News

The IQA is pleased to announce that Andy Marmer has been appointed as Interim Chief of Staff following the departure of Rahel Liviero who recently stepped down from the position.

Andy has held a variety of positions in quidditch and is currently serving as chair of the IQA Name Change Committee.  Andy previously served as interim executive director of the IQA from July 2018 until March 2019 and as a member of the IQA board of trustees from 2017 until the end of his term in 2019.  Prior to his position with the IQA, Andy founded and led the Quidditch Post from 2014 until 2017 and served as the editorial manager of the then-IQA (now USQ) from January 2013 until August 2013 and in various roles in the editorial department. 

In his previous stint as interim executive director, Andy oversaw a number of exciting developments for the IQA, including:

The legal incorporation of the IQA and the drafting of the IQA constitution

The selection of Richmond as the site for World Cup and preparation for past European Games and Pan-American Games

The creation of a new IQA logo and branding guidelines

The release of a new rulebook and a new and improved referee website and referee and snitch tests and extensive translations of the above;

The implementation of various policies including event policies and internal IQA policies

The improvement of communications between the IQA and NGBs

“I’m thrilled to return to the IQA to continue the never-ending work of growing the sport of quidditch worldwide,” said Marmer.  “I’m incredibly grateful for the work that IQA volunteers, especially Rahel, have done in the three years since my departure and am excited to dive in and look for ways to improve the IQA, its worldwide perception and the sport as a whole.  I am not under the impression that this will be easy, but I know that the whole community working as one can help the sport reach new heights.”

“I am very pleased to have Andy in the IQA leadership again. Andy is known for his ability to get things done and I am sure that he will, together with the Board of Trustees, lead the IQA to new heights,” said Chris Lau, Chair of the IQA. “The Board is committed to hiring a permanent Chief of Staff through an open and transparent process, and I now encourage every interested person to apply for the position.”

Andy’s appointment is strictly interim and he will step aside as soon as a full-time chief of staff is hired.  The IQA Board of Trustees is seeking applications for a full-time chief of staff. All interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to trustees@iqasport.com and human.resources@iqasport.org by 15 July, 2022 in order to be considered. The IQA aims to complete the hiring process by the end of September 2022.

The IQA also has numerous other volunteer vacancies for all level of volunteers, including directors, more on these open positions can be found here

This year, the IQA has started using a new process to update the rulebook.  As part of this new process, the Rules Team creates and debates proposals for changes to the IQA rulebook.  The proposals they approve are then released publicly and forwarded to the full Rules Committee made up of the Rules Team, NGB representatives from participating NGBs, and at-large rules committee members.

For this year, the rules team has finalized their proposals and it is time to release the proposals to the public.  While these proposals have been approved by the Rules Team, they are not yet final changes to the rulebook.  The Rules Committee shall review each change, may suggest adjustments, and has the final say over whether the proposed changes are adopted or not.

With a few exceptions the changes being proposed are being presented by the change to play, not the specific rulebook wording.  However, in some cases, the wording is highly important to understanding the change, and a link to that wording has been included.

While the full list is now posted for the public to see here, the most notable change proposals are listed below.  These are the proposals that either have the most significant anticipated impact, or the ones that the rules manager anticipates will be of significant interest, even if they may not impact the game significantly.  Without further ado, here are the highlights from the change proposals.

There are two notable proposed changes to personal equipment.  The first is that shin guards will no longer be subject to the knock test.  This means that the more common hard plastic soccer shin guards will be allowed.

The second notable equipment change is that metal cleats are no longer strictly banned.  However, there are a few caveats and restrictions.  The cleats must not be sharp, and they are subject to additional shape restrictions.  These restrictions are in line with those found on cylindrical cleats in World Rugby.  Additionally, if an event occurs at a venue that doesn’t allow metal cleats, metal cleats will be treated as illegal for that event.

Event directors will have the option to extend the player bench up to 7 meters outside of the player area, so long as this expanded bench area is restricted from spectators and others who are not allowed in the player area.  Substitutes shall have full unrestricted access to this expanded bench area, providing players with a place outside the player area for their extra equipment, bags, and other items.  It is an optional expansion, which prevents this rule from expanding the area needed for a pitch when space is limited, but event directors are encouraged to expand the bench when the space is available.

