J.K. Rowling explains why the Quidditch scoring system makes ‘total sense’
Quidditch may be the most popular sport in the Wizarding World, but for some muggles the scoring system is a bit perplexing.
The ever helpful “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling took to Twitter Tuesday to break down exactly why it makes sense: It’s a metaphor for “the human condition.”
“There’s glamour in chasing an elusive lucky break, but teamwork and persistence can still win the day,” tweeted Rowling. “Everyone’s vulnerable to blows of fate and obstructive people, and success means rising above them. Quidditch is the human condition.”
For those in need of a refresher, Quidditch is the sport introduced in the “Harry Potter” franchise in which, as in many sports, two teams try to score the most points during a specific time frame. Except unlike most muggle sports, the length of the game is determined by how long it takes a Seeker to catch the Golden Snitch.
Yes, that’s where things get a bit more complicated.
A Quidditch team is composed of seven people – three Chasers, two Beaters, a Keeper and a Seeker – with four balls in play (a Quaffle, two Bludgers and a Golden Snitch).
The Chasers are focused primarily on scoring by throwing a Quaffle through one of the opposing team’s three goal hoops. But they also have to keep an eye out for the Bludgers, which are the two bewitched balls the Beaters on a team try to knock into players on the other team with their bats. The Beaters are also tasked with protecting their teammates from the Bludgers.
The Keeper’s job is to prevent the Quaffle from making it through any of their three goalposts, while the Seeker’s goal is to catch the Snitch. The entire game is played while flying on broomsticks.
Every goal is worth 10 points and the team whose Seeker captures the Golden Snitch earns an additional 150 points. This means if a team is more than 15 goals ahead, it can still win even if their Seeker fails to catch the Snitch.
For anybody interested, there is a muggle variation of the sport, which you can check out here.
Twitter: @tracycbrown
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