Why Quidditch Doesn't Make Sense

This is a short critique on why JK Rowling's fictional game doesn't make sense and reason why.

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[csabas.]

The position of Seeker could be still interesting, if there was a time limit, and if catching the Snitch would be a very rare occurrence. Like 1 in 10 matches. Could be a great spin.

[Bwk-mjpm]

It’s obvious JK Rowling had no clue how sports work when she created this…
1. No substitutes
2. No coaches
3. It’s a contact sport and still co-ed
4. No end time

[bojassettsd]

I love the books but grew up on sports and could not handle how badly the Quidditch game is designed.

[Exeedra]

"Quidditch is the human condition." Uh-huh, whatever you say, J.K.

[antonioacvr]

I think the seeker position could work, but we would need more alterations
1- 3 sets per match, 20 minutes each
2- One goal scores 1 point (no need for a 10 if you're not using a 5)
3 - Golden snitch scores 5 points and ends the set
4 - The team with more points at the end of the set, by time or golden snitch, wins the set

This would add more importance to the goals, balancing the priorities of each team rather than total priority to the golden snitch. The seeker would be more of a tactical position than a protagonist. The sets system would add more fairness and durability to the match, since a set can end randomly because of the seekers.

[harrisonnorton]

If the seeker only was awarded say 30-50 points for catching the snitch it would work perfectly…

[seanbrangan]

The seeker position isn’t the problem. The problem is that everything the other players do is pointless. Catching the snitch is the only way to win the game, from what I understand.

[bazyl]

Introduce time limit, seeker can still be present, but gives less points maybe like 50, doesn't end the game, everybody just stop when the seeker catches the snitch, go back to their positions and the game continues again from the centre of the field, ( basically what happens in soccer when someone scores the goal ) while the seeker goes on to try and catch the snitch again.

[Chemical_Argentum]

I'm gonna add one more thing; the amount of players. The quidditch area is as big as a football field (maybe larger), and in "3D" on top of that. And each team has 3 players that are going after the ball. Like...

[MisterJang]

The thing that confuses me the most about Quidditch that I can't seem to get an answer for is how the quaffle is reintroduced to the game after a goal is scored. It seems the books _and_ the movies are very vague on depicting this. Is there an equivalent of a kickoff that happens with the chasers, even while the bludgers are still going around hitting players and the seekers are still going after the snitch, or is the quaffle picked up from beyond the goal where it was thrown and play continues from there, which would give the previous goal-scorers an advantage?

[CaitSith]

Magical economie? They use gold coins which has less value then the weight of the coins used. So if you melt the gold and sell it you get more gold in coins. Repeat and become rich. Or melt it buy something like bread sell it to wizard repeat and become rich.

[TheVellure]

Is liking tweets from people who compare being transgender to blackface also the human condition?

[jakeself]

I’m not a sports fan, but I pretty quickly realized how dumb it was to add Seekers who chase after a Snitch, instead of just using a time limit like every Muggle sport does. I’m not sure how much the broomsticks are used outside of Quidditch, because I’ve only seen the first six movies, and I’m still working on the first book, but so far it seems like the broomsticks are used almost entirely to play Quidditch, which seems very strange to me. Why wouldn’t they be used more for traveling and combat?

[kaidenhall]

Football does have potential to go forever

[skidawg]

And to think that IRL people have developed a version of this game that's played competitively.

[JojiUrHomie]

Seeker could still work if you just implement a target score and time limit. 300 points to win or if the seeker is caught before that score is reachable then whoever has the higher score after the 150 from the seeker wins.

[ericscarface]

My issue with Quidditch, like many others, is that the 150 points for catching the Snitch often overshadows the rest of the game. I understand that if your team is losing by more than 150 points, you wouldn't want to catch the Snitch, since it would secure a loss. In that case, the Seeker's role shifts to preventing the other team from catching it, which makes sense. However, it's still strange that the Snitch is worth 150 points when scoring a goal only earns 10. It feels like the Snitch undermines all the other gameplay on the field.

What I think should happen is that there should be a point limit, like 500 or even 300. If the Snitch is worth 150 points, that would balance things out more. You’d still get the points for catching it, but the game would keep going until the point limit is reached. This way, the Snitch remains important without completely negating the rest of the game.

[fetusthegreat]

All they really need to do is bump the points for a goal up a bit and change the snitch game ender to a time limit. If every goal was say 30 or 50 points instead of 10 the game becomes more balanced. If you only need 3 to 5 goals to equal a snitch instead of 15 the snitch becomes a still valuable but not all encompassing game winner sort of like a buzzer beater. And if you really wanted to keep the snitch ending the game if the score difference is closer to the point value of the snitch it could encourage different kinds of play with a team down by say 200 the seeker would need to stall the opponent for two scores before going for the catch. Not to mention with the point value so high no one would ever concede a game until their score is irredeemable. It reminds of snooker in how even when youre down if more points are available on the table than you need to win play it through but when perfect play from yourself cannot win the game concede. With that said snooker is a game of precision and skill where fouls, missed shots, and safeties can turn the tide and the game is winnable in a few ways even if you are behind by more points than you could possibly score but it was just an example.

[ryttyr]

The fact that catching the snitch is equivalent in points to making 15 goals at once is just bizarre.

[Bachingchung]

I think people underestimate the Snitch by a lot. Quidditch is basically a catching the Snitch game, so it would be safe to assume that the number of goals reduce the speed of the Snitch and the gap between the scores increase the frequency of appearance to that leading team's seeker. That's why Krum is lauded as the best Seeker was because he could catch the Snitch despite losing on a landslide.