![]() ![]() THIS FORUM IS NO LONGER ACTIVE AND IS ONLY AN ARCHIVE FOR PAST SEASONS. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LEAGUE, PLEASE GO TO THIS FORUM. THE NEW GENERAL Q&A THREAD IS AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS. THE NEW RULES CAN BE FOUND HERE. Quidditch Rules & Regulations Quidditch, of course, has rules, and so does this forum. We are here to play, we are here to write, and most importantly, we are here to have fun. Now that we are into season 6 of this competition, we are regularly updating and changing rules as they are needed. Everything that is new will either be in a separate post or bolded below with NEW written before it. We encourage everyone, including returning players, to read through the rules to make sure they know how everything works. Here is a list of quick-access links to each of the sections so you don't have to waste time scrolling: 4/22/2018 . Edited 2/23/2019 #1 |
![]() ![]() The General Rules Quidditch can be a pretty dangerous sport when people don't play fairly, and we don't want anyone falling off their broomsticks and breaking bones here. Please read these rules carefully, as everything you should need to know is in here. It won't be our fault if you don't know the answer to a question that can be found by a little reading. Sign-ups Each player must sign-up stating who they are, what position they would like to play, and for what team they would like to join. You will also be required to provide whether you would like to receive feedback throughout the season or not. Aside from the winning team from the previous season, it is fair game for all. It will be first come, first serve when it comes to positions and teams. Follow the form provided in the 'Tryouts' thread, and please read and sign the commitment statement in that same post. If you do not sign the commitment statement, your sign-up will not be accepted. Once you have signed up for a team, the season has begun for you. This means you cannot switch teams or positions without permission from a mod, so please choose carefully! Sign-ups for captains will open one week earlier than the rest of the tryouts. To be a captain, you must have completed at least one full season of Quidditch League in the past. This is to ensure you are committed and can complete a season and have a basic understanding of the rules and how the game works. NEW: If you do not think writing is for you, but would still like to participate, there is an option to join this season as a reporter for The Daily Prophet. Sign-ups for this will open at the same time as the captain tryouts. Refer to The Daily Prophet section below if you're keen. Reserves Reserves will not join a specific team, and will be available to all teams to access when they need it. Teams will be able to request a reserve in the reserve topic, and use them as required. Reserves have their own lounge thread to hang out in if they aren't needed for a round. Their lounge will act similarly to team's changing room threads, where they can discuss things, run games and chat. Reserves are for those who either missed out on the tryouts, or would like to participate part-time. This will be locked until all regular positions are filled, however, this will be an option for all those who would like to join as a reserve instead of a full-time member. There are two options for reserves. Category 1 is for those who would like to remain only part-time. Category 2 is for those who'd like the chance to become afull time participant if a spot opens. *please note* both categories can still act as a reserve for any round, the category 2 ones will simply be approached if afull time player is needed. If they take up this opportunity they will no longer be considered a reserve, but a member of the team they joined. Judges Picks Each judge picks their favourite story from the position they judge. These choices are then collated into a poll and members of the forum will vote for their favourite Judge-nominated story in a closed poll. When the nominated fics are released each round, players will have the option to vote on their favourite entry in the poll provided in each round's Judges Pick's thread. This poll will be closed-voting (that is, only Mods will be able to see results as they come in) and the overall winner will be revealed to everyone when voting closes. The winner will earn 5 bonus points for their team. Commitment Statement NEW: This is to make people aware that by joining the Quidditch League, you are committing to a team. We understand, of course, that unforeseen circumstances happen in real life, and that that is more important. What we would prefer not to happen, though, is people joining because they think it might be fun, but never submitting a piece, or talking to their team, or even sometimes disappearing off the face of the earth. It's all in the name of good fun, but please keep in mind that several others are codependent on you being an active part of the team. If, for any reason, you cannot write, be it for one round, multiple rounds, or cannot participate at all, it is mandatory that you inform your team captain regarding this so that arrangements can be made to make up for your absence. If you know you won't have the time to write something every 2 weeks, then there are other positions you can join that may cater to what you can do. Common Courtesy We ask that everyone have common courtesy and respect for every member on this forum. We understand that there are a lot of people, all with different personalities and writing styles. But, we all share at least one interest on here, don't we? So let us all be friends. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Cursed Child Due to the release of the Fantastic Beasts series over the coming years, we understand that at some points, questions about whether we will accept FB stories will be asked. So we are answering this already: YES. We have decided to allow fics submitted under the Fantastic Beasts section, as it is part of the same universe. The same goes for any Cursed Child canon, however that does not have its own section and will have to be mentioned somewhere in the story itself. 4/22/2018 . Edited 4/22/2018 #2 |
