IM Sports Handbook

Intramural Sports Handbook

Contains everything you need to know about playing IM Sports

General Information

All participants must give their valid Alma College I.D. Cards to the scorekeeper or supervisor before participation is allowed.  All I.D. Cards will be returned to the participants at the conclusion of the contest.  Any players without their I.D. Card WILL NOT be allowed to participate. 

How to Form a Team

1. In order to enter all sports/activities throughout the year, organize your roster (students, faculty, staff) according to the number necessary for that sport.  If you are having difficulty finding a team on which to participate, ask other students or contact the Assistant Director.
2. Fill out an IM roster entry form with all team members listed.  To register your team, return the entry form to the Rec. Center at the sign-up meeting.  Restrictions on playing times and days must be made very clear on your team entry form.  Teams should plan accordingly to have enough players to play at other times. 
3. To be eligible for competition in a particular IM sport/activity, the team manager or team captain (see IM team managers and captains) must sign-up their team at the sign-up meeting at the Rec. Center (see sign-up meeting schedule).  Entry forms must be completed including a team name, manager/captain’s name, phone number and e-mail address.  All player information must contain first and last name.  No more than two former varsity or JV players of a sport may be on a single roster for that IM sport or related sports.  All roster information will be verified.
4. For most intramural sports NO officials will be used.  Captains will be expected to keep their teams under control.  Knowledgeable Supervisors and Scorekeepers will be available to settle disputes that cannot be settled by team captains.  They will not be making calls.  Each captain will make sure that the teams make their own calls.
5. A team member must legally play in at least one regular season contest to be eligible for playoffs
6. In sports without a scorekeeper, the team captains shall correctly enter the scores on the official score sheet and submit same to the Rec. Center office within 24 hours following the conclusion of said contest.

Participation Rules

1. All Students currently enrolled at Alma College are eligible to participate in the intramural program with the following exceptions.
2. Faculty/staff may play on an IM team.
3. There will be no maximum membership required for a team roster.  In general the most needed for any given sport/activity is ten players
4. Additions to the IM team roster after the start of the season are permitted, provided the individuals have not been registered previously with another IM team, all IM rules have been observed and the Rec. Center office has been notified.  An addition must be reported on an entry form (appendix B) and placed in the basket at the Rec. Center or e-mailed to luzynski@alma.edu before the game time if the new participant plans to play during that evening’s contest.  A team member must play in at least one of the team’s regular season contests to be eligible to participate in any play-off or tournament contests. 

Varsity Athlete Eligibility Rules

1. A limit of two JV or Varisty players in the sport they play can compete in an Intramural competition or league as long as the IM season does not interfere with their Athletic season.  Their coach must email or notify the SRC Director to allow the athlete to participate in any IM competition.  All athletes are eligible to compete in IM's that are not their athletic sport at Alma College. However, IM's such as 3 on 3 Basketball is limited to one JV or Varsity athlete per team.

     EXAMPLE:  Two Varsity or JV volleyball players may compete in a Spring Term 4 on 4 Sand Volleyball season.  One Varsity or JV basketball player may compete in a 3 on 3 basketball league as long as the season does not interfere with their actual athletic season.

Alma College Athletic Department—policy on Athletic Team Members’ Participation in Intramurals

          The Athletic Department discourages participation in intramurals by its athletes once practice for their season has started.  Our goals are for student-athletes to attain excellence in the classroom as well as in intercollegiate competition.  We believe that the extra time spent, often late at night, playing intramural sports detracts from those goals.  The possibility of being injured in an intramural game of course is also a factor.

          In addition, the head coach of each sport may make this a part of his/her team rules and has final determination in this area.  While not an Athletic Department edict, the Department as a whole will support a coach’s position on this. 

Sign-up Meeting Regulations

1. Sign-up meetings are mandatory for participation in a particular sport or activity.  The team manager or team captain (or a roster member substitute) must be in attendance at said meeting, or make other arrangements with the Assistant Director prior to the meeting, or the team will run the risk of being disqualified from competition.
2. Special rules, procedures, and playing arrangements for the sport will be arranged and agreed upon at the organizational meeting of team managers/team captains with the Assistant Director at the Rec. Center.  Check the IM Sports Organizational Meeting Calendar or the IM bulletin board for meeting times.  Please be on time.
3. All questions regarding the sport and the tournament structure will be answered at the organizational meeting.
4. If you are not affiliated with a team, but wish to participate, contact the Assistant Director before or at the meeting.

