Quidditch

File:Quidditch pitch.gif

> Quidditch, the most popular sport in the magical world – highly dangerous, very exciting and played on broomsticks.
>
> Description, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

**Quidditch** (formerly known as **Kwidditch** and **Cuaditch**) was a wizarding sport played on flying broomsticks. It was the most popular and well-known game among wizards and witches, and, according to Rubeus Hagrid, the wizard equivalent to ***Muggles'*** passion for ***football*** (Soccer).

The game was played by two teams with seven members each. The object of the game was to score more points than the opposing team.

## History

While Quidditch was the first (and so far, only) broomstick-based game to attain near-worldwide popularity amongst the wizarding people, it was certainly not the first broomstick game. In truth, Quidditch probably owed a debt to a number of its forerunners in making it as successful as it became. All of these archaic broom games were popular in localised areas, but none had the vast appeal that Quidditch did. The beauty of Quidditch was that it took the best aspects of all its predecessors, added its own unique twists, and ended up as a game that would remain popular with the masses for centuries.

### Evolution of the game

The sport of Quidditch got its name from ***Queerditch Marsh***, the location of the first ever recorded game. A witch by the name of ***Gertie Keddle*** lived on the edge of the marsh around the year ***1050*** and recorded what she saw in a diary that survives to this day. Successive entries in her journal show the evolution of the game and how each element was introduced.

Her first note simply recorded her annoyance at a number of people playing a game with a ball whilst flying their broomsticks above the marsh. When the ball landed in her cabbage patch, she confiscated it and then hexed the man who asked for it.

A second entry showed that the players did not give up, but had made themselves a new ball and were then trying to score goals by throwing it through trees at the end of the marsh. This was the earliest incarnation of the Quaffle and the scoring hoops.

The third entry noted the introduction of flying rocks that had been bewitched to knock the players off their broomsticks, which were the forerunners of the Bludgers. She also mentioned the presence of a '*big Scottish warlock*' who may have been a ***Creaothceann*** player, which would show a clear link between the two sports.

The one missing element was the Golden Snitch.

### Golden Snitch

> This... is the Golden Snitch, and it's the most important ball of the lot. It's very hard to catch because it's so fast and difficult to see. It's the Seeker's job to catch it. You've got to weave in and out of the Chasers, Beaters, Bludgers, and Quaffle to get it before the other team's Seeker, because whichever Seeker catches the Snitch wins his team an extra hundred and fifty points, so they nearly always win. That's why Seekers get fouled so much. A game of Quidditch only ends when the Snitch is caught, so it can go on for ages —
>
> Description of the Snitch and a Seeker's job, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

This was easier said than done: the Snidget was very fast, very small, and could make sudden changes of direction at high speeds. The considerable challenge posed by the flight patterns of the bird was what made Snidget-hunting so popular in the first place.

What happened at the Quidditch game in question was rather predictable: the players totally ignored the game, and each and every one simply went off in pursuit of the Snidget, which was kept within the arena by the crowd using Repelling Charms.

The game of Quidditch, however, could not continue without a substitute.

Whilst most people looked for a suitable alternative bird to chase, a metal-charmer called ***Bowman Wright*** from Godric's Hollow had a different idea: he invented a fake Snidget which he called the Golden Snitch. His invention was pretty much what was seen on the modern Quidditch pitch: a golden ball with silver wings, the same size and weight as a real Snidget, bewitched to accurately follow its flight patterns. An additional benefit was that the ball was also charmed to stay within the playing area, removing the need for the continual use of Repelling Charms by the crowd.

The Snitch was approved as a Snidget substitute, the game of Quidditch could continue, and the modern sport as we know it was complete. All of the balls used in the modern game were now present, organised teams played against each other, and vast numbers of people came to watch. Whilst this may sound exactly like the sport as it came to be, there were still a few modifications to be made in terms of the playing pitch, and this continued to evolve until ***1883*** when the format of modern Quidditch pitches was finalised.

