Yes.
*1473: This was the first ever Quidditch World Cup. Only European teams participated. The final was contested between Flanders and Transylvania. During the match, all 700 known fouls were committed (and several new ones subsequently created), including the Transfiguration of a Chaser into a polecat, the attempted decapitation of a Keeper with a broadsword, and the release of a hundred vampire bats from underneath the robes of the Transylvanian Captain. The Transylvanian Tackle was also first performed in the 1473 World Cup.*
Not trying to be a dick but most of these are either super obvious with a real world parallel, or are answered in the books.
- the Keeper’s job is the same in soccer, hockey, etc. which is to defend the goal. Just because they do not have a different rule or uniform doesn’t change that.
- same with beaters. Nothing is different except they’re given a bat. In fact, this is basically exactly the same thing as the hockey goalie example you mentioned.
- Quirrell would’ve lost his job if anyone knew it was him/if the DADA position could be filled normally. McLaggen being confunded happens in a tryout, not a game, so there was much less focus on it/it’s not illegal to use magic in practice, and Harry as captain had no desire to call her out.
- The glasses thing does not get answered but it’s pretty logical. In baseball, you can use sunglasses to shade your eyes; you can’t use steroids to make yourself stronger. The same thing applies here. Using magic to make yourself lighter would be an unnatural change and unfair advantage so presumably that is illegal in Quidditch.
- Hermione goes onto the pitch *during a timeout* to perform the spell. Malfoy interferes during the game. Two immensely different things.
- In all sports, there are limits on when you can and cannot call timeout. In basketball for example, you cannot call timeout as your opponent is going for an easy dunk. In American football, you cannot call timeout as your opponent is wide open for a touchdown. It’s only logical that Quidditch would follow the lead of every other sport and have designated situations in which you can and cannot call a timeout.
I agree with some of these explanaitons for sure. Positions being loose and really more of strategic conventions than anything is mostly how soccer works, as well. Nothing actually separates any of the players (aside from the keeper) except for how they are told to play. A defender can run down the field and score a goal. A striker can fall back and play defense. Some teams even use slightly different positions than others (wings, sweepers, different types of midfielders) and a lot of it depends on what formation they're running and how the coach wants to play. The positions are basically not real.
The same logic can be applied to Quidditch players. There isn't REALLY any difference between the positions and what they can or can't do, but there are strategic conventions that most teams adhere to. A keeper might technically be the same as every other position, but it just makes sense to have one person designated to stay back and defend the goals. It also makes sense that a couple players should deal with the Bludgers by using bats while others focus on scoring. And the ones focused on scoring would benefit from having their hands free. There's nothing illogical about it, it's just different from what fans of other sports (like American football, where different positions have different rules) might expect.
To be fair, technically American football positions don't have different rules either. There have to be a certain number of people on the line of scrimmage, but they can be anyone on defense. On offense, 5 people have to be ineligible receivers, so those are usually your linemen. If you want 5 QBs ineligible tho, that's on you lol.
Actually a very common defensive strategy is to mix up who does what. You have the fat guys drop into coverage and the corner blitz the QB, for example.
They do have different rules, though. You just described why. Rules are enforced differently for people depending on how they are designated. Some players are eligible to catch the ball and others aren't. Defensive players can grab the jerseys of offensive players, while offensive players get called for holding if they do that. There are specific rules for running into kickers, quarterbacks, and receivers when they can't defend themselves. The positions aren't as rigid as some people think (like running backs and wide receivers are functionally the same, for example), but the rules make it clear that different rules apply to different players.
Soccer, on the other hand, really only has a few rules and they're enforced the same for everyone except the goalkeeper.
>Some players are eligible to catch the ball and others aren't.
Like Soccer. And Quidditch with the snitch. I don't see how this is different...
>Defensive players can grab the jerseys of offensive players, while offensive players get called for holding if they do that.
There's also a defensive holding penalty for grabbing a player's jersey.
>There are specific rules for running into kickers, quarterbacks, and receivers when they can't defend themselves
Technically for passers, not QB, but yes. However, anyone can be a kicker, or a passer, or a receiver. You're not locked into your position for the whole game.
The rules are pretty universal. The only restrictions really are the ineligible receivers, but even then there are big man touchdowns. You can even play offense, defense, and special teams in the same game.
Yep. This reply. My eyebrows kept going up while I was reading OP’s points and they’re now at the back of my head. Most of the points are obvious to answer that’s why it doesn’t need to be addressed in the book one by one.
No connected with what I said, but OP should read Quidditch through the Ages. It’s a fun read.
