Photo by: Mike Iadevaia
US Quidditch and Major League Quidditch are rebranding as US Quadball (USQ) and Major League Quadball (MLQ). The International Quidditch Association (IQA), which governs the sport at the international level, is also planning to adopt the new name worldwide.
“In less than 20 years, our sport has grown from a few dozen college students in rural Vermont to a global phenomenon with thousands of players, semi-pro leagues and international championships,” said USQ Executive Director Mary Kimball. “Our organizations are committed to continuing to push quadball forward.”
USQ and MLQ began a joint process to rename the real-life sport in December. USQ is the national governing body for the sport in the United States. MLQ is a semi-professional league with 16 teams across the United States and Canada that is modeled after the top leagues of other sports. The two organizations polled players and fans to guide them toward a decision.
Quadball received strong support across demographic groups in the surveys. The name refers to both the number of balls and the number of positions in the real-life sport.
The sport was originally adapted from the Harry Potter book series in 2005 at Middlebury College in Vermont by Xander Manshel and Alex Benepe. It has since exploded in popularity across the country and around the world. The game is now played by nearly 600 teams in 40 countries.
“The IQA is very excited to be joining USQ and MLQ in changing the name of our sport and supporting this change across our members worldwide,” said Chris Lau, Chair of the IQA Board of Trustees and Co-Founder of the Hong Kong Quidditch Association. “We are confident in this step and we look forward to all the new opportunities quadball will bring. This is an important moment in our sport’s history.”
The governing bodies made the decision to pursue the name change for two reasons. First, J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter book series, has increasingly come under scrutiny for her anti-trans positions. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups like GLAAD and the Human Rights Campaign as well as the three lead actors in the Harry Potter film series have criticized her stances.
In addition, the sport inspired by quidditch is looking to continue to grow like other sports that have sprung from humble origins. The game commonly known as ultimate Frisbee has officially changed its name to ultimate, in part because “Frisbee” is a registered trademark of the Wham-O toy company that invented the piece of equipment.
USQ and MLQ will own the trademark for “quadball” in the United States. The trademark for “Quidditch” is owned by the Warner Bros. film and entertainment company.
“Bringing full creative control of the name of our sport to the vibrant community of players and fans that has grown and sustained it will allow our organizations to take the next step,” said MLQ Co-Commissioner Amanda Dallas. “We are now able to pursue the kinds of opportunities that our community has dreamed about for years.”
MLQ will adopt the new name upon completion of the 2022 MLQ Championship in Howard County, Md. on Aug. 20-22. USQ is adopting the new name effective immediately. Partnership opportunities with USQ are now available. Membership registration will open in late July.
The IQA European Games 2022 will take place in Limerick, Ireland on July 23-24. The event will feature 20 teams from Europe, Australia and Hong Kong and can be followed live.
Quidditch teams in the US will be able to apply for a license for the new trademarks later in the summer.
Further questions can be directed to info@mlquidditch.com and info@usquidditch.org. Press inquiries can be sent to press@mlquidditch.com.
US Quidditch, Major League Quidditch, and their activities are not licensed by, sponsored by, or associated with Warner Bros., J.K. Rowling, or their affiliates. "Quidditch", "Harry Potter", and all related names, characters and indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. - Harry Potter publishing rights © J.K. Rowling.