Rules and Regulations!
Rules and Game Play of Quidditch
Rules and Game Play of Quidditch
IF YOU ARE APPLYING TO QUIDDITCH, RESPOND TO THIS POST WITH A COMMENT!
You may not play for your team until after you have commented here, to show that you have read and understand. Even if you've previously been on a house team you still need to comment to this post, so we are all on the same page. Please do ask ANY questions; things that make sense to us may actually require much more elaboration. :)
Community Membership
Every member of hogwartsishome and their respective common room is welcome to join hh_quidditch! Besides the exciting quidditch matches and activities for players and alternates, there will also be fan contests for everyone who loves quidditch and wants to support a team without actually playing. Only signed-up members of the teams, however, will be allowed to play in quidditch matches and participate in locker room activities.
POSITIONS
Per Team: 1 Seeker performs a scavenger hunt. This consists of between seven and ten questions, released one at a time, requiring the Seeker to perform various tasks. While most tasks will be designed to take a good seeker around ten or twenty minutes, some tasks may be shorter or longer (with NO task expected to take a good seeker more than 30 minutes). Catching the Snitch (being the first to correctly complete the search) is worth 90 points.
1 Keeper asks a final trivia question to the Chasers. In the event that there are no Beaters, the Keeper also asks the Beater trivia questions. The Keeper question is worth 18 points. It is recommended that a Keeper prepares a list of at least 20 questions for game use.
Up to 2 Beaters ask trivia questions to the Chasers. If there is one Beater, he asks two questions; if there are two Beaters, each takes turns asking a question. A Beater question is worth 6 points. It is recommended that each Beater prepare a list of at least 30 questions for game use.
Up to 3 Chasers take turns answering the questions. Possession of the "Quaffle" is kept when the Beater's questions are answered correctly; goals are scored when the Keeper's question is answered correctly.
Therefore, a full team consists of 1 Seeker, 1 Keeper, 2 Beaters and 3 Chasers. In the event that there are not enough players, the bare minimum for a team to play without forfeit is 1 Seeker, 1 Keeper/Beater and 1 Chaser.
A team may have a list of alternates (as many spots as there are people available and willing to play) on the team to play when players who have made the team for a match are not available for another. These alternates may state their preference of positions to their Captains. Please note that to be allowed to play Quidditch, you must be listed on the team roster so the moderators can keep track of your bonus items.
COMPOSITION OF A TEAM
The quidditch mods will hold trials and distribute the results to the team captains. The captains will then participate in a closed, anonymous draft to select their teams, using whatever criteria they desire. Captains will be able to choose team members on a turn by turn basis until every person who has tried out is assigned to a team either as a core member or an alternate
In any case, the playing members of a team may change depending on the ultimate time slot picked for the match so the captains should have a list of the people willing to play.
When the time slot is picked by both captains and the time agreed upon, it is imperative that all players sign the rules and the roster for this match so the moderators can keep track of their bonus items. The Captains are rewarded 10 knuts for their work.
The mods are always here to keep things fair. The captains and the members of HiH who want to make a team are encouraged to come to them with any problem (quidditchmod@gmail.com or a PM will do).
BEATERS AND KEEPERS QUESTIONS
The Beaters and Keepers can send their questions to the moderators for approval any time during term, without a specific match in mind. The deadline for questions to be submitted for approval (reminders will be posted in the locker rooms) is 48 hours before a match (though it is strongly encouraged that you submit questions earlier). Questions must be submitted via the spreadsheet set up for each team. If you don't have access to the Google Docs spreadsheet, please contact your captain or one of the Quidditch Mods.
Even if a question has been approved during a previous term, it must be resubmitted for approval again during each new term you wish to use it. Rules and mods change; something that was approved in a previous term may not be approved in the current one or vice versa.
From now on, the questions have to be about knowledge of the Harry Potter canon; in other words, questions relying on a substantial amount of outside material will be rejected. Outside knowledge may include, but is not limited to, mathematical calculations, geography, and the like. Also, any fact which requires one to blindly search through a large number of pages in canon without any thought (such as counting how many times a specific word appears in a chapter or in a book) will be considered to be outside knowledge. In addition, questions that are ambiguous, vague, or gratuitously convoluted will be either rejected or rephrased by the moderators. The questions have to be doable in 4 minutes by one Chaser (the moderators in charge of the questions WILL check). Bearing in mind that we can and WILL refuse a question that is too ambiguous, everything clearly present somewhere on the Harry Potter Lexicon is fair game. Rephrase as you wish but keep it Lexicon-centered. In the end, and since the Lexicon sometimes does have to make a choice, the books themselves are our ultimate source.