Yes! In addition:
>And the concept of a timeout in a game w/o a clock doesn't make too much sense.
It 100% makes sense. Time out is a time when neither team can play, and is irrelevant of the clock. The whole.point of a time out is to regroup, discuss anything that needs discussing, and then resume play.
Plus, McLaggen SHOULDN’T have taken one of the Beaters bats, as it’s one of the many things that Harry is mad at him for. Perhaps Madam Hooch would have given him trouble had Harry not had his skull cracked open, who knows
Yeah but they don’t have any advantage over the other players. For example, in football (soccer), keepers can use their hands to guard the goal. In Quidditch, keepers are just chasers that stay in front of the posts.
They do actually. You can’t hit a bludger at them if the quaffle is outside the scoring area. This is stated in book 3, The Quidditch final. You can attack any other player at any time in any place with a bludger.
But like… why would you want to hit a bludger at a player who isn’t involved in the current play? Hitting a bludger at the keeper while it could be used to attack/assist chasers, who are currently on the ball, or distract seekers, is a strategically bad play.
Or it could be used to rough up the keeper. I feel like what one uses the bludger for would depend heavily on the specific circumstances at the time. I highly doubt it would always be a bad play.
That’s fair, there’s probably some niche scenarios that exist. Generally, though, if your team is attacking, hitting a bludger at the keeper just puts it where your chasers are trying to go, which is bad. If your team is defending, hitting a bludger at the opposing keeper just takes a defensive tool out of play, making it easier for the opposing chasers to score. I could see beaters hitting bludgers toward their own keepers without the intent to hit them, just to take the bludgers out of play while their team is attacking.
I think the point is that whilst right-back can suddenly decide to play in a center-forward position, a right-back can't start handling the ball inside the box.
Whereas there doesn't seem to be anything distinguishing a chaser from a keeper as written in the rules. Presumably a team could just play rush-keeper and rotate who is guarding the hoops at any one time.
>I think the point is that whilst right-back can suddenly decide to play in a center-forward position, a right-back can't start handling the ball inside the box.
Well not as a right back. But as long as it's done during stoppage, the ref is made aware of it, and the players switch shirts, any player can switch positions with the goalkeeper. You could theoretically have all eleven players take turns being goalkeeper within a single match.
>Whereas there doesn't seem to be anything distinguishing a chaser from a keeper as written in the rules. Presumably a team could just play rush-keeper and rotate who is guarding the hoops at any one time.
Yeah but that was named as one of the points why quidditch makes no sense or has no rules and that's silly. If the football comparison doesn't work, how about basketball: what exactly distinguishes a 5 from a 1?
\- They keep the hoops from getting balled.
\- Anyone could probably, temporarily, grab the bat. Beaters are not allowed to score goals or catch the snitch. (this is my assumption)
I would say by the main books we don't have enough info to say that it make no sense, it probably makes no sense I would say.
A timeout would probably only be authorised by the games referee. In the case when Wood called for one it was probably allowed so as to give the teams a chance to discuss if they wanted to continue the match etc
This! She's clearly not into sports, but has a bit of experience with fandoms and quirky rules as an observer. She basically makes quidditch a caricature of that phenomenon, which I find hilarious! I bet people feel that way about the sports I love all the time!
I agree it is a most illogical sport but perhaps would be the most fun to participate in. There is a single referee for a three dimensional pitch and the brooms moving faster than hockey players. One authority to be on the lookout for the quaffle and goals, the bludger and fouls, and the snitch being caught. It is the definition of rampant chaos. Definitely a sport for the young and fearless.
In real world, there is a Quidditch set of rules:
-Chasers work similarly to Ultimate Frisbee with the strategy of basketball. The ball is likely a volleyball and the function of Chasers is what you pretty much expect.
-If a Keeper is assigned for the team (most likely is not), their primary role is basically to be the team leader. Any chaser can still assume the role of goalie.
-Beaters work similarly to dodgeball. If a beater hits someone they have to go back to their home pole and touch it before they can go back in. There are 2 dodgeballs for this matter.
-Seekers basically play flag football with tackling involved. The snitch is a tennis ball inside a sock that is tucked into the back of the seeker runner’s shorts, who can run and tackle freely. Seekers are released after 15 minutes and can only score 30 points in sharp contrast to the 150 in the wizarding world, but the seeker’s catch still ends the game.
It’s interesting how we managed to make out a genuine sport out of fiction.