![]() ![]() The Quidditch Rules This is how we play. Please read carefully so you know what you are doing. Positions In the QLFC, there are 8 positions and 13 teams. Each position will be given a specific task they will need to complete each round. Even each Chaser will have something different to their fellow Chasers to do, so please make sure you know who you are and what you are doing. The positions are: Captain, Keeper, Seeker, 3 Chasers, 2 Beaters Change Rooms This is the team's personal space on the forum. There is no rule that says you cannot pop into another team's change room, however, please respect their privacy if they do not wish for you to be there. There are other places on the forum for you to converse with others who are not on your team, but the change room belongs to that team, and we ask that you agree to their wishes about using it. The captain should be the one to create the change room thread, as it is a captain's responsibility to organise their team in the way they wish it to be run. NEW: Captains are to create change rooms no earlier than 12 hours prior to tryouts commencing to avoid threads becoming lost or chatter taking place before teams have even started. Players from other teams should not post in another team's change room until that team has has had a chance to introduce themselves to each other. This means that teams need to be full and all members need to have posted at least once before you may post in that team's changing room. NEW: Changing Room Titles should have the following format: [CHANGING ROOM] Team Name (Season 6) Writing You will be given approximately 12-14 days per round to write your story. Extensions will be granted to those who need it, but please see below for the section on extensions. Once you have written your story, upload it like you would a normal story on Fanfiction.net, post the link to the specific thread, using the form that is provided. NEW: (To insert a hyperlink, type the title of your story, highlight this and press cmdK or ctrlK and paste the link into the box that comes up) Please note that all editing should be done before submitting a story to the Game Day thread, no matter what the position. Once submitted, that version of a story will be considered as the final copy by the judges. Seekers will not be allowed a slot of time in which to make corrections to errors that may or may not have slipped through after posting to the Game Day thread because speed-writing and publishing a story is the whole point of that position. Please note that the maximum rating for stories in this competition is a high T rating (meaning, it can contain minor coarse language, violence, and minor suggestive adult themes, but needs to be suitable for 16-year-olds and under). This is non-negotiable and is taken very seriously. Here are FFN's official ratings, for your convenience. Please do not mark your story as M rated even if it's a high T "just in case" or "just to be on the safer side" because this will cause it to be considered for disqualification. If your story is part of a collection that is rated M, then each individual story needs to have a rating mentioned in the author's note. We do have allowances for first-time writer mistakes and such, but repeated offences will not be tolerated. Please note that since this is a Harry Potter fanfiction competition, we do not allow crossovers (unless the round itself specifies that they have to be crossovers). Disqualifications NEW: Your story can be, and will be, disqualified under the below circumstances:
Extensions Each position will be granted 5 extensions for the whole season. This means extensions are also included for the finals if your team makes it. These will be monitored closely throughout the season. You are welcome to use your extensions in whatever rounds that suit you, but please be mindful that if you use all 5, you will not be granted any more for the remainder of the season and any late entries will incur a point penalty per 24 hours. Each extension lasts 48 hours, meaning your extension period ends 48 hours after your entry is due. You will only be allowed ONE extension in a round, as it coincides with the locking of each game day thread. Please note, as mentioned above, each position will be given 5 extensions, meaning that if a reserve requests an extension in your position, it will count as an extension use. NEW: If you request an extension it will be used regardless of whether you use it not. So think carefully before requesting one because it will count. And if a team member is requesting on the behalf of others, it is necessary that they list all the positions