Quidditch is being renamed. But the sport will never lose its magic, say players

The word most often used to describe real-life games of quidditch is "chaos," according to the person who oversees much of its play in Canada.

The sport came to life in 2005 when two college students decided to see how the magical game described in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books would play out to life. But while Harry Potter and his classmates soared through the air on flying broomsticks, real-life players remain firmly on the ground, "riding" three-foot lengths of PVC pipe.

"Dodgeballs are flying across the air. People are being tackled into each other. Yeah, it's a chaotic game," Yara Kodershah, Quidditch Canada's executive director, told Day 6 guest host Saroja Coelho.

But for many players around the world, including those in Canada, quidditch won't be "quidditch" for much longer.

Three of the sport's governing bodies recently announced that they're officially changing its name to "quadball," both out of trademark concerns and a desire to distance themselves from Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling in light of her controversial comments in recent years.

Warner Bros., the studio behind the Harry Potter movies, owns the trademark on the word quidditch, which limited the sport's ability to expand or to pursue "sponsorship and broadcast opportunities," according to Major League Quadball (MLQ) and US Quadball (USQ).

What's more, LGBTQ advocacy organizations have accused Rowling of transphobia after a series of inflammatory statements on gender identity, which the leagues feel run counter to quidditch's "reputation as one of the most progressive sports in the world on gender equality and inclusivity."

Quidditch Canada says it is "strongly in support" of this decision by other governing bodies, and has announced that it will