Swamp Bowl Captain's Manual
Please read the following page for all information concerning both the Collegiate and Open Division Tournaments for Swamp Bowl. Items which are specific to the Open Division only are listed in BOLD.
(revised 8/13/08)
Captain's Meeting (Collegiate Division):
Each team must have a representative attend the mandatory pre-tournament captain's meeting on Friday, October 17, 2008, at 4:30 p.m. The meeting will be at the SW Recreation Center (located on the corner of 34th St. and Hull Road). All team captains must be present; the meeting will begin promptly at 4:30 p.m.
Rosters and Sign-up Procedures (Collegiate Division):
All players participating on the team must be included on the SWAMP BOWL Registration Form. All players MUST present a valid identification card from their institution or a military ID before their first game. There are no exceptions! If you do not have a valid ID, you may not participate. If you do not have an ID from the participating institution, we will allow you to use a valid photo ID while we check your status with your institution. If you are found ineligible, your team will be forfeited from the tournament. Every team has open rosters; teams may add as many players to the roster as they like (before their first game!), as long as each player has an ID from the participating institution or a military ID. (However, please remember that the champions will receive a maximum of 15 shirts.) Males may only play on a Men's team and females may only play on a Women's team...NO EXCEPTIONS! Collegiate division players may not participate on an Open division team.
Eligibility (Collegiate Division):
Each participant MUST be a current student, faculty or staff member of the registering institution, or a member of a military base. Additionally, all players must be from the same institution or military base. Professional football athletes, current or former, are not eligible to participate in the SWAMP BOWL tournament. An athlete will be deemed a "professional" if they were on an official roster in the NFL, NFL Europe, the Arena League, or the CFL. Participants who have been affiliated with other organizations around the world will be declared eligible for the tournament. Present scholarship athletes and walk-ons for collegiate football are not eligible until the following academic year after they have quit the team or their eligibility expires. Former NCAA football athletes may participate, however a maximum of two are allowed. Participants must also be in good standing with their institution. If a player is ineligible to participate in intramural sports at their institution, they will be unable to compete in SWAMP BOWL.
Entry Fee (Collegiate Division):
Money orders or institutional checks for registration must be made payable to "University of Florida". Personal Checks will not be accepted. Credit Cards may be utilized for payment by contacting Marc Falkenstein, Tournament Director or Chris Marcum, Registration Chair. They will instruct teams on credit card payment procedures. The early registration fee of $225 must be received with payment by Friday, October 3, 2008 at 5:00pm. Payment for the final registration, $240, must be received by Monday, October 13, 2008 at 5:00 p.m.
Awards (Collegiate Division):
Awards will be given to the top two teams in each division's tournament. The winners of each division will receive trophies, T-shirts (maximum of 15), and a paid entry to the National Tournament for the National Championships. The runner-up in each tournament will receive a runner-up plaque. At the conclusion of the tournament, the staff will recognize an MVP and All-Tournament Team for the Men's and Women's divisions.
Officials:
All institutions are welcome to send an official(s) to University of Florida's SWAMP BOWL. Any interested official can contact Steve Anderson at (352) 273-2428 or Marc Falkenstein at (352) 273-2422 to register. The deadline to register to officiate is Wednesday, October 1, 2008. Officials will be paid per game and be provided with hotel accommodations from the University of Florida's Department of Recreational Sports. All officials will receive meals throughout the tournament. Officials will be required to attend a pre-tournament meeting, to review any rules as well as the procedures for the weekend. Three or Four officials will make up one crew, and will rotate between the three positions per game, with the extra official controlling the down box/scoreboard. Officials are responsible for keeping the score of each game. It is recommended that every official validates each score, the half-time score, and periodically check with one another.
Tournament Rules:
NIRSA flag football rules govern all play for SWAMP BOWL tournament. Please observe the spectator and player lines marked on the field. Failure to do so could result in a penalty. Although the Intramural Fields have hash marks, they will NOT be used for the SWAMP BOWL tournament.
Teams must wear flag belts provided by the University of Floridaâ??s Department of Recreational Sports. If a player is found tampering with the belt (i.e. tying the belt) they will be ejected from the game and could be ineligible to play for the remainder of the tournament. Teams must provide their own NIRSA approved football to use in the tournament. Game time is forfeit time! If a team does not show up to their first and/or second game (during pool play), that team will receive an automatic loss. During bracket play, teams who fail to show up for game time will forfeit from the tournament. Exceptions are at the discretion of the Tournament Director.
If a game is delayed due to weather or a previous game running late, the forfeit time will be adjusted (teams are encouraged to arrive early and to communicate with the tournament staff if a change has occurred). Please make sure to contact a SWAMP BOWL staff member before leaving the site if you are not sure about the time of your next game. You will still be responsible to arrive on-time to your next game!
