Intramural Sports Handbook & Rules

Lead Text

Handbook

Sportsmanship Policy

Warning/Ejection

Sport	Warning	Ejection	Team Forfeit
Flag Football	Unsportsmanlike Conduct Penalty	Second Unsportsmanlike Conduct Penalty	Three Unsportsmanlike Conduct Penalties
Soccer Indoor Soccer	Unsporting Yellow Card	Second Unsporting Yellow Card or First Red Card	Two Ejections
Softball Dodgeball	Verbal Admonishment	Second Verbal Warning or First Severe Act	Two Ejections
Volleyball	Verbal Admonishment	Second Verbal Warning or First Severe Act	Two Ejections
Basketball	Unsporting Technical Foul	Second Unsporting Technical Foul	Three Unsporting Technical Fouls

A warning/ejection system will be used to enforce the sportsmanship policy. Individuals will be issued a warning for unsporting behavior. A second unsportsmanlike penalty will result in an ejection. Ejections may be issued with warnings in specific situations, including fighting.
Anyone who is ejected from the game, must meet with Intramural Coordinator/GA before participating in the next intramural contest
Team captains are responsible for the conduct of their players and sidelines.

Sportsmanship Ratings

Ratings will be given to teams after each contest by intramural officials/supervisors. These ratings reflect behavior before, during, and after the contest.
- 4 points - Well behaved conduct and sportsmanship to the other team and the officials.
- 3 points - Average sportsmanship towards officials and other team. Team members complain and officials may or may not have gave out warnings.
- 2 points - Below average sportsmanship towards officials and other team. Team members complain about officials and/or opposing team. Warnings may or may not have been given. Teams receiving multiple warnings or one ejection may not receive anything higher than a “2”.
- 1 point - Poor conduct and sportsmanship towards officials and other team. Team members constantly arguing calls with officials with abusive language. Teams receiving three or more warnings or two ejections will not receive anything more than a “1”.
- 0 points - Unacceptable sportsmanship towards officials and other team. Team captain is not controlling team members.
In order for your team to make the post-season, the team sportsmanship score must have an average of 3.0 or higher.
Any team receiving a 0 at any time during the regular season will not be allowed to play in the post-season. If you receive a 0 your entire team will be suspended from any intramural sport until they have meet with the Intramural staff.
Teams that have an average of 2.9 or lower can come and appeal their case to play in the post-season.
Playoffs: Any team average sportsmanship rating from the regular season will carry over into the playoffs. Therefore, sportsmanship ratings will continue to be recorded by officials and/ or ‘supervisors’ (if necessary). A new rating to carry on through the postseason that you must maintain above will be a 2.6 or higher. IF at any time your sportsmanship rating falls below a 2.6 your team will automatically be disqualified. IF a ZERO (0) sportsmanship rating is received at ANY time during the playoffs the game will be forfeited and you will not continue any further with playoffs. Grievances can ONLY be made to head supervisor of specific sport, Intramural Graduate Assistant, or Intramural Coordinator. Final decision will rest with the Intramural Coordinator.

Intramural Captains

Function/Purpose

Intramural Captains are vital contacts between the organizations and the Intramural Program. The managers’ functions and responsibilities include:

Serving as liaisons between Intramural teams and the Intramural staff with regard to current information concerning schedules, rules and rule changes.
Share with team members information covered in captain's quiz regarding risks of participation; participant responsibilities if injured; and strong recommendation for participant to secure medical insurance.
Knowing and understanding all rules pertaining to player eligibility, and making certain all team members are eligible before listing them for competition.
Knowing and understanding the rules of the sport activities your teams are competing in and relating the same to your teams via Fusion.
Notifying team members of all playing dates, times and locations.
Recording each contestant’s full name on the Fusion for all contests. No nicknames.
Making sure the score sheet is signed by yourself after each contest.
Keeping a current phone number on file on Fusion.
Consulting “Intramural Policies and Procedures” for information related to rescheduling games, protest procedures, forfeit fees, etc.
Serving as an example of good sportsmanship and fair play for fellow team members and followers.

Registration Information

Entry registration dates have been established for each sport. Entries must be submitted on the deadline date. The specific dates are listed in the calendar section and on the back cover of the Intramural Calendar, Fusion, Intramural Facebook Page (UNI Intramurals), and flyers posted on the Intramurals bulletin boards located in the WRC and Health Beat.

To officially enter an Intramural sport, sign up at services.recreation.uni.edu.

Reminders

Your team will not be eligible to play until your team members have become a member and joined your team.

Scheduling Procedures

Schedules for all activities are issued by Fusion indicating opponents, dates, times and playing locations.

Team Sports

Teams are placed in three to six team leagues and play a round robin schedule for regular season play.
Top two teams from each league qualify for division play-offs.
Overall winner will from all the divisions determines the All-University Champion.

Individual/Dual Sports

Competition is set up as a tournament or pool play.
There must be at least four entries to run an activity.

Skill Levels

To equalize competition and make play more enjoyable, various levels have been established for competition in select team sports.

“Open” level to allow for students, faculty, and staff participation.
“A” level is for teams generally competent in sports skills and/or strategies and are motivated by highly competitive play.
“B” level is for teams desiring to participate and compete in a more recreational playing field.
"C" level is for teams that desiring to participate and compete in a more relaxed atmosphere.

Eligibility, Rules, and Regulations

It is not possible for the Wellness and Recreation Office to check the eligibility of all participants. Each participant and manager is responsible for verification of individual and team eligibility. Refer questionable cases to the Intramural Sports Coordinator for a ruling before competing. Whenever a specific case is reported to the Wellness and Recreation Office by protest or otherwise, an investigation is made to determine whether the person in question is eligible.

Conduct

Any player or manager whose conduct and/or language is considered threatening to other players, officials, spectators, or supervisors, or who disrupts play intentionally will be referred to the Intramural Sports Coordinator. The offending individual must then personally appear before the Intramural Coordinator, who reviews his/her eligibility for further play. If gross misconduct is found, the offending individual loses the privilege to compete in the intramural program and may face university disciplinary action.

Individual Eligibility

All students registered at the University of Northern Iowa are eligible to participate in all phases of the Intramural and recreational programs. Extension courses do not qualify an individual for intramural competition. Hawkeye and Allen students living in Residence, fraternity or sorority house may participate in Intramurals if paid the WRC user fee. For the cost of the user fee contact the Main WRC office 310-273-6275.
Faculty and staff members are not eligible for Intramural participation in the student structured point system programs.
No player may participate on more than one team in the same sport. (Exception is Co-Rec in addition to participation on a men’s or women’s team.) All games in which the illegal player participated shall result in a forfeit loss. If a player participates with more than one team, the first team played with determines his/her eligibility. The second team forfeits all contests in which such a person played.
Any student who discontinues classwork at the university becomes ineligible for Intramural competition at that time.
A player is declared ineligible and dropped from further competition in that sport if his/her name does not appear on the official team scorecard for the contest being played. Nicknames are not allowed. A team forfeits all games in which an unlisted player participated and the team is charged with a forfeit.
A team forfeits any contest in which an ineligible player was used. An ineligible player is defined by the rules listed in “Eligibility Rules and Regulations.”

Team Eligibility

Names that are recorded on Fusion at the time of the contest. This is the official team roster, and the manager must be sure all players are eligible for competition.
To be eligible to participate in any Intramural contest, a player’s correct name (no nicknames) must be entered on Fusion.
The roster maximum for class “I” team sports plus 3 on 3 basketball and 4 on 4 volleyball is twice the number needed for the sport.
Once a participant has played in one game for a team in any activity, he/she may not switch to another team for the duration of that activity’s season.
An individual may not, under any circumstances, represent more than one Intramural team during a sport season.
RS reserves the right to edit inappropriate team names.

Play-Off Eligibility

A player must participate with his/her team a minimum of two regular season contests to be eligible for play-off competition in Class I sports and one contest for Class II sports, Class III and bowling. Players’ names appearing on the scoresheet of games won by forfeit are considered participants. If a team is suspected of using an ineligible player, the protest must be made prior to the end of regular season play. If a player’s eligibility is not questioned until the playoff teams are decided, the team will advance, but an ineligible player will not be allowed to play.

Co-Rec Eligibility

The requirements outlined under the “Intramural Policies and Procedures” section also apply for the Co-Rec program, with the following exceptions:

All spouses of UNI students are eligible to participate in the Co-Rec Program.
Each spouse must participate with her/his sponsoring husband/wife.

Open Eligibility

Open competition is for all students, faculty and staff. Teams may be formed regardless of housing. No participation points are scored for open events. Select team sport open leagues and several tournaments are open competition.

Members of Athletic Teams

The coaches of each sport may elect to declare their athletes ineligible for Intramural sports.
Members of UNI athletic teams are ineligible for participation in that sport or its related sport if they remain on such a team during or after the first contest in that sports season. Students trying out for an intercollegiate team are ineligible for Intramural participation in that sport until they voluntarily withdraw or are cut from the team. (This must occur within a reasonable time before IM competition.) Any student receiving any amount or form of athletic “grant-in-aid” is ineligible for Intramural participation in the sport or related sport for which the “grant-in-aid” is given, regardless of his/her team status. This includes red shirt athletes. Related sports are: football: flag football, pass & kick; basketball: all basketball activities; wrestling: wrestling; volleyball: volleyball; swimming: all water sports; softball: all softball activities; cross country track & field: all track and running activities; tennis: all racquet sports.
All UNI varsity and sport club coaches are ineligible for Intramural competition in the sport(s) or related sport(s) in which they coach. This ruling applies to any person receiving any type or amount of financial compensation in this regard. This rule does not apply to graduate assistants.
The Intramural eligibility of students who have earned Division I collegiate athletic letters is subject to the following:
- The letter was not awarded during the current school year.
- He/she does not participate or practice with a team in that sport or its related sport during the current school year.
- Not more than one such letter winner in softball/baseball, football, volleyball, wrestling, track, swimming or basketball may participate on an Intramural team in that sport or its related sport.
- Must compete at the highest level of competition available.

