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| How to Play Muggle Quidditch |
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| In the Harry Potter series written by JK Rowling the main wizarding sport is Quidditch. |
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| However you don't have to have magical powers to play. |
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| There are many different ways of playing Quidditch, but the most commonly used set of rules are those given by the International Quidditch Association (which can be found here). |
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| In the past Muggle Quidditch has mainly been played at colleges in the US, but over the last few years there has been a dramatic rise in the number of community teams. |
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| Quidditch has also spread outside of America and is now played on 5 continents. |
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| Steps |
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| Gather all needed materials and players (see Things You'll Need section below). |
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| Know that all players can play while riding a broom. |
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| Brooms can be a hindrance however, so feel free to not use brooms. |
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| Place the quaffle and three bludgers in the middle of the field. |
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| Ideally the quaffle and bludgers should be slightly deflated so that they are easier to throw and catch. |
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| Start the game. |
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| Both teams start from the edges and attempt to obtain the quaffle and bludgers. |
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| Follow your duty depending what type of player you are: |
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| Chasers try to score by throwing the quaffle into one of the three goal hoops. |
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| Each score is worth 10 points. |
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| Beaters try to peg players with their bludger. |
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| If a player is pegged they have to stop what they're doing and pay a penalty; i.e. (drop the quaffle in the case of a chaser) and run back to and touch their goal post or alternatively sit down for 10 seconds. |
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| Keepers guard the goal posts at each end and attempt to block chasers' attempts at scoring. |
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| If Keeper is close to their hoops they are safe from being hit by bludgers. |
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| Seekers try to tackle the snitch (a person) or obtain an object attached to the snitch such as a sock or flag. |
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| You can establish you own rules as to how a player catches the snitch. |
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| A common way to play is to make the snitch a person, and give the snitch a head start to run and hide in defined boundaries. |
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| Then the seekers search for the snitch, and attempt to tag the player. |
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| Other methods, such as the method adopted in 2005, makes the snitch a tennis ball in a sock, hanging out of the running shorts of the snitch runner. |
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| Regardless of method, the winning seeker wins 30 points for his or her team, unlike the books, in which the snitch is worth 150 points. |
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| The creators of Muggle Quidditch thought that it was worth too many points so changed the value of the snitch for muggle Quidditch. |
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| The snitch, generally a track runner, runs around (usually the boundaries) trying to evade the seekers. |
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| The referee should ensure that rules are being followed. |
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| They also keep track of the score. |
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| Play the game! |
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| The object of the game is to score the most points and the game ends when the seeker snatches the snitch. |
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| Feel free to alter the game rules. |
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| See the Tips section for suggestions. |
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| Video |
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| How to Play a Real-Life Game of Quidditch |
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| You don't need flying broomsticks or magic balls to play this version of the game - it's tailor-made for muggles like us. |
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| This video shows a more realistic approach to playing Quidditch. |
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| Tips |
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| Alternatively the snitch can be a small yellow ball (tennis balls work great) that is hidden before the game starts by a bystander or referee. |
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| Establish boundaries and have the seekers look for the snitch. |
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| Beaters can try hitting the bludgers around in the air with a shortened hockey sticks or a short bat. |
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| They could also use regular-length hockey sticks to hit bludgers (perhaps wiffle balls) on the ground. |
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| The simplest way is to just peg players by throwing dodge balls. |
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| It may be easier to play without brooms (but also less fun!). |
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| Remember that the snitch runner, if you choose to use one, is not an actual player in the game, therefore, not bound by any of the rules. |
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| If desired, the snitch is able to do whatever he or she wants to avoid capture. |
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| See How to Be a Snitch in Quidditch for more information. |
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| You can play water quidditch in a pool. |
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| Almost all the same rules apply. |
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| Have someone throw something (the snitch) on a line into the pool at regular intervals. |
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| They can even use fake snitches. |
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| You can buy authentic looking brooms to make the game more realistic. |
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| There is a very large Quidditch community, have a look at the IQA website to find teams near you. |
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| One variation is Quarter Snitch Quidditch. |
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| Find a quarter or another small coin. |
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| Have both of the teams turn around and have the referee throw it into the grass or pitch while the teams aren't looking. |
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| Play while the seekers look for the snitch. |
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| Another variation is where the referee places the snitch somewhere in the field (in this case it's a small ball). |
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| The seeker has to find the snitch blindfolded, relying only on the coach's instructions, while the game is still on. |
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| Warnings |
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| Stay hydrated and exercise wisely. |
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| A ball flying in the air can hurt. |
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| If you're playing quidditch you're probably just having fun so play nicely. |
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| Things You'll Need |
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| 15 players |
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| 14 brooms |
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| Field (or big backyard) |
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| 3 goal hoops per team |
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| Referee (optional) |
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| Color coded shirts or capes for houses, black for referee |
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| 3 Bludgers (dodge balls, water balloons, wiffle balls etc.) |
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| 1 Quaffle (volleyball, Frisbee, soccer ball, etc.) |
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| 1 Snitch (person) |
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| Each team is composed of: |
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| 3 Chasers |
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| 2 Beaters |
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| 1 Keeper |
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| 1 Seeker |