MLQ Rules To Be Playtested at Winter Fantasy Tournament

DISCLAIMER: Rules listed below for the playtest are under consideration for implementation for the 2023 MLQ season. They are in no way guaranteed to be added to the 2023 ruleset. 

As we gear up for another MLQ season, our rules team is hard at work assessing and updating the current MLQ ruleset in order to improve the health of the game. In last season’s end of-season survey, players noted they were content with the current ruleset and wanted minimal changes, however, they requested MLQ look into diminishing the prevalence of hoop zones. The MLQ rules team did not want to take the approach of legislating zones out of the game, but to instead incentivize teams to leave the hoops to create turnovers. The team chose to test rules that it believes will improve the health of quadball and our league.

Below are the rules we will be playtesting at the Slamta Fantasy Tournament on January 14. Following the playtest, we will issue a survey to participants so they may provide MLQ with feedback. There is no guarantee MLQ will act accordingly to the results of the survey. 

1.4.3 Sideline Interference

• Team staff can now be charged with sideline interference 

5.4.2 Swatting dodgeballs

• All players may now swat

5.5.1 A.i The third dodgeball

•  The possessing team makes a reasonable beat attempt  → The possessing team makes a successful or deflected beat attempt 

6.1.5 Hurdling

• Hurdling is no longer explicitly illegal

6.5.1 Unsporting Conduct

• Taunting is no longer explicitly illegal 

• Note: Hostile or discriminatory language is still explicitly illegal

7.2.1 Inside the keeper zone 

• A player must have both feet in the keeper zone to be in the keeper zone

7.4.2 Resetting the Quadball

• A player is considered to have crossed a restrictor line once any part of their body touches past it

• If an offensive player carries or propels the quadball backwards across one of their restrictor lines, it is considered a turnover

As mentioned, MLQ will use the coming months to playtest and gather feedback on the proposed rules. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, or are running an event in the next few months that would like to playtest these rules for us, email gameplay@mlquadball.com.

MLQ would like to thank Emma Vasquez, Joshua Mansield, Mario Nasta, Melanie Rolfe, Mohamed “MY” Monawar, Rachel Heald, and Steven Belitzky for their contributions to the MLQ rules team. We would also like to thank Ashton Butler and Brandon Kubena for allowing us to use the Slamta Fantasy Tournament as a testing ground for these potential changes.