The world of Harry Potter has long included not only magical creatures, special schools for wizards, but also its own sport. Quidditch is the name of this popular sporting event in magic circles. This game is quite dangerous, but matches are always large-scale and spectacular. Why, you have to play in the air, on brooms!
Rules of the game of the wizarding world
Quidditch is not just a yard game that anyone can play as he pleases. No, this is a sport in which there are strict rules. The game is held at height, all players are on brooms. Three rings are located on both sides - this is a kind of gate. They must be protected from attacks by opponents.
The rules of Quidditch are simple, but they require fans to remember many names. Each team has seven players, each has its own goal. It is noteworthy that no spare is provided. If one player was injured during the game, the team continues to fight for victory without him. What is Quidditch, according to representatives of the medical center at Hogwarts? Most likely, just a terribly dangerous event.
The main balls in the game
Quidditch is a sport in which there are several balls, each of which has its own meaning. The main ball is the quaffle. They are trying to throw him into the rings. Each hit brings the team ten points. It can be transferred between players. In case of violation of the rules, the player is allowed to break the penalty.
In second place is the bludger. This ball is quite dangerous. With the help of a beat, they beat him in the direction of the players of the opposite team. In the second part of Harry Potter books, the bluger was enchanted by a house elf named Dobby. In the end, this ball chased after Harry until he knocked him off the broom. The case ended in a broken arm.
Snitch This ball is the smallest in size, but it is of great importance. Quidditch is the sport in which maneuverability and dexterity are valued. This type of ball moves freely around the field at high speed. It is necessary to catch a specific player. However, this is not so simple. The catching team is immediately awarded 150 points. When a snitch is caught, the game stops. However, it is not always this ball that can bring victory if the gap between the teams on points is too large, even catching this nimble ball does not save the losers.
Snitch History
There is a book that explains what Quidditch is, the rules of the game, a description of famous players. There is also a description of the occurrence of the Snitch, the most interesting ball of all. According to this legend, the name of the ball appeared due to the name of the bird snidget, having a gold plumage. It was this small creature in one of the games that one of the old magicians brought. According to him, he who will catch a nimble creature will give one hundred and fifty galleons, which represents a huge amount. Of course, all the players immediately rushed to catch him.
Subsequently, the concept of the game was changed. On the field, they began to release snidgets that could not leave the playing field thanks to spells. However, the birds were very fragile, and the players in the heat of battle broke their feathers or destroyed them. Game money was converted to points. And after a sharp decline in the population of this species of birds, it was decided to release a special ball so as not to torment living creatures. In honor of the birds, the ball was made of gold color, it is also equipped with wings.
Main players
The team consists of seven players: one goalkeeper, one catcher, a pair of beaters and three hunters. Each of them has its own task. The goalie's goal is to close his rings. He must prevent the Quaffle from falling into them. It is noteworthy that the most massive players are usually chosen, in the hope that they will cover the rings as much as possible. However, the catch is that the rings are not located at the same height, which complicates the task of goalkeepers.
Beaters are the team’s best-known players. In their hands are bits that help guide bluders at opponents. For beaters, the ability to hit the ball and give it the necessary direction is important. In this case, there are cases when the hit was made in the player of his team.
The hunters. Three players who attack other gates are called hunters. They pass each other a quaffle, helping to score this kind of ball into the opponents' rings. If the goalkeeper has caught the quaffle, he can throw it to the players of his team. For the hunter, speed and the ability to evade opponents are important.
Trapper is the team’s most brisk player. Most often, small and maneuverable players are chosen. However, there are exceptions. So, the catcher of the national team of Bulgaria, Viktor Kram, has a rather dense physique, which does not prevent him from remaining one of the best in his field. By the way, Harry Potter is a catcher of the Gryffindor Quidditch faculty team.
Quidditch World Cup. Large-scale event
World Championships in this sport are held every four years. The finale of one of them is described in detail in the book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which is the fourth in a series of books about the wizard boy. The Bulgarian national team and the Irish national team were in the final match.
The judge of the championship is a representative from Egypt, chairman of the International Quidditch Association. Before the game, the teams presented their talismans. The Irish national team brought the leprechauns, who presented everyone with special gold, and the Bulgarian national team introduced everyone to the Veela - lovely girls who fell in love with all men with the help of magic.
The result of the game was interesting. The Irish national team won, despite the fact that it was Bulgaria that caught the golden snitch. According to fans, only catcher Victor Krum was a decent player in the losing country team, while Ireland supplied the team with strong players in all directions.
Quidditch for the Muggles
Of course, fans of books cannot recreate the game completely. At least for the reason that neither flying balls nor brooms raising players in the air can be reached. However, fans around the world do not despair and come up with their own variations.
One of the very first versions of the game implied that players run with brooms between their legs. However, it was soon recognized as stupid. So there was a game in which the bludders score with the help of tennis racquets, and the snitch is a tennis ball, which is beaten by special players, preventing the catchers from catching it.
Game in Russia
In Russia, Harry Potter lovers are enough. Therefore, in large cities, you can find fans who are going to play Quidditch. He has his own, special rules. Quidditch in Russian is a modified version of the game.
It is noteworthy that the snitch here is a person. It is him who the catchers try to catch. However, their legs are tied, which prevents them from moving at the right speed. In this case, the bludger does not knock down the player, but simply “freezes” for a while. If he currently had a quaffle in his hands, the player must let him go.