Contents:

• Professional Duelling
• Professional Broom Racing
• Professional Quidditch

Professional Duelling:

How To Join a Professional Duelling Team:

There are a handful of ways to join a professional duelling team. The most common way is having taken part in the sport whilst at school. Across the school year, scouts and representatives for different teams will come and watch games, and if they think that you’re good enough to join their team, they will offer potential places in the team they represent to 7th years that are about to graduate. However, for those who didn’t have a chance to compete in school, there are still other ways. Most teams offer public auditions for those who are interested, though some more prestigious teams do have a list of prerequisites before being able to even audition.

Professional Duelling: Organisations

The British Duelling Organisation:

The British Duelling Organisation (BDO) was set up within the Department of Magical Games and Sports in the Ministry of Magic. Founded in 1508, they have overseen official British duelling since its formation, helping to secure its status as an official sport in Britain. The BDO has a few different jobs, which include assigning referees to preliminary games and deciding the match-ups for National games. As required to participate at an international level, they are a member of the International Duelling Association.

The International Duelling Association:

Duelling had been growing quickly in popularity, but without properly enforced regulations, it had also become increasingly more dangerous, especially with the development of more and more powerful offensive spells. Therefore, in response, the International Duelling Association (IDA) was formed in 1519, which created a formal guideline to duelling, refined over the years to its current format. It was initially formed by eight countries with established duelling prominence (Britain, France, the United States, Japan, Russia, Brazil, Egypt and Australia), but more have joined over time. Whilst it is not mandatory to join, it offers more security in terms regarding duelling and allows countries to participate in the International Duelling League. To this day, they are in charge of organising and regulating official duelling that occurs globally.

The International Duelling League:

The International Duelling League (IDL) is the official duelling league for professional duellists at an international level. A part of the IDA, the League was formed in 1585 in order to allow teams from across the world to compete with each other in a formal setting. It is the most prestigious duelling competition in the world, and extremely competitive. To compete, a country/region’s duelling organisation must be a registered member of the IDA. This is the current list:

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• The United Kingdom
• France
• The United States
• Japan
• Russia
• Brazil
• Egypt
• Australia
• Germany
• Ireland
• Italy
• South Africa
• Mexico
• Uganda
• Norway
• India
• Polynesia
• Greece
• Argentina
• Indonesia

Professional Matches: How They Work

Preliminary Matches:

The preliminary matches take place between September and December. These matches take place in order for a duelling team to earn starting points for the season. Any duelling team of any level must complete this stage successfully, or else they will not be allowed to compete at a national level that year (unless they have won Internationals from the previous year). In Britain, these matches must be registered through the BDO with an official BDO moderator in order to gain points (3 points for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 for a loss). Teams must have a minimum of 12 points with at least 3 confirmed wins by the end of December to qualify for that year’s national competition. Teams cannot duel another team more than once in the preliminary matches. Each year (officially September 1st), the points reset for the new season.

National Matches:

The Nationals are the highest level of British competitive duelling. Each team will play against all other qualifying teams in 3v3 matches across the months of February and March, with the dates and match-ups released mid-January. Games take place twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays, from the start of February to mid-March. Roughly 4-6 games take place each session. The same points system is implemented, and the team with the highest number of points will go on to represent the country. Games are moderated by referees from the BDO.

International Matches:

The Internationals are the highest level of competitive duelling in the world. The structure is similar to Nationals with each team playing every other country's team, including the same points system, with four 3v3 matches occurring every day from April 1st until May 18th. The team with the highest number of points will be crowned the International Duelling Champions for that year, and automatically qualify for their country’s Nationals the following year. Between June and August, the teams have a chance to audition for new members, and any remaining teammates can rest and prepare for the upcoming season.

British Duelling Teams:

Any witch or wizard can form a duelling team, but, to compete officially, teams must be registered with the BDO and have 12 first-string members and a team captain. However, there are also several well-known British Duelling Teams in the 21st century that have gone on to achieve highly in the country. Many of them used to be exclusive to certain groups, but recently a majority of them have got rid of that exclusivity to allow anyone to audition due to more progressive attitudes.

