quadball

Meanings

1. A rounded cube used to approximate a sphere.
2. A co-ed contact ball sport created as a ground-based adaptation of Quidditch, featuring the same positions, balls, and goals as the fictional sport, but with the players clutching broomsticks and a human "snitch runner" carrying the snitch (an autonomous magical device in the Harry Potter novels).

Etymology

From quad- (“four”) + ball. The sport sense was introduced in 2022 by the International Quadball Association (IQA), formerly the International Quidditch Association, with quad- chosen in reference to the number of balls and positions in the game. The IQA cited concerns over the trademarked status of Quidditch and a wish to distance itself from the "anti-trans positions" of J. K. Rowling.