Christopher Newport University Office of Recreational Services - Intramural Sports Program Manual – 2014-2015 **All changes made to the Intramural Manual for Fall 2014 will be highlighted in grey** Section 1: Philosophy of Intramural Sports The purpose of the intramural sports program is to provide an opportunity for Christopher Newport University students, faculty and staff members to take part in competitive and non-competitive recreational sport activities within the framework of educational endeavors. Intramurals, literally meaning "within the walls" pertains to something within one institution. Intramural sports involve competition from participants that are both within the same school. Therefore, the program is designed to accommodate the interest of the University community and is solely for the use of the University community described above. Intramurals encompasses an inclusive environment of healthy competition, where sportsmanship is emphasized and programs are available to participants regardless of their skill level, ability, and experience or otherwise. Section 2: Objectives of the Intramural Program Manual The program manual is a resource for all CNU intramural participants. It provides the foundation and basis for which the CNU intramural program is structured. It is the responsibility of the participant to become educated in the rules and policies of intramural sports prior to participation. It is the responsibility of the team captain to share information discussed in the program manual with his/her team. The policies and procedures in this manual are subject to review and change by the Director of Recreational Services at any time. Section 3: Intramural Financing The intramural sports program is financed by activity and services fees paid by Christopher Newport University students. Many intramural activities require a refundable forfeit fee. Team sports are $20/team( first two are $20, then $10 thereafter). Individual/dual sports are $5 per team. The refundable forfeit fee is subject to alteration by the Director of Recreational Services at any time. This fee is returned provided an individual or team does not forfeit. A fee Section 4: www.imleagues.com All participants must have a www.imleagues.com account in order to participate in Intramural Sports activities. Participants can follow the steps below to create their accounts and sign up to play!  How to create an www.imleagues.com account o Go to www.imleagues.com, at top right corner of page, click “CREATE ACCOUNT” o Select “Christopher Newport University” from the dropdown box and proceed to fill out all required information. o Follow instructions to verify email address and activate account.  How to sign up/join your team in www.imleagues.com o Click “Register” at top right corner of page o Select appropriate link; “create a team” “join a team”, or “join as a free agent” o Select appropriate sport o Click on league registered for (Men’s CoRec, Women’s, Fraternity, Sorority, Elite/Premier) o Click on division registered for (listed by day and time) o Enter team name o Check the box  Agree to Terms and Conditions o Submit your team  Invite team members to join your team o Click “Invite team members” o Input email addresses and hit send Section 5: Eligibility Only currently enrolled CNU students and faculty or staff enrolled in or employed by the University (full-time, part-time; graduate assistants eligible, volunteers ineligible), shall be eligible to participate in intramural sports. CNU alumni and spouses of faculty/staff are not allowed to participate in intramural sports.  Eligibility of CNU Sport Club Participants, Collegiate, & Professional Athletes No Intramural Sports team may exceed 2 of any combination of the following sport club, varsity, or professional players in their sport or related sport on their roster (please contact Recreational Services office for questions or clarifications). Exception, Softball may have 3. o Sport Club athletes are defined as those participants who appear on the dues paid roster for the current semester. These rosters are maintained by the Director of Recreational Services. o Varsity athletes are defined as being on the roster and participating in organized practices or games at the varsity level in the past 3 years.  Varsity athletes may not participate in their sport or a related sport until after the end of the semester in which they participated at the varsity level.  If a first year varsity player leaves or is dropped from the varsity team prior to the first game of the year, that player is eligible to participate without restriction. o Professional athletes are defined as being on the roster and participating in organized practices or games at the professional or semi-professional level in the past 5 years.  Professional athletes may not participate in their sport or a related sport until 1 year has lapsed since they have permanently terminated their active participation at the professional or semiprofessional level. **The Intramural Sports staff will make final decisions on determining eligibility. It is advisable to consult the Recreational Services office before participation if questions arise.