Chaser

The Chaser, originally called a "Catcher", is a player in the wizarding sport Quidditch throughout the Harry Potter book series and Quidditch Through the Ages. Each team will have three Chasers who pass the Quaffle to each other. They try to score in one of the three goalposts defended by the Keeper of the opposing side. Each goal they score will gain their team ten points.

About

This is first position ever created in Quidditch. Chasers, formerly called a Catcher, have also been virtually unchanged since the conception of the position. There are three goalposts on both sides of the pitch. These are defended by a Keeper in each team. The objective of a Chaser is to catch the Quaffle and score by throwing it into one of the three goalposts for ten points.

Only two changes have been made to the Chaser. First, the position was renamed and the other is a rule that only one Chaser can be in the scoring area at one time. This was in response to stooging, where two Chasers were holding the opposing team's Keeper to give the third Chaser a better chance at scoring. If two or three Chasers are in the scoring area, the goal will be disallowed. This is called a "Stooging Penalty".

The known fouls committed by Chasers are Stooging, Haversacking and Quaffle-pocking. The known tactics employed by Chasers are Hawkshead Attacking Formation Parkin's Pincer, Porskoff Ploy and the Reverse Pass.

History

Chasers have been observed in Quidditch from the very first recorded game in the eleventh century. Gertie Keddle's diary notes the players were throwing a ball to each other and throwing it through trees on both sides of the field.

The next record of a Chaser is in Goodwin Kneen's letter written in the twelfth century, about a hundred years after the first recorded Quidditch game. In the letter, Goodwin says Gunhilda was supposed to have been the "Catcher" during a game in Yorkshire but had been unwell with dragon pox. Now that she was unable to play, Radulf took her place.

In 1487, during the first ever Quidditch World Cup final, a Chaser was transfigured into a polecat.

Chasers used to struggle in poor weather conditions to see the Quaffle whenever they dropped it. In 1711, the colour of the Quaffle was turned into scarlet. Daisy Pennifold also thought of bewitching the Quaffle so that whenever the ball is dropped, there will be a gradual fall downward so the Chasers had a better chance of catching it. Chasers also needed straps or holes in the ball in order to keep a grip on it. In 1875, the Gripping Charm ensured that they could easily hold it with one-hand.

In 1883, scoring baskets were changed to hoops. In 1884, a new rule was introduced by the Department of Magical Games and Sports that only the Chaser carrying the Quaffle could be inside the new scoring area at one time. This was to prevent stooging. The decision was not received very well by Quidditch fans who felt that the Chasers were not cheating. The Daily Prophet wrote an article about the news after a representative of the department had Quaffles thrown at them for trying to defend the decision.

Dragomir Gorgovitch of the Chudley Cannons was not a skilled Chaser with the record for the highest number of Quaffle drops in a season.

Known Chasers

• Angelina Johnson
• Alicia Spinnet
• Katie Bell
• Marcus Flint
• Adrian Pucey
• Catriona McCormack
• Dimitrov
• Ivanova
• Levski
• Troy
• Mullet
• Moran

These played in the position when the title was still a "Catcher":

• Gunhilda
• Radulf