Changes in Quidditch Since the Fourteenth Century (QA)
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Changes in Quidditch Since the Fourteenth Century is the sixth chapter of Quidditch through the Ages.
Contents |
Summary
Pitch
In the 1300s, the Quidditch pitch was oval-shaped, about five hundred feet long and one hundred and eighty feet wide. In the middle of the pitch, there was a small circle—with a one foot radius. The Quijudge—the referee as it was then called—took the four balls into the circle while the rest of the players stood around him. The Quijudge then released the balls—the Quaffle would be thrown by him—which was the cue for the players to mount their brooms and zoom into the air. The goal remained the same: large baskets on poles.
In the book The Noble Sport of Warlocks, written by Quintius Umfraville in 1620, a diagram is shown where the pitch looked slightly different—the baskets were smaller and higher, while there were 'scoring areas'.
There were problems with the baskets, however, as mentioned in an article called "Bring Back Our Baskets!" in the Daily Prophet. There was no standardised size for the baskets, making it difficult for the play to remain consistent.
The baskets as goals were effectively eradicated only in 1883 at which time the present goalposts were instated. Since then, the pitch has remained unchanged.
Balls
Quaffle
From previous chapters, it is clear that the Quaffle has been made with leather from quite ancient times. Originally, there were no bewitchments on the ball. However, it was often difficult to keep a grip on the ball while zooming around a broomstick. Although some old Quaffles had finger holes and straps, once Gripping Charms were discovered in 1875, this simple charm is effective enough.
Nowadays, the Quaffle is seamless and twelce inches in diamater. Its colouring—scarlet—came about during a game that occurred in the winter of 1711. The heavy rain caused the Quaffle to become almost indistinguishable when it was dropped toward the muddy ground.
As well, Chasers were finding it increasingly cumbersome to dive toward the ground to catch a falling Quaffle. This was remedied with a charm that allowed the Quaffle to fall as if it were "sinking through water", making it much easier for a Chaser to catch it mid-air.
Bludgers
During Zacharias Mumps' time, Bludgers were simply flying rocks fashioned into the shape of a ball. However, these had a drawback: they easily cracked when hit by the bat of a Beater, resulting in players being pursued by racing rubble for the rest of the game.
Experiments were performed in the early 1500s to remedy this—metal Bludgers were tried out. The expert on ancient wizarding artefacts, Agatha Chubb, has listed at least twelve lead Bludgers from that time. They were easily identifiable by their supreme craftmanship—impossible for Muggles—, the slight indentations left by the Beaters' bats, and the fact that they zoomed around trying to knock people over.
However, the slight indentations led to impaired flying; lead was too malleable. Iron was declared the winner.
Bludgers nowadays are approximately ten inches in diameter, and charmed to be indiscriminate in its choice of victim. Physical proximity is its only method of judgement: the player closest is the given victim.
Golden Snitch
The Golden Snitch is fashioned like its naturally occurring predecessor: the Golden Snidget. Both are walnut-sized. The Snitch is charmed to evade capture for as long as possible.
There exists a legend claiming that a Golden Snitch was once lost for six months during a Quiddditch game in 1884 on Bodmin Moor. The players finally gave up and the Snitch is rumoured to still live on the moor. The story, however, is unconfirmed.
Players
Keeper
Although the role of the Keeper has been around since the 1200s as shown by previous chapters, it has evolved over time.
Mump's thoughts on the behavior of the Keeper was that of an overqualified Chaser. They were allowed to move all over the pitch, score goals, but were ultimately still responsible for protection of their own goals.
By 1620, Quintius Umfraville, in The Noble Sport of Warlocks, however, the role of the Keeper had been made into what it is today. The scoring areas now existed, and though the Keepers were advised to remain within them, they were allowed to leave them as they saw fit.
Beaters
The role of the Beater has remained consistent over time. The introduction of Beaters to Quidditch came hand-in-hand with that of the Bludgers.
The Beater's objective is simple: they have to guard their members from Bludgers. Bats are used for this—also this was once clubs. They do not handle the Quaffle and do not score goals.