they are requesting extensions for. A simple "requesting blanket extensions for my team" will not suffice. Using Reserves In the reserves thread, there is a form for teams to use to apply for a reserve if need be for a round. A member of a team (does not have to be the captain) must request a reserve using that form. NEW: This season, reserves will work on a similar basis to player tryouts when responding to team applications for reserves. The first reserve to respond to a request will be immediately granted that position (be it a one-off or permanent). This is to avoid the reserve thread becoming clogged and backed up if the team is waiting for a particular person to respond. In the past, this has caused reserves to no longer want to participate due to never getting a chance to write. With this new system, we hope to eliminate that. NEW: If a player quits QLFC by giving up their team and position to somebody else then decides to rejoin some time in the same season as a reserve, they will not be allowed to join any team permanently unless it's the same team and position they originally held before they quit. This is to ensure players don't quit simply to rejoin a different team and position. Eg. Player A quits being Chaser 1 of the Falcons and leaves the competition, and Player B replaces them. Player A then rejoins as a reserve a few rounds later. They can only be a temp reserve and cannot join any team permanently unless Player B quits the competition, and then Player A can go back to their original position as Chaser 1 of the Falcons. Reserves are not allowed to write for multiple teams in one round. If a reserve asks for an extension, it will be counted as an extension for that position. Each team will be given SIX reserve opportunities throughout the season, which will be monitored carefully. Reserves will not receive the benefits of the bonus points for that position. Team members picking up the slack This option will still be open to team members, however, they MUST actively seek a reserve in the reserve thread first. If nobody responds to that request in 48 hours, somebody in that team will be able to fill in for another position. This applies even if the request for a reserve was super last-minute and the round closes in a few hours. So please request for a reserve ahead of time if you can't get a hold on a teammate or such. An entry written by another team member before requesting a reserve will not be accepted. Like reserves, there will be no bonus points awarded to that position. Reserves for Seekers There have been issues where a team member would fill in for their AWOL seeker at the start of a round without first seeking or waiting for a reserve, consequently posting their entry first and preventing the opposition from gaining the bonus points. This will NOT be tolerated this season, and any seeker entries being posted by a team member without the team first requesting and waiting for a reserve, will not be accepted. The same rules will apply for requesting areserve for the Seeker position as it does with others (refer above). Teams Swapping positions mid-season is not allowed. The only exception is if a captain goes AWOL, as it is understandable a team would not want a new person joining and taking over captain. In that instance, a new member will take the position of the player who moved to captain. If another member of the team must withdraw, a new player will be required to take that vacant position. Finals Congratulations to the 8 teams that will make the finals. This will be the top 8 teams who have accumulated the most points throughout the season. There will be a few changes for the finals compared to the regular rounds – the rules will be a bit stricter, as these are the finals!
Ties In the event of a tie (in which two opposing teams score the same amount of total points in a round; for example, both teams earn 112 points), the bonus points of 150 for winning a round will be split in half. Both teams will receive 75 points. 4/22/2018 . Edited 4/22/2018 #3 |
![]() ![]() The Scoring System Rubric There will be 8 anonymous scorers who, each round, will judge a position. They will follow a specific rubric of: Characterization: /2 Creativity: /3 Prompt: /2 Plot/Flow: /3 (Beaters and Chasers, please note that this season optional prompts will be a separate part of the Rubric and information on this can be found under Optional Prompts.) NEW: Foul Deduction: A foul can be classed as anything from SPaG errors to word counts exceeding or failing to meet the 1000-3000 limit. A max of 0.25 for each type of mistake can be taken from fouls (i.e. if there are two dialogue mistakes, they would receive a 0.25 deduction), more than two mistakes, and it would be deducted from plot/flow with a 0.5 maximum deduction for each type of mistake. There is a cap of -2.5 from this section. Fouls do not include late penalties, but do include word count penalties. Each entry will be awarded a score out of 10, regardless of reserves and other fill-ins. This is the standard scoring for all entries. Optional Prompts Chasers and Beaters have the option to use bonus prompts where Chasers receive up to THREE points for each prompt, and Beaters try to block them. Also remember that prompts need to be listed in the author's note of a story so judges can check to make sure all prompts have been used. If prompts are not mentioned, judges will not know what prompts have been used and they will not be considered valid. NEW: This season, the way we score optional prompts will be changed. In the past, judges have found it very difficult to award the correct score within the rubric for prompt use (this includes up to three of the optional prompts, plus the additional position prompt). This was also seen as unfair as other positions were being scored in a different manner due to using less prompts. For this season, the rubric will only be marked on the position prompt and not the optional prompts. Please see below for how optional prompts will now be graded. Prompts will now be marked based on their usage. 