5 Ways to Win Snitch on Pitch
How to succeed as a beater when the game matters most
Any beater worth their weight in bludgers will tell you the seeker floor doesn’t matter. At least, it doesn’t matter as much as what comes after. When two competitive teams play each other it’s increasingly rare to see the game pulled out of snitch range. And when a game is in snitch range, the quaffle matters significantly less.
After the 18th minute the game belongs to the seekers — and, more importantly, the beaters.
But snitch on pitch is overwhelming, even for the most experienced beaters in the sport. So how can you prevent yourself feeling overwhelmed? How do you make smart decisions under pressure? Here are five ways to give you and your beating partner an edge when the game matters most.
1. Get Control
Having two bludgers is easier than having one. It’s a simple and sometimes frustrating reality that beaters are constantly at odds with. When you only have one bludger it sometimes seems impossible to regain control. So what are your options? What can you do?
The first thing to remember is that even though you have one bludger, your team has two beaters. Coordinating with your partner and utilizing their positioning is key to regaining control and establishing bludger dominance. This applies to your team’s seeker as well.
The above diagram shows one example of all three players on your team working together. The unarmed beater’s positioning allows them to shield the seeker from an easy beat while keeping them close enough to their partner to pounce if a bludger falls to the ground. The seeker tries to approach the snitch away from their beating support, pulling one of the opponent’s beaters out of position. Now your team’s armed beater is free to engage in a double beat with an isolated beater, and if they get a clean beat off there’s a good chance your team can regain control.
2. Create a Wall
So now you’ve got control, but what do you do with it? You create a wall.
Snitches typically position themselves on the midline towards the spectators. By being close to the hard boundary they are, in essence, pinning themselves against an invisible wall. You and your beating partner can take advantage of this.
First, your team’s seeker should attack the snitch towards your own hoops. This pushes the snitch further away from your opponent’s hoops and makes it more difficult for the opposing team’s seeker to get clean looks. It also limits the distance you and your seeker will need to cover to tag back in to active play.
With your seeker pushing the snitch towards your hoops, one of your beaters should protect the seeker from any direct attacks by covering their back. The other beater should guard from attacks on the midline. If you and your partner move together, the only way for the opposing team to isolate one of your beaters is to run into your side of the pitch and attack the midline beater, which most teams will gladly welcome. Since beaters can’t go off of the hard boundary, they only have one direction from which they can attack. And, even if they succeed in breaking through the wall, you’re just a short distance from tagging back in and rejoining the play.
3. Be Decisive
If you ask someone why snitch on pitch is overwhelming, they’re less likely to point to the strategy and more likely to point towards the speed at which decisions are made. Spending the first 18 minutes of a game compressed in your keeper zone on defense, occasionally taking plays off on offense, the speed of snitch on pitch can feel a bit like whiplash. However, this change in pace can be your friend if you make it work for you.
With beaters constantly engaging in beater battles while simultaneously intervening in the snitch game, being the first person to make a decision matters — even if it’s the wrong decision.
From a technique standpoint, you always want to be proactively throwing. This gives you the most control over your power and accuracy while also giving your body more time to react to a double beat.
If your opponent is the one constantly initiating beater battles, you are reacting. Oftentimes this leads to situations where you’re throwing off your back foot or throwing without taking the proper time needed to aim. Your beats are inconsistent in their accuracy and power, and it gives your opponent opportunities to easily catch and dodge.
So what does being proactive look like?
i. Eliminate pump fakes from your beating diet. Pump fakes are effective in the half court because they add unpredictability and allow you to adjust your positioning. But, during snitch on pitch, taking the time to pump fake gives the opposing beaters the opportunity to initiate their throws.
ii. Commit. There is no such thing as a perfect game of quidditch. Even the best beaters in the world miss beats, fail to block/catch, and make poor decisions. But what you rarely see from those best beaters is indecision. If you’re worrying about whether to throw at a beater or a seeker, you’re not committing strongly enough to either. Just throw. Reassess your situation afterwards.
iii. Capitalize on isolation. Beating is often about numbers and advantages. Your team’s two bludgers against your opponent’s one bludger. So when you have two beaters going up against one beater, make sure to take advantage! Don’t give the other team time to reset and work together. Make your beats early.
4. Know the Score
You have control. You’ve created a wall. You’re making good decisions. But none of that matters if you’re unaware of what’s going on in the quaffle game around you. So many teams falter in snitch on pitch settings because they implement one strategy and don’t adjust when the quaffle game impacts the score. And while each team will have their own specific strategies, these are general guidelines you can follow.
Over the course of snitch on pitch, scenarios will arise that may change your team’s game plan. Don’t be afraid to adjust based on other factors. As long as you are aware of the score and know your team’s strength, your decisions will have a positive impact.
5. Run!
The last piece of advice is also the simplest.
When beating during snitch on pitch, there’s no such thing as a quiet moment.
If you’re out of the play your beater partner is vulnerable.
If you’re out of the play your seeker is vulnerable.
If you’re out of the play your team is vulnerable.
Every second you’re not actively involved in a play is an advantage for your opponent.
So make it a point to sprint to loose balls, to tag back in as quickly as possible.
Run with intention.
And when you can’t run, sub out for someone else who can.
Because your opponent is also running.
And sometimes, the beater with the freshest legs wins.
It’s worth noting that there is no right way to beat during snitch on pitch. Or ever, really. Strategies exist because different players and different teams have different strengths and different opinions. But new players join this sport every year and oftentimes don’t have historical resources to help them grow.
Strategy exists to be passed on. I’m hoping these tips can demystify a frequently chaotic part of quidditch, or that they help your team formulate their first game plan. Change it how you like.
Now it’s yours.