Tournament Play:
Swamp Bowl format consists of round robin pool play (2 games) followed by a single elimination tournament. All teams advance to the single elimination tournament with seedings determined by the results of pool play. Tiebreakers for seeding within a pool will be as follows:
1) Win-Loss
2) Head-to-Head
3) Point Differential (PF-PA)
4) Coin Toss
All teams will play at least three games. If your opponent forfeits a game, this will count towards one of the three guaranteed games.
Team Uniforms:
All teams are required to bring light and dark color jerseys to each game. The second team listed on the pool play schedule is responsible for alternate color jerseys. In tournament play the team listed on the bottom of the bracket is responsible for the alternate color jerseys. If a team does not show up with enough alternate color jerseys, we will allow the other team to wear alternate shirts. If the other team cannot or will not wear alternate jerseys, the team initially responsible for having an alternate color will forfeit the game. Players must wear athletic shorts without pockets or belt loops. You will not be allowed to play with jean shorts or any shorts with pockets. You may not turn your shorts inside-out if they have pockets! If the uniform should become bloody due to a cut or abrasion, it must be changed.
Captainâ??s Responsibilities:
The captain is responsible to inform their team of the rules for SWAMP BOWL, as well as, the times they will play their games. Prior to game time, the captain is responsible to get their team to sign-in with an official staff member for SWAMP BOWL. Captains are urged to notify all players and fans that have alcohol are prohibited on all UF fields and that no one is allowed to participate while under the influence of alcohol. Jewelry is prohibited. Any player found wearing jewelry will be penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. No one is allowed to participate if they are wearing a cast. Knee braces are permitted with approved protective covers (neoprene protective covers). If a participant shows up at the game site without a protective cover, they are not permitted to participate. No player may participate while wearing a hat or bandana; headbands and glasses are ok. Proper shoes are required â?? metal cleats are prohibited. Screw-in cleats are ok, ONLY if the screw is part of the cleat. Also, pets are NOT ALLOWED at the fields. Team captains are asked to provide the SWAMP BOWL staff with at least two local contact numbers. This could be either a participant or spectatorâ??s cell phone, or the phone number of your hotel.
Protests:
Only protests based on questions of player eligibility and rule interpretation (when misinterpretation affects the outcome of the game) will be accepted. Protests that challenge the accuracy of a judgment call made by the officials will not be accepted. The team captain must make any protest involving rule interpretation to a SWAMP BOWL staff member at the time of which the incident in question occurs. Once a situation has passed, it is no longer subject to change or protest. In order to protest the eligibility of a said â??Professionalâ? athlete, the protesting team must provide the name of the individual in question, as well as the team professional or NCAA team they played for in the past. â??Professionalâ? athletes are those that have participated in the NFL, NFL Europe, the Arena League, and the CFL. All protests will be immediately reviewed by the SWAMP BOWL staff and the Tournament Director.
Ejections:
The officials and staff of SWAMP BOWL reserve the right to eject any individual, team or fan who interrupts the flow of a game in any manner. Ejections may occur before, during, or after any contest. All ejections will be immediately reviewed by the SWAMP BOWL board. All ejected players may serve at least a one game suspension, with further penalty to be decided by the tournament staff. Multiple unsportsmanlike calls by any team could result in that team being forfeited from the tournament, with no refund.
Athletic Trainers:
University of Florida's Department of Recreational Sports will provide student athletic trainers who are available to evaluate injuries, prep participants, and provide immediate first aid. Should an injury occur, the athletic trainer will treat it to the best of their ability and then refer the participants for additional medical attention if necessary. The athletic trainers reserve the right to hold anyone out of competition, should they feel an injury is too severe. Athletic trainers will be available to tape ankles, wrists, etc., but the participants MUST provide their own tape.
Scoring:
Scoring for the SWAMP BOWL will follow NIRSA flag football rules. Teams receive six (6) points for a touchdown, with three-yard conversions worth one (1) point, ten-yard conversions worth two (2) points, and twenty-yard conversions worth three (3) points. If the defending team returns a conversion, they will receive three (3) points regardless of the distance of the initial conversion attempt. Safeties are worth two (2) points. Any scoring disputes will be settled by the officialâ??s scorecards, however teams are encouraged to validate each score and extra point earned.
Refreshments:
Water and Gatorade will be provided for all participants. Please drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration. Meals are not provided to teams. Also, please make sure your team picks up their trash and places it in the proper bins.
Tournament T-Shirts:
The tournament staff will be selling SWAMP BOWL T-shirts throughout the weekend. There will be a limited number of both short and long sleeve shirts available.
For more information, contact Marc Falkenstein at MarcF@Recsports.ufl.edu or (352) 273-2422.