Intramural Team Captains and Managers

If an IM team is to receive maximum benefit and the best success in the IM program it must select a responsible person to serve as the IM team manager or captain. This person is the chief coordinator for all items of business between the team and the IM office including such responsibilities as:

1.       Becoming knowledgeable in all IM matters by frequenting the IM bulletin board located on the locker room wall in the Rec. Center, calling the Rec. Center customer service desk (x7949) or the Assistant director (x7950), and attending the organizational meeting for each sport. (See the IM Sports Meeting Calendar.)

2.       Communicating to your team all the important information received.

3.       Registering your team by placing all team member's names on an IM roster entry form and returning it to the Rec. Center office with accurate restrictions listed regarding times and days of competition.  This also includes choosing a team name.  Team names are expected to be in good taste and not offensive to individuals or groups on the basis of race, place or origin, religion, disability, sex, age, or culture.  If the team name is deemed offensive it will be changed at the Assistant Directors discretion.

4.       Entering your team in the desired sports on or before the posted sign-up date for entries. (See the IM Sports Meeting Calendar.)

5.       Being a positive and active IM participant and promoter

6.       Seeing that each sport/activity team has a capable captain, if not yourself. Experience has shown that teams having the best level of participation have had excellent team captains.

8.  Team captains are responsible for the behavior of their players, bench/sideline and team spectators.  The captain will assist the Intramural staff in promoting good sportsmanship in every intramural game or event.  Captains will be asked to assist game official sin removing ejected players from the game site anytime a participant is ejected.  Captains who cannot control their team, bench/sideline and/or spectators will be subject to disciplinary action as deemed appropriate by the Intramural Sports staff on a case-by-case basis.

Only those students who are vitally interested and have the time and ability to organize a group should be appointed or elected as team managers or team captains. Inadequate managers or captains will be asked to relinquish their duties to someone better able to shoulder the responsibility.

Forfeits and No Show Regulations:

1. 1.      If a team fails to appear at the appointed place, the contest shall be ruled a “no show.”  If a team is not ready to play at the scheduled starting time or if a team has one member present, but fall short of the minimum number, the contest shall be declared a forfeit.  One “no show” or two forfeits places that team on probation.  Once on probation, one additional “no show” or forfeit will eliminate that team from competition in that sport.
2. 2.  A team forfeits any contest in which it uses an ineligible player.  The responsibility of checking on eligibility rest entirely upon the team manager or team captain.  The Assistant director will check on a player’s eligibility only when requested to do so. 
3. Being ready to play means that a team must have (on the playing site) the official number of players needed to start a contest in that sport.  The team lineup must be properly marked of on the official score sheet by the scorekeeper prior to the start time of the contest.
4. Game time is Forfeit time!!!!  At game time the clock timing the contest will be started.  At this time, the offended team is given the option to take the victory or wait up to 10 minutes for the other team and play the game.  Once the decision is made by the offended captain, it may not be reversed and the outcome of the contest will stand.  Any time consumed by waiting for a team shall be taken off the time allotted for the game.

Equipment Regulations

1.  In intramural competition, no one may use equipment hazardous to others, such as: football equipment, baseball/ softball metal spikes, track spikes, or any other equipment or devices deemed hazardous by the IM Director, the sport supervisor, or the game arbitrator.Each team will receive only one warning without penalty. 
2.  Exceptions: stud earrings, medical alerts and wedding rings.

Health and Safety Regulations

1. It is the student's responsibility to consider his/her own state of health/fitness before becoming involved in intramurals. If you have questions about your level of conditioning or readiness, you should consult with the health clinic or your physician.  The college cannot be held responsible for students who participate without a sensible training period.
2. The college does not accept responsibility for injuries resulting from intramural competition. First aid will be the intramural participant’s own responsibility and may be obtained at Gratiot Community Hospital at the participant's own expense or at the medical center during the clinic hours at the participant's own expense.
3. The IM program does not carry insurance to cover those individuals who are injured while participating in IM contests. It is strongly recommended that all participants provide themselves with some form of accident insurance if they are not covered either by their own or their guardian's insurance program.
4. Alma College Intramural Program and Alan J. Stone Center for Recreation is not responsible for property that may be lost, stolen, or damaged as a result of participation in any sponsored event. 
5. No individuals will be allowed to participate in any activity if they are suspected to be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.  Any participant ejected from an intramural contest for violation of the drug/alcohol policy will be suspended from that teams next scheduled contest

