The (now former) Quidditch organizations US Quidditch and Major League Quidditch announced that they could and should rename themselves at the end of last year. Now they have published a new name. Quidditch in the world of muggles, i.e. people without magical talent, will from now on be called quadball (four-ball, Czech translation by the editors).
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The name refers to the number of balls with which the Potter sport is played (golden ball, two balls and a camral) and the number of positions, informs the American server NBC.
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In addition to the magic match, all associations are also awaiting a name change. (Name) “opens up unprecedented opportunities for growth, publicity and partnerships,” Major League Quadball (formerly Major League Quidditch) said in a statement.
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He sees the decision as a “breakthrough change” that he will want to make the most of.
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The non-wizard version of Quidditch from the world of Harry Potter is popular all over the world.
“In less than 20 years, our sport has grown from a few dozen college kids in rural Vermont to a global phenomenon with thousands of players, semi-professional leagues and international championships. Our organization is committed to moving quadball forward,” commented Mary Kimball, director of US Quadball (formerly US Quidditch), on the name change.
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The reasons for the change are given by two associations. The first is an effort to “distance myself from the work of the British writer JK Rowling”. In recent years, she has outraged some fans with some statements. In June 2020, for example, she posted a series of posts on Twitter that human rights activists said were directed at transgender people. In one tweet, she shared and criticized an article that talked about “people who menstruate.” “I’m sure there was a label for such people. Someone tell me,” the 56-year-old author wrote at the time.
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After widespread criticism, she published a comprehensive explanation of her views, in which she confided, among other things, that she had faced sexual and domestic violence in her youth. “I know and love trans people, but removing the concept of gender robs many of the ability to meaningfully discuss their lives,” she said.
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The second impetus for the change was licensing obligations associated with the Warner Bros. film studio. This has had an impact on broadcasting options and limited sponsorship opportunities, he reports server Sky News.
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The name of the four-ball was determined after a series of researches by its players and fans. According to Tuesday’s press release, it is played by over 600 teams in forty countries around the world, including the Czech Republic.
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Unlike the book version of the game, where Potter and his friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry fly on broomsticks, in ground fourball two teams of seven players run around the field. Just like in the literary version, the task here is to hit the hoop with a camral, avoid mobs and catch a snitch hanging in a sock on the shorts of an unbiased player.
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The teams are mixed, so women and men play at the same time, but there cannot be more than four players of the same gender per team.
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