What is Quadball?

History

Quadball (formerly known as Quidditch) was founded in 2005 at Middlebury College by Xander Manshel and Alex Benepe. They gathered friends and laid the foundation for a game that has grown in leaps and bounds to become a widely respected, physically intense sport played world-wide.

Inspired by the fictional sport of quidditch from the Harry Potter series, quadball is a mixed gender full-contact sport with a unique mix of elements from basketball, rugby, dodgeball, and wrestling. While the game can appear chaotic to the casual observer, once familiar with the basic rules, quadball is an exciting sport to watch and even more exciting to play. 

In July 2019, the sport changed its name from quidditch to quadball to distance itself from J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter book series, after facing scrutiny for her anti-trans positions, and to grow outside the trademarked term “Quidditch,” which is owned by the Warner Bros. film and entertainment company. 

Learn more about Middlebury Quadball and the Classic Festival in the press:

• Bringing Quidditch Down to Earth - The Wall Street Journal 

• Middlebury Classic Quidditch Tournament 2017 - Burlington Free Press

• Competition level Quidditch returns to Middlebury - Burlington Free Press

• Mudbloods: an inspirational sports film … about quidditch - The Guardian

• Middlebury Classic Quidditch Festival 2019 (videos) - Middlebury Community Television