By Lindsay Garten
With Quidditch World Cup 2016 behind us, the Quidditch Post brings you a beginner’s guide to the International Quidditch Association (IQA), the organization responsible for planning this international event. If you would like to know more about the history of this marquee event, check out our Beginner’s Guide to World Cup.
With Quidditch World Cup 2016 behind us, the Quidditch Post brings you a beginner’s guide to the International Quidditch Association (IQA), the organization responsible for planning this international event. If you would like to know more about the history of this marquee event, check out our Beginner’s Guide to World Cup.
When and why was the new IQA created?
In March 2014, a group of Europeans wrote an open letter to the former IQA (more on this later) in which they stated, “we, here, representatives of Quidditch Europe, feel isolated and ignored by the IQA.”
Following that letter, the former IQA acknowledged receipt of the letter: “The IQA at large, and the management team specifically, appreciates and values the feedback of all its members, and the league will take the content of this letter into account in its continued discussions regarding the future direction of the IQA and of the role of national bodies in this future.”
Approximately two weeks later on March 19, 2014, in direct response to the open letter, the former IQA announced on its website that the then IQA would transition to what is now known as US Quidditch and that the new IQA would truly be an international body.
On June 28, 2014, the IQA’s staffing and congressional structure, membership tiers, and information about the Quidditch Development Index was announced. Finally, on August 27, 2014, Harrison Homel was named executive director of the new IQA.
What does the IQA do?
Following that letter, the former IQA acknowledged receipt of the letter: “The IQA at large, and the management team specifically, appreciates and values the feedback of all its members, and the league will take the content of this letter into account in its continued discussions regarding the future direction of the IQA and of the role of national bodies in this future.”
Approximately two weeks later on March 19, 2014, in direct response to the open letter, the former IQA announced on its website that the then IQA would transition to what is now known as US Quidditch and that the new IQA would truly be an international body.
On June 28, 2014, the IQA’s staffing and congressional structure, membership tiers, and information about the Quidditch Development Index was announced. Finally, on August 27, 2014, Harrison Homel was named executive director of the new IQA.
What does the IQA do?
According to its own website, “The IQA is responsible for the governance and sustainability of the sport of quidditch and provides responsive and effective leadership to support the sport's development throughout the world.”
Specifically, the IQA claims that “The IQA serves more than twenty national governing bodies, and the hundreds of club teams they represent, in a number of ways, including: organizing major international competitions, offering development grants, maintaining and improving the official rules, developing standards for officiating and snitching the game, and creating major policy in all areas related to the sport.”
Who is the IQA?
Specifically, the IQA claims that “The IQA serves more than twenty national governing bodies, and the hundreds of club teams they represent, in a number of ways, including: organizing major international competitions, offering development grants, maintaining and improving the official rules, developing standards for officiating and snitching the game, and creating major policy in all areas related to the sport.”
Who is the IQA?
Put simply, you are. Any member of a national governing body (NGB) is a member of the IQA. However, the IQA is in actuality split into four main groups, each with its own duties and responsibilities.
The IQA Congress is a representative body with its members composed of representatives from various NGBs. This body meets approximately twice a year and is charged with setting broad IQA policy.
The IQA Executive Team is composed of three members: the Finance Director, President of the Congress, and Executive Director. The Executive Director is tasked with overseeing day-to-day operations of the organization. The Finance Director manages the organization’s finances. The President of the Congress manages the activities of the Congress on a day-to-day basis.
The IQA Board of Trustees, formed in Feb. 2016, has a broad mandate. According to the IQA’s release at the time, “The Board, tasked with ensuring the good governance and long-term financial success of the organization’s business operations, will provide incredibly valuable perspective and insight to the Executive Team as the IQA builds its business.” Specifically, the Board is trusted with appointing the Executive Director.
Finally, we have the various committees. The most visible committee at the moment is undoubtedly the World Cup Organising Team. This group was specifically charged with running the administration of World Cup.
IQA Congress
The IQA Congress is a representative body with its members composed of representatives from various NGBs. This body meets approximately twice a year and is charged with setting broad IQA policy.
The IQA Executive Team is composed of three members: the Finance Director, President of the Congress, and Executive Director. The Executive Director is tasked with overseeing day-to-day operations of the organization. The Finance Director manages the organization’s finances. The President of the Congress manages the activities of the Congress on a day-to-day basis.
The IQA Board of Trustees, formed in Feb. 2016, has a broad mandate. According to the IQA’s release at the time, “The Board, tasked with ensuring the good governance and long-term financial success of the organization’s business operations, will provide incredibly valuable perspective and insight to the Executive Team as the IQA builds its business.” Specifically, the Board is trusted with appointing the Executive Director.
Finally, we have the various committees. The most visible committee at the moment is undoubtedly the World Cup Organising Team. This group was specifically charged with running the administration of World Cup.
IQA Congress
According to an article from June 2014 on the IQA website, the IQA Congress is “the representative body in which each IQA member league has a stake in the organization and development of the sport.”
The Congress is required to hold regular meetings at least twice a year with additional meetings held if deemed necessary by the Executive Team or the Congress itself. The President of the Congress is elected to a two-year term and is responsible for creating the agenda and running the Congressional meetings. Committees can be created that would be made up of volunteers who are responsible for carrying out league operations.
There is a three-tier system for membership in Congress: member leagues, developing leagues, and emerging areas. To determine eligibility for each tier, a metric called the “Quidditch Development Index” was created. This index looks at the proportion between the absolute number of teams in the member league and the number of teams relative to population of the league’s country or area.
