Participant's Guide
(updated 1/15/08)
|
|
Purpose and Objectives of Intramural Sports
The purpose of Intramural Sports is to provide an opportunity for every student, faculty and staff member to take part in competitive and non-competitive recreational sports activities within the framework of educational endeavors.
The objectives of the Intramural Sport Program are as follows:
- To provide opportunities for individual development through various activities.
- To provide opportunities for social contacts and the development of lasting friendships.
- To provide leadership and fellowship opportunities through participation.
- To provide recreation for individuals, regardless of their skill ability.
- To provide opportunities which develop a positive attitude towards recreation.
Intramural Budget
The Intramural Sports program is financed by Student Government.
Captain's Responsibilities
The captain is responsible to inform their team of the rules governing the specific activities, as well as the time and place they will play their games. Captains will be held responsible for the behavior of teammates or spectators. Prior to game time, the captain is responsible for ensuring that all players have signed in with the Intramural Supervisor (all players should check in with a valid UF Gator 1 Card 15 minutes prior to their scheduled game time). Following the game, both captains must sign the score sheet to confirm that the game is recorded correctly and give official's ratings. Captains are urged to notify all players and fans that alcohol is prohibited on all Intramural playing fields and that no one is allowed to participate while under the influence of alcohol. Captains should advise teammates that parking on service drives and in non-marked parking spaces is prohibited. Vehicles not parked properly will be subject to ticketing and towing by the University Police Department.
Jewelry (rings, watches, necklaces, ankle bracelets, earrings, rubber bands, etc.) and 'casts' are prohibited. Placing tape or band-aids over jewelry will not be allowed. Participants will be required to remove any band-aids, tape or head/sweat bands which, in the opinion of the intramural staff, may be covering a piece of jewelry. Religious medallions may be worn so long as they are taped to the body or tucked into the clothing. Medical alert bracelets must be taped though the proper information should be visible. Proper shoes are required (metal cleats are prohibited) in all sports except sand volleyball. Knee braces are permitted with approved protective covers (neoprene protective covers). Pets are not permitted at the intramural playing facilities.
Captains may also choose to utilize a coach for the purpose of providing direction to a team. Coaches will not be allowed to call timeouts (except in Basketball), confer with officials about plays, or question the judgment of a call. Coaches will be required to sign in with a team and designate themselves as a coach. This will not be considered participation on two teams if, for example, a male is coaching a fraternity team but playing on a men's league team. Coaches will be penalized for inappropriate conduct the same as any other participant, with the coach's actions affecting the team's sportsmanship points and playoff eligibility.
Back to top
All activity-fee paying students, faculty, and staff enrolled in or employed by the University (full-time and/or part-time; volunteers not accepted), and spouses/partners, of the aforementioned, shall be eligible to participate in intramural sports. All participants must present a valid UF Gator 1 Card before each intramural game. The ID should remain on-site for the duration of the game. Failure to do so may result in a team default and the player/s being suspended for the remainder of the sport. The intramural supervisors will not allow anyone to play without a valid Gator 1 Card that is in one piece with the picture and all information clearly visible. The individual's Gator 1 Card must accurately depict the person's status with the University (i.e. a Spouse must have an ID that is marked as "Spouse"). It is the responsibility of the team captain to ascertain the eligibility of his/her players prior to game time.
A player is allowed to participate on one Co-Rec team while participating in a men's or women's league (men's league includes all fraternity, grad/fac/staff, men's rec and men's comp teams; women's includes sorority and women's independent teams). Women may not participate in any Men's league unless no Women's division is offered, with the exception of females that are playing on their spouses/partners Grad/Fac/Staff team. Fraternity, Sorority and Grad/Fac/Staff leagues are restricted to individuals that qualify based on conforming to said league (i.e. non-fraternity members will not be permitted to play in a fraternity league). A player found to be playing on two teams (one of those not being Co-Rec) in the same sport will be suspended from play in that sport for the remainder of the semester (further suspensions may be given at the discretion of the intramural staff). Once an individual has checked in for a team with the Intramural Supervisor, he/she may not play for another team for the remainder of the season (exception - see roster changes). If a player has played on two teams without properly going through the drop procedure (see roster changes), the first team played for will not default their games but will lose the ineligible player for the remainder of the season. The second team which the same individual plays for will default all games which that person played in. If an eligibility protest is found valid during the regular season, the team will default all contests which the individual played. If an eligibility protest is found valid in the playoffs, the protesting team advances but the previous rounds remain the same.
