Quidditch at Beach Chalet at Golden Gate Park
WOW! If you have ever asked yourself why Muggles in the Americas are so fascinated with a game whose equipment looks like neither a “foot” nor a “ball,” then you are about to find yourself in the right place at the right time. Azkatraz is thrilled to host the 141st Annual Fog Bowl Tournament. Thrill to the spectacle of the most magical game on land or sea! As a matter of fact, we will be playing the game on the land and by the sea for the enjoyment of all who participate and observe.
Before we start, there are a few things you should know about how the game is played in the United States. The following information about the Fog Bowl, our version of the game and its rules and regulations should prove quite helpful to you and your teammates or fellow fans. Remember, all players must sign a liability waiver before they will be allowed on any pitch.
WHEN? Our Quidditch tournament is on Friday, July 17 from 10 AM until about 4:30 PM; pickup Quidditch will be played starting at around noon, while the tournament players take a lunch break.
WHERE? The Beach Chalet fields at Golden Gate Park. We'll have a printable map up soon, but for now, check out the fields via Google Maps.
HOW do I get there? We're going to provide school buses from the Parc 55 to the Beach Chalet fields starting at about nine o'clock on Friday morning, and they'll be running trips back and forth all day. You can also take the Muni bus system - it's about half an hour, followed by a ten minute walk, and we'll be providing a link with more precise bus times closer to the event. There's also ample free parking at the fields if you have a car and prefer to drive, or carpool.
WHAT does it cost? There is no fee for pickup Quidditch, or for transportation to and from the fields - all you need is your Azkatraz registration badge that shows you have a full registration, a Merlin's Circle registration, or a day pass for any conference day.
If you want to play in the tournament, the fee is $30 through June 5, 2009, and $35 thereafter. The fee covers transportation, water and other beverages at the field, a pizza lunch and a personalized t-shirt featuring your team's logo (we'll be ordering them in late June, so if you don't sign up by then, we may not be able to personalize the shirt).
WHO can play? Anyone with a full registration, Merlin's Circle registration, MPA registration or day pass for Saturday, Sunday or Monday can sign up to play Quidditch in the Tournament, or participate in pickup Quidditch. All players must sign a waiver; they will be uploaded and linked to from this page in early June.
WHY there and then? When we saw the Beach Chalet fields at Golden Gate Park during our site visit, we knew we had to host a Quidditch tournament there! It's probably going to be foggy, and the fields reminded us of the Quidditch World Cup, in a field hidden from Muggles. Yes, the initial expectation had been that pickup Quidditch would be on Sunday at the hotel, but we think everyone will really enjoy this outdoors location instead.
EXCELLENT! HOW can I sign up? If you've already registered for Azkatraz, you can modify your registration to add Quidditch - once you click the sign-up box, and go to the next page, you'll be asked which team you want to play on. You can choose two of the following teams, and we'll either place you on one of them, or contact you to let you know that it's full and you'll need to choose another team.
The teams are:
o Alcatraz Birdmen
o Chinatown Dragons
o Embarcadero Earthquakes
o Folsom Falcons
o Lombard Street Zig-Zags
o Nob Hill Knight Owls
o Presidio Pelicans
o Sea Cliff Serpents
Scroll down to see the logos here.
Tell me more! Tell me more!
General Information
Every player must sign a Liability Waiver before taking the pitch. Players over 18 can sign their own waiver, but players who are under 18 years of age at the time of the event must have a Quidditch Liability Waiver signed by a parent or guardian; chaperones may not sign the Liability Waiver. Liability waivers must be turned in to the registration desk at Azkatraz; they cannot be turned in at the field.
Flagrantly violent play will result in expulsion from all match play and possible ejection from Azkatraz. Players shall make every effort to avoid contact, including deliberately blocking an opposing player to disrupt their game play.
Captain selection will occur before the beginning of the Fog Bowl at the Field. The captain can bring rule interpretation concerns to the referee and then to the coordinator. All judgment decisions are final.