When a single resetting action causes the quaffle to travel backwards across both restrictor lines, this shall count as two resets, and will result in a quaffle turnover.

The seeker floor will be extended to 20 minutes.

When the heat index (a combination of the temperature and humidity levels) is predicted to be at or above 32 degrees celsius during any portion of an event, additional breaks will be required at 12 minutes into the game, and every 5 minutes after the seeker floor expires.  These times may be adjusted if the seeker floor extension is approved.  

If a player comes to a full and complete stop (their feet are set, and all momentum towards their opponent is stopped) they shall have a limited exception from the contact from behind rules.  After setting their feet and stopping their forward momentum, they shall be allowed to lean towards or step towards their opponent to initiate contact from behind, but the contact must be initiated before the contacting player’s back foot is picked up or otherwise moves from where it was previously planted when their forward momentum was last stopped.  

Limitations on head beats are proposed penalizing beats to the head thrown from less than 5 meters away from the targeted player.  Not all such beats are restricted, as the player’s position, whether they have a ball, and whether the ball hits the front or back of the head are taken into account.

If the quaffle is not significantly moving toward either set of hoops, and the quaffle is either possessed by a grounded player who is in contact with an opponent, OR the quaffle is jointly held by multiple players, and one of those players is grounded, the head referee shall start a 10 second count.  If the conditions last for 10 seconds, the quaffle will be declared stalled.  A stalled quaffle is treated as out of bounds at the nearest boundary point, and will be inbounded by the team that was on defense before the quaffle went to the ground.  This will generally occur without play being stopped.  There is a limited exception for giving it to the keeper of the receiving team instead in limited circumstances.

MAJOR CHANGES: The following two changes are considered “major changes.”  Because this is not a “major change year” these must get the support of 75% of non-abstaining rules committee members to pass.

Players shall be allowed to use two arms when wrapping and opponent, including during tackles.

During the seeker floor, and during OT, a team may not have more than 3 players who identify as the same gender in play at the same time.

The gender rule proposal is unique.  While all of the other proposals were passed explicitly because the rules team believed they would be improvements to the game, this proposal was put forward because they believe it deserves the chance to be debated by the rules committee before a decision is made. At this time the rules team is not for or against the rule change, and the rules committee will decide on its potential implementation.

New Rulebook Proposals

The International Quidditch Association (IQA) is looking for new trustees to serve on its Board. Interested persons should read the below carefully and make an application by 10 April 2022. 

The Board of the International Quidditch Association (“IQA”) has decided to include in the agenda of the Special Assembly to be held on 30 April 2022 the possibility of electing new Trustees of the IQA. The Board established the Trustee Election Committee to facilitate the election. The Trustee Election Committee is chaired by Chris Lau (Hong Kong) and currently consists of two other members, Jamie Turbet (Australia) and Matias Ganduglia (Argentina).

Trustees serve as part of a small group that makes governing decisions for the IQA. The Trustees have a direct hand in shaping the future of the organization and the sport overall. The general powers of the Board include, but are not limited to: 

Hire, evaluate, terminate, and set compensation for any staff;

Admit new members, reclassify, and terminate memberships as provided in the constitution;

Maintain a culture of ethical behavior and compliance throughout the IQA;

Achieve transparency in the operations of the IQA as is reasonably achievable;

Set the strategic plan, budget, and corporate performance measures;

Monitor the financial reporting process and the legal and regulatory compliance program;

Set policy on capital distribution, financial strategies, borrowing commitments, and long range financial planning;

Monitor the IQA’s assets to ensure that they are properly protected;

Conduct an annual review of the IQA’s performance and effectiveness and determine future actions required to achieve the IQA’s mission;

Take such other action as is customary for a board of directors of a nonprofit corporation.

Below is a detailed timeline and explanation of the application process. NGB representatives or members of the public who have questions, comments, or feedback on either the overall process or the priorities considered when selecting trustees, are encouraged to email the Committee at elections@iqasport.org.