** Section 6: Captain’s ID Card All participants must present a valid Captain’s Card also known as the CNU ID card (ID) before each intramural game. The ID must have a visible picture and the name and ID number must be visible to the intramural staff. If the intramural staff member cannot distinguish the picture, name or ID number, the participant will be turned away. Furthermore, ID cards must have current semester stickers on them. If no current semester sticker is present, the participant will be turned away.  The ID should remain on-site for the duration of the game.  The ID card is the only identification accepted by the intramural staff. NO EXCEPTIONS.  If an intramural staff member determines that an individual is attempting to check-in with false identification in order to participate in an intramural contest, the ID will be confiscated and that individual will not be allowed to play.  If the intramural staff determines that the team captain was aware of the individual’s use of improper identification, then that team will forfeit their game and subsequently be removed from further competition.  Any individual who has played or attempts to play using an invalid or false ID card will immediately be suspended from all intramural activities. This individual’s case will be forwarded to the Center for Honor Enrichment and Community Standards. Further involvement by that individual’s team will be reviewed on a case by case basis.  The intramural staff cannot and will not allow anyone to play without the proper identification. Regarding ID use, the decision of the intramural staff on-site is final. No appeals regarding ID use will be accepted. Section 7: Captain’s Responsibilities When registering, a captain must be listed. The captain is the official liaison between the team and Campus Recreation. The captain is also the person to whom communication/correspondence will be directed. Specific responsibilities of the captain include:  Creating your team on www.imleagues.com prior to the required date.  Successfully completing the online Captain’s quiz on www.imleagues.com  Paying the $20 Forfeit Fee during the designated collection times.  Notifying team members of rules, playing schedules and changes, eligibility policies and ensuring that the team is in compliance.  Representing the team in the case of protests.  Promoting good sportsmanship and fair play before, during, and after games for all team members and spectators.  Informing all members of his/her team of the proper process if a team member is ejected from an Intramural Sports activity. Section 8: Team Rosters Each game’s score sheet will serve as a team’s roster, and all players’ must provide a full name, CNU email and ID number in order to appear on the score sheet. Male participants may play on one Men’s team and one CoRec team per sport. Female participants may play on one Women’s team or one Men’s team (but not both) and one CoRec team per sport. A player found to be playing on two teams (one of those not being CoRec) 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 signed the team roster form of a registered intramural team, he/she may not play for another team / team member for the remainder of the season unless they follow the following procedures:  Dropping Players from the Roster: A player unable to play with their original team (for whatever reason) may be dropped permanently from that team’s roster during the course of the season. This may be done by the team captain or the participant. This drop may occur on site with the intramural staff or in the Office of Recreational Services. The dropped participant will be unable to re-sign with their original team (the team that they were dropped from) but will be able to play with another team provided that they follow the proper procedure for switching teams and are eligible to do so.  Switching Teams: Each intramural participant may drop off their original team’s roster in order to play with another team one time and one time only during the course of the semester. However, this drop may only occur if the participant has played in only one game or less with their original team, or within the first 15 days of that sports regular season, whichever comes first (regardless of whether or not that individual plays on that day). After this 15 day grace period has expired no switching of teams will be allowed. To switch to another team, the participant must bring his/her CNU ID card to the intramural program assistant for that sport during their office hours and make their claim for wanting to switch teams.  Adding Participants to the Roster: Teams are allowed to add participants to their roster up until their last intramural game, as long as that participant has not played on another team, or if they have, have completed the proper “switching teams” procedure with the intramural program assistant and adding the new player(s) does not put the team over the roster cap.  Roster Caps: All team sports can have a maximum of 15 people on a roster.  