1. Definitions
“Association” means the Hong Kong Quadball Association;
“Executive Committee” means the Executive Committee of the Association;
“IQA” means the International Quadball Association; and
“Tournament” means the Bauhinia Challenge (2026) as referred to in section 2.
“Hong Kong Quadball Cup 2026”, or “HKQC” in short, refers to a title awarded to the best performing team which is based in Hong Kong.
2. Bauhinia Challenge
A tournament called “Bauhinia Challenge” shall be held on a date determined by the Executive Committee. Such date shall not be later than 31 August 2026.
3. Organising Committee
The “Hong Kong Quadball Cup 2026 Organising Committee”, formerly established under the “Tournament Regulations for the Hong Kong Quadball Cup 2026”, is hereby renamed the “Bauhinia Challenge (2026) Organising Committee” (hereinafter the “Organising Committee”). The Organising Committee shall have all powers necessary for the successful organisation of the Tournament, provided that it shall always obtain the consent (general or specific) of the Executive Committee in respect of expenditures and shall follow any orders and directions of the Executive Committee.
The Organising Committee shall comprise of one (1) Tournament Director, and an unlimited number of members.
Appointment, replacement and removal
The Tournament Director shall be appointed by the Executive Committee. Other members of the Organising Committee shall be appointed by the Tournament Director. The Executive Committee has the power to replace or remove from office any member of the Organising Committee, including the Tournament Director, at any time.
Resignation
Any member of the Organising Committee, including the Tournament Director, may resign at any time. Resignation shall take effect immediately.
Decision making
Decision of the Organising Committee shall be made by the Tournament Director, after consulting the rest of the Organising Committee. In the event that the Tournament Organising Committee are unable to reach consensus between themselves for any particular matter, such matter shall be referred to the Executive Committee, which shall then make a decision.
Role of the Tournament Director
The Tournament Director shall be the person ultimately responsible for the smooth and successful organising of the Tournament.
4. Participating teams
Open to Teams Internationally
The tournament is open to all clubs and teams in Hong Kong and around the world. They are not required to be a Club Member of the Association, or to be registered under other National Governing Bodies (NGBs) recognised by the IQA. The Tournament Director has sole discretion to invite, accept or decline registration of any teams.
Teams Under the Association
The Tournament Director, in conjunction with Hongkong Hydras Quidditch Club, a Club Member of the Association, shall make their best efforts to secure the participation in the Tournament of Hongkong Hydras QC and Victorian Dragons, a team established and managed by the Association.
Team Eligibility
Teams must meet the roster requirement according to the IQA Rulebook 2024, i.e. consist of at least seven players.
- Teams may, with the approval of the Organising Committee, include additional players from those who registered directly with the Association to complete or supplement their roster.
5. Tournament format
Due to the uncertainty of the number of teams participating in the tournament, the format of the tournament shall be published on Schedule 1 after registration closes. However, the general principles are as follows:
Format for Two Teams
When there are only two teams participating in the Tournament, the two (2) participating teams shall play a two-legged tie, i.e., two games. The Tiebreaker Rules for Two-legged Tie stated in clause 5.6 shall apply.
Format for Multiple Teams
Teams should play an equal number of games, excluding the Final (if applicable).
- All teams should have a chance to face each other to the greatest possible extent.
Hong Kong Quadball Cup 2026
Teams based in Hong Kong, including but not limited to Teams stated in clause 4.2 (eligible teams), will be able to compete for the Hong Kong Quadball Cup 2026. The Cup will be awarded to the best performing team. The teams are not required to play any extra matches to compete for the Cup.
- If there are only two eligible teams, the head-to-head match(es) will be deemed as the leg(s) of the Cup.
- The teams shall play at least one match (i.e. one-legged tie).
- If two games are played, the Cup will be decided by a two-legged tie. The Tiebreaker Rules for Two-legged Tie stated in clause 5.6 shall apply.
- If more than two games are played, or in any instance where a winner cannot be determined by the matches played, the Tiebreaker Rules in clause 5.5 shall apply.
- If there are more than two eligible teams, and a round-robin was not arranged, the result will be determined by the Tiebreaker Rules stated in clause 5.5.