The Silver Spears:
Description: The Silver Spears were a fabled duelling team, and their prowess and skill makes them a formidable team to face.
Year formed: 1727
Audition prerequisites: Three years of previous duelling experience on a team, however the Silver Spears much prefer to recruit talented duellists through scouting rather than through auditions.
Success: One of the top duelling teams in the country. They also regularly progress to Nationals, and hold the record as the team that has represented Britain at Internationals the most. They have also won Internationals three times (1758, 1851 and 1932), the most of any British team.
Any other notes: They are known to prefer an offensive approach when duelling.

The Rising Ashes:
Description: The Rising Ashes (also nicknamed The Phoenixes) are one of the fastest growing teams in competitive duelling, and well-known for spectacular comebacks.
Year formed: 1951
Audition prerequisites: A year of previous duelling experience on a team.
Success: A quickly growing team rising to the top. They have often made it to Nationals since the 1980s, and recently have begun making it to Internationals every so often (1999, 2008).
Any other notes: They like using spells relating to fire.

The Valiant Valkyries:
Description: Originally an exclusively female team, the Valiant Valkyries only gained traction in the late 1970s. They began allowing non-females onto their team in 1997.
Year formed: 1920
Audition prerequisites: N/a
Success: Begun regularly making it to Nationals from the late 1970s, and have made it to Internationals once (2011).
Any other notes: N/a

The Guarded Giants:
Description: Set up to improve the inclusion of non-humans in duelling. Was the first team to include part-veela, part-giants, part-goblins, dhampirs and werewolves.
Year formed: 1796
Audition prerequisites: N/a, however they do tend to prefer non-humans for this team specifically.
Success: The first full non-human team to reach Internationals (1990).
Any other notes: Takes a more defensive approach when duelling.

The Burning Basilisks:
Description: A team set up specifically for Slytherin alumni after they graduate from Hogwarts. One of the few remaining teams that is still exclusive to a specific group.
Year formed: 1893
Audition prerequisites: Must have previously been a Slytherin student at Hogwarts.
Success: Have regularly been reaching Nationals since their formation, but have not yet reached Internationals.
Any other notes: Is usually one the of four starting teams for many freshly-graduated students that are looking to get into professional duelling.

The Fighting Lions:
Description: A team set up specifically for Gryffindor alumni after they graduate from Hogwarts. One of the few remaining teams that is still exclusive to a specific group.
Year formed: 1874
Audition prerequisites: Must have previously been a Gryffindor student at Hogwarts.
Success: Have regularly been reaching Nationals since their formation, but have not yet reached Internationals.
Any other notes: Is usually one the of four starting teams for many freshly-graduated students that are looking to get into professional duelling.

The Distinguished Badgers:
Description: A team set up specifically for Hufflepuff alumni after they graduate from Hogwarts. One of the few remaining teams that is still exclusive to a specific group.
Year formed: 1882
Audition prerequisites: Must have previously been a Hufflepuff student at Hogwarts.
Success: Have regularly been reaching Nationals since their formation, but have not yet reached Internationals.
Any other notes: Is usually one the of four starting teams for many freshly-graduated students that are looking to get into professional duelling.

The Golden Eagles:
Description: A team set up specifically for Ravenclaw alumni after they graduate from Hogwarts. One of the few remaining teams that is still exclusive to a specific group.
Year formed: 1889
Audition prerequisites: Must have previously been a Ravenclaw student at Hogwarts.
Success: Have regularly been reaching Nationals since their formation, but have not yet reached Internationals.
Any other notes: Is usually one the of four starting teams for many freshly-graduated students that are looking to get into professional duelling.

