Edmonton muggles competing for 2022 quidditch title in Mill Woods Park

Veteran and rookie quidditch players across Edmonton are preparing to mount broomsticks, as they vie for a citywide title Saturday.

The annual Edmonton Quidditch Cup, a tournament that runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Mill Woods Park, will feature national-level athletes as well as entry-level competitors who may have never played a match before.

"It's so fun," said Jasper Whitby, a quidditch player and vice-president of the Edmonton Aurors. "I'm so excited to play quidditch again."

Quidditch, the sport played by witches and wizards in the Harry Potter series, combines elements of soccer and basketball.

In the movies, two teams soar through the air on brooms over a pitch. Forwards try to score by throwing a ball — the quaffle — past a goalkeeper and through one of three hoops. Each goal is worth 10 points. The game is over when the seeker catches the Golden Snitch, a small golden ball with wings that's worth 150 points.

In the muggle version of the sport, founded in 2005, the quaffle is a slightly deflated volleyball and the Golden Snitch is worth 30 points. Players still ride brooms — although, they aren't airborne.

Every year, local players aged 16 or older compete for the Edmonton Quidditch Cup. Participants of all athletic abilities gear up for the tournament, before their regular season starts in September, Whitby said.

The number of teams competing Saturday will depend on how many players register, Whitby added.

More players are needed to keep fuelling competitive leagues, Whitby said.

Part of encouraging new people to sign up means making the sport even more inclusive for people of all genders and athletic abilities.

Whitby, who is non-binary, started playing quidditch in the fall of 2018, after their sister