Tie Breaker Regulations

1. If two or more teams are tied, the following rules will be followed in order to determine the league regular season standings:
   1. Within Pools1. Whoever does not have a “no show” or a forfeit on their total record.  A “ no show” is a more serious offense than a forfeit.
   2.  Head-to-head best record.
   3.  Difference in points scored for vs. points scored against in contests involving just those teams.
   4.  Difference in points scored for vs. points scored against in all common contests excluding forfeit and “no show” contests.
   5.  Flip a coin

Sportsmanship rules

Any individual who is found guilty of acting in an unsportsmanlike manner may be disqualified from all IM participation for the balance of the individual’s college career, or any part thereof.  The opinion of the game official or the sport supervisor will be the deciding factor in the suspension of a participant.  However, the Alma College Judicial Board will review all suspensions.  If another member of the team is a party to the unsportsmanlike conduct, that individual or the team may be barred from IM participation for the balance of the year or any part thereof.  Some examples of the infractions which would be considered as an unsportsmanlike act are:

1. Playing under an assumed name
2. Playing illegally on more than one team
3. Misrepresenting a score
4. Being a varsity/JV participant and with holding the fact.
5. Willfully taking action to injure an opponent
6. Behaving grossly or unruly at an IM contest either as a player, coach or spectator.
7. Using swear words toward another or swearing loudly.
8. Disrespect of IM scorekeepers, supervisors or officials.
9. Any other unsportsmanlike or unacceptable action displayed in any manner or degree.

Sportsmanship Rating Scale

Due to the past and present problems with sportsmanship in Alma College Intramural Sports, a Sportsmanship Rating Scale has been put into effect.  After each game the Intramural workers will rate each team on their sportsmanship (appendix D).  These rating will be turned in to the Assistant Director and averaged, similar to a grade point, through out the season.  Teams must maintain a “B” (3.0) average of better sportsmanship rating during regular season games to be eligible for the play-offs.  Teams will be graded on the following scale:

Play-off sportsmanship

• Teams must maintain their “B” or 3.0 or better sportsmanship rating through play-offs.  The average includes regular and play-off seasons. 
• Any team that receives a “C” or “D” rating must report to the office at the Alan J. Stone Center for Recreation the following day to discuss their rating with the Assistant Director.  At that time a decision will be made as to whether the team will continue to participate in the play-offs.  If the team is allowed to continue playing they must receive an “A” or “B” rating in the remainder of the play-off games. 
• Any team that receives an “F” rating will be eliminated from further play-off games. 

Individual Sportsmanship

    Individuals will be held responsible for their actions.  The following criteria have been established to provide clear expectations and promote acceptable conduct for participants and spectators. 

Ejections:

1. Ejected players are suspended immediately from all intramural activities, games and events upon their ejection.  The ejected person must immediately leave the game site and will be suspended from participation in any intramural competition.  The suspension is indefinite (carrying over from year-to-year) in length until the following steps are completed.
2. In order to regain eligibility the ejected player must prepare a written statement detailing the events surrounding the ejection and drop off a copy to the Office at the Stone Recreation Center.
3. The ejected player is responsible for scheduling a reinstatement meeting with the Assistant Director.  The meetings will take place at the availability of the Assistant Director and must be scheduled appointments.
4. If the ejected player does not feel the decision is fair, he or she may appeal by scheduling an appointment with the Assistant Director.  Appeals must be made within one week of the disciplinary decision.

The Intramural Program reserves the right to indefinitely suspend any participant or team from intramural competition for behavior that is detrimental to the mission and purpose of the program or college and/or safety of individuals participating in IM activities. Incidents that violate the Student Life Handbook will be referred to the Student Judicial Board for review.

