Intramural Policies & Procedures

It is mandatory that a representative from your team attend the captains’ meetings. A representative can be a captain, co-captain, coach or teammate (i.e. the representative must be on the team roster). If a representative is not present, your team will be placed on immediate probation for that sport and lose 50 points in the Skyhawk Point System. If the team commits any further violations such as earning a “D” sportsmanship rating or having a player ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct, that team will immediately be brought before the Coordinator of Intramurals and Director for disciplinary action. Rules and regulations will be discussed, and all questions concerning them will be answered. Check the meeting times listed for each sport in the Intramural Sports Calendar section of this guide.

1. The captain is responsible for attending or sending a team representative to the captain’s meeting. A representative can be a captain, co-captain, coach or teammate (ie: the representative must be on the team roster).
2. Submit completed team rosters with correct team/player information along with entry fee. When completing the roster, the captain should be confident that all players on his/ her team is eligible according to the intramural guidelines.
3. When choosing a team name please ensure that the team name is in good taste and not offensive to individuals or groups on the basis of race, place of origin, religion, disability, sex, age or culture. The Office of Campus Recreation reserves the right to modify all team names.
4. Know and understand all intramural rules and procedures and share with all team members.
5. Obtain and share information with team members concerning playing schedules, and schedule changes, as well as the time and place they will play their games.
6. Prior to game time, the captain is responsible for signing in their team with the officials (it is suggested that all players report 15 minutes prior to scheduled game time).
7. Team captains should check the Rec. Check hotline at 881-7007 when games are questionable due to inclement weather.
8. Promote fair play and a positive atmosphere at game sites by encouraging good sportsmanship and assuming responsibility for controlling the conduct of teammates and spectators.
9. Ensure all players possess their Skyhawk ID at each game.
10. Captains are required to represent their teams in all actions related to intramural participation including protest, disciplinary matters, rescheduling, and all other matters.
11.  Captains are responsible for all fees associated with the team (i.e. Entry fee, forfeit fee, facility or equipment damage).

Eligibility
1.  All current University of Tennessee at Martin students, full-time faculty and staff are eligible to compete in intramural sports, except as stated by the rules.
2.  Undergraduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of nine hours of study to be eligible to participate. Graduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of six hours.
3.  Any individual who participated in a varsity sport (at any 2 or 4 year college) during one academic year would be ineligible to participate in that sport or an associate sport during the same academic year. This includes students who are listed on a varsity team roster but are not receiving financial assistance, players with “red shirt” status during the 2008 – 2009 academic year, or players on the 2008-2009 roster but leave the team. All former collegiate athletes seeking to play in their sport or an associate sport must sit out one calendar year and the next full intramural season. Roster checks will be done at random throughout the year.
4.  An associate sport or event is defined as an activity that requires similar skills to participate. For football: the associate sport is flag football; for baseball: softball and home run derby; for track: cross country, turkey trot and track meet; for basketball: any basketball tournament sponsored by The Office of Campus Recreation and the intramural basketball season; for volleyball: volleyball, sand volleyball and walleyball; for golf: golf scramble; for tennis: tennis; and for soccer: soccer.
5.  In the following team sports the number of former or current collegiate athletes allowed on a roster is limited to:   Basketball-3; Volleyball-3; Flag Football-3;
Softball-4, Soccer-3. Ultimate Frisbee-3, Indoor Soccer-2.
6.  Professionals or former professionals are ineligible to compete in any sport related to their professional involvement. For intramural purposes, a professional athlete is defined as an individual who has received pay for playing a sport. This includes any compensation received for tryouts, training camps, or summer leagues.
7.  An individual is allowed to play on only one same-sex team (for example, one can play for a women’s team and a Jack and Jill team, but not for two women’s.).  After playing in one contest with a given team, a player may not transfer to another team in
that sport. Each competing team may add names to its roster after the first scheduled game in league play, as long as the player/players added have not participated with
another team. Players cannot be added to a roster once the single elimination tournament has begun. Players must play in one official league game to be eligible for the playoffs.
8.  The use of an illegal player will constitute a forfeiture of all games in which the illegal player participated, plus the illegal player will be suspended for the remainder of the season. The legal team the player is on (the team they first played with) will not be penalized.
9.  The use of an assumed name, or using someone else’s ID in any manner in the intramural program shall constitute a violation of the rules. Any player committing a fraudulent act shall be barred from intramural competition for that season. The team on which the illegal player competed will forfeit all games involving that participant. The actual person on the ID will also be suspended from intramural competition for that season.
10.  For purposes of determining participation in a particular game/contest as related to eligibility, listing of a player on the score sheet and presence at the game constitutes participation in that contest unless other information is available to show that an individual did or did not participate.