Beaters require a good sense of balance; often both hands are needed to attack a Bludger. They also need a great deal of physical strength; thus, this position has usually always been occupied by males, wizards rather than witches.
Chasers
The Chaser has been around ever since the introduction of Quidditch, simply because the entire game centres around goal-scoring—the introduction of Snitches came about only later. The Chaser's objective is to throw the Quaffle to each other and through the hoops—ten points for each time.
In 1884, a new rule was instated: only the Chaser holding the Quaffle was allowed to enter the opponent's scoring area. This came about because, previously, two Chasers would enter the area, move the Keeper aside, making room for another Chaser to score on the unguarded hoop. It was called 'stooging'.
Seeker
Seekers are usually considered the best fliers on the team—they need a sharp eye, and are often the fastest and lightest on broomsticks. Although there is a certain sense of prestige attached to the position, they are also the player that attracts the most amount of injuries. In the Beaters' Bible, written by Brutus Scrimgeour, the first rule is 'Take out the Seeker'.
Rules
The Department of Magical Games, founded in 1750, has instated the following seven rules:
1. Players can rise as high as they like, but they must not stray past the boundaries. Should they do so, they have to hand over the Quaffle to the opposing team.
2. Only Captains of the team can call for a 'time-out' by signalling the referee—the only time at which the players can touch the ground. A two hour time-out is okay as long as the game has lasted for longer than twelve hours. If they exceed the two hours, they are automatically disqualified.
3. Sometimes, penalties can be awarded by the referee. The Chaser taking the penalty must fly to the scoring area, while all other players, excepting the Keeper, get out of the way.
4. There must be no physical contact between players. The Quaffle, for that matter, can be taken from another player's grasp.
5. Regardless of injury, no substituted players are allowed. The team must play without the player in question.
6. Wands are allowed, as long as they are not used against the opposing team's players, their brooms, the balls, or the crowd.
7. The game ends only when the Snitch is caught, or when the two Captains come to a mutual agreement.
Fouls
There are seven hundred fouls possible in a Quidditch game listed in the Department of Magical Games and Sports records. Not all are shown to the public.
The most common fouls are listed below:
- Blagging
- This applies to all players. It refers to grabbing an opponent's broom tail to slow them down.
- Blatching
This applies to all players. It refers to a player who flies with the intention of causing a collision.
This applies to all players. It refers to when the broom handle is locked with the intention of causing the opponent to go off course.
This applies to Beaters only. It refers to sending the Bludger towards the audience. It causes a halt in the game. Some Beaters have used this to stop a Chaser from scoring.
This applies to all players. It refers to the overabundant use of elbows against opposing players.
This applies to Keepers only. It refers to using any part of the body to push the Quaffle out. Keepers must guard from the front, not the rear of the hoop.
This applies to Chasers only. It refers to pushing the Quaffle through the hoop; hands must not be on the Quaffle as it goes through.
This applies to Chasers only. It refers to tampering with the Quaffle in any way.
This applies to all players but the Seeker. No other player must catch or touch the Snitch.
- Stooging
This applies to Chasers solely. Only the Chaser holding the Quaffle can enter the scoring area.
Referees
The role of the Referee was once considered one of the most dangerous in the game. Tampering of the brooms by members in the crowd, or curses/hexes by the audience occurred every now and then. Now, however, strict security measures have been taken to players' brooms—and the incidents are now quite rare.
The referee's job is quite extensive. He is required to be an expert flier, keep his eyes on fourteen players as much as possible to restrict fouls. Neck strain is a common side effect. At professional matches, officials stand at the boundaries to watch that players nor balls stray over the lines.
The Department of Magical Games and Sports in Britain chooses the Quidditch referees through rigorous flying tests and tests on the rules of Quidditch. They are also put through several trials to see if they would hex offensive players under severe pressure.
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| Anti-Muggle Precautions | Changes in Quidditch Since the Fourteenth Century | Quidditch Teams of Britain and Ireland |