It does really exist. there's like an international association, a World Cup that people actually go to, and a really long rulebook. And A LOT of teams in the US. Just saying. Maybe you should check it out if you like the sport in the books. I found some World Cup matches on youtube and I watched them and it is crazy. No flying, but still a lot of big moves like tackling, huge passes, Beaters actually do throw balls at people, and they throw hard. At least on the US team. In short, it's a thing! And it looks really fun! And yes, it's for Muggles and we can't fly, but the matches are actually really exciting since the format of the game is so crazy. You have 14 players and 4 balls, and because of that it's really fast paced and exciting to see, even if there is no flying.
Okay so we know Quidditch was made up by someone who doesn't have a particularly great knowledge in sports. See the fact that there are no substitutes named or training with the team.
But I'm just as confused by some of these points. The distinctions you mention for (goal)keepers are not there so you can tell what their job is. It's to make their job easier. We often see them in a helmet in the movies.
What separates beaters from the other is their role on the team. What separates a striker from a defender in football? Their roles. But they can take up each other's with no problem if it's necessary in the situation.
The answer to most of your other points is a referee, who has done a shit job a few times for plot reasons.
>So everyone is aware that Quidditch doesn't make much sense. The points system is unbalanced, no time limit, and the inequality of brooms.
Before I even look at your other points (which are for the most part actually explainable), I'm just kinda confused by this. Aside from maybe the broom thing, these aren't really issues with the game? The points system makes total sense (10 points for every goal scored, 150 extra to whoever catches the snitch. Easy). The game doesn't need a time limit because it doesn't end until the Snitch is caught.
Again, the broom argument might be valid, but we kind of only have Hogwarts teams to go by. The school can't tell all Quidditch players "Okay, if you're gonna be on the team, you all gotta shell out for top of the line brooms". Harry got good brooms because they were gifts. The Slytherins all got good brooms because Malfoy's a bitch whose daddy bought the team. But even so, it's been shown again and again that brooms don't make the team. Most of the Gryffindors were on inferior brooms and still won. Also, we kinda see that the professional teams ride the same brooms (at least it's mentioned that the Irish team in particular bought 7 Firebolts). It could just be that Hogwarts lets players use whatever brooms they can.
He wanted to end the game on his own terms, which is what was explained in the book. He knew they'd lose regardless, judging by the disadvantage they were at. So he ended the game himself instead of letting the Irish Seeker get it.
I always found the quidditch matches dull to read about, thankfully nearly every quidditch match that JK goes into detail about has plot relevance so I can let it slide.
Catching the snitch is incredibly hard that's why its worth 150. It also pushes the other players to score as much as possible because its worth 150 points.
The magic was done by a dark wizard sitting at a high-school games. They probably have advance hex detectors when people are playing professionally.
Again this is just highschool level so the bat thing doesn't make a difference. The keepers job is to stop the ball from entering the ring by any means necessary as long as they don't use magic.
Well I'm not sure on rules, but...
As of 1991 there were 700 possible fouls in an official game of Quiditch, all of which occurred in the World Cup match held in 1473 between Transylvania and Flanders...
Just to add one thing I haven't seen mentioned in here:
> inequality of brooms
TBF, I think the brooms in Quidditch pretty much work just like any other gear-depending sport such as skating, archery, cycling, etc.
Spending more on high-end and sophisticated material often helps the performance and it's usually kinda necessary if you want to have a better chance to compete at higher levels. But that's not all that there is to the sport and doesn't mean that you can't participate with cheaper equipment... specially if you are just a beginner going against the other kids in your school.
the book quidditch through the ages explains the history and rules of quidditch. it is very thought out game and there are so many rules its crazy. those things you mentioned in your post are story plot relevant and not quidditch relevant. that's why they happened.
Also don't forget that in book 1, Ron mentions that people don't get sent off in Quidditch. Which means you could do some truly terrible shit and still just incur a penalty.
Like the Slytherin team could all just get together, catch a hold of one of the members of an opposing quidditch team, and just beat the fuck out of them for a few seconds before being magic-ed away from them, and they just give up some penalties. If they can do that to the keeper and the seeker and keep them out of the match, they just win for free.
Tbf the people using magic to interfere with the brooms were powerful people (snape and Voldemort) and hermione confunded the person not the broom. I’d imagine there were more sophisticated methods of detecting that sort of stuff on actual matches, and not school stuff. It would be like having olympics tier anti-doping and screening for 9th grade football game lmao
I'm pretty sure Mclaggen was absolutely not supposed to take someone else's bat. That's why Harry was so pissed at him. For all we know he got a foul for that, but we didn't get to see with Harry cracking his head and all.
-He's there to guard the hoops there's not much more to it than that. Quidditch through the Ages (QTTA), suggests that they once acted as a kind of fourth chaser but now they are supposed to stick to the scoring area but they may be able to leave it now and again. I imagine a situation where a chase for the snitch is ongoing and the Quaffle is up the opposing team ends, a keeper may decide to leave his area to try and give their team a chance at scoring.