Executive Leadership
The Congress is required to hold regular meetings at least twice a year with additional meetings held if deemed necessary by the Executive Team or the Congress itself. The President of the Congress is elected to a two-year term and is responsible for creating the agenda and running the Congressional meetings. Committees can be created that would be made up of volunteers who are responsible for carrying out league operations.
There is a three-tier system for membership in Congress: member leagues, developing leagues, and emerging areas. To determine eligibility for each tier, a metric called the “Quidditch Development Index” was created. This index looks at the proportion between the absolute number of teams in the member league and the number of teams relative to population of the league’s country or area.
Executive Leadership
Executive Director: Harrison Homel
Finance Director: Vacant
President of the Congress: Brian Gallaway
Editor’s Note: we believe that the finance director position is vacant because the IQA is hiring for this position and a director is not listed on the leadership page of the IQA’s website.
Board of Trustees
Editor’s Note: we believe that the finance director position is vacant because the IQA is hiring for this position and a director is not listed on the leadership page of the IQA’s website.
Board of Trustees
According to the IQA, “The Board, tasked with ensuring the good governance and long-term financial success of the organization’s business operations, will provide incredibly valuable perspective and insight to the Executive Team as the IQA builds its business.” In February 2016, the IQA appointed Chris Daw, Nicholas Oughtibridge, and Alicia Radford to the Board. Daw is the current executive director of Quidditch Canada, Oughtibridge is the father of a quidditch player in the UK, and Radford is the former COO of US Quidditch. As President of the Congress, Brian Gallaway also serves on the Board.
World Cup Organising Team
World Cup Organising Team
The organizing team was chosen after they applied to an open call for applications. The team was responsible for planning the 2016 IQA Quidditch World Cup.
The members of the World Cup Organising Team were:
The members of the World Cup Organising Team were:
Tournament Director: Matthew Guenzel
Assistant Tournament Director: Tom Challinor
Logistics Coordinator: Rebecca Alley
Hospitality Coordinator: Anna Kramlova
Finance Coordinator: Alice Faux-Nightingale
Gameplay Coordinator: Josh Maher
Marketing Coordinator: Alex Scheer
Volunteers Coordinator: Bethany Ashley
Referee and Snitch Coordinator: Pauline Raes
When the news article was published on the IQA website, the Referee and Snitch Coordinator positions were not filled. Pauline Raes has subsequently been selected to fill both positions, although no formal announcement was made about the selection.
Membership Tiers
When the news article was published on the IQA website, the Referee and Snitch Coordinator positions were not filled. Pauline Raes has subsequently been selected to fill both positions, although no formal announcement was made about the selection.
Membership Tiers
Member leagues get between one and three delegates to Congress, with each delegate receiving one vote. The delegates for member leagues vote as one bloc, with the number of delegates determined by the Quidditch Development Index. These leagues must also play by IQA rules, host a national championship each year, have at least three teams, and have an NGB composed of staff from at least three teams or unaffiliated staff. The NGB must be a legal entity or be working toward becoming one. Full members get delegates according to the following: those with less than 200 players receive one delegate, those with 200-1,999 players receive two delegates, and those with more than 2,000 players receive three delegates.
Member leagues include US Quidditch, QuidditchUK, Asociación Argentina de Quidditch, Quidditch Australia, Belgian Quidditch Federation, Quidditch Canada, Deutscher Quidditchbund, Associazione Italiana Quidditch, Quidditch México, Quidditch Nederland, Norges Rumpledunkforbund, Quidditch Derneği, Fédération du Quidditch Français, Asociación Quidditch España, and Associació de Quidditch de Catalunya.
Member leagues include US Quidditch, QuidditchUK, Asociación Argentina de Quidditch, Quidditch Australia, Belgian Quidditch Federation, Quidditch Canada, Deutscher Quidditchbund, Associazione Italiana Quidditch, Quidditch México, Quidditch Nederland, Norges Rumpledunkforbund, Quidditch Derneği, Fédération du Quidditch Français, Asociación Quidditch España, and Associació de Quidditch de Catalunya.
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| Photo Courtesy of International Quidditch Association |
Developing leagues have two or more teams and a Quidditch Development Index below the threshold set by the IQA for member leagues. These leagues have one non-voting member in the IQA Congress. These leagues must have evidence of regular competitive play and must have an NGB. Developing leagues include: Quidditch Austria, Polska Liga Quidditcha, and Associacao Brasileira de Quadribol.
Lastly, we have emerging areas that have at least one team but may not have a governing body or evidence of regular competitive play. These areas, which are represented in the Congress through the IQA’s expansion staff, include: Quidditch Peru, Uganda, South Korea, Pakistan, New Zealand, Guatemala, Slovakia, Slovenia, China, and Sweden.
Editor’s Note: The Quidditch Post staff researched the above based on all available information. We have reached out to the IQA for confirmation and have not heard back after many weeks. If you notice anything incorrect, please contact us and we will update accordingly.
Lastly, we have emerging areas that have at least one team but may not have a governing body or evidence of regular competitive play. These areas, which are represented in the Congress through the IQA’s expansion staff, include: Quidditch Peru, Uganda, South Korea, Pakistan, New Zealand, Guatemala, Slovakia, Slovenia, China, and Sweden.
Editor’s Note: The Quidditch Post staff researched the above based on all available information. We have reached out to the IQA for confirmation and have not heard back after many weeks. If you notice anything incorrect, please contact us and we will update accordingly.
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