There are 3 chasers on each team. Chasers alongside the keeper attempt to score goals with the quaffle and prevent the opposing team from scoring. Goals may be scored from either the front or the back of the hoop. A goal scored in any of the three hoops will earn their team 10 points. Chasers wear a white headband to show their position on the field.

Chasers can attempt to get the gain possession of the quaffle from the opposition by tackling them, stripping the ball, intercepting a bad pass or taking possession of a dropped quaffle after the quaffle carrier has been hit by a bludger.

Keepers can almost be thought of as a chaser with some special powers while playing in defense. Like chasers, the aim of the keeper is to score goals and stop the opposition scoring goals. There is a single keeper on each team.

While the keeper is in their defensive zone (roughly 5m around their defensive goal hoops) the keeper gains some special powers. These include immunity to beats and tackles. Since there is no legal way to remove a ball from an opposing keepers possession while they are in their defensive zone, a teams offense always ends when the opposing keeper gains possession.
Once a team has scored the ball MUST first be touched by the conceding teams keeper, no other player may touch the quaffle before the keeper gains possession.

The keeper is not required to stay in their zone during play and is it normal for them to join the offence with their chasers.

There are two beaters on each team who show their position by wearing a black headband. The beaters play with the bludgers which are not flying cannonballs but instead dodgeballs. If a beater throws a bludger and hits a player of the opposing team on the full then that player is “beat”. A “beat” player must dismount, drop any balls in their possession and then touch back on to their defending goals in order to return to normal play. Any player regardless of position can be beaten, the exception being a keeper within their keeper zone.

Like chasers, beaters can be tackled or stripped of their bludgers, and if they are beat by an opposing beater then they are forced to drop their bludger before dismounting and heading back to their defensive goals. If a beater catches a bludger thrown at them then neither player is beat.

There are 3 bludgers in a game of Quadball but four beaters on the field in total. This means that one team will often have possession of 2 bludgers, while the other team only has possesion of 1 bludger. This is known as “bludger control” and provides a large advantage in the game.

There is a single seeker for each team denoted by the yellow headband. Unlike other positions on the field, seekers are not a starting position. Instead the seekers come out 1 minute after the snitch runner has entered the field. The snitch runner usually enters play at 18 minutes playing time so seekers start at the 19 minute mark (although this does vary for the specific tournament).
The job of the seeker is to try to catch the snitch which is attached to the snitch runner. The snitch runner is an independent referee whose job it is to outlast the seekers for as long as possible. Catching the snitch results in an additional 30 points for the catching team.

The snitch runner is able to use reasonable force to stop the seeker from catching the snitch, this includes pushing the seekers, holding them in place and even stealing their brooms forcing them to be dismounted.

As catching the snitch results in the end of the game and also gives an additional 30 points, seekers are a prime target to be beaten out. Therefore seekers require an enormous amount of endurance to battle with the other seeker, beaters and snitch runner to catch the snitch.