Creating your own team:

Of course, people are not just limited to join the teams that are already pre-existing: if they want, there is the option to create their own duelling team. The process itself is fairly simple, all that is required is to have a full team and an official team name and team captain. There is a registration cost of 50 galleons, and whilst you are not expected to have your own official training facilities, you are expected to have a set venue to train at, whether your own or rented. Once these have all been established, and the registration form has been submitted to the Department of Magical Games and Sports and reviewed, the team will be added to the official list under the BDO.

Professional Broom Racing:

How To Join a Professional Racing Team:

There are two ways to join a professional racing team. The first method is for broom racers with no previous experience. These aspiring broom racers must compete at least one season in the Nafsi Cup or a FIBR-sanctioned National League before signing with a recognized international broom racing team. The second method is to be recruited directly upon graduation. It is not unusual to see scouts from racing teams at school broom racing events. Once recruited, these students then compete at the Wadha League Two level. While not common, some experienced graduates will opt to compete in the Nafsi Cup for one year rather than sign directly with a racing team, particularly if their school team had a poor record.

Professional Broom Racing: Organisations

The Federation of International Broom Racing:

The Federation of International Broom Racing (FIBR) was established in the 10th century to represent the interests of broom racing organizations and enthusiasts across the globe. The FIBR consists of national organizations from over one hundred countries and is currently headquartered in Alexandria, Egypt. It is the governing body for international broom racing events, such as the Broom Racing World Championship and maintains rules and standards for all FIBR sanctioned races. The current FIBR sanctioned championships are the Broom Racing World Championship, Wadha League One, Wadha League Two, Nafsi Cup, and most National Leagues.

Professional Broom Racing: Tournaments

Broom Racing World Championship:

The Broom Racing World Championship (BRWC) is the premier international racing competition in broom racing since its inaugural running in 1050 AD. Originally a Middle Eastern competition, it has since expanded to include national teams from every country in the world. It is a bracket-style tournament held every four years, alternating with the Quidditch World Cup. Each national team consists of the six highest scoring racers as determined by individual wins from each nation. To be eligible, the racers must have competed in a FIBR-sanctioned championship.

Wadha League One:

Wadha League One, commonly known as W1 or Wadha One, is an annual international racing competition consisting of private teams with two primary racers who compete for two prizes: one for the highest scoring racer, and one for the highest scoring team. Each season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, which take place in multiple countries. The locations and routes of the courses are altered each year to ensure each race is challenging for the racers and entertaining for the spectators. The annual championship culminates in the Swedish Grand Prix, sometimes referred to in history as “the annual broom race”. It is known as one of the most dangerous courses in the world due to its violently shifting weather conditions and route through a Swedish Short-Snout dragon reservation.

Wadha League Two:

Wadha League Two, commonly known as W2 or Wadha 2, is the lowest level international racing competition. Like Wadha League One, it is an annual competition consisting of private teams with two primary racers who compete for two prizes: one for the highest scoring racer, and one for the highest scoring team. W2 races use the same schedule and course as Wadha League One, with races typically held the day prior. More hazardous courses may be altered to offer less difficult conditions than Wadha League One races might experience due to the difference in racer experience.

Nafsi Cup:

The Nafsi Cup is a league for individual broom racers. Originally established as an open competition, the league primarily attracts amateur broom racers and racers unaffiliated with an international racing team. The Nafsi Cup is typically considered the entry point for broom racers looking to begin a professional career in broom racing and serves as a scouting league for international racing teams.

National Leagues:

National Leagues are league competitions organized by individual countries for broom racing teams within that nation. The winners and top performers from each National League may qualify to represent their country in the Broom Racing World Championship or other FIBR-sanctioned international competitions.

Professional Races: How They Work

Matches have a standardized length of at least five legs customized for each course during the pre-season preparations for any particular league's circuit of courses. The layout and obstacles are agreed upon by league officials during this time to ensure mutual fairness and that no team plays on the same course twice. Once finalized, the layouts of the courses are publicized and are restricted from any changes except in the case of an emergency.