Current Olympic and professional athletes are not eligible to participate in their related intramural sport. An athlete will be deemed a "professional" if at any point they were given financial compensation for participating on a team in a professional or semi-professional league. Examples include, but are not limited to: NFL, NFL Europe, AFL, CFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, WNBA, MLS, Pro Beach Volleyball circuit, or PGA/Nationwide Tour. Olympic athletes are considered individuals who competed for their country in the Olympics or World Championships, but not the Olympic trials. An Olympic or professional athlete will be eligible in their related sport no earlier than one full year after their professional contract has been terminated or their last Olympic competition has taken place. In order to protest the eligibility of a said "Professional/Olympic" athlete, the protesting team must provide the name of the individual in question and a copy of the Professional/Olympic team roster.
Present scholarship athletes, walk-ons and practice team players are not eligible in their related sport until the following academic year (beginning Summer B) after they have quit the team or their eligibility has expired. The walk-on or practice team player will be considered ineligible if they are working with the team during their NCAA sanctioned semester.
Former NCAA athletes and current sport club members may participate in their related sport, however a maximum of 2 (total of the above regardless of gender) are allowed per team roster in all sports. For the purpose of determining intramural eligibility in their related sport, "current sport club members" is defined as individuals who have participated in any team practice or traveled to any sport club event to participate with said club. "Current sport club members" will retain their sport club status for 12 consecutive months after their last participation in a sport club practice or traveling event. Questions concerning sport club player eligibility should be directed to jonb@recsports.ufl.edu.
The sport club eligibility rule applies to the following related sports:
Club Soccer Teams - Indoor and Outdoor Soccer
Club Volleyball Teams - Indoor and Sand Volleyball
Club Baseball & Softball Teams - Softball
Club Ultimate Team - Ultimate Frisbee
For individual and dual activities, as well as special events (i.e. Track Meet, Swim Meet, etc.) former NCAA/professional athletes may participate so long as they are eligible per the above guidelines, though in special events they may not participate in more than one specific event.
Back to top
Improper Use of Identification
The rightful owner of a confiscated ID may pick up their ID at the Intramural Sports Office inside the Southwest Recreation Center beginning at 9am the business day following said confiscation. The owner must speak to an Intramural Coordinator or Assistant Director to retrieve the ID. ID's will be returned to the Gator 1 Card Office every two weeks (approximately).
A player may be dropped from a roster one time only, during the regular season. Once the playoffs begin, a player may no longer be dropped from a roster to play on another roster. The player who wishes to be dropped from a team must bring his/her Gator 1 Card to the Graduate Assistant in charge of that particular activity during his/her office hours. This must be done by 4:30 p.m. two business days after the player plays his/her first game with that team. For example if the team plays on Monday, then a person has until 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday to be dropped from the roster. If a team plays on Thursday the person has until 4:30 p.m. on Monday to be dropped. Remember every individual who wishes to be dropped from a team must do so during the appropriate league coordinator's office hours. Once a player has followed the proper drop procedures, then he/she is eligible to join one other team for the remainder of the activity.
In the Fall and Spring semesters, players who have not played on any intramural team in a league, who are also eligible to play in that league, may be added to a team roster at any time during the regular season, and before the completion of a team's first playoff contest. No roster additions may take place once a team has completed its first playoff contest. Summer roster addition policies are discussed at the Summer captain's meetings. To be added to a roster, new participants should bring their Gator 1 Card to the game site, sign in with the intramural supervisor and fill in their information on the team roster or supplemental roster form.
Back to top
T-Shirt Policy/Uniform Guideline
Matching colored team shirts will be required in all variations of basketball, soccer, ultimate frisbee and flag football. The sport of soccer requires each goalie to have a different color shirt than his/her teammates and opponents. One or two-digit numbers are required in basketball and must be at least 3" tall.
Teams will have the opportunity to select a team color during the sign up process of the sport. White, gray and other colors that could be perceived as white or gray will not be permitted (Teams may not select Yellow in any Soccer League). The team is required to have all players wear the same shade of color to every game. All teams will also be required to bring an alternate white jersey to each game. Prior to game time, the IM Supervisor will determine if a conflict exists regarding jersey colors. The team in violation of the policy will be asked to wear their alternate white jerseys. In the event they do not have an alternate white jersey and cannot field the minimum number of players for that sport, that team will default. If two teams are wearing the same jersey color, a coin flip will determine which team wears the alternate white jersey. If neither team has their alternate white jerseys, thus causing a game to not be played, both teams will forfeit their contest.
Intramural Sports recognizes that there are cases in which t-shirt colors will not match exactly. We are striving to ensure that participants are able to play while maintaining the integrity of the game. The IM Supervisor has the discretion to allow a participant to play when their t-shirt shade does not exactly match their teammates. For example, if Team A is wearing black shirts and Team B is wearing orange shirts, the IM Supervisor may allow a player from Team B to wear a shirt that is red, so long as both the officials and supervisor feels there will be no confusion among staff or participants. If in week 2 Team B was wearing orange and Team C was wearing red, then the Supervisor would not allow a Team B player to wear a red shirt as there would be confusion as to who was playing for what team. This does mean that a team could potentially be able to use a shirt one week but not the next. Teams will be reminded that they must always bring their alternate jersey to ensure their ability to play.
Back to top
Protests
Only protests based on questions of player eligibility and rule interpretation (when misinterpretation affects the outcome of the game) will be accepted. Protests which challenge the accuracy of a judgment call made by the officials or Intramural Supervisors will not be accepted. The team captain must make any protest involving rule interpretation to the Intramural Supervisor at the time of which the incident in question occurs. Once a situation has passed, however, it is no longer subject to change or protest. Any team protesting eligibility must furnish the player(s) in question's full name. During the regular season, any team found to be using an ineligible player will default all games which that individual played and be subject to removal from the league. All regular season protests must be filed before the final record deadline, which is 4:30 p.m. of the day following the end of the regular season. In the playoffs, if an eligibility protest is found valid, the protesting team advances, but the previous rounds remain the same. During the playoffs, any team protesting the eligibility of a player must do so by noon (12 p.m.) of the next business day to allow the Intramural Staff adequate time to determine the validity of the protest. If their next playoff game is that same day, the protest must be turned in immediately following the protested game. In cases where a team chooses to protest eligibility at any point after a championship contest and the protest is upheld, the specific league will not declare a champion, no championship game will be rescheduled and no t-shirts will be awarded.
Back to top
Appeals
Decisions on participant suspensions made by the Graduate Assistant or Program Assistant in charge of a sport may be appealed to the Assistant Director of Recreational Sports - Intramural Sports. This appeal must be in writing and brought to SWRC, Room 120 within 24 hours of the decision. Decisions made by the Coordinator or Assistant Director may be appealed to the Associate Director of Recreational Sports. Appeals will take 1-2 weeks to be heard. During the appeals process the individual(s) involved will not be allowed to participate until a final decision has been determined. In cases involving a suspension of longer than 30 days, appeals may not be filed until one-half of the suspension has been served.
Appeals on participant suspensions will only be heard for the following reasons:
1. Additional information provided not available at time of suspension meeting.
2. Suspension length not consistent with guidelines.
The Intramural Program reserves the right to eject any individual, team or spectator who interrupts the flow of a game in any manner. Players may be ejected before, during, or after any contest and can be made by any official on the contest or any intramural supervisors or professional/administrative staff. The jurisdiction of the intramural staff begins when the person enters the facility and ends when the involved persons leave the facility in which the contest is being held and the visual confines of the playing area. Any ejected player(s) must leave the playing area and facility immediately. If the player refuses to leave within a reasonable time, the game will be defaulted. Captains must assist intramural staff with retrieving the ejected participant's identification. Ejected players are ineligible to participate in all intramural activities until they meet with the league coordinator of said sport. The player must email or call the league coordinator and schedule an appointment to seek reinstatement. For more information concerning general lengths of game suspensions, please consult our suspension guidelines. Note that suspensions do not begin until after a player has met with the intramural staff.
Back to top
Defaults
A default is an unplayed game that is recorded as a loss but is not considered a forfeit. A team may receive a one time default if they are unable to attend a game. The team captain must email the staff member in charge of the sport with their name, team name, league of play and intent to default. Once the default has been granted by the League Coordinatorthe request cannot be overturned. Teams are no longer able to default at the game site.
*If both teams mutually agree to end a game prior to its normal completion, the losing team will receive a loss but not a forfeit or default.
*If a default has occurred, the teams involved may still use the site to practice until 15 minutes prior to the next contest; however, intramural staff are not permitted to officiate any practice, scrimmage or contest the teams choose to participate in during that time.
Back to top
Forfeits
An individual or team registering for a league or tournament enters into an agreement with Intramural Sports. Intramural Sports administers the events and provides staffing for said events. Participants must fulfill their obligation by being prepared to play at their scheduled game time (game time is forfeit time; teams should arrive to the game site at least 15 minutes prior to game time), ensuring all teammates are properly checked in and complying with all rules of play.
A team forfeits when they fail to have the minimum number of required players legally signed in and properly attired to play a scheduled game. The minimum number of required players for each sport is as follows:
Softball - 8 (must meet gender requirements for co-rec games)
7 on 7 Flag Football - 5 (6 for co-rec, 3 of each gender)
Indoor Soccer, Outdoor Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee - 5
(must meet gender requirements for co-rec games)
5 on 5 Basketball, Indoor Volleyball - 4
(must meet gender requirements for co-rec games)
4 on 4 Flag Football, Sand Volleyball - 3
(must meet gender requirements for co-rec games)
3 on 3 Basketball - 2
All other activities require the number that would normally begin the contest.
Game time is forfeit time. A team will automatically be removed from the league if it fails to show up for a second time.
*If both teams mutually agree to end a game prior to its normal completion, the losing team will receive a loss but not a forfeit or default.
* If a forfeit has occurred, the teams involved may still use the site to practice until 15 minutes prior to the next contest; however, intramural staff are not permitted to officiate any practice, scrimmage or contest the teams choose to participate in during that time.
Forfeit Charge
A forfeit charge is assessed to all teams that forfeit an intramural regular season/tournament contest or weekend/one-day tournament in which officials must govern the contest or when 3 or more people are needed for a team. This charge is designed to stabilize our leagues, reduce the number of forfeits by holding team captains accountable for committing to participate in our program and recuperating wasted staffing funds used during forfeited contests. A person assuming the role of team captain is assuming responsibility for that team and agrees that if the team forfeits a contest, the captain will be assessed a $30 forfeit charge. This charge will be placed on a participant's UF account and must be paid through the ISIS website or Criser Hall for the hold to be released (it takes approximately 1-2 business days after a forfeit for the charge to show up on a participant's records and may take the same amount of time for the hold to be removed). The team will be removed from the intramural league after forfeiting for a second time, though the captain will not be assessed an additional $30 charge. Intramural policies such as the forfeit charge are reviewed at the captain's meeting for said sport and are given to the captain upon registration for events which do not have captain's meetings. If a team captain chooses to send a representative to the captain's meeting in their place, the captain is still held responsible for knowing this and other procedures.
Back to top
Cancellations/Rescheduling/Game Delay Policies
During inclement weather, only the intramural supervisor or professional staff at the site can cancel games. Intramural Sports will make every reasonable effort to inform teams of cancellations, such as utilizing email and the website. In some cases we will call team captains, though due to the number of teams playing per night this is not always possible. Do not assume the game will be canceled, as the weather is very unpredictable. Canceled games during the regular season will not be rescheduled, and both teams will receive 5 sportsmanship points. Playoff games that are canceled will be rescheduled as soon as possible.Due to various factors, Fall and Spring semester playoff games through the round of 16 will not be rescheduled for any reason other than weather or facility issues (summer policies are discussed at their captain's meetings). Beginning with quarterfinal contests, captains may complete a reschedule request form and submit it to the appropriate staff member no later than one business day prior to the scheduled contest. Guidelines for valid reschedule requests can be found on the form. Proof must be provided to validate the request. If a tournament bracket features less than 16 teams, reschedule requests will only be considered after both teams involved have received a decision in at least one playoff game. These requests will be considered by the appropriate staff and in most cases a scheduling decision will be made within one business day.
Intramural Sports understands that there are cases where players may be completing a game at one site and be running late to a game at another site. If a team does not have the usual (not minimum) number to start a contest, the game start may be delayed in order for the participant(s) to arrive. Participants or teams seeking a game delay should inform the intramural supervisor at their site of the situation by halftime of the current game and ask the supervisor to call the other site and relay the information to that intramural supervisor. Games will not be delayed if the team has the minimum number required to begin a contest.
The Intramural Sports lightning policy is based on a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training. If we hear thunder within 30 seconds of seeing the lightning, games will be postponed. All participants must leave the playing area and seek shelter until the supervisors deem the area safe for play. Games will resume 30 minutes after the thunder and lightning have moved away.
Back to top
Women's Leagues
Independent - Any female student, faculty, staff or spouse/partner, regardless of their skill level, may participate in this league. Teams playing in this league will have a regular season followed by a single-elimination playoff. The winner of this league will receive champion T-shirts and advance to the women's all-campus championship.
Sorority - Only students who are registered members with Panhellenic are eligible to participate on Sorority teams in this league. Teams playing in this league will have a regular season followed by a single-elimination playoff. The winner of this league will receive champion T-shirts and advance to the women's all-campus championship.
Back to top
Men's Leagues
Independent - Any student, faculty, staff, and their spouses/partners may compete in this league. Teams playing in this league will have a regular season followed by a single-elimination playoff. All teams with a .500 or better winning percentage, zero or one forfeit and proper sportmanship points during the regular season will automatically advance to the playoffs. Teams below .500 that wish to participate in the playoffs must sign up for the playoffs inSWRC, Room 120 by 4:30 p.m., the day following their last regular season contest. In some cases, teams under .500 will be placed in a "B" division which will not receive championship shirts.
Fraternity league will be made up of the Orange and Blue divisions. Teams will be placed appropriately each Spring based on the previous year's achievement. Only students who are registered members with the IFC are eligible to participate on fraternity teams. Teams playing in this league will have a regular season followed by a single-elimination playoff. The winner of the Fraternity league will receive champion T-shirts and advance to the all-campus championship. Fraternity divisions are considered part of the Men's or Men's Competitive Leagues.
Grad/Fac/Staff league will be made up of graduate students (classified as a "7, 8, or 9" by the registrar) enrolled in a graduate program offered by the University. Furthermore, undergraduate students 25 years or older are permitted to participate in this league as well. Faculty and Professional Staff members are also eligible to participate in this league. Faculty and staff must be full or part-time employees on payroll. Volunteers are not eligible. Traditional student employees (freshmen, sophomores, etc., working an on-campus job) are also ineligible for this league. Note: The entire team must consist of graduate students, faculty, staff members or spouses of the aforementioned. If there are any potential eligibility questions with your team, please contact the Intramural Sports office prior to participation. Teams playing in this league will have a regular season followed by a single-elimination playoff. The winner of this league will receive champion T-shirts and advance to the all-campus championship.
Men's Competitive - Some of our sports will differentiate between competitive and recreational leagues. The Competitive league is designed for teams whose primary objective is to win games. Players in this league generally have played high school varsity sports and remain active in that sport, and their intramural teams may even hold practices. These teams have frequently qualified for and advanced past the first round of the playoffs. Many schools will classify this as the "A" league. The men's competitive league will have the same regular season as other leagues, with teams needing a .500 or better record and proper sportsmanship points to advance. Teams falling below .500 may register for the competitive playoffs by signing up at the IM Sports office by 4:30pm following the last day of the regular season. Teams may not drop down to the recreational league at any time during the regular season or playoffs.
Men's Recreational - Some of our sports will differentiate between competitive and recreational leagues. The Recreational league is designed for teams whose primary objective is to enjoy intramural sports and to have fun; winning is secondary. Most players on these teams have not played at the varsity level and may be slightly active in the sport. Most teams that have never played together before or are first-time participants are better suited to play in the recreational league. Many schools will classify this as the "B" league. If there is a question as to whether or not your team is competitive or recreational, you are likely a recreational caliber team. The men's recreational league will have the same regular season as other leagues, with teams needing a .500 or better record and proper sportsmanship points to advance. Teams falling below .500 may register for the recreational playoffs by signing up at the IM Sports office by 4:30pm following the last day of the regular season. Teams with a .500 or better record may request to move up to the competitive playoffs by emailing the staff facilitating the sport by 4:30pm following the last day of the regular season. Teams moving up to the competitive league will enter that tournament with a .500 record regardless of their recreational league record. Sportsmanship points will carry with that team to assist in playoff scheduling.
*Intramural Sports reserves the right to deny entrance to the recreational league tournament to any recreational league team, in the opinion of the intramural sports staff, should not be participating in the recreational league due to a competitive advantage of talent. A team's record will not be the only factor considered, meaning there is no incentive for a team to purposefully lose games to avoid detection. Teams falling under this clause will be forced into the competitive tournament with a .500 record and their allotted sportsmanship points or simply removed from tournament consideration altogether.
Back to top
Co-Rec Leagues offer men and women with varying skill levels an opportunity to participate on the same team. All students, faculty, staff and spouses are eligible to participate in this league. This league will have a regular season followed by a single elimination playoff. The winner of this league will receive champion T-shirts. Co-rec teams require a .500 or better record and proper sportsmanship points to qualify for the playoffs. Teams falling below .500 may request to play in the tournament by signing up at the IM Sports office no later than 4:30pm the day following the end of the regular season.
Co-Rec Competitive - Some of our sports will differentiate between competitive and recreational leagues. The Competitive league is designed for teams whose primary objective is to win games. Players in this league generally have played high school varsity sports and remain active in that sport, and their intramural teams may even hold practices. These teams have frequently qualified for and advanced past the first round of the playoffs. The co-rec competitive league will have the same regular season as other leagues, with teams needing a .500 or better record and proper sportsmanship points to advance. Teams falling below .500 may register for the competitive playoffs by signing up at the IM Sports office by 4:30pm following the last day of the regular season. Teams may not drop down to the recreational league at any time during the regular season or playoffs.
Co-Rec Recreational - Some of our sports will differentiate between competitive and recreational leagues. The Recreational league is designed for teams whose primary objective is to enjoy intramural sports and to have fun; winning is secondary. Most players on these teams have not played at the varsity level and may be slightly active in the sport. Most teams that have never played together before or are first-time participants are better suited to play in the recreational league. If there is a question as to whether or not your team is competitive or recreational, you are likely a recreational caliber team. The co-rec recreational league will have the same regular season as other leagues, with teams needing a .500 or better record and proper sportsmanship points to advance. Teams falling below .500 may register for the recreational playoffs by signing up at the IM Sports office by 4:30pm following the last day of the regular season. Teams with a .500 or better record may request to move up to the competitive playoffs by emailing the staff facilitating the sport by 4:30pm following the last day of the regular season. Teams moving up to the competitive league will enter that tournament with a .500 record regardless of their recreational league record. Sportsmanship points will carry with that team to assist in playoff scheduling.
*Intramural Sports reserves the right to deny entrance to the recreational league tournament to any recreational league team, in the opinion of the intramural sports staff, should not be participating in the recreational league due to a competitive advantage of talent. A team's record will not be the only factor considered, meaning there is no incentive for a team to purposefully lose games to avoid detection. Teams falling under this clause will be forced into the competitive tournament with a .500 record and their allotted sportsmanship points or simply removed from tournament consideration altogether.
Back to top
All-Campus Championship
An all-campus championship game will be conducted, for the men's and women's leagues, in 7-on-7 flag football, indoor volleyball, 5-on-5 basketball, outdoor soccer and spring softball. The winner of the Fraternity league champion versus the Grad/Faculty/Staff champion game will play the Men's "A" or competitive league champion for the men's title. The Women's Independent and Sorority league champions will play for the women's title. All-Campus champions receive no other award except for the distinction of being called "All-Campus Champion."