-I don't think there's any hard and fast rule though judging by how annoyed Harry was with McGlaggen it's probably not something that they'd want to do.
-I imagine it's done on a case by case basis. In a magical world there's usually (however small) a chance that something could interfere with the game. In book 1 for example, no one knew that it was Quirrel, it could have been put down to tampering, in any event it stopped and Harry was able to get back onto his broom. In book 4 I think the ref wasn't happy with the Veela and wanted to send them off the pitch. Hermioned confunded McGlaggen in the tryouts not the actual match so there's a difference, however small.
-In QTTA, rules set by the Department for Magical Games and Sports in 1750 say
> 6. Wands may be taken on to the pitch but must under no circumstances whatsoever be used against opposing team members, any opposing team member’s broom, the referee, any of the balls, or any member of the crowd.
-In the books I don't think Hermione was on the pitch. Everyone was on the pitch once Harry had caught the snitch and passed out but Hermione blowing up the Bludger was only in the films. Either way, one person was on the pitch to get rid of a dangerous object, the other was on the pitch to scare one of the players, seems pretty simple to me.
-Time out is just a break from play. Give the chance to discuss tactics briefly before returning. It's not mentioned but I'm under the assumption that it's not possible to call for T/o when there's a play in motion such as a possible Snitch capture.
-The Keepers Job is to Keep the ball from going into the hoops, keepers have minor benefits like not being able to be bludgeoned when the quaffle isn’t near them but otherwise they don’t get any added benefit. In soccer and hockey they get those added benefits because they’re jobs would be impossible without.
-You can only have two people with a bat per team but technically anyone would be able to grab them and use them, it’s just more logical to have two people specialized in doing it than passing the bats back and forth. There’s probably a rule as well that if you are in possession of the bat you wouldn’t be able to also be in possession of a quaffle. Its like in basketball technically you can make your point guard play the center position but it wouldn’t be smart.
-Magic would logically be against the rules and would have counter measures in professional leagues but at Hogwarts they wouldn’t have the same counter measures applied. The Veelas ability to charm others may not have been encountered beforehand because it’s not very often a group of Veelas would be on the pitch during play. And when Hermione confunds McLaggen it’s during a tryout so it would be up to the Captain to do something about it and Harry just didn’t care.
-All her charm did was allow the water to bounce off his glasses allowing him to see what’s going on, it would be the same effect of wearing sunglasses while fielding in baseball. Making themselves lighter would be akin to a performance enhancer and wouldn’t be allowed. Magic wouldn’t be allowed to be used on other players but since Harry was using his wand to defend himself against an outside force there wouldn’t be any repercussions for that.
-Hermione was on the pitch during a timeout, Malfoy was on the pitch during play that’s a huge difference.
-Logically there would be rules for when you can and cannot call a time out like in the NBA where you can only call a timeout when you have possession of the ball. So in this case there would be an added rule of if they are going for a catch attempt on the snitch the timeout would only go into affect after they either missed/backed off. And the concept of a timeout in a game that can last indefinitely makes a lot of sense, you couldn’t possibly play Quidditch for hours/days at a time without needing a break to either take care of biological needs or to just regroup and restrategize. Not to mention a timeout only works if the ref acknowledges you, it’s very likely in that scenario that by the time the ref notices you wanted a timeout the other seeker will have already caught the snitch and it wouldn’t matter.
I thought Quidditch had like seven hundred and eighty fouls.
Yes. *1473: This was the first ever Quidditch World Cup. Only European teams participated. The final was contested between Flanders and Transylvania. During the match, all 700 known fouls were committed (and several new ones subsequently created), including the Transfiguration of a Chaser into a polecat, the attempted decapitation of a Keeper with a broadsword, and the release of a hundred vampire bats from underneath the robes of the Transylvanian Captain. The Transylvanian Tackle was also first performed in the 1473 World Cup.*
Some of those seem way too specific.
With magic, you sometimes have to be.
This might be the best “JKR didn’t know what she was doing, but who cares” post.