Tiebreaker Rules for Ranking
The criteria are in the following order:
- Greater number of games won.
- Number of victories “out of range” i.e. lead by 40 points or more.
- Average points difference, including points gained through flag (snitch) catches, with a cap of 90 points per game.
- Number of flags (snitches) caught.
- Winner of the head-to-head match, if such match was played.
- Least amount of game time.
- Draw of lots.
Tiebreaker Rules for Two-legged Tie
- A team wins the two-legged tie if the number of wins it gets is greater than the number of wins the other team gets.
- If no team has a greater number of wins than the other team, the scores from both games will be added and the team with a higher aggregate score wins.
- If, after applying the above rules, a winning team cannot be determined, the team with more flag catches wins.
- If, after applying the above rules, a winning team cannot be determined, the team which catches the flag at an earlier time during the game wins.
6. Players
A player must understand the risks involved in playing quadball, a full-contact sport, and should purchase an insurance policy in force during the Tournament which covers amateur quadball tournaments.
Subject to section 6.3 below, a player must be at least eighteen (18) years old on the day of the Tournament.
A player who is at least sixteen (16) years old on the day of the Tournament may play in the Tournament if he or she or they submit to the Tournament Director:
- the declaration specified in Schedule 3; and
- proof that he or she or they have purchased an insurance policy in force during the Tournament which covers amateur quadball tournaments.
Players based in Hong Kong shall register directly with the Association. Players will be allocated to a team at the Organising Committee’s discretion, after consulting the person-in-charge of the participating teams.
Players not based in Hong Kong may join the Tournament as mercenary players. They shall register directly with the Association. They will be allocated to a team at the Organising Committee’s discretion, after consulting the person-in-charge of the participating teams.
Players who are part of the visiting teams may register as a collective unit.
- A visiting team may, with the approval of the Organising Committee, include additional players from those who registered directly with the Association to complete or supplement their roster.
- Any individual player added to a visiting team must complete the standard individual registration process.
- All players, whether registering as part of a team or individually, must provide all information and documentation required by the Organising Committee to be able to play in the Tournament.
A player must have at least one jersey and one pair of shorts of the team they are assigned to. A player who fails to wear the jersey and pair of shorts of the team they are assigned to shall not be allowed to play in the Tournament.
All players are bound by all terms and conditions and provisions contained in the registration form and all the sections in these Tournament Regulations.
The Organising Committee may, at any time before the start of the first game of the Tournament, forbid a player from playing in the Tournament if it has reasonable grounds to believe that such a player will pose danger to himself or herself or themselves and/or others on the pitch due to his or her or their
- extremely limited understanding of the game of quadball; or
- extremely reckless attitude or behaviour; or
- extremely discourteous attitude or behaviour; or
- any other attitude or behaviour the Organising Committee deems problematic.
7. IQA Rulebook 2024
The IQA Rulebook 2024 shall be followed in the Tournament.
Mouthguard
For the avoidance of doubt, rule 2.5.2.E. applies in the Tournament, which means that all players must wear a mouthguard in compliance with the rules while in play.
Deviations from the IQA Rulebook 2024
The Organising Committee may, at its sole discretion, direct that any rule under the IQA Rulebook 2024 shall not be followed in the Tournament, and/or make any rules that must be followed in the Tournament. The Organising Committee must state any such deviations in Schedule 2 to the Tournament Regulations.
In case of any inconsistencies between the IQA Rulebook 2024 and these Tournament Regulations, these Tournament Regulations shall prevail.
8. Referees
The Organising Committee shall appoint all game officials (as defined under rule 10 of the IQA Rulebook 2024) of the Tournament.
The game officials shall, as far as possible, not be players from the teams.
If there are not enough game officials who are not players from the teams, each team shall send a certain number of game officials to officiate the game in each game at the Tournament Director’s order. Such officials must remain neutral and officiate the game fairly.
9. Fees and proceeds of the Tournament
Players shall pay the Tournament fees set by the Organising Committee.
The price of the tickets to the Tournament shall be set by the Organising Committee. Such price can be set at zero.
