As the sport’s bodies change their names, “Quidditch” becomes “Quadball”

It has been announced that Quidditch, the wizarding sport from the “Harry Potter” books, will be renamed quadball in an effort to separate itself from the views on transgender issues expressed by author J.K. Rowling.

US Quadball (USQ) and Major League Quadball have been rebranded as “US Quidditch” as all three organizations earlier declared their desire to alter their names to “US Quadball.” The International Quidditch Association (IQA) made the announcement on its website on Wednesday.

There were two reasons given at the time: Rowling’s controversial views on transgender issues and Warner Bros.’ ownership of the trademark for “quidditch,” which limited the sport’s spread.

When Rowling expressed her concerns about trans women having access to female spaces in 2020, some women’s rights activists praised her and trans activists accused her of transphobia, which the author has denied.

President and CEO of the International Qass Federation (IQA), Chris Lau, said in a statement that IQA was “extremely delighted” to join USQ and MLQ in rebranding their sport.

He went on to say: “In this stage, we are confident, and we are looking forward to all the new prospects that quadball will provide. In our sport’s long history, this is a significant point in time.”

After a series of polls, the name “quadball” was settled on as an allusion to the game’s four balls and four locations.

Two teams of seven players, each with a broomstick between their legs, competed against each other in a full-contact sport in 2005.

More than 600 teams from 40 countries participate in the game today, according to the IQA.

According to the IQA, the quadball trademark will be owned by the USQ and MLQ in the United States, and a license deal to use the name is expected.

Limerick, Ireland, will host the IQA European Games 2022, a final international quidditch competition that will feature 20 teams from Europe, Australia, and Hong Kong on July 23-24.