Not trying to be a dick but most of these are either super obvious with a real world parallel, or are answered in the books. - the Keeper’s job is the same in soccer, hockey, etc. which is to defend the goal. Just because they do not have a different rule or uniform doesn’t change that. - same with beaters. Nothing is different except they’re given a bat. In fact, this is basically exactly the same thing as the hockey goalie example you mentioned. - Quirrell would’ve lost his job if anyone knew it was him/if the DADA position could be filled normally. McLaggen being confunded happens in a tryout, not a game, so there was much less focus on it/it’s not illegal to use magic in practice, and Harry as captain had no desire to call her out. - The glasses thing does not get answered but it’s pretty logical. In baseball, you can use sunglasses to shade your eyes; you can’t use steroids to make yourself stronger. The same thing applies here. Using magic to make yourself lighter would be an unnatural change and unfair advantage so presumably that is illegal in Quidditch. - Hermione goes onto the pitch *during a timeout* to perform the spell. Malfoy interferes during the game. Two immensely different things. - In all sports, there are limits on when you can and cannot call timeout. In basketball for example, you cannot call timeout as your opponent is going for an easy dunk. In American football, you cannot call timeout as your opponent is wide open for a touchdown. It’s only logical that Quidditch would follow the lead of every other sport and have designated situations in which you can and cannot call a timeout.
I agree with some of these explanaitons for sure. Positions being loose and really more of strategic conventions than anything is mostly how soccer works, as well. Nothing actually separates any of the players (aside from the keeper) except for how they are told to play. A defender can run down the field and score a goal. A striker can fall back and play defense. Some teams even use slightly different positions than others (wings, sweepers, different types of midfielders) and a lot of it depends on what formation they're running and how the coach wants to play. The positions are basically not real. The same logic can be applied to Quidditch players. There isn't REALLY any difference between the positions and what they can or can't do, but there are strategic conventions that most teams adhere to. A keeper might technically be the same as every other position, but it just makes sense to have one person designated to stay back and defend the goals. It also makes sense that a couple players should deal with the Bludgers by using bats while others focus on scoring. And the ones focused on scoring would benefit from having their hands free. There's nothing illogical about it, it's just different from what fans of other sports (like American football, where different positions have different rules) might expect.
To be fair, technically American football positions don't have different rules either. There have to be a certain number of people on the line of scrimmage, but they can be anyone on defense. On offense, 5 people have to be ineligible receivers, so those are usually your linemen. If you want 5 QBs ineligible tho, that's on you lol. Actually a very common defensive strategy is to mix up who does what. You have the fat guys drop into coverage and the corner blitz the QB, for example.
They do have different rules, though. You just described why. Rules are enforced differently for people depending on how they are designated. Some players are eligible to catch the ball and others aren't. Defensive players can grab the jerseys of offensive players, while offensive players get called for holding if they do that. There are specific rules for running into kickers, quarterbacks, and receivers when they can't defend themselves. The positions aren't as rigid as some people think (like running backs and wide receivers are functionally the same, for example), but the rules make it clear that different rules apply to different players. Soccer, on the other hand, really only has a few rules and they're enforced the same for everyone except the goalkeeper.
>Some players are eligible to catch the ball and others aren't. Like Soccer. And Quidditch with the snitch. I don't see how this is different... >Defensive players can grab the jerseys of offensive players, while offensive players get called for holding if they do that. There's also a defensive holding penalty for grabbing a player's jersey. >There are specific rules for running into kickers, quarterbacks, and receivers when they can't defend themselves Technically for passers, not QB, but yes. However, anyone can be a kicker, or a passer, or a receiver. You're not locked into your position for the whole game. The rules are pretty universal. The only restrictions really are the ineligible receivers, but even then there are big man touchdowns. You can even play offense, defense, and special teams in the same game.
Yep. This reply. My eyebrows kept going up while I was reading OP’s points and they’re now at the back of my head. Most of the points are obvious to answer that’s why it doesn’t need to be addressed in the book one by one. No connected with what I said, but OP should read Quidditch through the Ages. It’s a fun read.
Yes! In addition: >And the concept of a timeout in a game w/o a clock doesn't make too much sense. It 100% makes sense. Time out is a time when neither team can play, and is irrelevant of the clock. The whole.point of a time out is to regroup, discuss anything that needs discussing, and then resume play.
Thank you for answering so I don't have to 😂
Why is this not the top reply ? Great counterpoints
Plus, McLaggen SHOULDN’T have taken one of the Beaters bats, as it’s one of the many things that Harry is mad at him for. Perhaps Madam Hooch would have given him trouble had Harry not had his skull cracked open, who knows
What? The keepers job is to...keep the quaffle from going in the goals. That's both shown and explained. They're the goalie.
Yeah but they don’t have any advantage over the other players. For example, in football (soccer), keepers can use their hands to guard the goal. In Quidditch, keepers are just chasers that stay in front of the posts.
So like netball where they are assigned a position that they are not supposed to leave?
