Players from Australia's national quidditch team, the Drop Bears, will face off against one other in a state of origin match in Melbourne this weekend.

The real-life sport of quidditch is a non-magical version of the game played by fictional teenage wizard Harry Potter.

The rules have been adapted from those invented by author JK Rowling to better suit "muggles" — people with no magical abilities.

And the sport is unusual in that it is a full-contact game with rules dictating that teams must be mixed gender.

The state of origin match between the Victorian Leadbeaters and the New South Wales Blue Tongue Wizards will be held at Latrobe University in Bundoora.

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Gen Gibson, president of the Victorian Quidditch Association, said the sport was "like rugby, with dodgeball at the same time".

She said each team could have up to 21 players, but only seven from each team were allowed on the field at any one time.

No more than four of the on-field players in a team may identify as the same gender.

"You have lots of subs," she told 774 ABC Melbourne's Red Symons.

Rules of quidditch Mixed-gender teams of seven a side.

Mixed-gender teams of seven a side. All players must hold a broomstick between their legs at all times.

All players must hold a broomstick between their legs at all times. Teams are made up of three chasers, a goal keeper, two beaters and a seeker.

Teams are made up of three chasers, a goal keeper, two beaters and a seeker. Chasers attempt to throw a volleyball, known as a quaffle, through their team's goal hoops for 10 points.

Chasers attempt to throw a volleyball, known as a quaffle, through their team's goal hoops for 10 points. Beaters attempt to stop opposing players by throwing dodgeballs, called bludgers.

Beaters attempt to stop opposing players by throwing dodgeballs, called bludgers. A player hit by a bludger must remove their broomstick and touch their team's goal hoops before rejoining the match.

A player hit by a bludger must remove their broomstick and touch their team's goal hoops before rejoining the match. Seekers attempt to catch the snitch — a ball in a sock fixed to the back of the snitch runner, who must avoid being caught by either team.

Seekers attempt to catch the snitch — a ball in a sock fixed to the back of the snitch runner, who must avoid being caught by either team. Catching the snitch wins a team 30 points and ends the game.

Ms Gibson, who is also coach of the Drop Bears, said the two teams playing in the state of origin match represented "the hub of Quidditch in Australia".

Of the 21 players in the Australian team, 11 are from Victoria and nine are from New South Wales, and most of those players will be competing in this weekend's match.

The Drop Bears will travel to Frankfurt in Germany for the biennial Quidditch World Cup in July.

Australia won the silver medal at the 2014 World Cup which was held in Burnaby, Canada.

The Australian national quidditch titles, the QUAFL Cup, are held in November or December each year, with local and university-based teams competing.

"State of origin is something new for us to see how it works," Ms Gibson said.

The match will be the second between the two states in two months.

In February, the first quidditch state of origin was held in Berry, NSW, and the Victorians were victorious.