Fantasy has become reality. Quidditch is no longer the exclusive sport of wizards at Hogwarts; instead students around the world play it. Students, particularly at the college level, want to be a part of the development of Quidditch because they get to see how the sport can develop.  

According to iqaquidditch.org, Xander Manshel and Alex Benepe, students at Middlebury College in Vermont, developed Quidditch in 2005, basing the game on the sport played throughout the Harry Potter series.  The game consists of two teams of seven players mounted on brooms.  The players play on a field the size of a hockey-rink with three hoops of different heights at each end of the field. Beside the seeker, who can be on or off the pitch chasing the snitch (the snitch is usually an official dressed in yellow with a tennis ball inside of a long sock hanging from their shorts).  After 18 minutes of play, the seekers are allowed to start chasing the snitch.  The seekers may not contact the snitch, but they can contact the other seeker.  There is one seeker on the field for each team, identified by a gold or yellow headband.  There are six players on the field at all times.  For each team, there are three chasers, two beaters, and one keeper.  The goal is to have more points than your opponent by the time the golden snitch is caught.  There are three bludgers and one quaffle.  The quaffle is a slightly deflated volleyball that is meant to be used by the three chasers.  The bludgers are slightly deflated dodgeballs that the beaters are supposed to throw at any of the other players on the pitch.  Once a bludger hits someone, the “knockout effect” occurs.  This means that the player hit has to dismount his or her broom, drop any ball he or she is carrying, and touch one of their goalposts before returning to play.

Every goal is worth ten points.  Once one of the teams scores a point, the other team’s keeper gets the quaffle, and the chasers return to their keeper zone or proper side of the pitch.  After a team catches the snitch, they earn thirty points and the game is over.  The number of points earned determines the winner of the game, not just the snitch catch.  Games can last any time longer than eighteen minutes.  Many tournaments include snitch handicaps, such as requiring the snitch to use only one hand after a certain amount of time.  If the snitch still hasn’t been caught, the snitch is asked to use no hands.  

This is to ensure games fit within reasonable time slots.

In 2014, Ethan Sturm founded Major League Quidditch (MLQ). He joined with Amanda Dallas, current co-commissioner of the MLQ, in hopes of developing Quidditch further.  The first season was played in 2015. MLQ represents the highest level of Quidditch in both the United States and Canada.  The league consists of sixteen teams, fifteen in the United States and one in Canada.  
There are four regions, the East Division, West Division, North Division and South Division. Each division includes four teams. The regular season lasts from June to August. The playoffs include all of the teams competing in the MLQ Championship that occurs in late August.  The winner of the tournament is awarded the Benepe Cup, named after one of the founders of the sport.  The current MLQ League Champions are the Boston Night Riders.