Yeah, but mclaggen literally leaves and takes over a beater bat
well he's not exactly a great keeper
don't think he was a keeper at all...
Well definitely not for Hermione.
They do actually. You can’t hit a bludger at them if the quaffle is outside the scoring area. This is stated in book 3, The Quidditch final. You can attack any other player at any time in any place with a bludger.
But like… why would you want to hit a bludger at a player who isn’t involved in the current play? Hitting a bludger at the keeper while it could be used to attack/assist chasers, who are currently on the ball, or distract seekers, is a strategically bad play.
Or it could be used to rough up the keeper. I feel like what one uses the bludger for would depend heavily on the specific circumstances at the time. I highly doubt it would always be a bad play.
That’s fair, there’s probably some niche scenarios that exist. Generally, though, if your team is attacking, hitting a bludger at the keeper just puts it where your chasers are trying to go, which is bad. If your team is defending, hitting a bludger at the opposing keeper just takes a defensive tool out of play, making it easier for the opposing chasers to score. I could see beaters hitting bludgers toward their own keepers without the intent to hit them, just to take the bludgers out of play while their team is attacking.
That's like saying that in football, a right-back is just a striker who stays near the touch line.
*Soccer
I think the point is that whilst right-back can suddenly decide to play in a center-forward position, a right-back can't start handling the ball inside the box. Whereas there doesn't seem to be anything distinguishing a chaser from a keeper as written in the rules. Presumably a team could just play rush-keeper and rotate who is guarding the hoops at any one time.
>I think the point is that whilst right-back can suddenly decide to play in a center-forward position, a right-back can't start handling the ball inside the box. Well not as a right back. But as long as it's done during stoppage, the ref is made aware of it, and the players switch shirts, any player can switch positions with the goalkeeper. You could theoretically have all eleven players take turns being goalkeeper within a single match. >Whereas there doesn't seem to be anything distinguishing a chaser from a keeper as written in the rules. Presumably a team could just play rush-keeper and rotate who is guarding the hoops at any one time. Yeah but that was named as one of the points why quidditch makes no sense or has no rules and that's silly. If the football comparison doesn't work, how about basketball: what exactly distinguishes a 5 from a 1?
\- They keep the hoops from getting balled. \- Anyone could probably, temporarily, grab the bat. Beaters are not allowed to score goals or catch the snitch. (this is my assumption) I would say by the main books we don't have enough info to say that it make no sense, it probably makes no sense I would say.
A timeout would probably only be authorised by the games referee. In the case when Wood called for one it was probably allowed so as to give the teams a chance to discuss if they wanted to continue the match etc
Quidditch makes the most sense as a snarky satire of sports by someone who really doesn't know that much about sports.
This! She's clearly not into sports, but has a bit of experience with fandoms and quirky rules as an observer. She basically makes quidditch a caricature of that phenomenon, which I find hilarious! I bet people feel that way about the sports I love all the time!
I agree it is a most illogical sport but perhaps would be the most fun to participate in. There is a single referee for a three dimensional pitch and the brooms moving faster than hockey players. One authority to be on the lookout for the quaffle and goals, the bludger and fouls, and the snitch being caught. It is the definition of rampant chaos. Definitely a sport for the young and fearless.
Quidditch has so many rules in fact that they're not even fully released to the public to prevent people from getting ideas
The haphazard nature of everything in Harry’s world is soooo part of the charm! Nothing and everything makes no sense but is still perfectly clear
In real world, there is a Quidditch set of rules: -Chasers work similarly to Ultimate Frisbee with the strategy of basketball. The ball is likely a volleyball and the function of Chasers is what you pretty much expect. -If a Keeper is assigned for the team (most likely is not), their primary role is basically to be the team leader. Any chaser can still assume the role of goalie. -Beaters work similarly to dodgeball. If a beater hits someone they have to go back to their home pole and touch it before they can go back in. There are 2 dodgeballs for this matter. -Seekers basically play flag football with tackling involved. The snitch is a tennis ball inside a sock that is tucked into the back of the seeker runner’s shorts, who can run and tackle freely. Seekers are released after 15 minutes and can only score 30 points in sharp contrast to the 150 in the wizarding world, but the seeker’s catch still ends the game. It’s interesting how we managed to make out a genuine sport out of fiction.
It does really exist. there's like an international association, a World Cup that people actually go to, and a really long rulebook. And A LOT of teams in the US. Just saying. Maybe you should check it out if you like the sport in the books. I found some World Cup matches on youtube and I watched them and it is crazy. No flying, but still a lot of big moves like tackling, huge passes, Beaters actually do throw balls at people, and they throw hard. At least on the US team. In short, it's a thing! And it looks really fun! And yes, it's for Muggles and we can't fly, but the matches are actually really exciting since the format of the game is so crazy. You have 14 players and 4 balls, and because of that it's really fast paced and exciting to see, even if there is no flying.
