Muggle Quidditch

Muggle Quidditch Rules

• The following slides contain the rules of Muggle Quidditch as set out by SEQA, the Southern England Quidditch Association, and modified by Dakota Wesleyan University Muggle Quidditch Club. These rules may be used by any other Muggle Quidditch association.

Muggle Quidditch Rules

• Muggle Quidditch is a combination of dodgeball, freezetag, capture the flag, and basketball.

• It is a very complicated game with 5 different positions, each with unique objectives.

• Play is not timed and action never stops.• Play begins with a jump ball between 2 chasers.

Terms

• Quidditch – Magical game invented by J.K. Rowling in the Harry Potter books

• Muggle – Person who cannot perform magic• Chasers, Beaters, Reserves, Keepers, Seekers – Players in

the game• Quaffle – Basketball used by Chasers• Bludger – Dodgeball used by Reserves• Snitch – Yellow flag• Bucket (Quaffle Bucket) – Large garbage cans

The Pitch

• The pitch should be about the size of a muggle netball or basketball court (94’x50’).

• A game of Quidditch is fast and furious, so expect players to fall over from time to time. You may want to play on grass. Grass makes the game much safer and players are more likely to be adventurous during play.

The Pitch

Officials

• Referee – Run up and down the pitch, following and regulating the activity of the chasers.

• Umpire – There is one at each end of the field regulating the area around the buckets and snitch.

• Observers – These are people who are spectating, but are also part of the officiating crew. They oversee play and keep eyes specifically on the seeker and beaters. Observers do not make calls, only shout to the referees and umpires. There can be up to 6 observers.

• Referees and umpires can determine if a player needs to be removed from the match due to unsportsmanlike conduct.

The Keeper

• The keeper has two objectives: keep the opposing team’s chasers from scoring the quaffle into the buckets and keep the opposing team’s seeker from capturing the snitch.

• Communication is key between the keeper and his or her beaters in order to keep the opposing team’s chasers and seeker at bay.

• The keeper is frozen by bludgers and can be unfrozen by beaters.

The Keeper

• The keeper must capture the seeker of the opposing team before he or she gets the snitch.

• Once the seeker is captured, the keeper must keep him or her from catching the quaffle.

• After the quaffle is scored, the keeper will immediately retreive the quaffle and pass it to a chaser.

• The keeper can handle the quaffle.

The Beaters

• The beaters objective is to protect the keeper, the chasers, and the snitch from bludgers.

• There are two beaters per team.• Beaters can be struck by bludgers without being frozen.• When teammates are frozen by bludgers, a beater must

tag them in order for them to return to normal play and be unfrozen.

• Beaters can capture the seeker.

The Beaters

• Beaters may not touch the quaffle with any part of their body.

• Beaters may not defend the opposing team’s chaser in any way or make any action that would keep the opposing team’s chaser from advancing the quaffle.

• Beaters must clear the pitch of all bludgers. A bludger on the pitch is a live bludger, and if touched by any player other than a beater it will result in a freeze.

• Beaters may not faceguard reserves.

The Chasers

• The objective of the chasers is to score the quaffle into one of the opposing teams buckets.

• There are two chasers on each team.• They play two on two basketball up and down the court;

basketball rules apply in regards to ball handling and physical contact.

• When the quaffle goes out of bounds, a chaser may throw it in to the other chaser or the keeper.

The Chasers

• Fouls result in immediate turnovers without the ball being taken out of bounds.

• Chasers may not touch bludgers. They are frozen immediately and can be unfrozen by beaters.

• Once struck by a bludger, the chaser must immediately drop the quaffle withouth making a pass or keeping anyone else from obtaining possession.

The Reserves

• The objective of the reserves is to freeze the opposing team’s keeper, seeker, and chasers by hitting them with bludgers.

• There are two reserves per team.• Reserves can move anywhere outside of the pitch to throw at

a player.• Reserves can only enter the pitch to retrieve a bludger.• The only area outside of the pitch that the reserves cannot

enter is the area between the buckets. They may pass through, but may not throw from the area.

• Reserves cannot be frozen.

The Seeker

• Seekers must wear a cap or hat.• Each team has one seeker.• Seekers are not allowed to touch the quaffle, except while

captured, and are never allowed to touch bludgers.• If a seeker is struck by a bludger, he or she is frozen in

place until tagged by a beater from his or her own team.

The Seeker

• The seeker’s main objective is to capture the snitch.• The seeker must remain within the boundaries of the

pitch to capture the snitch.• Once the snitch is captured, the seeker is safe behind the

baseline until he or she crosses the baseline onto the pitch.

• The game ends when the seeker returns his or her team’s snitch back to his or her team’s side of the court.

The Seeker

• Seekers are eligible to be captured once they have crossed the midline into the oppositions part of the pitch.

• Seekers can be captured by beaters or the keeper.• Once captured (tagged), the seeker must remain behind

the opposing team’s keeper with a foot on the baseline until he or she catches a passed quaffle from a chaser on his or her team.

• Once freed, the seeker must run around the pitch only to enter the pitch next to his or her own keeper.

Scoring

• When a chaser scores the quaffle into the bucket, his or her team is awarded ten points.

• When the snitch is captured, the capturing team is awarded 150 points and the game is over.

• A team can capture the snitch and still lose the game.• A match is best out of three games.

For Review

• Basketball – Chasers play 2 on 2• Dodgeball – Reserves vs. everyone else (friendly fire

exists)• Freezetag – Everyone is frozen by bludgers and can be

unfrozen by beaters• Capture the flag – Seeker tries to capture the snitch while

being chased by the keeper and beaters.

Turnovers of the Quaffle

• Double Dribble• Travel• Out of bounds• Charge – movement into the torso of a defender that moves the

defender from his or her ground• Use of feet• Failure to freeze – not immediately dropping the quaffle when frozen• 5 second violation• Restricted area violation – There is a restricted area around the

quaffle buckets that no players may enter unless it is a beater unfreezing the keeper.

Fouls on Chasers

• Block - impedes movement of offensive chaser• Contact fouls – impedes play of offensive chaser• Contact on the arm, reach, push• result in free possession or reset of possession• Reset of possession – chasers take possession at half court

Fouls on Beaters

• Defending the goal – defending chasers, results in free possession or reset of possession

• Delay of game – failure to remove bludgers in a timely manner, may result in umpire induced freeze that can be undone by other beater

• Face guarding - umpire induced freeze

Fouls on Keepers

• Delay of game – not immediately retrieving the quaffle, results in a turnover

• Contact foul – unnecessary contact to a chaser, results in reset of a possession.

Seeker Violations

• Out of bounds – Leaves pitch while pursuing snitch, results in return to keeper

• Off baseline – steps off baseline while catching quaffle, catch does not count

Reserve Violations

• Throwing in restricted area – bludger is dead