## Match overview

> *Mount your brooms, please*.' Harry clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand. Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle. Fifteen brooms rose up, high, high into the air. They were off.
>
> The start of a 1991 Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match, Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone

 File:Quidditch in Philosopher's Stone film.gif
There were seven players on a Quidditch team: three ***Chasers***, two **Beaters**, one ***Keeper***, and one ***Seeker***. The game was played with four balls: a *Quaffle*, two *Bludgers*, and a *Golden Snitch*.

The Chasers handled the Quaffle and earned points by tossing it through any one of a set of three ***goalposts*** on the opposing teams side of the field. Each goal was worth 10 points. The Keeper guarded the goalposts in an effort to prevent the opposing teams Chasers from scoring.

The Seeker tried to catch the Golden Snitch before the opposing team's Seeker could. The Golden Snitch flew very fast and was difficult to see. When and only when the Snitch was caught did the game end, and the Seeker who caught the Snitch earned 150 points for their team.

The two Bludgers were highly aggressive balls that flew through the air and tried to knock the players off their broomsticks. The two Beaters each used a bat to hit the Bludgers in an effort to keep them away from their own teammates, as well as to send the Bludgers towards the members of the opposing team.

The game started with the referee releasing all four balls from the central circle on the field. The Bludgers and Snitch were bewitched to fly off of their own accord, but the Quaffle was thrown into the air by the referee to signal the start of play (This is similar to how the games of basketball and Gaelic football, popular Muggle sports, begin by the referee throwing the ball in the air).

After a goal was scored, the opposing team's Keeper would throw the Quaffle back into play. Teams continued using the same goalposts to score throughout the game.

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The game only ended when the Golden Snitch was caught, or if the Captains of both teams managed to reach an agreement. Some games could go on for many days if the Snitch was not caught (the record for the longest game, according to , was six months, although no one caught the Snitch). Since the lengths of Quidditch games were variable (some games could go on for days if the Golden Snitch was not caught) the game was not played in periods, although captains could call for a time out.

The winner of the game was the team with the most points, regardless of who caught the Golden Snitch. Catching the Golden Snitch was worth 150 points to the team whose Seeker made the catch, but this did not necessarily mean they would win, as the other team could still have more points after the Snitch was caught (i.e. if the other team had at least 160 more points when the Snitch was caught). As a result, it was possible, although difficult, to win the game even though the opposing team caught the Snitch, as was the case of the final match between ***Ireland*** and ***Bulgaria*** of the ***1994 Quidditch World Cup***.

The Snitch was bewitched to respond to the first witch or wizard to make contact with it, in case there was any dispute regarding which Seeker touched it first. Despite this, there have been several instances in which the Snitch has been fumbled.

It was never explained what happened in the event of a tie.

## Committees

The ***International Confederation of Wizards' Quidditch Committee*** was an international regulatory body, subject to the ***International Confederation of Wizards***, that oversaw international Quidditch competitions, such as the ***World Cup***. Namely, it located suitable venues, arranged transportation for spectators, and provided policing for the games themselves. It was also the ICWQC that chose the referees for World Cup matches.

Quidditch was governed in Britain by the **Department of Magical Games and Sports**, where the ***British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters*** was situated.

## Quidditch pitches

> Zacharias Mumps describes the fourteenth-century pitch as oval-shaped, five hundred feet long and a hundred and eighty feet wide with a small central circle (approximately two feet in diameter) in the middle.
>
> The fourteenth-century pitch, Quidditch Through the Ages (real)

 File:Quidditch Pitch.JPG
Quidditch pitches were typically in the shape of an oval, five-hundred feet long and one-hundred and 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 were 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 were originally barrel-goals, introduced during ***Goodwin Kneen***'s time. At the time of the introduction of the scoring area, 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.

## Quidditch events

### Inter-House Quidditch Cup

The ***Inter-House Quidditch Cup*** was a championship that took the form of a mini-league at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Each house team played each other throughout the course of the school year. This resulted in three games for each team, and six games of Quidditch for the school to enjoy overall. Final standings in the competition were based on the total amount of points won over all matches played, rather than the number of victories. It was entirely possible for one team to lose to another, but still claim the Cup if their points from previous games had been high enough.

The ***Quidditch Cup*** itself was an enormous, silver trophy cup, with four handles designed after the four Houses' emblematic animals. The Cup was traditionally kept in the office of the reigning champions' Head of House.