We WILL refuse all the questions that do not comply by these rules - Quidditch is a game of Harry Potter trivia, first and foremost. Finally, since Pottermore information is now open to the public it will be fair game for matches
DATES
There are six regular games per term.
Approximately two weeks before a match, the moderators in charge of the match will contact the Captains and ask them to pick slots among a list provided by the moderators, based on when the greatest number of members wanting to play Quidditch are available to play. These times will be based on when the mods themselves are free to organize the match. After a few days to allow the Captains to discuss it with the members (posting in the locker room is strongly encouraged), the Captains should get back to the moderators with both a list of slots and a list of players for each slot. Once the moderators pick a slot that's good for both teams and themselves, the players should then sign the rules of Quidditch and sign the roster so we can keep track of their bonus items.
The match roster post goes up several days before the match, stating who is in the game and making a last-minute call for any unfilled positions. A "skeleton team" (1 Seeker, 1 Keeper/Beater, 1 Chaser) is the bare minimum for a team to play without forfeiting.
Teams may continue to fill vacant positions up to half an hour before the game's start time.
GAME PLAY
a. The Mods will provide the Seekers with the first part of their scavenger hunt, and asks ALL Chasers a tossup question. Any Chaser is allowed to answer, and whichever team answers first (and correctly) earns possession of the Quaffle. This is in the Game Post; answers go into comments.
b. Beaters ask two questions or one question each and the Keeper asks one. Beaters ask their first question in a NEW comment.
Keepers and Beaters can access their team's list of questions anytime before the game. The Beater and Keeper are NOT allowed to rephrase the questions unless rephrasing is pre-approved by the Mods more than 2 days prior to the start of the game.
Keepers and Beaters may make their own questions, but they must be submitted to the Mods via google docs spreadsheet one week (unless otherwise stated) before game start and approved before being used in game play. You must include book/chapter and page (e.g. DH, Ch. 9: A Place to Hide, p.251 ) or a link to the answer from Hp-Lexicon or an official JK Rowling source for your answers, so we can double-check them. The questions are not approved until the Mods replies to your email stating which questions have been approved for use. Please note that we have very strict rules on what is, and what isn't canon.
Beaters are responsible for determining the order they ask questions in. The rotation should be followed throughout the entire game even across threads. Failure to stick to the order without notifying and approval of the Mods, may lead to a 5 point penalty. This allows game play to move along more quickly.
c. Chasers alternate in answering questions. If only two Chasers are available, the Chaser who answered the first Beater question should also answer the Keeper question. If three Chasers are available, any order is acceptable, as long as all three Chasers take a turn answering. The Chasers should stick to their order across threads, throughout gameplay. Failure to stick to the order without notifying and approval of the Mods, may lead to a 5 point penalty. This allows game play to move along more quickly.
Chasers have 4 minutes to answer their question; Beaters and the Keeper have 2 minutes to respond if the answer was correct/incorrect and post a new question (if the previous answer was correct). If beaters/keepers state a given answer was incorrect, they'll have to give the correct answer in that same response! In case time is called the Beater and Keeper still needs to give the correct answer for their question.
The first answer a Chaser replies with is their final answer. A Chaser may not edit, nor delete and re-comment with a different answer.
Regarding Chaser ordering. If there are only two Chasers they must respond in an ABA BAB ordering (being that they must alternate back and forth and neither Chaser answers twice in a row). If there are three Chasers the ordering may go ABC ABC or BCA BCA, etc as long as the rotation is kept up the entire game.
d. If the Chasers score (answering two Beater and one Keeper questions correctly) or lose possession (by failing to answer in time or correctly) the Mods declares a switch in possession of the Quaffle, and the process continues for the other team. Repeat until Snitch is caught or two hours have passed, whichever is first. At the time of the possession change, the beaters should wait for the Mod's official post before posting their first question.
e. Once a Seeker has completed one part of the hunt, they will post their part on a locked, separate and dedicated thread as a (screened) comment to this thread. They should then proceed to the next task. They will receive a comment in response to their submission stating whether their submission was accepted or not. This comment will be posted as a reply to their name and house. If it was not correct the seeker must stop the part they have started and fix the incorrect part. Parts will not count unless the previous part is both complete and correct.
In other words: a thread will be posted for the Seekers to drop their tasks. The first comment is a comment by the mods, the Seekers have to answer with their name, house, and team ONLY (their answers are screened). A second comment is posted just below this one by the Quidditch mods, the Seekers will drop their tasks as a reply to this second comment but will receive approval as a reply to their name//house//team (see screenshots below for visual explanation).
Regardless of if their submission was correct, the next part of the seeker search will be posted somewhere in the game post, this might be a new comment, a reply to another comment, anything. You're seekers, look for it! They will not be labelled as seeker tasks! Once their submission is marked, if it was correct they may continue with the next part. However, if their submission was incorrect, they may try again (and again, and again...). Parts will not count unless the previous part is both complete and correct.