From now - 10 Apr 2022: Open for applications and candidate interviews

Applicants should email elections@iqasport.org with the following information:

Cover Letter, addressing:
What is your motivation to apply as a Trustee?
What do you see as the future of the IQA and quidditch in general?
How do you want to achieve this?
What skills would you bring to the role of Trustee?

OPTIONAL: Letter of recommendation from an NGB/quidditch organization itself or from person(s) who served or is serving in an NGB/quidditch organization
Candidates may apply directly without an NGB/personal recommendation.  
An NGB/person may recommend more than one candidate. 
Any NGB may recommend any candidate, regardless of their country of residence.
The recommendation must be sent in by the recommending party (e.g. NGB or person) directly to elections@iqasport.org. Recommendations forwarded by the candidate will not be accepted.

Interviews with candidates will be conducted on a rolling basis as applications are received by the Committee. The Committee aims at conducting all interviews by 17 April 2022.

Interviews will include standard questions determined by the Committee, and each interview will involve the candidate, and at least one member of the Committee.

Written notes will be taken during each interview and shared with all members of the Committee.

On or before 11 Apr 2022: Candidate summaries shared with NGB representatives; questions from NGBs

The CV, motivation letter and NGB recommendations of all candidates that applied will be shared with NGB representatives and other candidates.

NGB representatives are welcomed to propose questions to the candidates. The Committee will help forward those questions to the candidates and forward their responses to the NGBs.

On or before 20 Apr 2022: Committee’s evaluation shared with NGB representatives

The Committee shares its written evaluation on the candidates with NGB representatives. The Committee may recommend, have reservations about, or not recommend a candidate. All candidates who applied will be included in the Committee’s evaluation.

30 Apr 2022: Trustee election at Special Assembly Meeting

The Committee will answer additional questions from NGBs.

Candidates are welcomed to attend the Special Assembly Meeting to answer any questions that NGBs may have. NGBs are strongly encouraged to send in advance to the Committee the questions they want the candidates to address.

To officially enter the election, an applicant must be nominated by a Full Member NGB at the Special Assembly. 

Full Member NGBs of the IQA will by voting elect the new Trustees, in accordance with the Constitution.

The Committee will, in coordination with the Board and the relevant staff, contact the Trustees elected for onboarding procedures. 

Trustee Applications Now Open

The IQA Name Change Committee today recommended that the IQA Board of Trustees formally pursue changing the name of “quidditch.”

The IQA Name Change Committee will work in the coming weeks to determine the best name for the sport. Throughout this  process we will work with various stakeholders, including NGB representatives, other domestic and international quidditch organizations, quidditch players and other stakeholders worldwide. The IQA will soon release a survey for the community to give their ideas on potential names and other items that the IQA Name Change Committee may be considering in connection with this effort.

Any change in the name of the sport will need to be approved by the IQA Board of Trustees and at least two-thirds of the NGBs, as it involves an amendment of the IQA’s Constitution. Once the IQA Name Change Committee has completed its work, including selecting a proposed new name, the full package will be brought to both the Board of Trustees and separately the IQA’s member NGBs for a vote.  If and when the changes are approved, the IQA Name Change Committee will work to provide NGBs and teams additional resources on changes that may be necessary.

A full copy of the recommendation sent by the IQA Name Change Committee to the IQA Board of Trustees is attached here.

IQA Name Change Committee Recommend Change in Name of “Quidditch”

The IQA is pleased to announce several changes to the Board of Trustees.

On 19 February 2022, following the 2022 Annual Assembly, Alberto Coronado, Pauline Raes and Rahel Liviero terms as Trustees ended 

Based in the United States, Alberto has been crucial in the IQA’s efforts to obtain 501(c)3 tax exempt status in the United States, which is ongoing, and coordinating with the respective governmental authorities.

Pauline, from Belgium, has served for the past three years as co-Secretary, responsible for much of the organisation of the Board, including the taking of minutes and preparing other documents for the Board and AGM.  Pauline will continue with the IQA as the Director of Events & Membership Services, a position she has held during her tenure on the Board. 