## Equipment

Comet290.pngBroomstickQuidditch Quaffle Ball (Concept Artwork).jpgQuaffleQuidditch Bludger Ball (Concept Artwork) 1.jpgBludgerGolden Snitch..pngGolden SnitchPas Helmet.pngQuidditch helmetQuidditch Bludger Bat (Concept Artwork).jpgBeater's batSeeker Goggles - PAS.pngQuidditch goggles
Before the game could start, every player had to have a few standard things. Each player had to have a Broomstick between their legs. As protection, they had to wear a Quidditch helmet, Goggles, shin, knee and arm guards, and gloves. The different Quidditch positions required different equipment. For example, ***Beaters*** carried ***bats*** and ***Keepers*** wore protective head and chest gear. Each player had to wear the uniform of their team in an official match, so they could see who is with who. A uniform consisted of a cape and jersey. Each team's robes had their own colours and either logos or insignia. They had a special meaning to the team and their fans.

Most of the players in ***Great Britain*** bought their equipment at ***Quality Quidditch Supplies***, in Diagon Alley, ***London***.

The game was played with three types of balls: the Golden Snitch, Quaffle and Bludger.

## Tactics and moves

Over the centuries, many difficult and entertaining moves were invented by players who constantly pushed themselves and the game as far as they could go. Among them were:

### Quaffle throws

* ***Fast Ball***: a fast, straight shot
* ***Knuckle Ball***: a ball that spiralled towards the goal post

## Quidditch titles

* All-Africa Cup
* Eastern European Championship
* European Cup
* Hogwarts Quidditch Cup
* World Cup
* All-Africa Quidditch League
* Australian Quidditch League
* British and Irish Quidditch League
* Canadian Quidditch League
* Champion's League
* French Quidditch League
* Japanese Quidditch League
* Ligue de Grenoble
* Polish Quidditch League
* United States Quidditch League

## Known Quidditch teams

* Hogwarts teams

 File:Gryffindor™ Quidditch™ Badge.png
* Gryffindor
* Hufflepuff
* Ravenclaw
* Slytherin

## Fans

 File:Quidditch pitch fans.jpg
Quidditch was a hugely popular spectator sport. One hundred thousand fans attended the 1994 ***Quidditch World Cup*** final. Binoculars and ***Omnioculars*** were sometimes used by fans to view matches from the stands.

At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, there was such a small number of games, but each one was eagerly anticipated and usually attended by the entire school, including the teachers. When it came to Quidditch some of the Professors lost their normal calm demeanour and became as excited about the result as the students.

British Quidditch fans kept up to date with the latest Quidditch news in the *Daily Prophet* and **Seeker Weekly**.

Fans could buy a wide range of team merchandise including hats, scarves, flags, ***jerseys***, ***badges*** and figurines.

## Behind the scenes

* Most notably in the films, the rule that players must not stray outside the pitch boundary is not evident, as players can be seen flying around the spectator towers at the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch, as well as the scene where the rogue bludger chases Harry and Malfoy around the outside of the pitch boundaries in Template:COS.
* There also seems to be more allowance for malicious acts in the films, as we see several instances where Slytherin players physically attack the opposition with no penalty.
* J. K. Rowling wrote five pages of words starting with 'Q' before deciding upon 'Quidditch'.
* J. K. Rowling first developed Quidditch after a fight with her boyfriend at the time in a small hotel in Manchester. Some of the game's elements, such as the Golden Snitch being worth a disproportionate amount of points, were due to her state of mind at the time, as she felt these elements would be frustrating to men.
* ***Matthew Lewis*** has said that he would like to be a professional Quidditch player.

## Appearances

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* Template:PS Template:1st
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* Template:GOF
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## Notes and references

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1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Template:QTA
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Template:PS
3. ↑ Template:GOF
4. ↑ Template:PS
5. ↑ J.K. Rowling on The Diane Rehm Show, WAMU Radio Washington, D.C., October 20, 1999
6. ↑ J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - with annotations, *The Guardian*
7. ↑ https://www.pottermore.com/news/what-wizarding-world-jobs-would-the-harry-potter-cast-members-have