We still ask you to submit your answer on the dedicated Seeker Tasks thread.
This continues until all parts of the seeker search have been released.
A thread is posted for the Seekers. All comments are screened, except the mods's comments. The mods post a first comment to ask the Seekers for their name, house, and team.
The Seekers reply to this comment with their name, house, and team ONLY (this can be done before the game).
A second comment is posted by the mods just below this one for the Seekers to drop their tasks. Their comments are screened. We will tell the Seekers whether or not their task is approved not by replying to their comment posted here but to their comment with their name, house, and team to avoid unscreening their task to respond. The tasks are posted here:
But the approval will be here:
f. HALFTIME! Approximately one hour into the match, after a stoppage in play (i.e. when the Quaffle changes possession), the moderators will declare halftime to allow players to substitute in and out; during this halftime, the Seeker scavenger hunt will continue but no Beater or Keeper questions will be asked.
The point of this halftime is to allow people who wish to play Quidditch but cannot commit to the entire two hour timeslot chosen by the moderators to sign up to play for only one half of the match (the first half or the second half). Spelling out the details a bit further:
i) Seekers will still have to sign up for the entire match because of the nature of the scavenger hunts; no substitutions allowed for that position!
ii) At any point in the match, there will need to be either ONE, TWO, or THREE Chasers and ONE, TWO, or THREE defensive players (Beaters and Keepers) on the field for each team.
iii) Players who sign up for only one half of each match will get reduced participation points: 5 participation points plus full bonus points (this would allow such a player to earn between 5-15 points, compared to the 15-25 points for someone playing for the entire match).
g. Once the two hours of game play is up, the Seeker will post their answers to ALL THE PARTS of the hunt as a new comment to the game post. The Snitch is worth 90 points. In the event of two Seekers completing the exact same number of correct tasks in their order of release, the Seeker who catches the Snitch is the Seeker who will have posted the last task completed first on the separate, dedicated Seeker Tasks thread (they will have to post all the parts on the Game thread but to break the tie, the moderators will look at who completed the last task first and therefore commented on the Seeker Tasks thread first with a correct last part).
Parts will not count unless the previous part is both complete and correct.
h. Game play may not exceed 2 hours, at the discretion of the Mods (it can go either way here depending on start time, but you'll be warned in advance of the game ending). At this point, the Seeker with the most correct answer earns their team 90 points, and the points already earned are tallied up to produce a game-winner. Matches WILL start on time! Unless otherwise noted by the Mods.
Here is a sample thread from an actual match. Click the picture to make it bigger.
h. The team with the best win-loss record over the the 6 matches of the term will be declared the winner of the quidditch cup. Ties will be broken by total game points accumulated.
TIME LIMITS IN GAME PLAY
Chasers have 4 minutes to answer questions. 'Possession' will switch to the other team after that time. For example, Team A's Chaser not answering in time results in Team A's Beaters having to ask questions; Team A's Chaser will lose the chance to score a goal. The Mod will declare when time is up for the question and post when possession changes.
Beaters and Keepers have 2 minutes to ask their question, after possession changes and after the answer to the previous question is declared as correct/incorrect. If a team's Beaters and/or Keeper ask after that time has passed, possession will not switch. However, their team will lose 5 points.
Beaters and Keepers who do not respond to answers with "correct/incorrect" within 2 minutes of the answer being posted will lose 5 points for their team. The Mods may respond with the "correct/incorrect" in such a case, after which game play should continue as normal with the next question being posted within 2 minutes.
If at any time there is a problem with a question the Mods will call "time" to sort out the problem. If the Mods determines that the resolution will take up too much time then they can play on the game and settle the problem after the snitch has been caught. It is also at the Mods' discretion how the problem is resolved.
POINTS
Game Points and Participation Points (+their Bonus Points) are separate.
Game Points
Beater questions = 6 points each
Keeper question = 18 points
Snitch = 90 points
Points are kept on a running total throughout the season.
Participation Points
Player = 15 points each. These are distributed to each House; they do not affect Game Points, and therefore have no influence on who wins/looses. Participants also receive 5 knuts for playing.
Bonus Points
A player can receive up to 10 points from purchasing certain items at Diagon Alley. 5 points for quidditch robes (of your house) and up to 5 points for a broom, depending on which broom you own.
1 point = Shooting Star (pre-owned)
2 points = Cleansweep series
3 points = Comet series
4 points = Nimbus series
5 points = Firebolt
Please note that you can only use one broom for points. Should you own more than one, we will count to one of highest quality. Supplies can be purchased here. The bonus points are counted along with the participation points (and therefore do not affect Game Points).
