Official rulebook
QPL matches will be played according to USQ Rulebook 10 with QuidditchUK Amendments and the following QPL amendments. Information on registering interest as an official, and certification, will be released shortly.
Revised seeker floor and snitch handicaps
The snitch will be released at 19 minutes of game time. The seekers will be released at 20 minutes of game time. Snitch handicaps will be called at 25, 30 and 35 minutes. The handicaps themselves are unchanged from the rules adopted by QuidditchUK from USQ Rulebook 10.
Game time cap
Game time will be capped at 45 minutes. The timekeeper will warn the head referee at 40 minutes, who will announce this to both teams. If the snitch is not caught, the team that is leading on quaffle points wins the game.
Backcourt violation
Once the quaffle has been advanced by a team outside their keeper-zone, if the ball is carried or propelled by any player on the same team back into their own keeper-zone, this results in a turnover of quaffle possession with the following clarifications:
The backcourt violation call is made at the time the quaffle carrier steps into the keeper-zone, or a quaffle reaches its destination in the keeper-zone (touching the ground or touching a player of the same team)
Legal contact (e.g. tackle/push/stiffarm) that pushes a quaffle carrier back into their own keeper-zone results in a violation and quaffle turnover
A beater from the same team propelling a loose quaffle into their own keeper-zone with a bludger will result in a violation
Brooms down is called on a backcourt violation call. The quaffle is turned over to the quaffle player nearest to the player who last contacted the quaffle before the quaffle entered the keeper-zone. The player who commits the violation remains on broom.
Shot attempts by a team that cross their own keeper-zone line are not backcourt violations.
Timeouts
Timeouts are stoppages in play and game time.
Each team receives one, one-minute timeout per game.
Timeouts may only be called before the snitch is released (19 minutes).
The timeout may be requested by the on-pitch keeper, the speaking captain or the designated coach only.
The timeout may only be requested by the keeper, in their own keeper zone, with possession of the quaffle, and with immunity.
On receiving the request, the head referee stops play. The head referee may delay stopping to allow active beater play to resolve.
After checking with the scorers table, the head referee announces the game time and score. The timeout lasts one minute, starting from this announcement.
At the end of the minute, the referee signals the end of the timeout with one whistle.
Penalty - Blue card - Any illegal attempt to call a timeout or refusal to end the timeout when the referee instructs players to return to their brooms and the sub box will result in the speaking captain of the team at fault receiving a blue card.
No substitutions may be made during the timeout.
Championship fixture rosters
Although teams will have to select a roster of 21 from their 30 players for each divisional fixture, all 30 players can attend the Championship fixture with their teams. Teams will then select 21 players from this for each game, rather than for the fixture as a whole. This will enable all players to experience the excitement of the Quidditch Premier League Championship.