From what I understand, there was some sort of worldwide sporting event last moth involving teams from San Francisco and Texas or something. As I am, like you, a huge geek who pays closer attention to movies than to any sort of televised sporting event (the Olympic Games notwithstanding), I couldn’t tell you the details of this event, nor who won it. Ask me about the films of Akira Kurosawa, and I have you covered. Ask me about the Super Bowl, and you may as well be speaking in Sanskrit. The sports that have stayed with me more are the imaginary ones; the ones you see your favorite characters from various films and TV playing. The games that some hardworking screenwriter invented in a fit of creative pique, and that some actors and directors had to actually play on a set somewhere. These games, for their novelty, for their creativity, and for their magic, are just itching to be played. How many of us, for instance, have wished we could play mid-air rugby on flying broomsticks? A certain brand of geek may sit to play a role-playing board game versions of these sports, be we all know what’s really involved: we wish would could play along for real. Inspired by the new SDS, Imaginary Sports, I have decided to make a project about Quidditch! Quidditch is a fictional sport invented by author J.K. Rowling for her fantasy book series Harry Potter. It is a dangerous but popular sport played by witches and wizards riding flying broomsticks. Matches are played on a large oval pitch with three ring-shaped goals of different heights on each side, between two opposing teams of seven players each: three Chasers, two Beaters, the Keeper, and the Seeker. There are three different balls: the Quaffle, the two Bludgers, and the Golden Snitch. The Chasers and the Keeper respectively score with and defend the goals against the Quaffle; the two Beaters bat the Bludgers away from their teammates and towards their opponents; and the Seeker locates and catches the Golden Snitch, whose capture simultaneously wins the Seeker's team 150 points and ends the game. The team with the most points at the end wins. Harry Potter plays as Seeker for his house team at Hogwarts. Regional and international Quidditch competitions are mentioned throughout the series. Aspects of the sport's history are revealed in Quidditch Through the Ages, published by Rowling in 2001 to benefit Comic Relief. A real-life version of the game has been created, in which the players use brooms, but run instead of flying.