0/3 - not used but mentioned in the a/n 1/3 - used 2/3 - used well 3/3 - used very well The judges may also award points in increments of .25 or .5 based on how well they were used. Fic Length The word count for entries this season is returning to 1000-3000 words. Fouls may be implemented by judges when scoring for fics that exceed or fail to meet this amount. A 30 word leeway will be granted on either side to cater for varying writing programs. 4/22/2018 . Edited 4/22/2018 #4 |
![]() ![]() Special Points Each position is able to receive special points for their team each round. Please read this section carefully to know exactly what your position involves. Captain The captain receives double points for their score. For example, if a captain scores an 8, then their score will move to 16. Keeper It is the Keeper's job to try and stop the other team from getting points. Therefore, their score also is taken away from the other team's overall score. Seeker The Seeker who is fastest per the two teams going head-to-head that round will receive a bonus 5 points. Speed is important, here! Chasers Each Chaser has the opportunity to use 3/15 optional prompts provided each round. No Chasers on the same team can use any of the same prompts, and therefore, a maximum of 9 of the 15 can only be used. Each prompt is worth up to THREE bonus points, so together, the Chasers have the chance to gain a bonus 27 points for their team each round. Beaters The Beaters also have the opportunity to use the optional prompts. Beaters are able to use FIVE prompts between them (*note* this does not have to be split 3-2. It can also be 4-1 or 5-0. Whatever the team feel suits them best). NEW: We have changed how Beaters prompts affect Chasers prompts this season. Please read below for more information. Please note that as we have removed judging of optional prompt use from the rubric, this will now be established in the bonus points awarded. Chasers and Beaters will now receive UP TO 3 points per prompt based on how they have used it. This will work as such: 0/3 - not used but mentioned in the a/n 1/3 - used 2/3 - used well 3/3 - used very well In the Beaters' case, what they have earned for a prompt will be deducted from the other team. Your prompt choices will not affect the other team, but instead the way you use the prompts will determine the amount of bonus points you receive. What we mean by this is opposing Beaters and Chasers can select different prompts to each other and the points Beaters earn will be deducted from the opposing team, regardless of whether or not they match with the opposing Chasers' prompts. For example: Chaser 1 may select prompts #2 #4 #7 and earn a total of 8 points, which will go towards their team's overall score. Beater 1 of the opposing team may select prompts #5 and #10 and earn a total of 6 points for these selections. Even though the players have used completely different prompts, 6 points will still be deducted from Chaser 1's team. We have changed this rule to make it more of a skill-based task rather than simply earning points for using a prompt. Chasers and Beaters are now required to use the prompt well to maximise the points they earn. Due to this change, this also means that teams are no longer required to PM prompts as matching is no longer a necessity for Chasers and Beaters. However, the way prompts work within a team has not changed. Chasers must select up to three different prompts each, and beaters five different prompts between them. 4/22/2018 . Edited by The Lady Arturia, 5/12/2018 #5 |
![]() ![]() Judging & Feedback Judging and Feedback will be provided to players who signed up at the beginning and said yes to receiving that feedback. To avoid PMs or people wondering about their scores, a Doc that is accessible only to the player and the mods (and to whoever else the player chooses to share it with at their own discretion*) will be set up where your score and feedback is kept and will work in such a way:
Some things to consider:
*If you have opted to connect your doc to your email address, please PM the QL account with the addresses of those you would like added, as Google has a tendency to flag these people and block their access. This message must come from you and not your captain or teammate. 4/22/2018 . Edited 5/5/2018 #6 |
![]() ![]() Review Board To avoid any unnecessary arguments on the forum, a review board has been set up to voice your concerns about a score, another member of the forum, or other varying concerns you may have. Basic Guidelines:
We will respond to:
We will NOT respond to PMs concerning:
All PMs must be sent in the following format:
