Time-Rules Quidditch was first developed in the early 2000s in Bulgaria by Viktor Krum. Krum advocated heavily for the changes, with help from his friends Harry and Ginny Potter. The variant sport was first adopted into the school system, and has since gained worldwide support. 2017 marks the first year (by a vote of the coaches as a variant on Snitch- Ruled Quidditch) that the new rules have applied to the World Cup Quidditch Competition. Several basic rule changes are in effect:
- Games are 60 minutes long, with 3 twenty minute periods, on a timer similar to those used in many Muggle sports. This changes the former rule of the game ending when the Snitch is caught.
- The Snitch is released once per period, with a value of 50 points each time. (The total worth of the Snitch being 150, to keep with tradition)
- The Seeker may play in any position on the field if desired.
- The Keeper may leave the scoring area and act as an eligible Chaser, leaving the goals undefended.
- Penalties don't provide a free shot, but require the offending player to sit out of the game in a "penalty box" for 2-8 minutes, depending on the severity of the infraction (similar to Hockey).

The primary reason for the rule changes was to reinvigorate team play and restore importance to the other players. Under the new rules, games are frequently undecided until the bitter end -- unlike old Quidditch when games were almost always won by the team that caught the Snitch.