PLAY QUADBALL
THE BASICS
Quadball™ was founded in 2005 at Middlebury College by Xander Manshel and Alex Benepe. Inspired by the sport of quidditch, quadball is a mixed-gender contact sport with a unique mix of elements from rugby, dodgeball, and tag. A quadball team consists of up to 21 athletes, with six to seven players per team on the field. Each player must keep a broom between their legs at all times.
POSITIONS
Three chasers (white headband) score goals worth 10 points each with the quadball. They advance the quadball down the field by running with it, passing it to teammates, or kicking it. Each team has a keeper (green headband) who scores goals with the quadball and can stop a goal by reaching through the hoop from either side.
Two beaters (black headbands) use dodgeballs to disrupt the flow of the game by “knocking out” other players. Any player hit by a dodgeball is out of play until they touch their own goals.
Each team also has a seeker (yellow headband), who tries to catch the flag. The flag is a ball attached to the waistband of the flag runner, a neutral athlete who is released at the 20-minute mark and uses any means to avoid capture. The flag is worth 35 points. There is also a point cap of +60 added to the leading score at 20 minutes. The cap is referred to as the Set Score. Either team reaching the Set Score ends the game.
USQ RULEBOOK
Quadball has a unique set of rules. You can view the full rulebook, casebook, and other variations of our rules on our rules page.
GENDER MAXIMUM POLICY
Three maximum (or three max) refers to a maximum of three players of a single gender allowed on pitch during the seeker floor, and a maximum of four players of a single gender allowed on pitch while the flag runner is on the field. Four maximum (or four max) refers to a maximum of four players of a single gender allowed on pitch at any time during a game including after the 20 minute stoppage when the flag runner is on pitch.
In the Club Competitive Division, teams are required to play three max in all official games to be eligible for qualification for the Club Competitive Division at US Quadball Cup. In addition to three max, teams are required to have a minimum of two players who identify as women on the pitch at all times in all official games to be eligible for qualification to the Club Competitive Division at US Quadball Cup. Two women minimum applies before, during, and after the flag runner is on pitch.
Any teams not intending to compete in the Club Competitive Division at US Quadball Cup (including those planning to play in Club Open Division, College Division One, and College Division Two) are required to play four max in all games. Four maximum applies before, during, and after the flag runner is on pitch.
This gender maximum rule ensures that teams are working to recruit and field a team that has diversity; the rule is also written in such a way that it does not exclude individuals who do not identify within the gender binary. USQ accepts those who don’t identify within the gender binary and acknowledges that not all of our players identify as male or female. We welcome people of all identities and genders into our league. The gender that a player identifies as is considered to be that player’s gender.
For more information on USQ’s philosophy on gender equality, please see Title 9 ¾.
EQUIPMENT
Get started on your quadball journey by grabbing the essentials! Visit our equipment storefront to see recommendations.
TOURNAMENTS
USQ hosts several national qualifiers and invitationals around the country during the season. At invitationals, teams compete in official games and attend special events such as High Performance Training Camps or organized pickups. At qualifiers, teams can earn a bid for the US Quadball Cup, our end-of-season national championship.
Outside of those events, USQ-certified tournament directors can host sanctioned, official, or unofficial events throughout the season for teams to compete at. Official games count toward USQ standings.
To compete at a USQ-approved community event, you must be on a club or collegiate team and have an individual or trial membership by the Wednesday preceding the games. College players competing on a collegiate team must also provide proof of enrollment upon registering.
Questions? Email Events Director Austin Cruz at austin.cruz@usquadball.org.
Want to Start A Quadball Team or Find A Quadball Team?
Email membership@usquadball.org, visit our membership page for more information, or fill out the following form.