If you feel your concern does not match any of the above criteria, please send your concern in a civil manner and we will respond as soon as we can. NEW: This season, we ask that you wait a minimum 24 hours before sending in a complaint about feedback. This is because, due to the new feedback method we introduced last season, we have found that messages come in whilst we are still sending feedback out. This only serves to increase the amount of time the rest of the players have to wait to receive theirs. Players have up to 48 hours after feedback is out to send in their concerns, after which we won't be making any score changes. Judges judge 12 stories every round and are very unlikely to remember exactly what a certain player is referring to when the next round's judging has already commenced. We will also not be responding to complaints or clarification requests on feedback for a round once the following round's feedback has been sent out. No changes will be made to scores if the complaint is sent once the next round's judging has commenced. We also ask that you do not open your doc immediately after scores are posted and wait for feedback, as this causes a lag. Warning System Although we will try our best to accommodate everyone, there will be times where a decision will not always suit all involved. This could include a timezone, a decision about a score or another player, or a matter addressed to the moderating team. Please be mindful that with a large number of participants each season, with differing opinions and personalities, it is impossible for everyone to agree unanimously on everything we do. In times like this, we will accommodate for the majority, or a particular target of participants a decision will affect more than others (eg. we will accommodate a posting time that is more suited to the Seekers' timezone above other members as that is the only position that requires speed to post). However, in saying that, this may not suit every Seeker, but the majority. We also would like you to understand that we, as moderators, are like everybody else. We have jobs, families, need sleep and have activities outside of Quidditch League which means we will not always be available to respond to issues or questions immediately. We hope that with the varying timezones between all 4 of us, there will be someone around the majority of the time, but if we are not, we are more than happy for another member to respond to a question that can be answered by anybody. Please remember that this season we will not be tolerating any bullying directed at anybody, and any public abuse or shaming will not be tolerated. Although we hope to never have to use it, based on past experiences, we have introduced a warning system for any misconduct on the forum. It is as follows: Level 1 Misconduct: You will receive a warning via The QL account. Level 2 Misconduct: You will be banned from participating in the next round. Consider this as a 'send off', meaning your team will not be able to replace your position with a reserve. You will receive this after 2 warnings from Level 1. Level 3 Misconduct: You will be permanently banned from the Quidditch League based on a serious offence (effective immediately) or another offence on level 2. Please note that misconduct considered serious enough may result in an immediate ban without prior warnings. What is considered a misconduct?
*Please note* an issue that arises that is not listed here may also be treated as a misconduct if serious enough and will vary on a case-to-case basis. What is considered a serious misconduct (this may result in an immediate ban)?
Please remember, if you have any concerns, to address them to The Quidditch League and not on this forum. 4/22/2018 . Edited 6/28/2018 #7 |
![]() ![]() The Daily Prophet The Daily Prophet is the Quidditch League's official 'newspaper'. It is a fun addition to the regular rounds, and is where you can learn about your fellow teams, earn points in mini competitions (usually 5 points), send in messages of support for your fellow forum members, advertise other Harry Potter FanFiction forums, communities, and work, show off your fan artwork, and gain some valuable writing tips. It is entirely up to you whether or not you choose to view this (but we can promise you won't regret it if you do!). There are some significant changes to this Season's Prophet, with further details as to how it works provided in (INSERT LINK TO THREAD HERE) You will find the Prophet issues (usually) each Sunday mid-round at around 9-11PM UTC. There will be both a thread and Google Doc version unique to this forum for your convenience. All due dates for mini-competitions will be on the Thursday, 9AM UTC before the next issue is released unless otherwise stated. Reporter try-outs will open with Captains try-outs, and an appropriate thread will be put up in due time. Please note: anyone is welcome to try-out as a reporter (which may include judging mini-competitions as part of a panel), but we are looking for 100% commitment. Possible 'reserve reporter' positions will be available for members who sign up as players, reserve players or Judges. 4/22/2018 . Edited 4/22/2018 #8 |
![]() ![]() Do reserves get requested extensions? 5/24/2018 #9 |
![]() ![]() Hello, Yes, and it counts towards the positions extension use. Also, for future reference, remember to direct all questions to the Q&A thread as we respond a lot more frequently there :) 5/24/2018 #10 |
Forum Moderators:
![]() ![]() |
Rules:
|
Membership Length: ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |