Quidditch, "the sport of warlocks," is the premier sport of the wizarding world. Everyone follows Quidditch. Quidditch is a fast, dangerous, exciting game in which two teams flying on broomsticks compete for points scored by throwing a ball--the Quaffle--through hoops on either end of a large grassy pitch. Quidditch is played by kids on broomsticks in the back apple orchard, by teams of students at Hogwarts, and by professional athletes whose exploits are followed avidly all over the world. The World Cup matches attract hundreds of thousands of fans.
Quidditch falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Magical Games and Sports, part of the Ministry of Magic. The professional organization is called the International Association of Quidditch. Professional matches are attended by trained mediwizards and while there are many injuries, there are few deaths from Quidditch accidents. However, referees have been known to disappear completely only to turn up weeks later in the middle of the Sahara Desert. There are seven hundred possible ways to commit a foul in Quidditch, all of which occurred in a World Cup match held in 1473.
The name "Quidditch" comes from Queerditch Marsh, the place where the game originated in the 1000s.
Quidditch is played up on broomsticks up in the air. There are three goal posts at either ends of a field. That field is called a Quidditch pitch. Quidditch has three balls. The ball that scores the points is the Quaffle. The Quaffle is 12 inches in diameter and is made of leather bindings. The Quaffle has made some different changes over the years. The Bludger is probably the most dangerous ball of all of them. It flies through the air being hit by players called beaters. Serious injuries have been caused by Bludgers hitting people and causing them to fall off their brooms. The third and most important ball is the Golden Snitch. The Golden Snitch is a tiny ball that has wings and is enchanted. The first Snitch was a tiny bird that was very small and very tiny, but changes to the rules made it illegal to use the actual bird. The current enchanted, winged ball version of the Snitch was invented by Bowman Wright of Godric's Hollow. If the Seeker catches the Golden Snitch, his or her team earns 150 points and usually wins the match.
At either end of the Quidditch pitch are three hoops through which the Quaffle can be scored. In the center of the Pitch is a circle where the balls are all thrown into the air and the match begins. As the balls are thrown, the players all gather on the ground and then kick off as the referee blows his/her whistle. During the game a player can get a foul or break a rule. Here are some fouls that a player can receive. Blagging applies to all players, it is when a player seizes 
opponent's broom tail to slow or hinder. Blatching applies to all players, it is when a person is flying with the intent to collide. Bumphing applies to beaters only, it is when a Beater is hitting a Bludger towards the crowd, necessitating a halt of the game as the officials rush to protect bystanders. Sometimes used by unscrupulous players to prevent an opposing Chaser from scoring.
During a regulation Quidditch game, there are a total of seven players on each team. There are three chasers, two beaters, one keeper, and one seeker. On each team there is one keeper. Their job is to prevent the quaffle from going through the goal hoops, defending them at all costs. The keeper should not wander too far from the goals, or their goal hoops are prone to a score from the opposing team. On each team there are three chasers. Their goal is to pass the quaffle to each of their teammates and try and score in the goal baskets at the other end of the pitch, scoring 10 points each goal. On each team there are two beaters. Their obstacle is to hit the dangerous bludgers with a bat and send them plummeting towards an opposite team member. On each team there is one seeker. They must snatch the wicked fast shimmering golden snitch that flies around the stadium. It isn't so simple to catch it though, a good sharp eye is needed, as it is so small. When the snitch is caught, 150 points are rewarded to the team that the seeker belongs to, and the game ends.
**Draco in his robes**
**Harry in his robes**
**Some Slytherin players**
**typical Slytherin Quiddich robes**
**Gryffindor's Quiddich team**
**Potter in Quiddich robes**
**The first flying lesson**
**Gryffindor's and Slytherin's teams**
**Another of Gryffindor's team**
**Some of Slytherin's team**
**Potter and Draco flying**
**the flying coach and referee, Madam Hooch**
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