Stichstock is an ancient wizarding game played on broomsticks. It originated in Germany, and a painting from 1105 shows the game. The game consisted of a single twenty-foot pole topped with an inflated dragon bladder. One player on a broomstick, known as the bladder-guardian, was tied by a rope to the pole, and given the task of defending the bladder. The rope was tied around their waist, and prevented the player from moving more than ten feet away from the pole. The other players would then take it in turns to try and puncture the bladder using the sharpened end of their broomsticks.

The bladder-guardian was allowed to use their wand to defend the bladder. The game ended only when the bladder had been punctured, the bladder-guardian had hexed all other players, or when the bladder-guardian collapsed from exhaustion. The game eventually died out in the 14th century.

Appearances

• Quidditch Through the Ages