Note: If any team is found using an ineligible/illegal player, that team is at risk of being dropped from competition. Team captain and ineligible/illegal player will meet with the Coordinator of Intramurals and the Director to discuss disciplinary measures.  All decisions will be at the discretion of the Coordinator of Intramurals as well as the Director.

Leagues
There are five leagues in intramural sports. They are as follows: Men’s Talon, Men’s Claw, Women’s Talon, Women’s Claw and Jack and Jill. The Talon League is for those participants who feel their team is highly skilled and are seeking a highly competitive environment. The Claw League is for those participants who feel their team is skilled and are seeking a balanced competitive environment. The Jack and Jill League are for male and female participants on the same team.

Note:  At least four teams must sign up in a league, or they will be transferred to another league (i.e. If only three teams enter the Men’s Claw League, those teams will automatically be entered into the Men’s Talon League.)

Team Sport Sign-up
1. Roster entries will not be accepted after the sign-up deadline.
2. Team rosters must be submitted on the official intramural entry forms. These forms are available at The Office of Campus Recreation.
3.  The entry form must be completed in full with all fees paid before the application can be accepted.
4.  Entry fees for each team sport are listed in the Intramural Sports Calendar section of this guide.
5.  The entry deadline for each sport is at the captain’s meeting, for dates refer to the Intramural Sports Calendar.

Individual and Dual Sports Sign-up
1. Individual and dual sport entries will not be accepted after the sign-up deadline.
2. Individual and dual sport entries must be submitted on official intramural entry forms. These forms are available at The Office of Campus Recreation.
3.  The entry form must be completed in full with all fees paid before the application can be accepted.
4.  Entry fees for each individual and dual sport are listed in the Intramural Sports Calendar section of this guide.
5.  The entry deadline for each sport is specified in the Intramural Sports Calendar section located in this publication.

Forfeits & Player Minimums
1.  Entry forms, once completed, constitute an agreement between the team and The Office of Campus Recreation. In effect, the team is agreeing to play at the scheduled times. If a team decides to withdraw from the league after the captains meeting has been completed no refund will be given. Please honor the agreement.
2.  A fine of $20 will be assessed to any team or individual for a forfeit in flag football, basketball, softball, soccer and volleyball. If a forfeit occurs, the fine must be paid prior to the team’s next scheduled game. A team that has been assessed 2 forfeits will be dropped from further competition. If the forfeit occurs in the tournament, the fine must be paid prior to the team’s next sport. Failure to pay the fine may result in the team being dropped from further competition.
3. It is advisable for all teams to be at all games 15 minutes prior to the start of the
game--Game time is forfeit time!
4.  If a team leaves the playing area before a game is completed, the result will be a forfeiture of that game.
5.  The minimum number of players to start a team sport is as follows: football, 5; basketball, 4; volleyball, 4; softball, 7; soccer, 5, ultimate frisbee, 5; and indoor soccer, 4.

Defaults
1. If a team is unable to make a game or if an individual is unable to make a match, a forfeit can be avoided if the team or individual calls the Office of Campus Recreation
24 HOURS prior to the scheduled starting time. We will contact your opponent, and the forfeit fine will not be assessed. The team or individual defaulting will be assessed a loss.
2. A team will default a contest but not be assessed a forfeit fee when it uses an ineligible player and declares the game default before it begins.
3. After two defaults per sport season, future defaults will be considered forfeits!

Team rosters are kept on file in the intramural office. It is the responsibility of the team captain to keep their roster current. Players can only be dropped from a team prior to the start of a season and players can be added to the team roster by filling out a roster addition form. Roster addition forms can be filled out in the Campus Rec. Office or at the game site. Remember, players cannot be added to a roster once the single elimination tournament has begun. Players must play in one official league game to be eligible for the playoffs.

Free Agents
If you are interested in playing a sport and have had difficulty finding enough people for a team, you should contact The Office of Campus Recreation at 881-7745 or stop by 1020 Elam Center. The intramural sports staff will assist you in locating a team or recruiting additional team members at the captain’s meeting. If you learn about Intramural Sports after the team deadline you are encouraged to contact individual team captains, whose contact information is located on the web, and ask them if you can join their team. Teams can add players to their roster up until the last regular season game.

Scheduling
Team Sports: Every effort will be made to schedule games to comply with your request. In the event a conflict arises, consult the Rescheduling section.  Intramurals are played Sunday through Thursday…some games may be scheduled on Friday and Saturday due to inclement weather, or scheduling conflicts.

Tournaments: The Office of Campus Recreation will do everything possible to accommodate the schedules of all participants. However, due to the limited time to complete the tournament, participants should be ready to play according to the tournament schedule. No tournament games will be rescheduled.

Note: To compete in the playoffs a team must have a 500 record.