PENALTIES
Lateness = minus 15 to 30 points
If someone has committed to play in a game and been assigned a position, but can no longer attend, they must notify the Mods before game start time. There will be no points deduction.
If a player arrives late, but still within the first 30 minutes of gameplay, they will be penalized 15 points. The player will be allowed in at an appropriate break (eg: when Quaffle switches possession).
If a player arrives after 30 minutes (or does not show up at all) they will be penalized 30 points and not allowed to join in the match.
If a player who is scheduled to play a match (the list of players is sent to the moderators by the Captains before each match) does not show for a match they will be warned. If they miss another match (without informing the mods prior to match time) they will be removed from their team. They must wait till the next term to reapply.
Unauthorized Questions = minus the question's worth
Using an unauthorized question as a Beater or Keeper will lose your team the amount of points the question is worth. e.g., an unauthorized Beater question given by a Beater will lose their team 6 points; an unauthorized Keeper question would lose their team 18 points).
If a question is declared unauthorized, the Beater/Keeper who asked it must ask an authorized question within 2 minutes of the declaration. If they fail to do so, points will be awarded to the team who was asked the unauthorized question and the Quaffle will remain in their possession.
Questions must be from each team's quidditch question community or pre-approved by one of the Mods via email (quidditchmod@gmail.com).
Forfeit = 100 points to opposing team
Each team must have 1 Seeker, 1 Keeper/Beater and 1 Chaser. If less than three players arrive within 30 minutes of the scheduled start time, the game is forfeited to the other team. The forfeiting team will earn no points; the opposing team will earn 100 points and bonus points, provided that they did have a playable team arrive. We don't want you guys to forfeit and will always try to assist you in finding people to play.
Cheating = mod's decision, depending on severity of the offense
Points lost for cheating are relative to the severity of the offense and how much it negatively impacted the other team. Cheating can take many forms, such as:
A person offering assistance to any player or any player accepting assistance from anyone else (e.g. a Chaser getting help to answer questions, or a Seeker getting help to finish the scavenger hunt).
A Seeker using pre-made work for the scavenger hunt, such as a sketch or drabble. It is assumed that the Seeker will perform these tasks specifically for the scavenger hunt; the Seeker may not use past work that coincidentally fits the criteria.
A Chaser using IM to communicate with other Chasers when it is not permitted. If both teams have more than one Chaser, both teams are permitted to use IM. If one team only has one Chaser, the opposing team may not use IM.
Any player may, and should, raise the alarm about cheating by contacting their team captain or designee in the Captain's Chat room, the captain (or designee) will bring the accusation to the Mods. A Mod will look into it immediately, and may suspend game play temporary if it's believed that the situation warrants it. Please keep such comments civil, as it is always possible that the cheating is a result of a mistake or misunderstanding.
Frequent unverified accusations may be considered cheating as well, as they can be disruptive to game play. Do not misuse your right to keep the game fair.
Frequent and repeat cheaters may be removed from their team at the mods' discretion, provided a full account of the offences is kept and provided to the player in question.
The Mods do not have to give warnings on first offences, any warnings given is for all player on both teams to take note. Second offences will lead to point deductions.
Appeals
If a player believed that a Beater or Keeper's question and/or accepted answer is incorrect, they may appeal to their team Captain or the captain's designee for a challenge. It is advised for the player to provide proof that the question/answer is incorrect (i.e. book and page number and/or link to online resource). The team Captain or designee will notify the Mods of the appeal in the Captain Chat room. The Quidditch Mods will hear the appeal and make a decision. Game play will continue unless the Mods call a timeout.
If a player wants to appeal a point deduction during the match, the player should contact the Team Captain or the captain's designee to challenge. It is advised for the player to link to the part of these rules in their appeal. The team Captain or designee will notify the Mods of the appeal in the Captain Chat room. The Quidditch Mods will hear the appeal and make a decision. Game play will continue unless the Mods call a timeout.
Once the Quidditch Mods make their decision, the captain or designee may ask to appeal the Quidditch Mods decision to a Mod or the Head Mod (if they are available) if they feel the Quidditch Mod has made an unfair decision. This should not be used for every appeal but only for special circumstances. If no HiH Mod or Head Mod is available, then the Quidditch Mods decision is final. Once a decision is made by the Quidditch Mod or HiH Mods/Head Mod, the issue needs to be dropped and not brought back up.
The mods' decision is final; arguing with the Mods may result in point deduction.
The Quidditch Cup
The team with the best win-loss record over the the 6 matches of the term will be declared the winner of the quidditch cup. Ties will be broken by total game points accumulated.
Terms of Agreement
Signing up for a match is agreeing to follow all rules outlined above. Arguing about rules during the match will not be tolerated because it can impede game play and distract the Mods from the match. The Mods will answer questions anytime before the match or after the match. You can contact the Mods via e-mail at quidditchmod@gmail.com with any concerns.