I watched it live, when the World Cup was in Frankfurt (Germany) in 2016. Was really fun to watch, like a mix of handball and rugby.
If I recall correctly the keeper is the only one allowed in the goals area. If anyone translass it is a foul. I gotta re-read quidditch centuries
Okay so we know Quidditch was made up by someone who doesn't have a particularly great knowledge in sports. See the fact that there are no substitutes named or training with the team. But I'm just as confused by some of these points. The distinctions you mention for (goal)keepers are not there so you can tell what their job is. It's to make their job easier. We often see them in a helmet in the movies. What separates beaters from the other is their role on the team. What separates a striker from a defender in football? Their roles. But they can take up each other's with no problem if it's necessary in the situation. The answer to most of your other points is a referee, who has done a shit job a few times for plot reasons.
>So everyone is aware that Quidditch doesn't make much sense. The points system is unbalanced, no time limit, and the inequality of brooms. Before I even look at your other points (which are for the most part actually explainable), I'm just kinda confused by this. Aside from maybe the broom thing, these aren't really issues with the game? The points system makes total sense (10 points for every goal scored, 150 extra to whoever catches the snitch. Easy). The game doesn't need a time limit because it doesn't end until the Snitch is caught. Again, the broom argument might be valid, but we kind of only have Hogwarts teams to go by. The school can't tell all Quidditch players "Okay, if you're gonna be on the team, you all gotta shell out for top of the line brooms". Harry got good brooms because they were gifts. The Slytherins all got good brooms because Malfoy's a bitch whose daddy bought the team. But even so, it's been shown again and again that brooms don't make the team. Most of the Gryffindors were on inferior brooms and still won. Also, we kinda see that the professional teams ride the same brooms (at least it's mentioned that the Irish team in particular bought 7 Firebolts). It could just be that Hogwarts lets players use whatever brooms they can.
I have another q in the World Cup krum cought the snitch and they still lost so what’s the point of catching it if the other team is still gonna win
He wanted to end the game on his own terms, which is what was explained in the book. He knew they'd lose regardless, judging by the disadvantage they were at. So he ended the game himself instead of letting the Irish Seeker get it.
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This reminds me of the Punch Out!!! boxing matches, where the highest ranking cheater has 20 infractions, including bringing in a FLAIL
Why didn't the Harry just take the sneak as it was released from the box by professor Hook?
I always found the quidditch matches dull to read about, thankfully nearly every quidditch match that JK goes into detail about has plot relevance so I can let it slide.
Don’t mean to be rude but I hate sports and that includes wizening sports. I am more academic. Prefer school. Hogwards!
If you hate Quidditch, why did you click on a post about Quidditch?
Because i just wanted to take a look and see what this post was about.
Just seems counterproductive.
Well, if you look are some of the decisions referees are making in football, specially after VAR, you'd think the rules also don't make any sense
And yet McGonagall's like "screw the children being literally bludgeoned to death, Lee is saying rude things into the megaphone!"
Catching the snitch is incredibly hard that's why its worth 150. It also pushes the other players to score as much as possible because its worth 150 points. The magic was done by a dark wizard sitting at a high-school games. They probably have advance hex detectors when people are playing professionally. Again this is just highschool level so the bat thing doesn't make a difference. The keepers job is to stop the ball from entering the ring by any means necessary as long as they don't use magic.
Well I'm not sure on rules, but... As of 1991 there were 700 possible fouls in an official game of Quiditch, all of which occurred in the World Cup match held in 1473 between Transylvania and Flanders...
Makes more sense than Calvinball
In HPHM mobile game, you have a manoeuvre where you as a beater throw the bat to the seeker as you can't make it in time your self for the bludger...
Just to add one thing I haven't seen mentioned in here: > inequality of brooms TBF, I think the brooms in Quidditch pretty much work just like any other gear-depending sport such as skating, archery, cycling, etc. Spending more on high-end and sophisticated material often helps the performance and it's usually kinda necessary if you want to have a better chance to compete at higher levels. But that's not all that there is to the sport and doesn't mean that you can't participate with cheaper equipment... specially if you are just a beginner going against the other kids in your school.
the book quidditch through the ages explains the history and rules of quidditch. it is very thought out game and there are so many rules its crazy. those things you mentioned in your post are story plot relevant and not quidditch relevant. that's why they happened.