Rahel, from Switzerland, has overseen much of the IQA’s activities over the past two years in Rahel’s role as Chair and will continue being involved with the IQA.  In particular Rahel has overseen a number of the work streams that the IQA staff has engaged in and coordinated board meetings.  h 

The IQA would like to thank all of their services and dedicated hard work.

At the 2022 Annual Assembly, Luke Derrick was elected as a new Trustee of the IQA. Luke Derrick is the Chair of Quidditch Australia and has extensive experience in volunteering for quidditch organisations.  He will serve a three-year term expiring in 2025.

At the Board meeting on 5 March 2022, the Board elected Chris Lau as Chair, Luke Derrick as Secretary, and Borja Arbosa will continue as Treasurer of the IQA.

Changes to the IQA Board: departing Trustees, new Trustee and new Officers

Nach der gemeinsamen Ankündigung durch US Quidditch und Major League Quidditch über den Beginn einer neuen Namensfindung für die reale Version des Quidditch in den USA hat auch die IQA ein internes Komitee gebildet, um über die internationale Umsetzung dieser Änderungen zu beraten.

Soll die IQA den Namen „Quidditch“ für den Sport behalten?

Soll die IQA die Änderungen von US Quidditch und Major League Quidditch auf internationaler Ebene annehmen?

Welcher Name sollte – abhängig von der Antwort auf die vorherigen Fragen – empfohlen werden?

Das Komitee wird von Rahel Liviero geleitet und besteht aus NGB-Vertreter*innen, IQA Volunteers und anderen Mitgliedern der Community aus sieben Ländern und vier Kontinenten. Es wird an den Vorstand der IQA (Board of Trustees) eine Empfehlung über das beste Vorgehen aussprechen.

„Das Projekt, den Namen unseres geliebten Sports zu ändern, erfordert nicht nur Führung durch die IQA, sondern auch gemeinsame Anstrengungen durch die NGBs und die Community. Wir sind sehr froh, dass das Namensänderungs-Komitee mit Mitgliedern von unterschiedlichen Kontinenten und Fähigkeiten gebildet wird, um dieses Projekt zu betreuen und Empfehlungen an den Vorstand sowie die NGBs abzugeben. Wir sind überzeugt von der Fähigkeit des Komitees, verschiedenste Interessenvertreter*innen umfassend zu berücksichtigen, um die Aufgaben zu erledigen“, sagt Chris Lau, IQA-Trustee. 

Während der Arbeit des Komitees wird es Updates über den Arbeitsfortschritt geben und wir werden Meinungen über die Internetseite der IQA und Social-Media-Kanäle erfragen. Die nächste Ankündigung wird vor dem 15. März erwartet und wird bestätigen, ob die IQA beabsichtigt, eine Namensänderung zu verfolgen, oder den Namen „Quidditch“ zu behalten.

Rahel Liviero, ehemalige*r IQA-Trustee, Vize-Präsident*in des Schweizerischen Quidditchverbands

Emma Humphrey, Gründerin und Vorstandsmitglied von QuANZ

Andy Marmer, ehemaliger IQA Trustee und ehemaliger Interimsgeschäftsführer der IQA

Ariadna L. Navone Sarubbi, ehemaliges Mitglied im BIPOC-Komitee und Managerin für Social-Media und Communityinteraktion

Pauline Raes, IQA-Leiterin Veranstaltungen und Mitgliederservices

Caio Santos, Leiter für internationale Angelegenheiten in Brasilien

Luke Zak, stellvertretender IQA-Leiter Veranstaltungen und Mitgliederservices

Die Biographien und Qualifikationen aller Mitglieder können auf der Seite „Meet the IQA” gefunden werden

News

New Rulebook Proposals

Trustee Applications Now Open

IQA Name Change Committee Recommend Change in Name of “Quidditch”

Changes to the IQA Board: departing Trustees, new Trustee and new Officers

IQA bildet Komitee über potentielle Namensänderung des Sports