More than one Chaser entering the scoring area. (Chasers only)
During the final of the 1473 Quidditch World Cup, all seven hundred fouls were committed. These naturally included all ten aforementioned as well as:
Transfiguring of a Chaser into a polecat.
Attempted decapitation of a keeper with a broadsword.
The release of one hundred blood-sucking vampire bats from under the Transylvanian Captain's robes during the game.
Setting fire to an opponent's broom tail.
Attacking an opponent's broom with a club.
Attacking an opponent with an axe.
More INFO:
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Qui...