Muggles gather for a Quidditch Fall Cup match

 

story and photos by Joel Rafkin
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Students and faculty converged on the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Campus Green to play the first Muggle Quidditch Fall Cup match on Saturday (Nov. 5). Four games were played between three teams — the Lions Quidditch team, a theater department team and a faculty/Baptist Collegiate Ministry team.

Muggle Quidditch is a relatively new sport sweeping college campuses nationwide. It originates from the Harry Potter series but has been adapted for play on terra firma.

Two 7-player teams kneel down in front of their goal posts at the start of the game on an oval football sized field. The Snitch runner is released to roam the campus with the Snitch, a tennis ball stuck in a sock, while the players’ have their eyes closed.

When the runner is out of sight, game play begins with the call, "Brooms up!" The players then scramble toward the center to gather up the Quaffle and Bludger balls. The Quaffle is a semi-deflated soccer ball and is used for scoring. The three Bludgers are rubber dodgeballs and used defensively. Each team has three Chasers who are responsible for scoring with the Quaffle by throwing it through any of the opposing team’s three hoops from any angle.

Two Beaters per team use the Bludgers to hit opposing team members and gain control of the Quaffle. If a Chaser carrying the Quaffle is struck by a Bludger then the Quaffle must be dropped while the struck player runs to his or her team’s goal posts and circles around them one time before returning to play. The remaining two players per team are the Keeper and Seeker. The Keeper is the goalie trying prevent a score and is not affected by Bludgers. The Seeker chases after the Snitch and tries to retrieve it to end the game.

All this is played while riding a broom constantly held between a player’s legs.

Each goal scores 10 points and game play is ended when the Snitch is recovered or 22 minutes have passed — whichever occurs first. The team with the most points at that time is declared the winner.

UAFS has two Quidditch teams, Lions Quidditch and a team from the theater department. Shawn Mann of the theater team said the teams plan to merge into a Lions Team if the university competes intercollegiate.

The first game was against Team Underfist (UAFS theater) and The Lions. The Lions won 130-70. Lions caught the snitch ending that game.

Game 2 was Team Underfist vs. The BCM Ballers/Administrative Authority. Theater caught the snitch and that game ended 100-0. In the third round the Lions took on BCM Ballers/Administrative Authority and won 120-20 after a fast snitch grab.

The final round was Team Underfist vs. The Lions. The game was an intense game, ending with a 50-50 tie. The game proceeded into overtime and theater’s seeker caught the snitch in the pitch, ending the game 80-50.

The Quidditch teams formed this year and coincide with the offering of a Harry Potter literature class taught by Dr. Dennis Siler, Mann said.

Saturday’s Fall Cup raised money for United Way. The entry fee was $5 per player and additional funds were raised through the sale of $1/cup Butter Beer (cream soda with ice cream and butterscotch) and $2/pack Bertie Botts Beans (Harry Potter-themed jelly beans).

Practices are held Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. on the Campus Green. Any student wishing to participate may attend a practice.