The Executive Committee may decide to pay reasonable remunerations to the helpers and/or game officials of the Tournament.
For the avoidance of doubt, proceeds of the Tournament, if any, shall be retained by the Association.
For the avoidance of doubt, proceeds from the sale of the jerseys and shorts of the Hongkong Hydras Quidditch Club (if any) shall be retained by the Hongkong Hydras Quidditch Club, while proceeds from the sale of the jerseys and shorts of Victorian Dragons (if any) shall be retained by the Association.
Notwithstanding section 9.5, should agreement be obtained from the Hongkong Hydras Quidditch Club, the following shall apply: should the Tournament suffer a net loss, any such loss shall be covered by the specified proceeds from the sale of the jerseys and shorts of the Hongkong Hydras Quidditch Club (“specified proceeds”, as further defined below). Specified proceeds refer only to the net profit of the sales generated from players who buy the jersey and/or shorts for the Tournament, not any sale proceeds before the date these Tournament Regulations are enacted and not any sale proceeds from persons who are not participating in the Tournament. For the avoidance of doubt, the Hongkong Hydras Quidditch Club will in no circumstances cover the net loss of the Tournament on an unlimited basis, but only to the extent of the specified proceeds.
10. Miscellaneous
The official Chinese translations of certain terms are listed in Schedule 5.
In case of any inconsistencies between the details contained in the registration form and these Tournament Regulations, these Tournament Regulations shall prevail.
The interpretation of these Tournament Regulations shall rest solely on the Executive Committee.
These Tournament Regulations may be amended from time to time by the Executive Committee.
After any amendments to these Tournament Regulations, the Executive Committee shall forthwith notify all participants and members of the Association by email.
Schedules
Schedule 1 · Tournament Format
Two participating teams shall play a two-legged tie in accordance with clause 5.6 of the Tournament Regulations.
Schedule 2 · Deviations to the IQA Rulebook 2024
Mouthguard
Notwithstanding any other rules, if a player does not have a mouthguard to wear while in play:
-
The player can only enter play if the following two conditions are both satisfied:
- The player signs a declaration specified in Schedule 3.
- The Head Referee, at their sole discretion, decides to allow the player to enter play.
-
When the said player enters play for the first time, the player commits the foul “entering play without wearing mandatory equipment” under rule 2.5.2.
- If the said player is a starting player, rule 3.2.1.F applies.
- Thereafter, the said player may be in play and do not commit the foul “entering play without wearing mandatory equipment” under rule 2.5.2 only because the player does not have a mouthguard.
Boundary lines
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Rule 2.1.1 shall be modified as follows:
- The pitch consists of four boundary lines that form a rectangle.
- The 60-meter boundary lines are the sidelines.
- The end lines must be at least 20 meters in length.
- Event director(s) may make consequential modifications to any other rule as they deem appropriate.
Sticks Up Procedure
The game starts with a whistle blast instead of a verbal “Sticks Up” command.
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The Rule 3.2.2.D shall be modified as follows:
A few seconds after the head referee calls “ready”, the head referee then blows a strong whistle.
- On this “sticks up” whistle, all players must immediately mount their sticks and begin play.
- If there is a false call of “sticks up” or a foul is committed prior to the “sticks up” whistle…
- Any references to the “‘sticks up’ call” in the Rulebook shall be construed to mean the whistle signal defined in this section.
Schedule 3 · Declaration for Players Aged Between 16 and 18 Years Old
Open the full declaration in the official PDF.
Schedule 4 · Deed of Declaration under Rule HK26.1
Open the full deed in the official PDF.
Schedule 5 · Official Chinese translations
| Term | Official Chinese translation |
|---|---|
| Bauhinia Challenge | 洋紫荊挑戰賽 |
| Bauhinia Challenge (2026) | 洋紫荊挑戰賽（2026） |
| Hong Kong Quadball Cup 2026 | 二零二六年香港魁地奇盃 / 2026年香港魁地奇盃 |
| Bauhinia Challenge (2026) Organising Committee | 洋紫荊挑戰賽（二零二六）籌備委員會 |
| Tournament Director | 賽事總監 |