Disciplinary Action

Disciplinary action will be taken when any participant verbally and/or physically abuses and/or threatens another participant and/or any Intramural Sports employees.  The following guidelines will be enforced when unsportsmanlike behavior occurs by a participant, coach and/or spectator:

• Any participant ejected from an intramural sports contest under any circumstance will be suspended for a minimum of one game and will have a hearing before the Alma College Student Judicial Board. 
• Any participant who physically threatens and/or contacts an Intramural Sports employee will be suspended indefinitely and will have a hearing before the Alma College Student Judicial Board
• Any participant who physically threatens and/or contacts another intramural participant will be suspended for the remainder of the sport season (including playoffs) and will have a hearing before the Alma College Student Judicial Board
• Any participant who verbally abuses and/or threatens an Intramural Sports employee and/or other intramural participant will be suspended for a minimum of two games and will have a hearing before the Alma College Student Judicial Board
• Any participant who damages any Intramural Sports equipment and/or facility will be suspended for a minimum of three games and will have a hearing before the Alma College Student Judicial Board
• Post game incidents involving any verbal and/or physical abuse of Intramural Sports employees, other participants, and/or Intramural equipment and/or facilities will be dealt with as an extension of the contest and will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
• Any participant who is ejected from an intramural sports contest is ineligible for all intramural activities (including other sports) until he/she has followed the ejection steps listed above and met with the Assistant Director.

Protest Rules

1. No protest will be considered which concerns itself with the question of judgment exhibited by an IM official, scorekeeper or supervisor during an IM contest.
2. Protests may only be concerned with rule interpretation and player eligibility. 
3. Rule interpretation protests must be made at the contest site at the time of the dispute to the proper official (a scorekeeper or supervisor) indicating that the game or contest is being continued under protest along with the rationale for it.  The proper official will take time to write a note on the back of the score sheet before the game is resumed.  Said protest must be signed by opposing captains.  The signatures show that each party knows of the protest.  It does not hold you to what is written on the protest.  No consideration will be given to a formal protest that has not been made in the manner described above.  In most instances problems can be satisfactorily resolved on the site by the IM sport supervisor. 
4. Rule interpretation protests must be made of the official protest form(appendix C), which can be obtained from the IM supervisor.  The protest form must be given to the Assistant Director within twenty-four hours after the contest in which the protest arose.  If a protest is filed after the standard 24 hour time period it must further include a rationale for why the protest should be considered when it is beyond the usual 24-hour period.
5. Player eligibility protests must be made within 24 hours of the game in which the eligibility is in question.  Protests must be submitted to the IM supervisor or Assistant Director.
6. A contest where there was an upheld protest involving rule interpretation shall be replayed from the nearest actual point and condition of the game as was in place at the time of the protest or, as in softball, from the beginning of the half inning in which the protest occurred.  A team found to have used an ineligible player shall have voided any victory gained in any contest in which the ineligible player participated. 

Contest Postponement Regulations

1. With an extraordinary circumstance prevailing, it may be possible to reschedule a contest should conditions permit.  A scheduled contest may be postponed only by unanimous agreement of both team captains and the Assistant Director.  Such postponement must be done not less than twenty-four hours prior to the originally scheduled contest time to enable adequate notification to all parties affected by the postponement.  With the number of activities going on in the Rec. Center and comparatively short playing seasons the requests for postponement must be kept to a minimum.  No game will be rescheduled if a request by either team to postpone occurs on the originally scheduled date.
2. Due to inclement weather: The intramural office reserves the right to postpone or reschedule a contest if weather related circumstances warrant such action.  Scheduled contests postponed due to weather, darkness, or other reasons beyond the control of game officials may be rescheduled (if possible) only if the contest has a significant effect on the playoff seeding and/or playoff qualifications.  If games are postponed after play has started, activities will be canceled and play (if possible) will resume at the time the game was postponed.  The Assistant Director has complete discretion in deciding whether or not games will be rescheduled.  Decisions pertaining to weather related postponements will be made after 2:00pm on days when game status is questionable.  Such decisions may be obtained by calling (x7949).  It will be the responsibility of the team captain to obtain rescheduling information.

Your Input

As an intramural sports participant it is important that the Rec. Center get your feedback.  One way that we would like to do that is by making Official’s Evaluations (appendix A) available to you.  By filling out a form on the officials that worked your game the Rec. Center will be able to determine what changes need to be made to make your games better.  Official evaluation forms can be picked up from the nightly IM Supervisor.

Intramural Award System

The members of the championship team in each IM sport/activity will receive a championship IM T-shirt. A team member must have participated in at least 50% of the team's regular season contests or, if a playoff is held in a sport, participated in at least one regular season contest and played in the playoffs. No individual may receive more than two IM T-shirts during the academic year.

Student Profile

Corinna Kizer
Graduation: 2008
Major: Biology
From: Webster, New York
Interests: Singing, Percussion

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