Quidditch cheating (was Slytherin's behavior)

[David]

No: HPFGUIDX 57117

Heidi wrote:

> There are hundreds of ways to foul in Quidditch, but - perhaps 
someone more familiar with basketball or soccer can explain - if you 
foul someone, is that a cheat? Or does it - presuming fair refs - 
just lead to the other side getting a penalty shot?
> 
> I reread the G vs S match in CoS right now, and I don't see one 
act that could be deemed a "cheat" by the Slytherin team. 

This is surely a matter of semantics: whether you regard the 
professional foul as cheating or not.  A professional foul is one 
designed to bring about an advantage for your side even though a 
pubishment/penalty is almost inevitable: for example injuring the 
opposing side's star player.

For example, take the time Draco grabs harry's broom, preventing him 
from getting the Snitch.  This can be viewed in two ways:

1) a calculation of benefit (averting the immediate end and loss of 
the game) against cost (a penalty which is an almost certain 10 
points to the other side)

2) a breach of the rules of the game which should be punished.

The reaction of people, such as McGonagall, suggests that in WW 
culture, the second view is taken.  IOW, Draco isn't playing 
Quidditch in the way that wizards would understand it should be 
played: he's cheating.

It can be argued that the rules of any sport should be set up to 
ensure that it doesn't matter whether you take view 1 or 2.  In this 
case, that means that the penalties are not severe enough.  This is 
admitted in the text, IIRC, in connection with Dean's suggestion 
that badly behaved team members should be dismissed (though I may be 
conflating different games here), something not allowed under the 
current rules.

It can also be argued that the difference between 1 and 2 above is 
precisely what the difference between Slytherin and Gryffindor is 
about.  I am assuming that, although McGonagall is undoubtedly 
partisan, the strength of her reaction reflects something more than 
partisanship.

David