At the national and international level a team is composed of six broom racers. More than two teams may compete in the same championship. Multiple races may be hosted in a single race day with team random team matchups each race. Cumulative points play a big part in both seasonal and tournament play, though any match that results in immediate elimination from a competition is determined by the team that crosses the finish line first.

International Racing Teams:

As per Federation of International Broom Racing regulations, broom racers signed to a FIBR recognized professional racing team must compete at least one season in the Nafsi Cup or a National League as an Aspiring Broom Racer; or, possess experience on a school broom racing team.

Nimbus Racing
Description: Nimbus Racing is a British broom racing team founded and sponsored by the Nimbus Racing Broom Company.
Year formed: 1967
Any other notes: Broom racers competing on the Nimbus Racing team are expected to use a Nimbus-brand racing broom.

Cleansweep Racing
Description: Cleansweep Racing is a British broom racing team founded and sponsored by the Cleansweep Broom Company.
Year formed: 1926
Any other notes: Broom racers competing on the Cleansweep Racing team are expected to use a Cleansweep-brand racing broom.

ES Racing
Description: ES Racing, formally Ellerby-Spudmore Racing, is a German broom racing team founded and sponsored by the manufacturing company Ellerby and Spudmore.
Year formed: 1940
Any other notes: Broom racers competing on the Ellerby-Spudmore Racing team are expected to use an Ellerby & Spudmore-brand racing broom.

Comet Racing
Description: Comet Racing is a British broom racing team founded and sponsored by the Comet Trading Company.
Year formed: 1929
Any other notes: Broom racers competing on the Comet Racing team are expected to use a Comet Trading Company-brand racing broom.

Kwikspell Racing
Description: Kwikspell Racing is a British broom racing team founded and sponsored by the Kwikspell Company.
Year formed: 20th Century
Any other notes: No broom requirements or restrictions.

Fleetwood RAC
Description: Fleetwood RAC, formally the Fleetwood Racing & Athletics Club, is a British broom racing team founded and sponsored by the Fleetwood Company.
Year formed: 20th Century
Any other notes: No broom requirements or restrictions.

Creating Your Own Team:

New teams may be created by submitting an Application for Team Formation to the Federation of International Broom Racing. Along with a registration fee of 50 galleons, applicants must include in their application the name of the team, location of headquarters, initial broom racing roster, and list the names of any sponsors (if any).

Professional Quidditch:

How to join a professional team:

A majority of professional quidditch players began their training from a young age, and made their start playing for their school as a part of the Under 18s International Quidditch League. From there, scouts and representatives from various teams would come to watch games, and if they think that you're fitting for their team, they will offer places to 7th years about to graduate. However, that doesn't mean this is the only path into quidditch. A few teams have open tryouts at the start of the upcoming season if they are looking to change their roster or find a replacement for a departing team member. There are also amateur teams that people can join to gain experience.

Professional Quidditch: Leagues/Organisations

British and Irish Quidditch League:

The very first version of what is now known as the British and Irish Quidditch League (abbreviated to BIQL) was developed in 1253, however since then there have been five other iterations of this League, until 1674 when the official League that we use today was founded under the Department of Magical Games and Sports in the Ministry of Magic. They oversee the training of British quidditch referees and organise the national matches in the country. The League consists of 13 officially recognised teams that compete in the annual League Cup, and these teams have the opportunity to represent Britain and Ireland internationally.

British and Irish Minor Quidditch League:

The British and Irish Minor Quidditch League offers the opportunity for smaller teams to still compete at a somewhat professional level. These teams do not have an official cup, but follow a ranking system that refreshes every new season. Each team plays as many of the other teams within the Minor League as they can within the year to earn as many points as they can. The Department of Magical Games and Sports do not organise these matches, they are arranged by the teams themselves, and once they have been officially announced, the Department send a referee to adjudicate the match.