We have strict rules on what is considered Canon.
Any questions can be asked here. All you need to comment here saying is that you've read the rules and understand them. Thanks.
Updated: JUNE 1, 2012 (all recent changes have been underlined)
Rules and Game Play of Quidditch
IF YOU ARE APPLYING TO QUIDDITCH, RESPOND TO THIS POST WITH A COMMENT!
You may not play for your team until after you have commented here, to show that you have read and understand. Even if you've previously been on a house team you still need to comment to this post, so we are all on the same page. Please do ask ANY questions; things that make sense to us may actually require much more elaboration. :)
Community Membership
Every member of hogwartsishome and their respective common room is welcome to join hh_quidditch! Besides the exciting quidditch matches and activities for players and alternates, there will also be fan contests for everyone who loves quidditch and wants to support a team without actually playing. Only signed-up members of the teams, however, will be allowed to play in quidditch matches and participate in locker room activities.
POSITIONS
Per Team: 1 Seeker performs a scavenger hunt. This consists of between seven and ten questions, released one at a time, requiring the Seeker to perform various tasks. While most tasks will be designed to take a good seeker around ten or twenty minutes, some tasks may be shorter or longer (with NO task expected to take a good seeker more than 30 minutes). Catching the Snitch (being the first to correctly complete the search) is worth 90 points.
1 Keeper asks a final trivia question to the Chasers. In the event that there are no Beaters, the Keeper also asks the Beater trivia questions. The Keeper question is worth 18 points. It is recommended that a Keeper prepares a list of at least 20 questions for game use.
Up to 2 Beaters ask trivia questions to the Chasers. If there is one Beater, he asks two questions; if there are two Beaters, each takes turns asking a question. A Beater question is worth 6 points. It is recommended that each Beater prepare a list of at least 30 questions for game use.
Up to 3 Chasers take turns answering the questions. Possession of the "Quaffle" is kept when the Beater's questions are answered correctly; goals are scored when the Keeper's question is answered correctly.
Therefore, a full team consists of 1 Seeker, 1 Keeper, 2 Beaters and 3 Chasers. In the event that there are not enough players, the bare minimum for a team to play without forfeit is 1 Seeker, 1 Keeper/Beater and 1 Chaser.
A team may have a list of alternates (as many spots as there are people available and willing to play) on the team to play when players who have made the team for a match are not available for another. These alternates may state their preference of positions to their Captains. Please note that to be allowed to play Quidditch, you must be listed on the team roster so the moderators can keep track of your bonus items.
COMPOSITION OF A TEAM
The quidditch mods will hold trials and distribute the results to the team captains. The captains will then participate in a closed, anonymous draft to select their teams, using whatever criteria they desire. Captains will be able to choose team members on a turn by turn basis until every person who has tried out is assigned to a team either as a core member or an alternate
In any case, the playing members of a team may change depending on the ultimate time slot picked for the match so the captains should have a list of the people willing to play.
When the time slot is picked by both captains and the time agreed upon, it is imperative that all players sign the rules and the roster for this match so the moderators can keep track of their bonus items. The Captains are rewarded 10 knuts for their work.
The mods are always here to keep things fair. The captains and the members of HiH who want to make a team are encouraged to come to them with any problem (quidditchmod@gmail.com or a PM will do).
BEATERS AND KEEPERS QUESTIONS
The Beaters and Keepers can send their questions to the moderators for approval any time during term, without a specific match in mind. The deadline for questions to be submitted for approval (reminders will be posted in the locker rooms) is 48 hours before a match (though it is strongly encouraged that you submit questions earlier). Questions must be submitted via the spreadsheet set up for each team. If you don't have access to the Google Docs spreadsheet, please contact your captain or one of the Quidditch Mods.
Even if a question has been approved during a previous term, it must be resubmitted for approval again during each new term you wish to use it. Rules and mods change; something that was approved in a previous term may not be approved in the current one or vice versa.
From now on, the questions have to be about knowledge of the Harry Potter canon; in other words, questions relying on a substantial amount of outside material will be rejected. Outside knowledge may include, but is not limited to, mathematical calculations, geography, and the like. Also, any fact which requires one to blindly search through a large number of pages in canon without any thought (such as counting how many times a specific word appears in a chapter or in a book) will be considered to be outside knowledge. In addition, questions that are ambiguous, vague, or gratuitously convoluted will be either rejected or rephrased by the moderators. The questions have to be doable in 4 minutes by one Chaser (the moderators in charge of the questions WILL check). Bearing in mind that we can and WILL refuse a question that is too ambiguous, everything clearly present somewhere on the Harry Potter Lexicon is fair game. Rephrase as you wish but keep it Lexicon-centered. In the end, and since the Lexicon sometimes does have to make a choice, the books themselves are our ultimate source.
