Quidditch Guide

[Professor Lakris]

``quidditch guide

Quidditch. The football of the wizarding world. A great sport, but what good is it if we don't know how this complicated affair is to be run? Here is everything you need to know about quidditch on this site. ALL players NEED to read this!!!

``basics

Some of you might already know the rules of the game, but it is a necessary thing to go over even if you know them by heart.

The Quaffle
The Quaffle is spherical in shape, bright red in colour, and approximately 12 inches in diameter. It is enchanted to fall very slowly through the air when dropped to prevent players having to continuously dive to retrieve it. The Quaffle is also enchanted to make it easy to grip with only one hand. Chasers try to shoot the quaffle into one of the three hoops on the opposite side of the field. When a goal is scored, the team wins 10 points.

The Bludgers
The two Bludgers are spherical, approximately ten inches in diameter and are made of iron. They are bewitched to fly without any visible means of propulsion, although they do retain momentum which makes them unable to change direction swiftly. Their purpose in the game is an obstacle - they fly around attempting to hit players off their brooms indiscriminately.

The Snitch
The Snitch is a small golden ball the approximate size of a walnut (roughly an inch in diameter). The winged Snitch is enchanted to hover and dart around the pitch, avoiding capture while remaining within the boundaries of the playing area. The team who catches the Snitch wins 150 points, and only the capture of the Snitch will end the game. Games have been known to last for months, so it is of key importance to catch the Golden Snitch as quickly as possible. No other player aside from the Seeker is allowed to touch the Snitch.

Players
Each team is made up of seven players, consisting of three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper and one Seeker.

The Chasers progress up and down the pitch passing the Quaffle by hand amongst themselves, in an attempt to score goals by throwing it through one of their opponent's three goal hoops.

The Keeper is charged with protecting the three goal hoops, in much the same way as a goalkeeper in soccer.

The Beaters are armed with wooden clubs that are similar to, but shorter than, baseball bats. They are tasked with protecting their team-mates from the Bludgers by knocking these balls off course or towards opponents.

The Seeker, usually the lightest member of the team and equipped with the fastest broom, is charged with searching the pitch for, chasing down and eventually capturing, the elusive Golden Snitch. Seekers are the only players permitted to touch the Snitch.

Each team includes a captain, who may play any of the four positions, and a co-captain. The captain is in charge of the team and decides when practices are held. The co-captain has the same ability, but is mainly there in case the captain is unable to be there, and the co-captain is next in line for the position of captain after the previous holder leaves Hogwarts or leaves the team.

Rules
*Players must not stray over the boundary lines of the pitch, although they may fly as high as desired.

*Time out may be called at any time by a team Captain. In this event, it must be brief and not last for more than a day in the real world.

*The referee can impose penalties if a foul occurs. In this case, the referee position is held by a single professor, varying depending on availability. A single Chaser from the opposing team takes a penalty shot by flying from the central circle towards the scoring area. The opposing team's Keeper may attempt to block this shot, but no other player may interfere.

*Contact is allowed, but a player may not grasp another's broomstick or any part of his or her body.

*No substitution of a player is allowed, even if one is too badly hurt to continue (rare exceptions may be made when the game continues for a great length of time, and players become too fatigued to continue).

*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 four balls, or the spectators.

Fouls
*Blagging: No player may seize any part of an opponent's broom to slow or hinder the player.
*Blatching: No player may fly with the intent to collide.
*Blurting: No player may lock broom handles with the intent to steer an opponent off course.
*Bumphing: Beaters must not hit Bludgers towards spectators or the Keeper unless the Quaffle is within the scoring area.
*Cobbing: Players must not use their elbows against opponents.
*Flacking: Keepers must not defend the posts from behind by punching Quaffles out of the hoops – goals must be defended from the front.
*Haversacking: Chasers must not still be in contact with the Quaffle as it passes through a hoop (the Quaffle must be thrown through).
*Quaffle-pocking: Chasers must not tamper with the Quaffle in any way.
*Snitchnip: No player other than the Seeker may touch or catch the Golden Snitch.
*Stooging: No more than one Chaser is allowed in the scoring area at any one time.

``the tournament

Yes, there's actually incentive to win the games! Each team competes in the tournament. No matter how many wins each team gets, the winner is determined by the total score during the season.

Two games go on at once, and the games get two weeks at the most. Quidditch players HAVE to be active! We need to know in advance if there is a certain game you can't make. If the two weeks are up and the snitch hasn't been caught, the game automatically ends and the team with the most points is the winner. If, by any chance, there is a tie, there will be a make-up game later in the season.

The team with the highest score wins the quidditch cup and 200 house points. The second place team gets 90, while the winner of each match gets an additional 50.

Each round counts for a two-week period, consisting of the two separate games. Each team plays a total of four games, eight games will be played each season excluding make-ups.

Here is a diagram of how the matches will go.
i122.photobucket.com/albums/o276/lphotobucketl/quidditchtournament.jpg

``role-playing the game

The most confusing part, maybe. How possibly can you do that without Mary Sueing or god-modding? Can it actually be fair?

The game will start with a post from the referee, who will be one of the staff. NO other character may post in the game, other than the players, but if a character would like to start a thread while watching, they may do so in a separate thread on the quidditch pitch. There is no order on who posts after who, it's all free game, but you can't post right after yourself. You must alternate, whether the character is from your house or not.

You will role-play as you do normally, but you can not tell whether you made a goal, blocked a goal, or caught the snitch. Only when making a post in the Quidditch Pitch, there is a dice button you can select that will add a static dice roll to your post. But if you'd like to take a shot, block a goal, or catch the snitch, just mention in the post that the character "shoots the quaffle in the direction of the hoop," and your post is done. The dice roll goes immediately after your proposed attempt, and then you can follow with a reaction to the outcome, but you may not make multiple attempts at catching the snitch, shooting, or blocking within one post.

So, how is the sucess of your action determined?

For shooting a goal, 1, 3, or 5 means you MADE the shot. 2, 4, or 6 means you missed.

For blocking a shot, a 2, 4, or a 6 means it was BLOCKED. 1, 3, or 5 means you DID NOT block it.

*Keepers only have to roll to block it if the Chaser made the roll. If they missed, it isn't necessary to block it.

For catching the snitch, a 3 means you caught it, while a 1, 2, 4, 5, or 6 means you were unsucessful.

The referee will keep track of the game and score in the first post.

You may shoot or block whenever, but the snitch MAY NOT be caught within the first fifteen posts.

And again, let's NOT have any Mary Sues or Gary Stues, whether it's the character itself or just in quidditch. Your character will NOT be a perfect player, and WILL make mistakes. I expect all of you to be MATURE with the interception of the quaffle, and being hit by a bludger. Immature people will only ruin the game for everyone.