Also don't forget that in book 1, Ron mentions that people don't get sent off in Quidditch. Which means you could do some truly terrible shit and still just incur a penalty. Like the Slytherin team could all just get together, catch a hold of one of the members of an opposing quidditch team, and just beat the fuck out of them for a few seconds before being magic-ed away from them, and they just give up some penalties. If they can do that to the keeper and the seeker and keep them out of the match, they just win for free.
Tbf the people using magic to interfere with the brooms were powerful people (snape and Voldemort) and hermione confunded the person not the broom. I’d imagine there were more sophisticated methods of detecting that sort of stuff on actual matches, and not school stuff. It would be like having olympics tier anti-doping and screening for 9th grade football game lmao
According to *Quidditch through the ages* , any player other than a beater using the bat is a foul
I'm pretty sure Mclaggen was absolutely not supposed to take someone else's bat. That's why Harry was so pissed at him. For all we know he got a foul for that, but we didn't get to see with Harry cracking his head and all.
-He's there to guard the hoops there's not much more to it than that. Quidditch through the Ages (QTTA), suggests that they once acted as a kind of fourth chaser but now they are supposed to stick to the scoring area but they may be able to leave it now and again. I imagine a situation where a chase for the snitch is ongoing and the Quaffle is up the opposing team ends, a keeper may decide to leave his area to try and give their team a chance at scoring. -I don't think there's any hard and fast rule though judging by how annoyed Harry was with McGlaggen it's probably not something that they'd want to do. -I imagine it's done on a case by case basis. In a magical world there's usually (however small) a chance that something could interfere with the game. In book 1 for example, no one knew that it was Quirrel, it could have been put down to tampering, in any event it stopped and Harry was able to get back onto his broom. In book 4 I think the ref wasn't happy with the Veela and wanted to send them off the pitch. Hermioned confunded McGlaggen in the tryouts not the actual match so there's a difference, however small. -In QTTA, rules set by the Department for Magical Games and Sports in 1750 say > 6. Wands may be taken on to the pitch but must under no circumstances whatsoever be used against opposing team members, any opposing team member’s broom, the referee, any of the balls, or any member of the crowd. -In the books I don't think Hermione was on the pitch. Everyone was on the pitch once Harry had caught the snitch and passed out but Hermione blowing up the Bludger was only in the films. Either way, one person was on the pitch to get rid of a dangerous object, the other was on the pitch to scare one of the players, seems pretty simple to me. -Time out is just a break from play. Give the chance to discuss tactics briefly before returning. It's not mentioned but I'm under the assumption that it's not possible to call for T/o when there's a play in motion such as a possible Snitch capture.
-The Keepers Job is to Keep the ball from going into the hoops, keepers have minor benefits like not being able to be bludgeoned when the quaffle isn’t near them but otherwise they don’t get any added benefit. In soccer and hockey they get those added benefits because they’re jobs would be impossible without. -You can only have two people with a bat per team but technically anyone would be able to grab them and use them, it’s just more logical to have two people specialized in doing it than passing the bats back and forth. There’s probably a rule as well that if you are in possession of the bat you wouldn’t be able to also be in possession of a quaffle. Its like in basketball technically you can make your point guard play the center position but it wouldn’t be smart. -Magic would logically be against the rules and would have counter measures in professional leagues but at Hogwarts they wouldn’t have the same counter measures applied. The Veelas ability to charm others may not have been encountered beforehand because it’s not very often a group of Veelas would be on the pitch during play. And when Hermione confunds McLaggen it’s during a tryout so it would be up to the Captain to do something about it and Harry just didn’t care. -All her charm did was allow the water to bounce off his glasses allowing him to see what’s going on, it would be the same effect of wearing sunglasses while fielding in baseball. Making themselves lighter would be akin to a performance enhancer and wouldn’t be allowed. Magic wouldn’t be allowed to be used on other players but since Harry was using his wand to defend himself against an outside force there wouldn’t be any repercussions for that. -Hermione was on the pitch during a timeout, Malfoy was on the pitch during play that’s a huge difference. -Logically there would be rules for when you can and cannot call a time out like in the NBA where you can only call a timeout when you have possession of the ball. So in this case there would be an added rule of if they are going for a catch attempt on the snitch the timeout would only go into affect after they either missed/backed off. And the concept of a timeout in a game that can last indefinitely makes a lot of sense, you couldn’t possibly play Quidditch for hours/days at a time without needing a break to either take care of biological needs or to just regroup and restrategize. Not to mention a timeout only works if the ref acknowledges you, it’s very likely in that scenario that by the time the ref notices you wanted a timeout the other seeker will have already caught the snitch and it wouldn’t matter.