but we all know how popular the Harry
Potter franchise is you've probably
checked out the attractions at Universal
record-breaking books and movies and
endless amounts of merchandise and did
you know a real-life sport yes I know
okay we're talking about Quidditch the
game where they fly on brooms catch
balls in the air in the series and is
played on a field right here in Central
Florida and they're not flying actually
not flying but they like to think they
are yeah called in nearly headless
nights news six at night's Karolina
Cardona joins us now with more about
this you talked to some team members and
they are very big fans of Harry Potter
obviously yeah that's right well for the
most part the players are Harry Potter
fans but it's also a game where anyone
can basically join I do confess as a
sport that is new to me so I had never
heard about it sorry had Harry Potter
fans I think I've only seen one of the
eight movies but it was interesting to
learn about a game that went from the
movie screens and onto fields around the
world it's a game where players use a
broomstick in the fictional Harry Potter
books by JK Rowling Quidditch players
earn points by throwing a volleyball
through one of three hoops without
getting hit by a dodgeball or tackled
they also have to catch an opponent
player called the snitch in the movie
it's a flying golden ball in real life
the snitch is not an actual ball that
flies around it's a person wearing
snitch shorts it's like a flag football
aspect you have to catch the tail after
17 minutes the snitch is released and
the snitch is usually like a big
wrestler type person and each team has
one seeker who are going to attempt to
catch the snitch and the rest were like
throw them to the ground
the University of Central Florida is one
of dozens of schools around the country
that has a team but instead of using
brooms they hold on to PVC pipes UCF has
competed at both regional and national
levels they recently played against
members of Orlando pride so why has it
become so popular it's one of the only
co-ed sports first of all so that piques
an interest as well as it just has so
many diff
elements to it so much going on at once
it's so unique that there's three
different games going on at once you
have beaters throwing dodgeballs you
have chasers trying to score you have
the snitch on pitch gameplay going on in
order to make it easier for the players
some rules were modified by the United
States Quidditch Association we all go
by their rules for instance like one of
the main thing is is that beaters from
Harry Potter books they use a bat we do
not use a bad once the snitch is caught
the team wins 30 points and game over
it's so popular that countries like the
US Canada Germany Belgium and Britain
have leagues of their own now over 26
countries play the sport some teams are
still in the process of creating their
own governing bodies the International
Quidditch Association was founded in
Middlebury College in Vermont 12 years
ago it's a unique game that has a 150
page rulebook ever since the sport was
introduced gender equality is an
important requirement a Quidditch game
allows each team to have a maximum of
four players not including the seeker
who identify as the same gender in
active play on the field at the same
time 150 pages of rules that's a lot of
the rules actually is that the
broomstick that they use they can't let
it go it can't fall out from in between
their legs attached to them based on
their they so they hold on to the stay
okay and with the other hand they have
to catch the ball yes it's it's a lot
the end of the day gets you moving
whatever works how can we join well
there actually are tonight if anybody is
interested tonight is their first
official practice over at the University
of Central Florida so if anybody wants
to go ahead and check it out they also
have a Facebook page so you know it's so
unique game you need to be on that
particular team though right I'm sorry
you need to be a student to be on that
particular team a UCF student or no no I
don't think so
no I you know what I'll get back to you
okay