Quidditch

N.B Unless visitors are familiar with the anti-muggle precautions formed by the Department of Magical Games and Sports it is advised that visitors do not play Quidditch in the muggle-world.

Pitch and Balls
Players
Rules and Fouls
Broomsticks
Teams
Moves

THE PITCH
The pitch, oval shaped and five hundred feet long and a hundred and eighty feet wide, contains a small (approx. two feet in diameter) central circle. The referee carries the four balls onto the pitch whilst the fourteen players stand around him. The moment the balls are released the players zoom into the air. With a scoring area at either end, guarded by the keeper, the Chasers aim is to use the Quaffle to score ten points for their team by putting it in one of three goalposts raised high in the air.

BALLS
There are three kinds in all with four used during a game.

Quaffle -The modern Quaffle is twelve inches in diameter, red in colour and seamless. The Chasers use this ball to score 10 points for their team.

Bludger - Nowadays Bludgers are made of iron, are black and are ten inches in diameter. They are bewitched to chase players indiscriminately. If left to their own devices, they will attack the player closest to them hence, the task of the teams two Beaters is to knock the two Bludgers as far away from their own team as possible.

The Golden Snitch - Originally the now endangered Golden Snidget, the walnut sized, gold and with tiny wings Snitch is bewitched to evade capture for as long as possible.

TOP

PLAYERS
There are seven (7) players on each team.

The Keeper - Their job is to guard the three goals at their opponents' end of the pitch. They are advised to stay within the scoring area unless attempting to intimidate opposing Chasers or head them off early.

The Beaters - Their first duty is to guard their team members from the flying Bludgers which they do with the aid of bats. Beaters need a good deal of physical strength therefore that position is often, more than any other, taken by wizards. They also need an excellent sense of balance as it sometimes necessary for them to take both hands off their broom. There are two Beaters on every team.

The Chasers - Chasers throw the Quaffle to each other and score ten points every time they get it through one of the goal hoops. There are three on each team.

The Seeker - Usually the lightest and fastest fliers, Seekers need both a sharp eye and an ability to fly one or no-handed. It is there job to find the Golden Snitch thus ending the game and increasing their teams total by a bonus 150 points.

TOP

RULES
1. There is no limit to the height players may rise during the game.
2. Players must not stray out of the boundary lines of the pitch.
3. Only during "Time-Out" can players' feet touch the ground.
4. Penalties are awarded for fouling.
5. The Quaffle may be taken from another players' grasp but under no circumstances must one player seize another players' anatomy.
6. In case of injury, no substitution will take place. The team will play on without the injured player.
7. Wands may be taken onto the pitch.
8. A game ends only when the Golden Snitch is caught, giving the winning team a bonus of 150 points or by mutual consent from both Captains.
9. The game has no time limit.

FOULS
DID YOU KNOW 700 Quidditch fouls are on record at the Department of Magical Games and Sports and they all occurred during one final of the World Cup in 1473!?!?

*Harry, Fred and George all receive life long Quidditch bans from Professor Umbridge. Terrence Higgs was the Seeker before Malfoy joined the team and Oliver Wood was Gryffindor's previous team captain. Marcus Flint (Slytherin Chaser and Team Captain) has now left the team after he finally finished at Hogwarts after he had to repeated a year for failing.. Adrian Pucey was apparently in the team during Philosopher's Stone, however, I don't remember this.

QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP
DID YOU KNOW that Transylavania slaughtered England in the Quidditch World Cup 390-0!?!? Well they did!

TEAMS OF BRITAIN AND IRELAND

QUIDDITCH TEAMS WORLDWIDE

MOVES
So you've become a bit of pro with all that practice you've been doing whilst cleaning the house ey? Well try these moves on for size…

BEATER MOVES

Bludger Backbeat - A move by which the Beater strikes the Bludger with a backhanded club swing, sending it behind him or her rather than in front. It is difficult to bring off with precision but is excellent for confusing opponents.

Dopplebeater Defence - Both Beaters hit a Bludger at the same time for extra power, resulting in a Bludger attack of great severity.

CHASER MOVES

Hawkshead Attacking Formation - Chasers form an arrowhead pattern and fly together towards the goalposts. It is highly intimidating to opposing teams and effective in forcing other players aside.

Wollongong Shimmy - Perfected by the Australian Wollongong Warriors, this is a high-speed zigzagging movement intended to throw off opposing Chasers.

Reverse Pass - Chasers throw the Quaffle over one shoulder to a team member. To gain accuracy is very difficult.

Parkin's Pincer - This move was named after the original Wigtown Wanderers who are reputed to have invented this move. Two Chasers close in on an opposing Chaser on either side, while the third flies head long towards him or her.

Porskoff Ploy - The Chaser carrying the Quaffle flies upwards, leading opposing Chasers to believe he or she is trying to escape them to score, but then throws the Quaffle downwards to a fellow Chaser waiting to catch it. Pinpoint timing is of the essence. This move is named after the Russian Chaser Petrova Porskoff.

KEEPER MOVES

Double Eight Loop - A defensive move, usually employed against penalty takers, the Keeper swerves around all three goal hoops at high speed to block the Quaffle.

Starfish and Stick - The Keeper holds the broom horizontally with one hand and one foot curled around the handle, while keeping limbs outstretched.

SEEKER MOVES

Plumpton Pass - A seemingly careless move that scoops the Snitch up one's sleeve. Named after Roderick Plumpton from the Tutshill Tornados who employed this move in his famous record-breaking Snitch catch back in 1921. Although some critics have alleged that this was an accident, Plumpton maintained until his death that he had meant to do it.

Wronski Feint - The Seeker hurtles towards the ground pretending to have seen the Snitch far below, but pulls out of the dive just before hitting the pitch. Intended to make the opposing Seeker copy him and crash, it was named after the Polish Seeker Josef Wronski.

OTHER MOVES

Sloth Grip Roll - Players hang upside down off their broom, gripping tightly with hands and feet to avoid an oncoming Bludger.

Transylvanian Tackle - First seen at the World Cup in 1473, this is a fake punch aimed at the nose. As long as contact is not made, the move is not illegal, though it is difficult to pull off when both teams are on speeding broomsticks.

TOP