By: Isabella Urbani, Sports Editor
Welcome to The PeakBox. I am your host, and resident Ravenclaw, Isabella Urbani. Each week The Peak will answer student submitted questions about sports at SFU. This week, we focused on quidditch.
What is quidditch?
Quidditch was invented in the Harry Potter novels. It has since been adapted into a full-contact competitive sport with its own professional league and non-profit federations. Quidditch is gender-inclusive and incorporates skills from many disciplines, such as rugby (physicality), soccer (speed), dodgeball (agility), and basketball (shot). Players are required to play with a broomstick in between their legs.
What are the positions in quidditch?
The four positions in quidditch are the chasers, seekers, beaters, and keepers. Seven members of each team take the field. The three chasers on the team try to score points by throwing the quaffle (deflated volleyball) through one of the three hoops, each with 10 points. The defenders are the beaters — they try to knock opposing players off their brooms by hitting them with a bludger (dodgeball). If you are knocked off of your broom, you must tag up (by running back and touching your team’s hoop) to rejoin the game.
While all of this is happening, a seeker (snitch runner) from each team is responsible for capturing the gold snitch, worth 30 points, to end the game. The team with the most points at this time wins.
How does a game begin?
All players begin the game by lining up with their eyes closed, at their keeper’s end, while the referee hides the golden snitch. The referee will then say “brooms up” to signify the start of the game. Players must remain on their brooms at all times. If they become dislodged, they must tag back up at their keeper’s end. There is no time limit in matches. Typically, the golden snitch is found in an hour.
When did quidditch begin at SFU?
SFU’s team was founded in 2013 by its first club president, Christine Konrad, becoming the third team established in BC. Quidditch was adapted to be a competitive full-contact sport 10 years prior. In the past, the SFU quidditch season consisted of multiple tournaments, the Dobby Cup, an official event sponsored by the United States Quidditch federation, and the National Canadian Quidditch Championship. In the 2014‒15 season, the SFU team finished fourth. The team has even competed against Stanford University.
We will see you next week for the newest edition of the Peakbox. Until then, open the letters from your friends that your family have been hiding from you.
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