Back to top
Playoff Scheduling/Meeting
All teams who play in the appropriate leagues, meet the Sportsmanship criteria (see Sportsmanship) and forfeit zero or one contest during the regular season will be eligible for the playoffs. Prior to the first round of the playoffs, a mandatory playoff captain's meeting will be held to discuss rule clarifications and to place the teams in a playoff bracket (Don't be late to this meeting!). All teams in each league will have the opportunity to select their position in the playoff bracket. Teams will be ordered by their winning percentage with ties being broken by sportsmanship points accumulated. In case of further ties, the league coordinator will randomly break ties prior to the meeting. It is mandatory to attend this meeting; therefore any team who does not have a team representative in attendance will not be allowed to participate in the playoffs.
Teams who have below a .500 record must sign up at the IM Sports office by 4:30 p.m. the day after the last regular season game to validate their participation in the playoffs. All records, results and sportsmanship points will be considered final at 12pm the day following the end of the regular season. Errors and appeals must be made to the staff facilitating the sport prior to 12pm. Teams must attend the appropriate meetings for the league they belong in. Teams that play in a different division during the regular season (i.e men's competitive competing in the grad/fac/staff division) must email the league coordinator by 4:30pm the day following the conclusion of the regular season to ensure the team is placed in the correct tournament bracket. Failure to attend the appropriate meeting will result in your team not being allowed to participate in any playoffs. Information for playoff meetings will be located in the metal bins outside the IM Sports office during the last week of the regular season as well as on the intramural website.
Teams winning their league (a league must have 3+ teams) tournament or any championship will receive an intramural championship t-shirt* and their team picture posted on the intramural website. Championship teams consent that game and team pictures will be posted on the website and may be used for promotional purposes.
The Intramural Sports Program expects all participants to conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner. In order to be eligible for the playoffs, a team must have an average sportsmanship rating of four (4). During playoffs, a score of at least 4 will guarantee advancement for the winning team. A winning team with a sportsmanship rating less than 4 will be reviewed by the IM Staff to determine if they advance. Teams in the Recreational league receiving less than a 4 in any game are subject to being dropped from the league. Following the game, officials and/or supervisors evaluate and issue sportsmanship points to all teams. The breakdown of points is as follows:
| 5 | Normal Game: Questioning an official on rule interpretation only. Games defaulted one business day ahead of time. |
| 4 | Some static: Some question of judgment or repeated complaints. No infractions issued. Forfeitted game. |
| 3 | Difficulty: Repeated question of judgment. Unsportsmanlike call in softball, volleyball, flag football; yellow card in soccer; technical foul in basketball. |
| 2 | Harassment: Multiple unsportsmanlike calls, technicals (not on the same participant), yellow cards or spectators harassment of the officials. |
| 1 | Ejection: Any ejection, whatever the cause. |
| 0 | Fighting or contest ended due to extenuating conduct circumstances: Includes threatening an employee. If involved in a fight your team could be removed from the league for the remainder of the season. |
Back to top
Official's Rating
At the conclusion of the contest, team captains are asked to rate the game officials. This rating is meant to help improve the quality of the officiating in our program and in no way has an effect on the official's employment status or future regular season assignments. A comment line is also available for captains to aid in the improvement of our officials. Ratings below a 4 must be accompanied by legitimate comments or they will be ignored. | 5 | Officials had superior game control. They displayed comprehensive rule knowledge and exhibited excellent professionalism and effort. |
| 4 | Officials had good game control. They displayed satisfactory rule knowledge and exhibited good professionalism and effort. |
| 3 | Officials had fair game control. They displayed average rule knowledge and exhibited acceptable professionalism and effort. |
| 2 | Officials had poor game control. They displayed below average rule knowledge and exhibited inadequate professionalism and effort. |
| 1 | Officials had unacceptable game control. They displayed unacceptable rule knowledge and exhibited intolerable professionalism and effort. |
| 0 | No game control. No rule knowledge. No professionalism and effort. |
Awards
The Champions in Competitive, Recreational, Fraternity, Sorority, Women's, Grad/Fac/Staff and Co-Rec leagues will receive champion T-shirts (a minimum of four teams are needed to comprise a league). In leagues with a "B" playoff, teams will have a single elimination playoff, yet the winner will not receive champion T-shirts.