Tournament Information
Teams: Each team will be made up of three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper, and one Seeker. Fog Bowl Teams can have up to 3 reserve players.
The Fog Bowl will host 8 teams of 10 players each (80 total per event, 7 field players and 3 reserves per team). Substitutions can be made due to injury or at team captain's prerogative. Substitutions can only occur during game stoppage time.
Teams have two 1-minute timeouts during each match. Official and injury timeouts are not counted in this total.
Players' Roles
The Chasers
Games begin when the head referee tosses the Quaffle between two Chasers in the center of the pitch in a jump ball manner. Chasers then advance toward the opponent's hoops by passing the Quaffle between Chasers. Chasers must keep their one foot, their “plant foot,” stationary while holding the Quaffle but can take up to two steps while moving to pass the Quaffle.
The Quaffle will be a soft, plastic round ball that can be held in one hand.
Quaffles that leave the field shall be turned over by the last team to touch it, to an opposing player.
Chasers must stay a minimum of five feet from the other two Chasers on their team during game play. Quaffles can be passed between Chasers in any manner the player chooses. Chasers have ten seconds to release the Quaffle after receiving it from another player.
A Quaffle thrown more than twenty- five feet up field over the mid-field line must be caught on the fly. If dropped, the Quaffle is turned over to an opposing chaser.
Each time a Chaser throws the Quaffle through one of the opposing team's goals, their team receives 10 points.
The Keepers
The Keeper may only leave the Keeper's area to retrieve missed shots.
The Keeper is the only player allowed in the Keeper’s area.
After a shot, the Keeper shall restart game play by tossing the Quaffle to one of their Chasers. Throw-ins can not be past mid-field.
The Keeper will block shots by maintaining position in front of the three hoops that lie directly behind the Keeper's box in order to defend against opponent's Quaffle shots.
The Keeper is not required to pause in their play after a Bludger hit.
The Keeper may roam freely in the Keeper's box, even while carrying the Quaffle.
The Beaters
The Beaters will roam the pitch carrying a Beater's stick to deflect Bludgers toward members of the opposing team.
Beaters may not strike a Bludger that has left the field of play. They shall return it, by hand, to the field and then resume game play.
A player (except the Keeper) who is hit by a Bludger must hold their position for 10 seconds. Chasers, who are hit, must also turn over the Quaffle to the nearest opposing Chaser. The spectators are encouraged to count off the 10 second penalty. Players who ignore Bludger hits will be penalized.
Swings are not to be higher than the Beater's waist, and all caution must be taken to avoid striking another player.
The Seekers
The Snitch is moved onto the field by a Snitch Mover.
Seekers chase down the Snitch Mover and grab their belt loop.
If the Snitch caught is the 'Golden Snitch', the game concludes, and that Seeker’s team receives 50 points. If there is a tie, the team who catches the 'Golden Snitch' wins. Regular game play continues while the Snitch Mover is determining type of snitch caught.
The Seeker is still susceptible to Bludger hits, but will continue to chase the Snitch Mover irrespective of field play except during an official’s timeout.
Liability Waivers
All Quidditch players (Fog Bowl, House, and pickup) will be required to sign liability waivers before playing the game. Signing a liability waiver — or having your parent or guardian sign and notarize a liability waiver for you if you are younger than 18 — is a prerequisite for all Quidditch participation. Notary services are available through the hotel front desk. (Chaperones, other than parents or legal guardians, may not sign waivers for the attendees they accompany.) HP Education Fanon, Inc., Azkatraz and its designees accept no liability whatsoever for any health issues of or injuries to players sustained during the Quidditch matches.
Waiver for players who are under 18 as of July 17, 2009
If you have questions, email the Quidditch Tournament Coordination Squad at quidditch @ hp2009.org (without the spaces).
QUIDDITCH TEAM LOGOS
