by Veronika Kohoutová · Published August 11, 2022 · Updated August 12, 2022

The International Quidditch Association (IQA) changed the process of updating the Muggle quidditch rule book earlier this year. The new process is that the IQA’s Rules Team will publicly present its proposals for changes. The IQA rule book is updated every two years, and more changes to the rule book should happen this year.

The new changes were presented in May, and the IQA has now announced the results. One of the proposed changes didn’t pass despite being heavily discussed by the quadball/quidditch community, and another ten proposed changes passed.

The first rule pertains to shin guards. They will not have to pass the knock test anymore. That means that hard plastic soccer shin guards will be allowed. This new rule was passed with a revision that this exception is only for plastic shin guards. Shin guards made from other materials, such as carbon fiber, still have to pass the knock test. Metal cleats also passed and won’t be strictly banned. The cleats must not be sharp still.

The option to extend the bench outside of the player area up to a total width of 7 meters is allowed if there is space to do so. This new change of rules passed.

The reset rule will change. When a single action causes the quaffle to travel across both restrictor lines, the midfield and the keeper zone, this will count as two resets. That means it will result in a quaffle turnover. The stalled quaffle procedure will also change, and a stalled quaffle is now treated as out of bounds. The turnover of quaffles will no longer stop the game.

Catching the snitch will be a little different, and the seeker floor will start at the 20th minute. Previously, the seeker floor began in the 18th minute. This is the same as it is played in the United States by US Quadball (formerly US Quidditch) and Major League Quadball (formerly Major League Quidditch).

Extra breaks during high heat and humidity passed with revisions. If the heat index is at or above 32°C during the event, there should be additional breaks after 15 minutes into the game and every 5 minutes after the first 20 minutes. After revisions, it allows also the use of the rule when there aren’t humidity data available to the event director but it feels like the case.

Head beats thrown from less than 5 meters will be penalized.

Contact and tackling will be different. Tackles can happen from behind if a player stops in the motion and has both feet on the ground. Players will also be allowed to use both arms while wrapping an opponent and tackling them. This proposal makes it legal to reach around an opponent to steal a ball, but two-arm pushes are still illegal. This is considered a major change.

Another major change that was heavily discussed didn’t pass. It is a 3-max gender rule. Currently, it is mandatory that no more than four players of the same gender be on the pitch at any point of the game. The new rule would have changed it to three except for when seekers are on the pitch.

Although this rule didn’t pass, it received support from the quadball/quidditch community and was often discussed, especially in the Facebook group Quidditch Europe. The reason and main argument for passing the rule is to support female players to let them play and train and to trust them. Australia and Norway actually used the rule already during the IQA European Games, and they both were very successful during the tournament when they played for third place. The quadball/quidditch community also reused a thread about a document written in 2019 to explain the rule.

The gender rule, as I believe, does not exist to make the sport inclusive to all players. Because as a community, we have already decided that we are inclusive. Whoever you are and whatever you identify yourself with, you are welcome to come and play. The original intent of the gender rule was to ensure female players playing time, and respecting this rule, ensures that the sport is played fair.

Why do we need it? Because, and I say this from a professional perspective as a doctor, testosterone-dominated bodies have a physiological advantage over estrogen-dominated bodies, when it comes to qualities needed for sport. It’s a physiological result from the effect that hormones have on your muscles, joints, bones, internal organs and blood vessels. When we decide to keep the sport fair, we actually decide on a testosterone-estrogen ratio in the team, with no interest at all in your gender.

When a team decides to not keep to this rule, you are not only disrespectful to quidditch, but you are disrespectful to sports in general, and foremost, to your estrogen-dominated players.

Currently, there is a petition to reconsider the 3-max gender rule that will accept signatures until September 3.

I played Muggle Quidditch for the Prague Pegasus and on our national team in the European Games 2019.

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