In the event that an injury (and only an injury) will prevent a team from continuing to play, the team may appeal to have additional player(s) added to their roster with the written consent of that sport’s program assistant. Teams/individuals appealing this cap should bring proof of the injury to the intramural program assistant for that sport during his/her office hours. Section 9: Equipment/Uniforms  Acceptable or Required Equipment o Proper athletic shoes must be worn. No sandals, flip-flops, dress shoes, boots, etc. o Stocking caps are permitted in outdoor sports only, provided there are no exposed knots, tails, holes or drawstrings, etc. o Knee braces are permitted with approved protective (neoprene) covers. o Headbands, sweatbands, and wristbands are permitted in outdoor and indoor sports provided there are no exposed tails, holes or drawstrings, etc. **Religious or Medic-alert bracelets are not considered jewelry. A religious medal must be taped and worn under the team shirt. Medic-alert bracelets must be taped down and may be visible.**  Prohibited Equipment o Jewelry (rings, watches, necklaces, ankle bracelets, earrings, rubber bands, etc.). Placing tape over jewelry is ONLY permitted when an earring can solely be removed with pliers (i.e. tragus cartilage piercing). All other piercings, whether they are new or not, must come out prior to play! o Casts o Hard bill hats are prohibited in all sports except softball or softball/baseball related activities. o Metal cleats o Pants with hard unyielding substances (zippers) o Belts cannot be worn to support the pants. o Drawstrings must be tucked in to the pants/shorts. o Denim material is not allowed due to the restriction of movement.  o T-shirts long enough to cover pockets (i.e. Tall Tees) o Sleeveless T-shirts that are ripped past the seam of the armpit. Team Uniforms o Teams will have the opportunity to select a team color during the registration process of the sport. Once a team selects a particular color for a division, it may not be duplicated by another team in that same division. o White, grey and other colors that could be perceived as white or grey will not be allowed, however all other colors will be permitted. White or grey shirts are only to be used as alternate jerseys in playoff situations. o The team is required to have all players wear the same shade of color to every game. For example, red and maroon are not the same shade of red; navy blue and royal blue are not the same shade of blue. o During the regular season the team on the right side of the schedule/score sheet is responsible for the alternate jersey. o During a tournament, the lower seed on the bracket is responsible for the alternate jersey color. o Numbering of shirts: All sports require participants to mark a number, 3" high on the back of their shirt. This number must be visible to the intramural staff. This number must not be taped on the shirt. This number cannot be a fraction, decimal or triple digit number. No team members can wear the same number. o Soccer: The sport of soccer requires each goalie to have a different color shirt than his/her teammates and opponents. Section 10: Injuries/Liability Participation in intramural sport 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 recreational 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. In addition: o The intramural program does not provide athletic trainers. o Should an injury occur, the intramural supervisor (certified in First Aid/CPR/AED training) will treat to the best of their ability and then refer participants for additional medical attention as necessary. o In the event of a head, neck or back injury, the injured participant must receive written permission from a physician before engaging in further participation. o All participants must sign a Release, Hold Harmless and Conduct Agreement (i.e. Team Roster Form) prior to participation in any intramural activity. Also, should further medical attention be determined and the participant refuses treatment – they must sign the injury report indicating their decision. o Blood Rule - Any player who is bleeding must be substituted for until the bleeding stops. An intramural staff member or game official has the authority to remove the player. If blood is on clothing, the participant must change into a clean item (i.e. t-shirt, shorts, etc.) before returning to play. Section 11: Forfeits/Defaults All teams must have the minimum number of starting players within the visual confines of the playing surface by game time, otherwise they will forfeit that match.  One forfeit results in the loss of the $20 Forfeit Fee. A default occurs when the captain of a team contacts the Rec Services Office by at least 3pm on their scheduled game (or 3pm on Friday for a Sunday game) and indicates that they will not be able to play. This will still count as loss for the team defaulting.  This allows the Intramural Sports staff to contact the opposing team captain and the staff to inform them the game will not take place, and adjust a schedule if necessary.  