Members of Sport Clubs

Members of UNI Sport Clubs are eligible for Open Tournament and Co-Recreational Intramural competition in that sport or its related sport subject to certain restrictions. Questions concerning eligibility should be referred to the Intramural Sports Coordinator prior to participation.

Professionals

Any student who has competed in a sport on a professional basis (an individual who has received pay for playing a sport) shall be ineligible for Intramural competition in that sport or its related sport. Bowling and golf professionals who are registered with their respective professional associations are exempt from this rule.

Policies & Procedures

Membership Fees

Intramural Play Pass must be purchased for participation ($20/semester).
Intramural Golf Tournament fees are assessed each year and are determined by Pheasant Ridge Golf Course. Green fees are paid at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course prior to competition.

Forfeit Procedures

If a team or individual must forfeit a contest, they should notify the Intramural Office (intramurals@uni.edu) prior to the playing time of the contest.

If a team or contestant fails to appear at the designated playing site within the time specified in the rules of the sport, the Sport Supervisor may declare the contest forfeited to the team or individual which/who is present. The specified player minimums as indicated below in the Rules section and must be maintained in order for the contest to be played.
For team activities, all the names of team members who are ready to play must be recorded on Fusion. That team must demonstrate to the officials and the Supervisor that they have enough players to properly start the contest. Then, and only then, is the forfeit recorded as a victory.
If both teams fail to show at the designated time and place, a double forfeit is recorded and the contest is not rescheduled.
The first forfeit by a team in a tournament eliminates that team from further competition.
The first forfeit in single or dual competition eliminates said individual(s) from further competition.

Protests

Judgement calls by an official may not be protested. Protests are restricted to matters of rule interpretation and player eligibility. Individuals’ protests not abiding by the following policies are not recognized by the Student Wellness Services and Recreation Services Office.

The team manager must make any protest involving rules interpretation to the official in charge of the contest at the time the question is raised. Once play has resumed, the protest is not valid. The official is responsible for notifying the Sport Supervisor who makes a decision and the contest continues.
If the team making the protest believes the Sport Supervisor is incorrect, they may protest the ruling to the Intramural Coordinator.
All protests to the Intramural Coordinator must be in writing. The protest must be received by the Intramural Coordinator prior to 3 pm on the day following the contest, stating the reasons for the protest and the rule violation.
The validity of the protest is decided by a committee consisting of: one representative from each team, two neutral representatives, and the Intramural Coordinator.
Upheld player eligibility protests result in a forfeit by the guilty team or individual.
Anyone aware of an ineligible player competing should report the infraction to the Intramural Coordinator so appropriate action may be taken.

Postponements and Rescheduling

All Intramural contests are arranged weeks in advance, so teams and individuals should attempt to arrange their activities to prevent conflict.

Decisions pertaining to weather-related postponements are made after 3 pm on days when game status is questionable due to the weather. The Intramural office will text and email all teams involved if contests are canceled through Fusion. If necessary teams can call the Intramural Office — (319) 273-7262.
The Intramural Coordinator at the site will be the judge in determining if contests in progress are continued.
All other rescheduling must be done through the Intramural Office. Games otherwise rescheduled subject both teams to forfeits. A valid reason must be presented to reschedule a regularly scheduled contest. Anticipated absence of one or two players is not a valid reason for postponement.
Approved postponement/rescheduling procedures follow:
- The team desiring the postponement must bear the responsibility in the postponement/rescheduling process.
- The team/individual desiring the postponement must contact its opponent and request agreement to postpone the contest. If the opponent does not agree, the games originally scheduled time remains in effect.
- The team/individual initiating the postponement must obtain available dates/times for rescheduling from the Intramural Office and secure its opponent’s agreement for one of these times.
No post-season tournament games will be rescheduled without permission and approval of the Intramural staff.

Intramural Sports Handbook & Rules

Handbook

Warning/Ejection

Sportsmanship Ratings

Function/Purpose

Registration Information

Reminders

Scheduling Procedures

Team Sports

Individual/Dual Sports

Skill Levels

Conduct

Individual Eligibility

Team Eligibility

Play-Off Eligibility

Co-Rec Eligibility

Open Eligibility

Members of Athletic Teams

Members of Sport Clubs

Professionals

Membership Fees

Forfeit Procedures

Protests

Postponements and Rescheduling

Rules

3-Point Shootout

Aqua Golf

Badminton

Bags (Cornhole)

3v3 Basketball

5v5 Basketball

Canoe Battleship

7v7 Flag Football

Pickleball

Racquetball

5v5 Indoor Soccer

7v7 Outdoor Soccer

Softball

4v4 Sand Volleyball

6v6 Volleyball