After spending another week with the Quidditch team, I have learned more about them, both inside and outside my area of focus.
"Inside" (AKA Snitch Related Things)
Through experience, I discovered that one of the best tactics a Snitch Runner has at his disposal is the rest of the game itself. There are a lot of players running around on the field that get in the Seekers' way and make it easier for the Snitch to escape. Additionally, the other team generally does not want the opposing Seeker to catch the Snitch, so they will employ their Beaters to target the Seekers with the Bludgers. Just like other players, if a Seeker is hit by a Bludger, they are affected by the "Knockout Effect" which requires them to stop what they're doing and run back to their team's goal hoop before continuing. This can be more than invaluable because it pulls the Snitch out of the situation where it must keep an eye on both Seekers at the same time.
There were other little details that were explained to me by other players and the team's usual Snitch, but many of these things did not fully sink in until I read the official Rules which spelled out interactions between players. The Snitch is not held to the same rules as the other players by any means. The players have rules against body contact tackles/grabs, etc. from outside of view (mostly behind), but these sorts of rules do not apply to the Snitch. Additionally, the Snitch does not have to hold onto a broom, so both of his hands are free. The Snitch is allowed and even encouraged to "be inventive" in getting away from the Seekers. As a Snitch, it would be perfectly legal for me to catch the arm of an oncoming Seeker, pull him past me, and trip him to the ground with a foot while I run off in the other direction. This element of open-ended attack makes the Snitch have the clear upper hand in the game. With this in mind, I have to wonder if good Seekers don't follow some amount of working together to snare the Snitch Runner before turning on one another when the time comes to actually seize the Snitch itself (the little ball in a sock). That is something I will look into with other Seekers when I next have the opportunity to play as one and talk to others.
All of these elements combine to say that the Snitch Runner is most often an extremely agile person who can continue to run and avoid capture for extended periods of time and who enjoys being somewhat aggressive towards his would-be captors. For the core purpose of defending the Snitch, I do wonder if a stockier person COULD do it well, though. Rather than run away swiftly, he could be very good at throwing the Seekers to the side and then going a short distance away. Most likely, he would quickly be out maneuvered by the existence of two Seekers, though. Still, it's a possibility I shall entertain until proven otherwise.
I witnessed two different techniques employed on the Snitch Runner by Seekers. One Seeker has extremely long arms and goes for the "obvious" attack of just trying to get close and wrap his arm around the Snitch Runner to grab the Snitch. The other Seeker was smaller, and Snitch Runners tended to grab him and push him aside, so he will actually turn into the Snitch with his back to him where he appears weaker. From there, he whips his hand around from behind and snatches the Snitch. Both techniques proved effective for the player.
"Outside"
It may seem like an obvious note that doesn't matter, but I did learn that the Beaters cannot touch the Quaffle, and the Chasers/Keepers cannot touch the Bludgers. I am not yet sure how/if this affects their strategies very much, or if it is simply the rule of the game which they follow and otherwise ignore.
Because I was focusing on the Snitch Runner, it took me some time to recognize that players practice their throws and catches with one hand. The presence of the broom is a unique element that almost requires actions be done with only a single hand. Several Chasers wear a single glove on their throwing hand for increased grip of the Quaffle. I have not noticed any such gear on the Beaters for assistance with gripping the Bludgers. I am currently guessing that this has something to do with the different texture of the balls used as Bludgers, or because the Chasers maintain an active grip on the Quaffle while trying to prevent other Chasers from stealing it, whereas Beaters can more or less grab one of the three Bludgers at their leisure as needed. I did not even realize it until I saw it, but this is different from what I initially expected where the Beaters were getting in the "rougher" sections of the sport. The Chasers and Keepers with the Quaffle are where the real action is happening.
"Outside the Outside"
I have been investigating the Quidditch team as an insider, but had the chance to talk with another about Quidditch who believed the game to essentially be Live Action Role Play. This actually astounded me because I have played the game before and found it to be its own entity with only its roots coming from a fictional story. Thinking more objectively, I can see how someone might suspect such a relationship, even if I do not endorse such a belief.