We WILL refuse all the questions that do not comply by these rules - Quidditch is a game of Harry Potter trivia, first and foremost. Finally, since Pottermore information is now open to the public it will be fair game for matches
DATES
There are six regular games per term.
Approximately two weeks before a match, the moderators in charge of the match will contact the Captains and ask them to pick slots among a list provided by the moderators, based on when the greatest number of members wanting to play Quidditch are available to play. These times will be based on when the mods themselves are free to organize the match. After a few days to allow the Captains to discuss it with the members (posting in the locker room is strongly encouraged), the Captains should get back to the moderators with both a list of slots and a list of players for each slot. Once the moderators pick a slot that's good for both teams and themselves, the players should then sign the rules of Quidditch and sign the roster so we can keep track of their bonus items.
The match roster post goes up several days before the match, stating who is in the game and making a last-minute call for any unfilled positions. A "skeleton team" (1 Seeker, 1 Keeper/Beater, 1 Chaser) is the bare minimum for a team to play without forfeiting.
Teams may continue to fill vacant positions up to half an hour before the game's start time.
GAME PLAY
a. The Mods will provide the Seekers with the first part of their scavenger hunt, and asks ALL Chasers a tossup question. Any Chaser is allowed to answer, and whichever team answers first (and correctly) earns possession of the Quaffle. This is in the Game Post; answers go into comments.
b. Beaters ask two questions or one question each and the Keeper asks one. Beaters ask their first question in a NEW comment.
Keepers and Beaters can access their team's list of questions anytime before the game. The Beater and Keeper are NOT allowed to rephrase the questions unless rephrasing is pre-approved by the Mods more than 2 days prior to the start of the game.
Keepers and Beaters may make their own questions, but they must be submitted to the Mods via google docs spreadsheet one week (unless otherwise stated) before game start and approved before being used in game play. You must include book/chapter and page (e.g. DH, Ch. 9: A Place to Hide, p.251 ) or a link to the answer from Hp-Lexicon or an official JK Rowling source for your answers, so we can double-check them. The questions are not approved until the Mods replies to your email stating which questions have been approved for use. Please note that we have very strict rules on what is, and what isn't canon.
Beaters are responsible for determining the order they ask questions in. The rotation should be followed throughout the entire game even across threads. Failure to stick to the order without notifying and approval of the Mods, may lead to a 5 point penalty. This allows game play to move along more quickly.
c. Chasers alternate in answering questions. If only two Chasers are available, the Chaser who answered the first Beater question should also answer the Keeper question. If three Chasers are available, any order is acceptable, as long as all three Chasers take a turn answering. The Chasers should stick to their order across threads, throughout gameplay. Failure to stick to the order without notifying and approval of the Mods, may lead to a 5 point penalty. This allows game play to move along more quickly.
Chasers have 4 minutes to answer their question; Beaters and the Keeper have 2 minutes to respond if the answer was correct/incorrect and post a new question (if the previous answer was correct). If beaters/keepers state a given answer was incorrect, they'll have to give the correct answer in that same response! In case time is called the Beater and Keeper still needs to give the correct answer for their question.
The first answer a Chaser replies with is their final answer. A Chaser may not edit, nor delete and re-comment with a different answer.
Regarding Chaser ordering. If there are only two Chasers they must respond in an ABA BAB ordering (being that they must alternate back and forth and neither Chaser answers twice in a row). If there are three Chasers the ordering may go ABC ABC or BCA BCA, etc as long as the rotation is kept up the entire game.
d. If the Chasers score (answering two Beater and one Keeper questions correctly) or lose possession (by failing to answer in time or correctly) the Mods declares a switch in possession of the Quaffle, and the process continues for the other team. Repeat until Snitch is caught or two hours have passed, whichever is first. At the time of the possession change, the beaters should wait for the Mod's official post before posting their first question.
e. Once a Seeker has completed one part of the hunt, they will post their part on a locked, separate and dedicated thread as a (screened) comment to this thread. They should then proceed to the next task. They will receive a comment in response to their submission stating whether their submission was accepted or not. This comment will be posted as a reply to their name and house. If it was not correct the seeker must stop the part they have started and fix the incorrect part. Parts will not count unless the previous part is both complete and correct.
In other words: a thread will be posted for the Seekers to drop their tasks. The first comment is a comment by the mods, the Seekers have to answer with their name, house, and team ONLY (their answers are screened). A second comment is posted just below this one by the Quidditch mods, the Seekers will drop their tasks as a reply to this second comment but will receive approval as a reply to their name//house//team (see screenshots below for visual explanation).
