WHAT IS QUIDDITCH?

 

Quidditch is a competitive sport in the wizarding world of the Harry Potter universe, and is from the series of children’s novels and movies. It is an extremely rough but very popular semi-contact sport, played by wizards and witches. Matches are played between two teams of seven players riding flying broomsticks, using four balls and six elevated ring-shaped goals, three on each side of the Quidditch pitch (field). In the Harry Potter universe, Quidditch holds a fervent following similar to the position that association football holds as a globally popular sport.

   

DFMM Quidditch Rules 2030/31

 

This is a write-up of the official MM Quidditch rules, which adhere to the canonical Quidditch rules as closely as possible. Of course some of the canonical rules cannot be followed due to the limits of MM’s Quidditch equipment but we have stuck as faithfully to them as possible.

It is up to the team captains to remind players of these rules and follow them in practice sessions. These rules were standardised by the British Ministry of Magic in 1750 and have been the official rules ever since. Any rule breaks will be dealt with by the referee who may decide the severity of the punishment, be it a warning, penalty, a Green or Red Sparking or removal from the game:

 

• Players must not stray too far from the pitch boundaries. There are no exceptions to this rule.
  • The quidditch boundaries are aligned with the back of the stands.
  • It is best practice for captains to train their team to avoid straying near the towers
  • See the OOC rules on how boundaries will be handled as of September 2031
• Time out may be called at any time by the team captains.
  • Time outs will be OOCly timed by the referee to ensure adequate play time
  • Teams must be ready to recommence play as soon as the referee calls to restart. 
  • The referee may also call time outs if there are any problems.
• No substitution of players is allowed during a game, even if a player is too injured or tired to continue playing.
  • Exceptions to the rule may only be granted by the referee should a game last longer than 24 hours.
• 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 and wait behind the halfway line, including seekers. 
  • Play resumes as normal as soon as the shot is scored/blocked.
• Contact is allowed, however players must not deliberately tamper with another players’ flight.
• 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 balls or the spectators.
• Only the keeper can block quaffle shots thrown by the opposing team whilst in the protected scoring zone
  • The scoring zone is delineated by the final edge of the final set of towers prior to the goals
  • If a team’s chaser is in the protected scoring zone they must not intercept the attacking chaser’s attempt at shooting into the goals
  • If a chaser shoots outside the protected scoring zone, the quaffle is free to be intercepted by opponents
• A player may not intercept a pass from the keeper to a chaser if the chaser is in the scoring zone
  • The quaffle may be intercepted if the chaser is not in the scoring zone
• Players will not argue with the referee or insult or question their decisions.
  • All referees are to be treated with the utmost respect and in the event that they are not the offending player may be given a Green Sparking or at least cede a penalty.
• Players must NOT enhance their performance with potions of any kind. 
• Players must NOT alter their form in any way (for example, a metamorphmagus player extending their height, a player transfiguring their arms into gorilla arms for extra strength, etc.)
• If a Sparking is called all players must ground themselves immediately. Failure to do so and capitalising upon this may result in the non-offending team being awarded a penalty.
• Refusal to continue to play a game will result in the game being forfeited and the opposing team being gifted the win by one snitch catch to nil.
• Captains can choose to forfeit a match before it has begun. This must be conveyed to the Quidditch Department at least 24 hours prior to the match. Additionally, in choosing to forfeit, a Captain accepts the risk that it may damage their likelihood of being chosen as Captain again in the future. This also depends on the reasoning.

   

Fouls

 

There are another seven hundred fouls (approximately) that may result in a warning, penalty, a Green or Red Sparking or removal from the game by the referee, including:

 

• Bludgering the keeper when no one is attempting to score
• Bludgering a player grounded either through injury or sparked
• 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 captain’s robes during a game
• Setting fire to an opponent’s broom tail
• Attacking an opponent’s broom with a club
• Attacking an opponent with an axe
• Chucking butterbeer into an opponent’s eyes
• Running on the ground for more than seventy-seven seconds
• Swearing profusely at the referee
• Flirting profusely at the referee
• Bribery
• Bribery with leprechaun’s gold
• Using omninoculars to check the opponents are wearing undergarments

   

Green Sparkings

 

A Sparking is a method wherein a referee will utilise Green or Red Sparks – in accordance with the severity of the foul or penalty conceded/given. If a Sparking is called all players must ground themselves immediately. Failure to do so and capitalising upon this may result in the non-offending team being awarded a penalty. A Green Sparking is created when a referee or touch-judge casts Green Sparks in the air after witnessing a breach of the following rules, and should act as a warning to BOTH teams not to commit the same foul:

