International Quadball Association
AbbreviationIQA
PredecessorIntercollegiate Quidditch Association – November 11, 2007
Formation1 January 2010 (2010-01-01)
TypeFederation of national associations
Legal statusNonprofit organization
Region served
Worldwide
Membership
39 national governing bodies (NGBs)
Official language
English, French [1]
Main organ
Board of Trustees
Websiteiqasport.org

The International Quadball Association (IQA),[2] previously known as the International Quidditch Association, is the governing body for the sport of quidditch. It was founded as the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association in 2009 following the very first intercollegiate quidditch match.[3][4] In 2010, the IQA added the "international" term to its name, and 2016 saw its induction as an international sports federation with its creation of the Congress. It now comprises more than ten national associations governing quidditch in their respective nations.[5]

The IQA was founded on the campus of Middlebury College, in Vermont.[6][7] The association is responsible for the organization of the world's major quadball tournaments and events, most notably the IQA Global Games, as well as international rule setting and worldwide expansion.

History

Quadball, then known as "muggle quidditch", began in 2005 as an intramural league at Middlebury College in Vermont. The rules were adapted from J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels.[6] In 2007, Alex Benepe founded the Intercollegiate Quidditch Association.[8] In 2010 the name was changed to the International Quidditch Association, the year it hosted the first Quadball World Cup.

In July 2022, the IQA announced plans to change its name to the International Quadball Association, attempting to re-brand the sport, both to avoid future confrontation with Warner Bros. Entertainment over their trademark of the term "Quidditch", and to distance the sport from J. K. Rowling due to her controversial statements about transgender people.[2][9]

Membership

Members of the IQA:      full members,      associate members.

To compete in the World Cup, teams must be registered IQA members.

Full members

Full member's of the IQA are national governing body's of quadball of that region/territory, is the representation of a region's quadball activity at the IQA level. Each national governing body receives between one and three delegates, all of whom receive one vote apiece, depending on their "Quadball Development Index". National governing bodies are also required to offer an annual culminating championship tournament.[5]

As of 2022, the full member NGBs are:[10]

  • Argentina Argentinian Quidditch Association (AQArg, Spanish: Asociación Quidditch de Argentina)
  • Australia Quadball Australia (QAI)
  • Austria Quidditch Austria (QAT)
  • Belgium Belgian Quidditch Federation (BQF, French: Fédération Belge de Quidditch, Dutch: Belgische Zwerkbalbond)
  • Canada Quidditch Canada (QC)
  • Catalonia Catalan Quidditch Association (AQC, Catalan: Associació de Quidditch de Catalunya)
  • France French Quidditch Federation (FQF, French: Fédération du Quidditch Français)
  • Germany German Quidditch Federation (DQB, German: Deutscher Quidditchbund)
  • Italy Italian Quidditch Association (AIQ, Italian: Associazione Italiana Quidditch)
  • Mexico Quidditch México (QMX)
  • Netherlands Quidditch Nederland (QNL)
  • Norway Norwegian Quidditch Association (NRF, Norwegian: Norges Rumpeldunkforbund)
  • Peru Peruvian Quidditch Sports Federation (FDPQ, Spanish: Federación Deportiva Peruana de Quidditch)
  • Poland Polish Quidditch League (PLQ, Polish: Polska Liga Quidditcha)
  • Spain Spanish Quidditch Association (AQE, Spanish: Asociación Quidditch España)
  • Switzerland Swiss Quadball Association (SQV/ASQ, German: Schweizerischer Quadballverband, French: Association Suisse de Quadball, Italian: Associazione Svizzera di Quadball)
  • Turkey Quidditch Association in Turkey (QD, Turkish: Quidditch Derneği)
  • United Kingdom QuadballUK (QUK)
  • United States US Quadball (USQ)

Associate members

Associate member National Governing Bodies have two teams or more and a Quadball Development Index below the threshold set by the IQA. They are entitled to an independent voice in the IQA Congress but cannot vote. Developing National Governing Bodies are required to have evidence of regular competitive play.

As of 2022, the associate member NGBs are:[10]

  • Brazil Brazilian Quidditch Association (ABRQ, Portuguese: Associação Brasileira de Quadribol)
  • Chile Chilean Quidditch Association (Spanish: Asociación Chilena de Quidditch)
  • Czech Republic Czech Quidditch Association (CQA, Czech: Česká Asociace Famfrpálu)
  • Denmark Danish Quidditch Association (Danish: Dansk Quidditchforbund)
  • Hong Kong Hong Kong Quidditch Association
  • Ireland Quidditch Ireland (QIRE)
  • Japan Japan Quidditch Association (JQA, Japanese: 日本クィディッチ協会, romanized: Nihon Kuiditchi Kyōkai)
  • South Korea Quidditch Korea
  • Malaysia Quidditch Malaysia
  • New Zealand Quidditch Association of New Zealand
  • Slovakia Slovak Quidditch Association (SQA, Slovak: Slovenská Metlobalová Asociácia)
  • Slovenia Quidditch Association of Slovenia (Slovene: Quidditch zveza Slovenije)
  • Sweden Swedish Quidditch Federation (SvQF, Swedish: Svenska Quidditchförbundet)
  • Uganda Quidditch Uganda
  • Vietnam Vietnam Quidditch Association (Vietnamese: Hiệp hội Quidditch Việt Nam)

Areas of Interest

  • Ghana Quidditch Ghana
  • Portugal Quidditch Portugal
  • Pakistan Quidditch Pakistan

Formerly listed Associate members

These nations are no longer listed on the IQA's website under members but were in the past.