*While efforts are made to ensure champions receive the proper sized t-shirt, we cannot guarantee accommodation of all champion's sizes. Random shirt sizes will be given to the team captain to distribute to players not present at the championship.
Back to top
Injuries
Participation in Intramural Sports activities is completely voluntary. These activities intrinsically involve risks of physical injury greater than those encountered in daily life, and by taking part in sports and other activities, participants acknowledge and assume risks inherent therein. The Intramural Sports Program does not carry accident or injury insurance to cover participants in sports activities. Therefore, all students are strongly urged to purchase health insurance before participating in any activity.
The Intramural Program provides student athletic trainers who are available to evaluate injuries, prep participants and provide immediate first aid at most intramural games. Should an injury occur, the athletic trainer will treat to the best of their ability and then refer participants for additional medical attention as necessary. In the event of a head injury, the injured participant must receive written permission from a physician before engaging in further participation (No Exceptions). The Student Injury Care Center (352) 392-7315 is available for rehabilitation of acute injuries.
Back to top
Employment Positions Available
The IM Sports Program hires and trains hundreds of student officials and scorekeepers each year. Officials are needed for all intramural team sports. No experience is necessary! We will train you in the sport(s) you wish to work. We are seeking officials for flag football, outdoor and indoor soccer, basketball, volleyball and softball. With competitive pay and flexible weekly scheduling, our jobs are some of the best student employment opportunities on campus. For more information, visit us in the SWRC, Room 120 or email imsports@recsports.ufl.edu.
Back to top
The Rules in all sports are based on national association rules with modifications, when appropriate, to make the activity safe and enjoyable for the players while attempting to maintain the identity of the game. Intramural Sports reserves the right to modify playing rules at any time, or to follow collegiate or other sets of playing rules in what is felt to be the best interests of the league. The rules of each sport will be discussed at the captain's meeting for that sport and are also available for download on the Intramural Website. Intramural supervisors have the authority to rule on items not specifically covered in the rules in cases which the contest officials cannot come to a decision. The supervisor or intramural staff may also assess conduct penalties which the game officials do not call in order to ensure proper safety and sportsmanship, and may default (end games prior to normal conclusion) games if deemed necessary. A game becomes official after half of its normal length has been completed.
Many of our leagues have a point differential at which a contest is ended at no penalty (i.e. default or forfeit) to either team. This point will not take place until at least half of the game has been completed. Those "mercy rules" for each sport are as follows (sports not listed follow their own specific format and do not have a "mercy rule":
Flag Football: 50 point lead at or after halftime, or per NIRSA rules at the 2-minute warning.
4-on-4 Football: 50 point lead at or after halftime, or per NIRSA rules at the 2-minute warning.
5-on-5 Basketball: 35 point lead at or after halftime, or 20 points at the 2-minute mark.
Softball: 12 run lead after 3.5 innnings; both teams must bat in said innings if visiting team is ahead.
Indoor/Outdoor Soccer: 10 goal lead at or after haltime, or 5 goal lead (7 for co-rec) with 5 minutes remaining.
Back to top
League Differentiation/Format
Teams in league sports will be arranged into one of three formats of divisions:
|
Men's Competitive |
Men's |
Men's Competitive |
These divisions are designed to allow participants the opportunity to compete against others of similar age and skill level. League format in the majority of sports will be conducted as four-game seasons over the course of five weeks. At the conclusion of the regular season, playoffs will be held between all teams with a .500 or better regular season record and proper sportsmanship ratings** to determine a league champion.
Intramural sports normally run during the following times**:
Monday - Thursday: 4:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Sunday: 3:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
**These times are subject to change. Intramural Sports reserves the right, due to facility or time constraints, to reduce the number of teams involved in post-season play, or change the format of the tournament.
Back to top