Teams that call to default after 3pm of the day they are scheduled to play (or after 3pm on Friday for a Sunday game) are subject to receiving a forfeit as time is limited to contact the opponents and staff. Section 12: Conduct & Sportsmanship  Tobacco, Alcohol, & Other Drugs o Alcohol / Drug Use - All CNU intramural sport participants and spectators must abide by the alcoholic beverage policy listed below: Alcohol of any kind is not allowed on the playing fields or in any of the indoor facilities. If a participant or spectator is suspected with possession of alcohol, this individual will be asked to immediately leave the playing field or gym. If he/she refuses, CNU police will be contacted. If any player or players are suspected of drinking or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they will NOT be permitted to participate in the intramural event, and should a team fall below the required number to play – this game will be counted as a default. If the team’s on their second default, this counts as forfeit and will be dropped from further competition. o Tobacco Use - No one is allowed to smoke on or in any sport facility. No participant is allowed to use smokeless tobacco on or in any sport facility. For events held outside on James River Turf Field, spectators may smoke cigarettes outside the field gate or in the bleachers ONLY. No one may smoke on the outside perimeter of the field (i.e. the gravel area) and not on the field itself. This is to ensure cigarette butts do not end up on the playing field, and to help with a debris free facility. NO exceptions allowed.  Ejection Policy All participants that are ejected from an Intramural Sports activity will be immediately suspended from all Intramural Sports activities until reinstated by the Intramural Sports Professional staff. o To be reinstated, the ejected participant must complete the reinstatement process emailed to them by the Intramural Sports Professional staff upon their ejection. This process includes both a written petition for reinstatement as well as a scheduled meeting with the Intramural Sports Professional staff. o Penalties are effective after the meeting with the Intramural Sports Professional staff (i.e. no self-imposed penalties). The Intramural Sports Professional staff will determine the length of suspension for each incident that occurs based on information obtained from the officials, supervisors and participant ejected. o Infractions that may result in ejection from Intramural Sports activities include the following:  Unsportsmanlike behavior  Verbal abuse  Unnecessary physical contact  Fighting (striking or attempting to strike)  Threatening behavior (verbal) towards an official or supervisor  Threatening behavior (physical) towards an official or supervisor  Individual playing under an assumed name  Individual playing illegally on two teams in the same sex division  Individuals playing after the consumption or suspicion of consumption of alcohol/drugs  Damage/Destruction of facilities or equipment  Other actions deemed necessary by the Intramural Sports/Campus Recreation staff o The ejected players team will also lose the right to sub in for that ejected player. They will play the remaining of the game a person down.  Team Sportsmanship Ratings Each team will be given an overall sportsmanship rating for each game by the Intramural Sports staff. The rating will be on a grade point scale “5.0”, “4.0”, “3.0”, “2.0”, “1.0”, or “0.0” basis. A general description of each rating and the behavior that constitutes each rating is listed below:  5.0 Rating – Excellent Conduct and Sportsmanship o Players fully cooperate with all officials and other team members. The captain calmly converses with the officials about rule interpretations and calls. The captain has full control of their teammates, fans and bench throughout the contest. There is no dissension shown whatsoever.  4.0 Rating – Above Average Conduct and Sportsmanship o Team members maintain general respect for officials and other team members, but show some complaint and/or disagreement with officials’ decisions. May receive a verbal warning for behavior, but display good sportsmanship after confrontation.  3.0 Rating – Average Conduct and Sportsmanship o Team members verbally complain about some decisions made by the officials and/or show minor dissension, which may or may not merit an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.  2.0 Rating – Below Average Conduct and Sportsmanship o Team members show verbal dissent (yelling, questioning calls constantly, etc.) towards officials and/or opposing team members from the playing field or bench that merits an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. The team captain exhibits minor control over the teammates. The captain and participants may be asked to meet with a member of the Intramural Sports Professional staff regarding their behavior.  1.0 Rating – Poor Conduct and Sportsmanship o Team member verbally complain about most decisions made by the officials and show incredible dissention, which merits an unsportsmanlike penalty. The captain has no control over himself or teammates. The captain and participants may be asked to meet with a member of the Intramural Sports Professional staff regarding their behavior.  0.0 Rating – Totally Unacceptable Conduct and Sportsmanship o Team members are completely uncooperative. The captain has no control over themselves or their teammates. The captains and participants may be asked to meet with a member of the Intramural Sports Professional staff regarding their behavior and future participation in Intramural Sports activities. Section 13: Playoffs Playoffs will be held for each division in all team sports.  All teams which maintain a 4.0 sportsmanship rating throughout the regular season, do not forfeit more than one game, and do not default more than two games are eligible for the playoffs.  During playoffs, teams will play several times per week at various times. Teams should anticipate this and “stock” their rosters accordingly.  