International Confederation of Wizards Quidditch Committee:

The International Confederation of Wizards Quidditch Committee (shortened to ICWQC) is a part of the International Confederation of Wizards, and in charge of all international quidditch tournaments. Established in 1692, its purpose then was initially to avoid notice from muggles when large crowds of wizards gathered for tournaments. However, nowadays, they oversee all aspects of organisation regarding the games, employing representatives from every competing country that contribute to these decisions. In Britain, these representatives are usually significant members of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.

Professional Quidditch: Tournaments

British and Irish Quidditch League Cup:

In the British and Irish Quidditch League Cup, each team plays each other, and the team with the highest total score wins the title of the League Cup Champion for that year. The official schedule for the season is announced in the first week of September, and season begins on the last Friday of September and runs roughly until the end of June (with a 3 week break for Christmas and New Year), with a game occurring every Friday and Monday. In the time between seasons, teams will often use this time to change their roster if they so wish, give their players a rest, and prepare for the new season ahead. On the years of the Quidditch World Cup, the remaining teams still compete in the League Cup, but the team that has qualified for the World Cup is excluded.

European Cup:

The European Cup has been occurring during July and August every three years since 1652 (though it is skipped on years that the World Cup is running). Games take place on Mondays and Fridays. It is organised by the ICWQC and the host country is decided by the previous winner. There are 16 countries that participate in the bracket-style tournament over the 8 weeks:

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- Bulgaria
- Great Britain
- France
- Germany
- Ireland
- Sweden
- Norway
- Denmark
- Portugal
- Romania
- Spain
- Belgium
- Greece
- Lithuania
- Poland
- Luxembourg

International Quidditch Tournament:

The International Quidditch Tournament is the second-largest international quidditch championship, behind the Quidditch World Cup, and offers smaller teams that are not able to compete in the World Cup a chance to shine internationally. The Tournament is split initially into two halves, the Eastern Conference (Africa, Asia, Oceania) and the Western Conference (North America, South America, Europe), and then the victor of each half will compete for the ultimate title. Any and all teams that are officially registered in their country are able to submit to compete in the Tournament, but only sixteen (eight for the Eastern Conference and eight for the Western Conference) are selected at random to compete in the knockout Tournament.

The games take place over a 2-month period occurring between July and August, with the Western Conference games occurring every Friday, and the Eastern Conference games occurring every Tuesday. Whilst winning this tournament is not as renowned as the World Cup, the title still holds a lot of prestige in the quidditch community. The Tournament occurs every four years as well, every two years from the Quidditch World Cup to avoid any clashes.

Quidditch World Cup:

The Quidditch World Cup is a bracket-style competition that begun in 1473, and is held every 4 years (this was split away from in 1877, with the game being named Tournament that Nobody Remembers, and a match being held the following year as a result - and the every 4 years continuing from then). The Cup is often regarded as the biggest and most renowned quidditch tournament in the wizarding world, and is organised by the ICWQC. The 32 countries with the highest point totals by the start of the season (September) take part, with each initial match-up drawn randomly by the ICWQC. Games take place every Sunday, starting from the end of January and concluding with the Grand Final in August. Regularly participating countries are found below:

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- Argentina
- Australia
- Belgium
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Burkina Faso
- Canada
- China
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- France
- Germany
- Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales)
- Greece
- India
- Ireland
- Jamaica
- Japan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Morocco
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- The Nordic Team (decided by the Scandanavian Quidditch Tournament)
- Peru
- Phillipines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Senegal
- South Korea
- Spain
- Tanzania
- Thailand
- Togo
- Transylvania
- Uganda
- United Arab Emirates
- United States

Other League Cups Elsewhere:

All countries that send a team to represent them at the Quidditch World Cup have a national professional quidditch league, though some are combined for the local area (e.g. the British and Irish Quidditch League), but they are not the only ones. In fact, most countries have a professional quidditch league. However, there are also international tournaments that take place across the world, listed below:

