Quidditch Canada Makes Changes for 2015-16 Season

By Andy Marmer, Quidditch Post CEO

After recognizing that quidditch in Canada has become too competitive, Quidditch Canada announced a series of rule changes for the 2015-16 season to better manage the direction the league takes. The organization also announced the site of its regional championships and national championship tournament.

The Eastern Regional Championship will take place in Red Head Cove, Newfoundland, while the Western Regional Championship will be played in Anchorage, Alaska. The National Championship will be played in Iqaluit, Nunavut. 

“This past year, the regional championships advantaged some teams more than others due to location,” said Quidditch Canada President Tegan Bridge. “This year, we will strive to make all of the tournaments equally convenient for all teams.”

The Anchorage tournament marks the first time a regional championship has been held outside of the region itself. Bridge defended the decision.

“We’ve received a lot of criticism from Americans lately,” she said. “We figured, what better way to show them some good old-fashioned Canadian quidditch than to have one of our signature tournaments in their own backyard?”

Along with the major tournaments, Quidditch Canada announced a number of rule changes for the upcoming season. 

To better enable Canadians to play the sport year-round, quidditch will henceforth be played on ice. Furthermore, players will no longer ride brooms; instead, they will primarily use the broom to carry, pass, and shoot the ball (although under limited exceptions, they may use other parts of their body). Quidditch Canada has further decided to remove bludgers and the snitch, keeping just a quaffle. However, to better meld the sport to its new icy home, the quaffle will be converted to a small rubber disc. With the new icy nature, the three hoops will be replaced by a single net. Players will also return to wearing capes.

“We feel it’s important for quidditch to stay true to its roots,” said Gameplay Director Chris Beesley. “We feel these rule changes will bring out the best in quidditch while simultaneously maintaining a traditional edge.”