Regardless of if their submission was correct, the next part of the seeker search will be posted somewhere in the game post, this might be a new comment, a reply to another comment, anything. You're seekers, look for it! They will not be labelled as seeker tasks! Once their submission is marked, if it was correct they may continue with the next part. However, if their submission was incorrect, they may try again (and again, and again...). Parts will not count unless the previous part is both complete and correct.
We still ask you to submit your answer on the dedicated Seeker Tasks thread.
This continues until all parts of the seeker search have been released.
A thread is posted for the Seekers. All comments are screened, except the mods's comments. The mods post a first comment to ask the Seekers for their name, house, and team.
The Seekers reply to this comment with their name, house, and team ONLY (this can be done before the game).
A second comment is posted by the mods just below this one for the Seekers to drop their tasks. Their comments are screened. We will tell the Seekers whether or not their task is approved not by replying to their comment posted here but to their comment with their name, house, and team to avoid unscreening their task to respond. The tasks are posted here:
But the approval will be here:
f. HALFTIME! Approximately one hour into the match, after a stoppage in play (i.e. when the Quaffle changes possession), the moderators will declare halftime to allow players to substitute in and out; during this halftime, the Seeker scavenger hunt will continue but no Beater or Keeper questions will be asked.
The point of this halftime is to allow people who wish to play Quidditch but cannot commit to the entire two hour timeslot chosen by the moderators to sign up to play for only one half of the match (the first half or the second half). Spelling out the details a bit further:
i) Seekers will still have to sign up for the entire match because of the nature of the scavenger hunts; no substitutions allowed for that position!
ii) At any point in the match, there will need to be either ONE, TWO, or THREE Chasers and ONE, TWO, or THREE defensive players (Beaters and Keepers) on the field for each team.
iii) Players who sign up for only one half of each match will get reduced participation points: 5 participation points plus full bonus points (this would allow such a player to earn between 5-15 points, compared to the 15-25 points for someone playing for the entire match).
g. Once the two hours of game play is up, the Seeker will post their answers to ALL THE PARTS of the hunt as a new comment to the game post. The Snitch is worth 90 points. In the event of two Seekers completing the exact same number of correct tasks in their order of release, the Seeker who catches the Snitch is the Seeker who will have posted the last task completed first on the separate, dedicated Seeker Tasks thread (they will have to post all the parts on the Game thread but to break the tie, the moderators will look at who completed the last task first and therefore commented on the Seeker Tasks thread first with a correct last part).
Parts will not count unless the previous part is both complete and correct.
h. Game play may not exceed 2 hours, at the discretion of the Mods (it can go either way here depending on start time, but you'll be warned in advance of the game ending). At this point, the Seeker with the most correct answer earns their team 90 points, and the points already earned are tallied up to produce a game-winner. Matches WILL start on time! Unless otherwise noted by the Mods.
Here is a sample thread from an actual match. Click the picture to make it bigger.
h. The team with the best win-loss record over the the 6 matches of the term will be declared the winner of the quidditch cup. Ties will be broken by total game points accumulated.
TIME LIMITS IN GAME PLAY
Chasers have 4 minutes to answer questions. 'Possession' will switch to the other team after that time. For example, Team A's Chaser not answering in time results in Team A's Beaters having to ask questions; Team A's Chaser will lose the chance to score a goal. The Mod will declare when time is up for the question and post when possession changes.
Beaters and Keepers have 2 minutes to ask their question, after possession changes and after the answer to the previous question is declared as correct/incorrect. If a team's Beaters and/or Keeper ask after that time has passed, possession will not switch. However, their team will lose 5 points.
Beaters and Keepers who do not respond to answers with "correct/incorrect" within 2 minutes of the answer being posted will lose 5 points for their team. The Mods may respond with the "correct/incorrect" in such a case, after which game play should continue as normal with the next question being posted within 2 minutes.
If at any time there is a problem with a question the Mods will call "time" to sort out the problem. If the Mods determines that the resolution will take up too much time then they can play on the game and settle the problem after the snitch has been caught. It is also at the Mods' discretion how the problem is resolved.
POINTS
Game Points and Participation Points (+their Bonus Points) are separate.
Game Points
Beater questions = 6 points each
Keeper question = 18 points
Snitch = 90 points
Points are kept on a running total throughout the season.
Participation Points
Player = 15 points each. These are distributed to each House; they do not affect Game Points, and therefore have no influence on who wins/looses. Participants also receive 5 knuts for playing.
Bonus Points
A player can receive up to 10 points from purchasing certain items at Diagon Alley. 5 points for quidditch robes (of your house) and up to 5 points for a broom, depending on which broom you own.
