Quidditch has now changed its name to distance itself from JK Rowling

'Today marks a monumental step in the history of our sport'

Quidditch players have changed the name of the sport, and it's partially to distance the game from author JK Rowling. The sport, which derived from the fictional world of Harry Potter, will now be known as quadball. In a statement released on Tuesday, the league said: "Today marks a monumental step in the history of our sport, and it marks an equally big step for Major League Quadball." [caption id="attachment_349490" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Players practice quidditch at a boot camp organised by the Italian National Quidditch Team in Milan, Italy in 2018 (Image: Getty)[/caption] U.S Quidditch and Major League Quidditch, two of the sport's governing bodies, have been pursuing the name change since last year. The name Quidditch was trademarked by Warner Bros which the bodies said limited the sport's expansion, sponsorship and broadcast opportunities. However more interestingly, members of the league said they hoped changing the name could "help them continue to distance themselves from the works of J.K Rowling" who has been heavily criticised for anti-trans comments over the years. The author does not hold back on expressing her 'gender critical beliefs' online - the idea that someone's sex is biological and unchangeable. Rowling's critics include the Harry Potter stars themselves, amongst other celebrities. Last year, fellow author Stephen King claimed that Rowling blocked him after saying trans women are women. https://twitter.com/JoePassmore/status/1503115876551192576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1503115876551192576%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.joe.co.uk%2Flife%2Fharry-potter-fans-react-to-emma-watsons-subtle-dig-at-jk-rowling-322908 Speaking out about the move when they got the ball rolling last year, a statement from the Quadball league said: "Our sport has developed a reputation as one of the most progressive sports in the world on gender equality and inclusivity, in part thanks to its gender maximum rule, which stipulates that a team may not have more than four players of the same gender on the field at a time. "Both organizations feel it is imperative to live up to this reputation in all aspects of their operations, and believe this move is a step in that direction." The name will be changed across the world by the International Quidditch Association (IQA). [caption id="attachment_349491" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Quidditch players from the London Unspeakables (in purple) and the Werewolves of London congratulate each other at the end of a game during the Crumpet Cup quidditch tournament on Clapham Common on February 18, 2017 (Image: Getty)[/caption] While Quadball is inspired by the novels, flying is sadly out of the equation in real life. Instead, the sport sees two mixed-gender, seven player teams compete to outscore their opponents by scoring the quaffle - a deflated volleyball - through one of the opposition's hoops, defending their own hoops with tackles and bludgers, and catching the snitch - a tennis ball in a sock - to end the game. And yes, they are sat on broomsticks throughout. The first ever Quidditch match took place in Vermont in 2005 but according to the IQA, it is now played by thousands of people in over 40 countries.