 

• Stealing from the scoring “safe” scoring zone (as defined above)
  • Stealing is defined as intercepting a shot from a player attempting to score in the scoring zone
  • Stealing is also defined as intercepting a pass from a keeper who is passing to a chaser in the scoring zone
  • Stealing is allowed if the chaser is not in the scoring zone
  • A chaser attempting to take the quaffle from the hands of an opposition chaser in the scoring zone must be exceptionally careful. This is not against the rules but chasers put themselves at risk of “stealing” as defined above
• Excessive bludgering is not acceptable.
  • “Excessive” is defined as a single beater targeting a player repeatedly in a short period of time
  • Seekers may be targeted by beaters at any point
  • Beaters should be aware of players who are grounded through injury or sparking. Beaters are held responsible for any haphazard bludgerings of grounded players.
• Three fouls by an individual player
• A repeated foul by different team members of either team will warrant a warning, any further fouls will lead to a sparking

In the event of a Green Sparking, the player in question is punished via these three methods at the same time:

• The player in question must spend 5 minutes grounded whilst play resumes, weakening their team in the long run.
• OOC Note: Players who are grounded following a sparking must either stay in the game or leave and rejoin. The captain must make this decision for their team at the start of the match, who must  inform the referees and the opposition team
  • The captains should relay this decision to their own teams so that chasers and beaters can avoid aiming at the grounded player if they have remained in game
• Play resumes with a penalty attempt at goal for the team fouled against. Once this attempt is taken the 5 minutes begins.
• Professional Players pay a fine on top of having in game consequences.
  • Professional player’s fines take into account 1% of their monthly wage before adding additional charges upon it in accordance with the severity of the reasoning and repeat offences.

   

Red Sparkings

 

A Red Sparking is far more serious, and is only given out by refs in the above event or when a player breaches the following rules:

 

• Wand use on the pitch
• Performance enhancement with magic or potions
• Bludgering of the spectators or downed players.
• Arguing with the referee
• Three Green Sparkings
• If a player’s foul directly impacts the outcome of the match, or hinders the other team’s fair chance during a match-deciding moment, e.g. going out of bounds to catch the snitch

 

In the event of a player receiving a Red Sparking, they get taken off for the rest of the game with no substitution allowed, effectively making their team play with a player-down. 

After this, they are required to see a disciplinary council held at the Ministry of Magic by the Department of Magical Games and Sports in order to investigate the manner of these fouls and how the player intends to go ahead before they can play again. 

If a player begins to play again without seeing a disciplinary council they risk a permanent ban from play. Whilst Red Sparkings are incredibly rare, they are also very important when they happen. If a player has a history of Red Sparkings and Green Sparkings it is entirely possible that the DMGaS might ban them from the sport for life.

In addition to these specific instances, a referee may deem some actions worthy of a Red Sparking. 

It is down to the referee’s discretion whether severe cases that are not specifically detailed within the rules are worthy of a Red Sparking. A referee may also escalate straight to a Red Sparking from a Green, or even a warning, during match-deciding moments. A match-deciding moment is categorised as a moment within a match that would secure a certain outcome, typically one team’s victory, and hinder the other team’s fair chance. 

   

ALLOWED TACTICS AND MOVES

 

Several tactics and moves are considered acceptable and entertaining, such as:

 

• Checking: When a chaser intercepts an opposing chasers’ pass outside of the attacking third
• Dopplebeater Defence: Both beaters striking a bludger at the same opponent, doubling their chance of grounding them
• Hawkshead Attacking Formation: Three chasers flying in a triangle shape during an attack
• Power Play: A large concentration of players is applied in a certain area of the pitch, in order to clear a path for the chaser who is carrying the quaffle
• Twirl: Whirling about of the broomstick, in an attempt to dodge something, usually an opponent or a bludger
• Wronski Feint: A seeker from high above dives down sharply as if to collect the snitch, tricking the opposing seeker to chase after them, only to pull up at the last second, leaving the opposing seeker to crash into the ground below.
• Zig-Zag: A player moving in a back and forth motion to avoid bludgers and other players, and confuse the keeper
• Double Eight Loop: A keeper flies in front of the three goals at high speed to block the quaffle
• Porskoff Ploy: One chaser flies upwards, and then throws the quaffle straight down to another chaser directly below
• Reverse pass: A chaser throws the quaffle to teammate behind them
• Wollongong Shimmy: All chasers fly in a zig-zag to confuse opposing chasers
• Falmouth Feint: One chaser flies toward the goal hoops and pretends to shoot before either passing to another chaser so they can shoot, or shooting themselves