1 point = Shooting Star (pre-owned)
2 points = Cleansweep series
3 points = Comet series
4 points = Nimbus series
5 points = Firebolt
Please note that you can only use one broom for points. Should you own more than one, we will count to one of highest quality. Supplies can be purchased here. The bonus points are counted along with the participation points (and therefore do not affect Game Points).
PENALTIES
Lateness = minus 15 to 30 points
If someone has committed to play in a game and been assigned a position, but can no longer attend, they must notify the Mods before game start time. There will be no points deduction.
If a player arrives late, but still within the first 30 minutes of gameplay, they will be penalized 15 points. The player will be allowed in at an appropriate break (eg: when Quaffle switches possession).
If a player arrives after 30 minutes (or does not show up at all) they will be penalized 30 points and not allowed to join in the match.
If a player who is scheduled to play a match (the list of players is sent to the moderators by the Captains before each match) does not show for a match they will be warned. If they miss another match (without informing the mods prior to match time) they will be removed from their team. They must wait till the next term to reapply.
Unauthorized Questions = minus the question's worth
Using an unauthorized question as a Beater or Keeper will lose your team the amount of points the question is worth. e.g., an unauthorized Beater question given by a Beater will lose their team 6 points; an unauthorized Keeper question would lose their team 18 points).
If a question is declared unauthorized, the Beater/Keeper who asked it must ask an authorized question within 2 minutes of the declaration. If they fail to do so, points will be awarded to the team who was asked the unauthorized question and the Quaffle will remain in their possession.
Questions must be from each team's quidditch question community or pre-approved by one of the Mods via email (quidditchmod@gmail.com).
Forfeit = 100 points to opposing team
Each team must have 1 Seeker, 1 Keeper/Beater and 1 Chaser. If less than three players arrive within 30 minutes of the scheduled start time, the game is forfeited to the other team. The forfeiting team will earn no points; the opposing team will earn 100 points and bonus points, provided that they did have a playable team arrive. We don't want you guys to forfeit and will always try to assist you in finding people to play.
Cheating = mod's decision, depending on severity of the offense
Points lost for cheating are relative to the severity of the offense and how much it negatively impacted the other team. Cheating can take many forms, such as:
Any player may, and should, raise the alarm about cheating by contacting their team captain or designee in the Captain's Chat room, the captain (or designee) will bring the accusation to the Mods. A Mod will look into it immediately, and may suspend game play temporary if it's believed that the situation warrants it. Please keep such comments civil, as it is always possible that the cheating is a result of a mistake or misunderstanding.
Frequent unverified accusations may be considered cheating as well, as they can be disruptive to game play. Do not misuse your right to keep the game fair.
Frequent and repeat cheaters may be removed from their team at the mods' discretion, provided a full account of the offences is kept and provided to the player in question.
The Mods do not have to give warnings on first offences, any warnings given is for all player on both teams to take note. Second offences will lead to point deductions.
Appeals
If a player believed that a Beater or Keeper's question and/or accepted answer is incorrect, they may appeal to their team Captain or the captain's designee for a challenge. It is advised for the player to provide proof that the question/answer is incorrect (i.e. book and page number and/or link to online resource). The team Captain or designee will notify the Mods of the appeal in the Captain Chat room. The Quidditch Mods will hear the appeal and make a decision. Game play will continue unless the Mods call a timeout.
If a player wants to appeal a point deduction during the match, the player should contact the Team Captain or the captain's designee to challenge. It is advised for the player to link to the part of these rules in their appeal. The team Captain or designee will notify the Mods of the appeal in the Captain Chat room. The Quidditch Mods will hear the appeal and make a decision. Game play will continue unless the Mods call a timeout.
Once the Quidditch Mods make their decision, the captain or designee may ask to appeal the Quidditch Mods decision to a Mod or the Head Mod (if they are available) if they feel the Quidditch Mod has made an unfair decision. This should not be used for every appeal but only for special circumstances. If no HiH Mod or Head Mod is available, then the Quidditch Mods decision is final. Once a decision is made by the Quidditch Mod or HiH Mods/Head Mod, the issue needs to be dropped and not brought back up.
The mods' decision is final; arguing with the Mods may result in point deduction.
The Quidditch Cup
The team with the best win-loss record over the the 6 matches of the term will be declared the winner of the quidditch cup. Ties will be broken by total game points accumulated.
Terms of Agreement
Signing up for a match is agreeing to follow all rules outlined above. Arguing about rules during the match will not be tolerated because it can impede game play and distract the Mods from the match. The Mods will answer questions anytime before the match or after the match. You can contact the Mods via e-mail at quidditchmod@gmail.com with any concerns.
We have strict rules on what is considered Canon.
Any questions can be asked here. All you need to comment here saying is that you've read the rules and understand them. Thanks.
Updated: JUNE 1, 2012 (all recent changes have been underlined)