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• Scandinavian Quidditch Tournament: this tournament takes place every four years to decide who represents Scandinavia at the Quidditch World Cup. The countries that participate are Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden.
• Middle Eastern Quidditch Tournament: this tournament takes place every other year and includes all quidditch teams from the Middle East.
• All-Africa Quidditch League Cup: this tournament takes place every three years and includes every African country that has a national quidditch team. On years that the World Cup is running, this League Cup is skipped.
• All-American Quidditch League Cup: this tournament takes place every three years and includes every country in North and South America that has a national quidditch team. On years that the World Cup is running, this League Cup is skipped.
• All-Asian Quidditch League Cup: this tournament takes place every three years and includes every Asian country that has a national quidditch team. On years that the World Cup is running, this League Cup is skipped.
• Pacific Islanders Quidditch League Cup: this tournament takes place every three years and includes every country in the Pacific Islands that has a national quidditch team. On years that the World Cup is running, this League Cup is skipped.

Professional Quidditch: Teams

British Teams:

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International Teams:

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Africa:

• Dakar Doves (Senegal)
• Gimbi Giant-Slayers (Ethiopia)
• Lagos Lions (Nigeria)
• Nakuru Nundus (Kenya)
• Patongo Proudsticks (Uganda)
• Réo Runespoors (Barukina Faso)
• Sallum Sphinxes (Egypt)
• Soarers of Safi (Morocco)
• Sumbawanga Sunrays (Tanzania)
• Tchamba Charmers (Togo)

Asia:

• Astana Archers (Kazakhstan)
• Busan Bandits (South Korea)
• Chiang Mai Champions (Thailand)
• Datong Dragons (China)
• Dubai Divers (UAE)
• Jakarta Jockeys (Malaysia)
• Kochi Cobras (India)
• Manila Manauls (Phillipines)
• Toyohashi Tengu (Japan)

North America:

• Chiapas Chaneques (Mexico)
• Fitchburg Finches (USA)
• Haileybury Hammers (Canada)
• Montego Bay Basilisks (Jamaica)
• Moose Jaw Meteorites (Canada)
• San Juan Swifts (Puerto Rico)
• Stonewall Stormers (Canada)
• Sweetwater All-Stars (USA)

South America:

• Cochabamba Condors (Bolivia)
• Cordoba Clashers (Argentina)
• Manaus Mooncalves (Brazil)
• Tarapoto Tree-Skimmers (Peru)

Europe:

• Antwerp Ashwinders (Belgium)
• Bells of Barcelona (Spain)
• Bigonville Bombers (Luxembourg)
• Braga Broomfleet (Portugal)
• Cretan Chimera (Greece)
• Gorodok Gargoyles (Lithuania)
• Grodzisk Goblins (Poland)
• Heidelberg Harriers (Germany)
• Karasjok Kites (Norway)
• Neskaupstadur Nykurs (Iceland)
• Quiberon Quafflepunchers (France)
• Silkeborg Swans (Denmark)
• Taivalkoski Troll Crushers (Finland)
• Transylvania Tacklers (Transylvania)
• Växjö Vittra (Sweden)
• Vratsa Vultures (Bulgaria)

Oceania:

• Moutohora Macaws (New Zealand)
• Thundelarra Thunderers (Australia)
• Wollongong Warriors (Australia)

Establishing your own team:

Of course, people are not just limited to join the teams that are already pre-existing: if they want, there is the option to create their own quidditch team. The process itself is fairly simple, all that is required is to have a full team (including second-strings), an official team name, mascot and team captain, alongside an offical team training facilities. Whilst you are not expected to have your own official venue or stadium, you are expected to at least be renting out an official space to train your team in. This, added with the 50 galleon registration fee, can be a lot of expenses that need to be invested.

But once these have all been established, and the registration form has been submitted to the Department of Magical Games and Sports and reviewed, the team will be added to the British and Irish Minor Quidditch League. A team must be active for a minimum of ten years and have a 75% seasonal winning percentage for the last five years before they are eligible to apply to join the official British and Irish Quidditch League.