If at any time during the playoffs, a team has a player ejected from a contest, the game may be terminated and they may be removed from further participation in the playoffs.  Most playoffs will be a single elimination tournament. o Most Men’s and CoRec divisions will be divided into two playoff brackets. Teams with a winning percentage above .500 will advance to the garnet (competitive) bracket, while the remaining eligible teams within each league will advance to the black (recreational) bracket.  If a team prefers to play in a different bracket, they may do so by contacting the Intramural Sports office and making that request prior to brackets being made. Exceptions and special requests regarding the bracketing process will be considered and made at the discretion of the Intramural Sports Professional staff. Section 14: Protests Protests which challenge the accuracy of a judgment call made by the intramural officials will not be accepted. Only protests based on rule interpretation that affect the outcome of the game will be accepted or player eligibility. Protesting the score of a game is accepted during the game but once the game is completed no protest may be made. The team captain must make any protest involving rule interpretation to the intramural supervisor at the time of which the incident in question occurs. The protesting team will be asked to fill out a Protest Form. Once play has resumed, it is no longer subject to change or protest.  Rule Interpretations o No protest will be considered which concerns the judgment of a staff member. o To be valid, a protest of a rule interpretation must be verbally registered with an official at the time the incident occurs. The game and clock will then be stopped. The staff shall separate themselves from the other participants and determine the correct ruling. o If either captain believes the staff’s ruling to be in error, s/he should inform the supervisor that s/he wishes to file a formal protest. The supervisor will give the captain the protest form. The protesting team captain then has until NOON the next business day to deliver the protest form to the Intramural Sports office. o The Intramural Sports Professional staff will rule on all written protests. If a rule interpretation protest is ruled valid, every attempt will be made to replay the game from the point at which the protest was lodged. **No rule interpretation protests can be made on a previous play after the game resumes. **  Participant Eligibility o Protests of alleged ineligibility should be made immediately to the staff rather than waiting to see the outcome of a game. o If an eligibility protest is made prior to a game and it can be determined that a player is ineligible to participate, s/he will not be allowed to participate. If the eligibility of the player in question cannot be determined, the team captain has the option of using the player. However, if it is determined later that the player was ineligible, the team may forfeit the game. o If an eligibility protest is made during or immediately after the game, the protesting captain must complete a protest form with the sport supervisor and bring it to the Intramural Sports office by NOON the next day. The Intramural Sports Professional Staff will examine the protest and rule on the eligibility of the player in question. Section 15: Rainouts Rainouts typically will NOT be made up due to a limited amount of time and space to complete the season. In the event that space permits, an Intramural Sports staff member will contact teams that were rained out in an attempt to reschedule.  Games may not be rescheduled if teams are unable to play due to other University functions including class, formals, trips, or other student organization events. The more advance notice the Intramural Sports Professional Staff have of the conflict, the more likely they are to be able to reschedule. Section 16: Participant Feedback With the enormity of the Intramural Sports program, it is impossible for Intramural Sports Professional staff to be at every game or event. The Director rely on reports by the Intramural Sports Supervisors to keep abreast of situations arising within the program. However, these reports may miss details in the situations. Participants are encouraged to submit a participant evaluation, found on the Intramural Sports website or by submitting suggestions and comments on the Intramural Sports surveys distributed during and/or after the regular season. Section 17: Rules Changes Campus Recreation reserves the right to put into effect any rules regarding Intramural Sports that it deems necessary.  An attempt will be made to notify all participants and teams of such changes in a timely fashion. Section 18: Job Opportunities The intramural program will provide several student employment opportunities, most notably intramural officials. These employees are in absolute control of the game and their decisions are final. Participants in the program are encouraged to provide polite and tactful feedback to the staff at the end of the game. However, teams should voice all concerns through their team captain. In addition, captains have the option to express any questions or major concerns about officiating by contacting the Director of Recreational Services.