As of 2022 these are:

  • Finland Quidditch Finland
  • Hungary Hungarian Quidditch Association (MKSZ, Hungarian: Magyar Kviddics Szövetség)
  • Iceland Quidditch Association of Iceland (QSÍ, Icelandic: Quidditchsamband Íslands)
  • Israel Quidditch Israel
  • Serbia Serbian Quidditch Association* (Serbian: Српски Квидич Савез, romanized: Srpski Kvidič Savez)

Continental committees

Under the IQA, there can exist groups of NGBs that work together to form a committee devoted to promoting the sport within the region. The only current committee in existence is the European Committee for Quadball (or Quadball Europe). It is composed of two representatives from all NGBs within Europe, even those that do not have full representation at the IQA-level. Quadball Europe is in charge of the yearly tournament, the European Quidditch Cup, which contests the best teams across the continent, as well as the European Games, where national teams from Europe come together to compete every other year.

Rules of the sport

The IQA publishes through its own rules department a set of updated rules each year that teams registered with a national association must adhere to during any and all international play. For the 2014–15, the IQA will use USQ's published Rulebook 8 in every and all tournaments except for the 2014 Global Games. It is up to the member league itself to determine whether or not they wish to adhere to every IQA rule, but member leagues must follow the IQA rules in international play or unless another set of rules is agreed upon.

Title 9 ¾

Since its inception, the IQA has sought equality on the pitch in terms of gender. One of the most strict requirements is that "each team [is] to have at least two players on the field who identify with a different gender than at least two other players. The gender that a player identifies with is considered to be that player's gender, which may or may not be the same as that person's sex."[11] Because of this wording, quidditch is becoming a leader of sports for equal basing for both women and the LGBT community. As of 2013, the IQA has created Title 9 ¾, a branch of the IQA that actively promotes advocacy and awareness as well as gender equality and inclusivity.[12]

However, this policy has drawn sharp criticism from single sex institutions for whom it is difficult or impossible to attract players of the opposite gender. Women's teams from Smith College and Wellesley College were prohibited from tournament play because of this rule.[13]

Tournaments

IQA World Cup

The World Cup is the IQA's tournament for national teams. Any quidditch-playing nation is offered the chance at competing on the world level at this tournament. The latest iteration was held in Florence, Italy in June/July 2018, with the US taking first place and Belgium coming in second.

The original World Cup was titled both "Summer Games" to match the Olympics being held in London, UK and "Global Games." July 2012 saw five national teams from around the world compete in this first international tournament run by the IQA, taking place in University Parks, Oxford, England. The five teams were from the US, Canada, France, UK, and Australia.[14]

European Games

The IQA European Games is the regional tournament held every off-year alongside the World Cup. The inaugural Games were held in Sarteano, Italy in July 2015 which saw 12 nations compete with France being the winner over the UK.[15]

Former

Until 2014, the IQA organized the previous iteration of what is now the US Quidditch Cup, known at the time as the IQA World Cup.[16] To compete, registered teams were required to participate in their regional tournaments,[17] of which 2014 had nine regions (seven in North America, one for Europe and one for Oceania). Each region received a certain number of bids at the beginning of the season, and teams who placed within that number of bids were offered a spot at the World Cup.

Being in the United States each year drew criticism from the rest of the quadball world, where Australia fostered a solid quadball community, and Europe was consistently growing. 2014, the last year the World Cup in this function was held, saw all European teams refuse their bids due to costs and desire to support a more international IQA with their attendance at the Global Games.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The IQA Congress Minutes of 10 Dec 2015". Google docs. IQA Minutes. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Quidditch changes name to quadball after JK Rowling's trans statements". the Guardian. 2022-07-20. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  3. ↑ Wilson, Craig (2007-11-26). "Collegiate Quidditch takes off figuratively, at least". USA Today.
  4. ↑ "About the IQA". IQA. Archived from the original on 4 September 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  5. 1 2 "New IQA Congress Structure Announced". IQA & USQ. June 28, 2014. Archived from the original on May 24, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  6. 1 2 "Quidditch to change name, citing J.K. Rowling's 'anti-trans positions'". NBC News. 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  7. ↑ "Quidditch seeks a new name". The Middlebury Campus. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  8. ↑ STAFF, Sara Schweiger TELEGRAM & GAZETTE. "Quidditch craze". The Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved 2023-09-01.
  9. ↑ Wright, Steve (2022-07-21). "Real-life quidditch is now quadball over J. K. Rowling's transphobia". Stevivor. Retrieved 2022-07-21.
  10. 1 2 "Members list IQA". Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  11. ↑ "Two Minimum Rule; International Quadball Association". iqaquidditch.com. Archived from the original on 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
  12. ↑ "Title 9 ¾; International Quidditch Association". iqaquidditch.com. Archived from the original on 2013-11-09. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
  13. ↑ "Smith Quidditch Team Prevented from Playing; Mount Holyoke News". mountholyokenews.org. Archived from the original on 2014-12-06. Retrieved 2014-08-31.
  14. ↑ IQA Website: "IQA Global Games Announced". IQA. Archived from the original on 2014-01-18.
  15. ↑ "Sarteano 2015". IQA. Archived from the original on 2015-11-21. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  16. ↑ "IQA World Cup". IQA. Archived from the original on 2015-02-06. Retrieved 2013-11-28.
  17. ↑ Keck, Nina (2009-10-26). "Middlebury College Hosts Quidditch World Cup". Vermont Public Radio.
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