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QUIDDITCH AT BOSTON COLLEGE

DIRECT QUESTIONS VIA FLOO OR OWL TO This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

RULES

  1. Team registration is in the UGBC office (2nd floor, 21 Campanella Way) beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 1st. The first 16 teams to sign up will get to play in the tournament. Only one member of the team has to be there, but they must have the names and email addresses of ALL of the team members, as well as a team name.
  2. Only BC students can play in the tournament.
  3. Seven (7) players play on the field at a time. Teams should consist of eight (8) to ten (10) players. Teams must be finalized by registration; no last minute add-ons the day of the tournament. Team members do not have to be in the same undergraduate school.
  4. No member of either team is allowed to wear a yellow shirt, cape, jersey, sweatshirt, etc. Basically, DO NOT WEAR YELLOW.
  5. Rain or shine, Quidditch goes on. We will play in any weather conditions.
  6. Come ready to play at least fifteen (15) minutes before the start of your match time. Each team will be emailed their starting match time on Friday, October 2nd. Once you win a match, your team must remain in the Dustbowl and wait for your next match.
  7. Read the game rules beforehand and know them. There will be no warnings the first time you break a rule.
  8. There are sixteen (16) teams competing in a randomized bracket-style tournament.
  9. The tournament is single elimination.
  10. There will be one (1) field set up in the Dustbowl. One (1) game will play at a time.
  11. Each game will be approximately twelve (12) minutes long; the Snitch will enter play after about ten (10) minutes. The game ends when either the Snitch is caught or when the 12-minute mark is reached; whichever happens first.
  12. If a team does not show or does not have 7 players, that team forfeits their match and their opponent moves on to the next round.
  13. There will be Referees in black capes. Cease play on their whistle. They will call the rules.
  14. Be respectful to all players and referees.
  15. Get your friends to come watch; this is going to be epic.
  16. Have fun!

Disclaimer: Assignments of Boston College undergraduate schools to Hogwarts houses were based on a survey and do not reflect the opinions of UGBC or any of its members.

Teams do not have to consist of students from one undergraduate school only. The use of the House seals is a marketing technique; teams may consist of 8-10 students from any undergraduate school at Boston College.

GAME PLAY

Positions and Terminology
There are seven (7) players on the field for each team at a time, for a 7 versus 7 match. Each team has:
  • one (1) Keeper, who guards the Goals (3 vertical hoops)
  • three (3) Chasers, who attempt to score the Quaffle (a volleyball) in the Goals against the opposite team's Keeper
  • two (2) Beaters, who play with the three (3) Bludgers (soft dodge balls) and attempt to defend their team's Keeper and Chasers
  • one (1) Seeker, who tries to catch the Snitch (a person running through the field dressed in yellow with flags tied to their waist; in order to catch the Snitch, the Seeker must grab these flags)
You may subtitute another player in at any time during game play, but you can only have seven (7) players on the field at any one time. If a substitute is to occur, the player leaving game play must be off the field before a new player comes on to replace them.

Brooms
Each player will be provided with a broom.  Players must hold their broom between their legs with one hand on the broom at all times, even as you run.  The Keeper may take the broom out from between his/her legs to use it to block the Quaffle from going into the Goals; this is the only exception.  If not blocking a ball, the broom must be between the Keeper’s legs as well.

Starting the Game
The Quaffle and three (3) Bludgers are lined up in the middle of the field. Both teams line up by their respective goal posts. When a Referee blows the whistle, they run to the center to grab the balls and the game begins.

After Scoring
When a team scores a goal the Quaffle is put back into play in the same fashion as the starting tip off.
Playing the Quaffle
Chasers attempt to move the Quaffle to their opponents' end of the field in order to score in the Goals. A goal is scored by throwing the Quaffle through one of the three (3) hoops at the end of the field.

Moving the Quaffle
Chasers may pass the Quaffle or run around with it freely. They must stay in bounds and out of the Keeper’s area. The object of the game is to get the Quaffle to the opposing team’s Goals and score through the hoops. Opposing Chasers are allowed to defend using their free hand. They can block a pass or knock the Quaffle out of the possessor’s hand.

Out of Bounds Quaffle
If the Quaffle is thrown out of bounds by a team, the opposing team brings the Quaffle back into play by having one of their Chasers stand just outside of the boundary and throw the Quaffle inbounds to a teammate.

Scoring with the Quaffle
Each time a Chaser throws the Quaffle through one of the opposing team's Goals, his or her team receives ten (10) points.

The Keeper’s Area
There is a coned off area around the Goal hoops inside of which only the Keeper is allowed.  No other player may enter this area.

Blocking by the Keeper
The Keeper's objective is to keep the opposing team from scoring with the Quaffle. The Keeper may use his or her hands to knock the Quaffle away or catch the Quaffle. Inside the Keeper’s area, the Keeper is allowed to use his or her broom taken out from between his or her legs to block a ball. The Keeper stays in the Keeper’s area to defend the Goal hoops.

Recovery and Throw-in by the Keeper
If the Keeper successfully blocks an attempted goal and can recover the Quaffle while it is still inside the Keeper area he or she can throw the Quaffle back in to one of his or her team's Chasers.


Playing the Bludgers
While the Chasers are playing the Quaffle, the Beaters are attempting to hit the opposing team's Chasers with the Bludgers. The Beaters also attempt to block the Bludgers from hitting their own Chasers.

Bludging the Chasers
Beaters attempt to hit Chasers with a Bludger by throwing the Bludger from a distance. If a Chaser is holding the Quaffle when hit by a Bludger he or she must handoff the Quaffle to the closest Chaser on the opposing team.

Beater Boundaries
Beaters run around inside the field throwing the Bludgers. Only Beaters can catch and throw Bludgers. They can hit any player to distract them and make it harder for them to catch the Snitch or score with the Quaffle.

Retrieving the Bludger
Beaters are allowed to run outside the field to retreive a Bludger if it leaves the field. They can also steal a Bludger from an opposing Beater’s hands. They may block, catch, or deflect Bludgers.

Bludging the Quaffle
Beaters may also attempt to hit the Quaffle with Bludgers and knock it off-course.
Playing the Snitch
Apprximately ten (10) minutes into game play, the Golden Snitch will be released.  The Snitch is a person wearing a flag football belt. The Snitch will run through the playing field until it is caught or until the 12-minute mark is reached. Only the Seeker of each team can catch the Snitch by grabbing the flags on the belt.  Catching the Snitch is worth fifty (50) points. Once it is caught, the game is over.

FOULS

Cobbing
Roughing, tripping or hitting a Chaser from the opposing team. Unnecessary roughness to a Chaser is penalized by the other team receiving possession of the Quaffle.

Flacking
Penalty against the Keeper for blocking an attempted goal from behind a hoop or knocking the Quaffle back through the hoop. Blocked goal automatically counts and is scored.

Haversacking
Called against a Chaser for "slam-dunking" the Quaffle through a Goal. The Quaffle must be thrown through the hoop. Goal is disallowed. If the hoop is broken while Haversacking the offending team forfeits the game.
Last Updated on Thursday, 01 October 2009 09:50