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The Reform Quidditch Movement

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 (Edited)

Quidditch is interesting and fun to watch on ESWN, but I'm afraid the rules are severely flawed.  The game only ends when the seeker catches the snitch, and thus earns 150 points.  Whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins, but the chasers only earn 10 points for their team every time the quaffle goes through a hoop.  This means that for a team to gain the snitch and lose, they would have to be behind by at least 160 points, or 16 goals.  Now points do count for the whole season, so the winning team is the team with the most points overall.  For this reason, I could see why it would be advantageous to catch the snitch when the opposing team is far ahead.  But other than this, the rules as such are foolish, and since such leads are rare, only the seekers matter in the end.  This is problematic, as other players' purposes are null and likely wouldn't feel motivated to put in their best effort to score, while the seeker is ALWAYS the VIP.

To compound the problems, even under the existing rules, players could take advantage of a different strategy that would better ensure a win, though it would be less entertaining for the crowds.  Better than scoring through the hoops would be playing interference against the opposing seeker.  But surprisingly, teams and coaches somehow haven't wised up to this obvious strategy.

Imagine a game of soccer where fans watch as players run around and score on each other.  How exciting!  Oh, but unless one team gains a massive advantage at their game, it matters little.  What really matters is two players chasing a pig in a nearby field, and whoever gets the pig ends the entire game and scores 15 points, likely winning for their team.  How is this fun at all?  What is the point of most of the rest of the game?  It's largely pointless!

I therefore propose the following changes and submit them to the International Quidditch Council for reform to ensure fairness and cohesiveness in the game.  First, the game should not end when someone catches the snitch.  Reportedly, games have gone on for months when the snitch was too tough to catch.  Rather, it would be wise to end the game at a certain number of points, say 150 or 200.  Second, the Snitch is too valuable.  Even if you want to keep it a big point earner, it shouldn't be the only reason for playing the game.  Knock it down to a value of 100 points, and even those teams who catch the Snitch might still lose.  Or perhaps no one would catch the Snitch, and yet the game ends with the other players actually serving a purpose.

It is my hope that my suggestions do not fall on deaf ears and that this game be reformed.  For those who wish to unite behind this cause, I invite you to sign the petition below.  Let's make sure all our players are put to good use and that are games are actually enjoyable to watch for all their aspects!

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 (Edited)

I was just thinking the same thing the other night.  I agree with your changes, except in regards to when the game ends.  I think the game should be played for a certain amount of time, when that time runs out the game is over.  Play for 60 minutes or something like that.   

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@Warbler...Well, the reason I suggest a point limit is because getting the Snitch still can be the winning act, but it's not a guarantee.  However, a time limit might be better.

@Frink...AVADA KEDAVRA!

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I don't know what that means and I don't care.

 

DOUBLE SHUN!!!

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Warbler said:

I was just think the same thing the other night.

LOL what? I know Warbler doesn't joke. What did I miss?!

The blue elephant in the room.

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This ESWN? http://eswnonline.org/

:-D

A picture is worth a thousand words. Post 102 is worth more.

I’m late to the party, but I think this is the best song. Enjoy!

—Teams Jetrell Fo 1, Jetrell Fo 2, and Jetrell Fo 3

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doubleofive said:

I'm behind you and these changes 100%, d_e!

Yes!  Our movement is gaining momentum!  Including my signature, we are now at 2.5 supporters (Warbler only supports half of my suggested changes).  I can feel the wheels turning!  We will be heard!

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This goes to show, that sports should not be invented by women, especially not as a plot device :-D

I second your proposition wholeheartedly!

 

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I had resisted the popularity of the books for many years, not wanting to follow the trend.  But now that things have died down a bit, I thought I'd give it a go, and I find the books very entertaining.  I just started the fourth yesterday, and made it through the World Cup match between Ireland and Bulgaria.  So far the problems of this game have not been any more apparent than in this match.  Ireland won the match by gaining a 160 point lead, though the Bulgarian seeker ultimately caught the Snitch.  Harry seemed to understand his reasoning...Krum, the seeker, recognized that his team was too far behind to catch up, so he simply caught the Snitch to end the game "on his own terms."  Of course, if he'd been patient and perhaps allowed his team to score once more, he could have made the game a tie, or hoped for two scores, and he could have turned such a gap into victory.  Of course, such a strategy would reinforce my problems with the game, that it's not a very fair way to score a game.  It would have taken little for Rowling to fix the rules, but she didn't seem to think them through.