By February Fortescue
Muggles have discovered Quidditch. Their universities even play against each other.
I didn't believe it, and I had to check it out for myself. Merlin's Beard - how on earth would a Muggle play Quidditch? They can't fly. They have no charmed balls to pass around, throw at each other, or chase. Granted, I have heard rumors that some groups compete by asking and answering trivia questions (I haven't actually observed this myself, but others have assured me it really does happen). I contacted a local university.
They have a Quidditch team, and so then I'm put in contact with the person who leads the team. I have lots of questions. Team name? I'm expecting something sporty and competitive. Assuming they have heard something about our Wizarding World, I'm expecting “The Basilisks” or “Leaping Lethifolds.” Uh, no. They call themselves “Aberforth's Army.” Really? Albus Dumbledore's brother, the guy who runs a tavern and has a certain fondness for goats? Ok, maybe they don't know about the goats. No... their mascot is a goat. Their team t-shirt (no robes for these guys) is blue, tye-dyed, and has a goat's head. Fighting the urge to snark and/or giggle, I immediately order my own shirt. Have to support the team, right?
Like our Quidditch, they have three Chasers in play per team. Chasers (identified by white headbands) throw, kick, or pass the quaffle, earning 10 points each time they successfully get one through the hoops. Beaters (those wearing black headbands, two in play per team) throw or kick bludgers at the opposing team's players. Keepers (green headbands, one in play per team) try to stop the quaffle from going into their hoops. And Seekers (yellow headbands, one in play per team), when the snitch appears (or, in this case, a person dressed in yellow appears), run after this person and try to “Snatch the Snitch.” (their term – I did not come up with this). Snatching the Snitch earns 30 points and concludes the game, as long as the score is not tied.
Muggle Quiddich also comes with its very own set of rules, including:
- Each team must have in play at least one male and one female – teams may not consist of all of one gender. That being said, if a particular player does not identify themselves as a member of either gender, that person is still permitted to play. Quidditch does not discriminate.
- Players are not permitted to intentionally remove the hoops.
- Beaters are not permitted to hit an opposing team member in the back, and because of this rule, players are not permitted to intentionally run down the field backwards to avoid being hit.
- Chasers are permitted to steal the Quaffle from their opponents by stripping it or poking it, but never by punching it.
- Chasers are permitted to tackle their opponent if their opponent is in possession of the quaffle, as long as the tackle does not occur in the neck, head, or groin area, only one arm is used, and the tackle is made within the peripheral view of the player being tackled.
Muggle Quidditch is great fun to observe. Last year for Halloween, which I spent with other Harry Potter fans, I dressed as a wizard trying to look like a Muggle, complete with garish mismatched clothes. This year, I wore my Aberforth's Army t-shirt and talked Muggle Quidditch.
If anyone is interested in a bit of “light reading” and wants to check out the rulebook, enjoy! Parts of it are very amusing and quite informative: Go here