Rescheduling
Rescheduling of a game or match is possible if The Office of Campus Recreation is notified 48 hours prior to the scheduled game time. Policies for rescheduling are as follows:
1.  A team or individual initiating the rescheduling is allowed only two rescheduled games/matches per season.
2. The team or individual initiating the reschedule must contact his/her opponent’s captain or co-captain and The Office of Campus Recreation to set up a rescheduling meeting, whereby both, captains and the Coordinator of Intramurals or Intramural Supervisor are present. In this meeting, rescheduling options will be discussed, and both teams must agree on the rescheduled time.
3. The rescheduling meeting must take place prior to the original scheduled game. If
this meeting does not take place prior to the original scheduled date, a default will be
issued to the team initiating the reschedule.
NOTE:  Keep in mind if there are no rescheduling options and if the team or individual cannot play at the original time, then a default will be issued.
4. The opposing team captain or individual is not obligated to change the play date or starting time.
5. Both team captains or individuals must sign the rescheduling agreement form before the rescheduling becomes official.
6.  No Tournament Games will be rescheduled.

Inclement Weather
The decision to determine whether or not games can be played will be made by The Office of Campus Recreation by 3:00 p.m. on the day of the game or match. Call the Campus Recreation hotline, 881-7007, for updated intramural information. League games cancelled, due to inclement weather will be replayed at a later date provided that space and time is available. If space and time is not available the result will be a double win. Teams and captains are responsible for checking the Campus Recreation website or the intramural display case outside Rec. Check for rescheduled game times. In the event of an impending electrical storm, activities will be halted and the fields cleared until lighting is no longer in the vicinity.

Protest
1.  A protest CANNOT be filed as a result of a judgment call by the official.
2.  A protest can be filed if the play in question deals with the interpretation of the rules, if the score of the game is in question, or if player eligibility is in question.
3. During tournament play, a player eligibility protest must be made prior to the start of the game.
4. Initially, all protests must be made to the sport supervisor by the team captain at the time of the potential infraction. If the protest is not registered at this time and play resumes, the protest will not be valid.
5. The team captain must complete an official written protest and submit the completed
form to the student intramural supervisor immediately following the game or match (Except during tournament time, refer to rule #3) after which the protesting team’s captain must call and set up an appointment with Coordinator of Intramurals. The protest must be accompanied by a $30 protest fee. If the protest is upheld, the protest fee will be returned.
6.  An upheld protest involving a rule interpretation will result in the game being replayed from the point of the protest if at all possible and if the upheld protest affects the outcome of the game.
7. Any team with an ineligible person loses all rights to protest a game.
8.  When staff is evaluating a protest no outside items (videos, fans, etc.) will be considered.
9.  Should the intramural sports staff detect player eligibility violations, which are not protested by a team or individual, appropriate actions will be initiated. This will typically involve the forfeiting of any contests in which the ineligible individual(s) participated.
10. Failure to follow the foregoing provisions to the letter will automatically invalidate the protest.

Ejection Policy
Players ejected from a game for behavioral reasons will be suspended from all Campus Recreation activities pending a hearing with the Campus Recreation Director and Coordinator of Intramurals. In addition, players ejected for behavioral reasons will result in a ten point deduction from the teams overall sportsmanship rating. It is the responsibility of the team captain and suspended player to set up a hearing with the Office of Campus Recreation.  The length of the suspension and other disciplinary measures will be determined at the hearing.

Awards
The most important and significant awards for participating in intramural sports are not material.  However, to assure that participants will have a quality remembrance of their experience, specially designed t-shirts will be given to the overall champions* in Men’s Talon, Men’s Claw, Women’s Talon, Women’s Claw, and Jack and Jill divisions. Awards are limited to the number of players on the roster up to 12.
* Winning the overall season ending single elimination tournament does not guarantee the overall champion. All guidelines determining the overall champion are outlined in the Skyhawk Point System.

The Skyhawk Point System: How it Works
The Skyhawk Point System is based on a team’s ability to generate points in five different categories: participation, sportsmanship, number of games/matches/events won, meetings attended and team placement in each intramural team sport. The team sport and its point values are displayed within this handbook. The point system is designed to reward those teams who participate in the intramural program and at the same time maintain a good level of sportsmanship. A running total of points will be kept throughout the academic year for those teams who consistently participate in the program. A team must compete in 4 of the 7-team sports; maintain at least 60 percent of the original team and the original team name to be eligible for the point system. As teams accumulate points, they will be working toward levels of achievement. 
     Each level has been assigned point values accordingly. The two levels are gold and silver. Teams reaching 1,200 points will have attained the silver level. These teams will receive a certificate of recognition and have their picture on the Campus Recreation website. Teams accumulating 1,600 points will have attained the gold level. These teams will receive specially designed t-shirts, certificates of recognition and their picture featured in the Campus Recreation Handbook. Teams are encouraged to participate in as many sports as possible.

Point System Breakdown
Each sport within the Skyhawk Point System will have five leagues. The leagues are Men’s Talon, Men’s Claw, Women’s Talon, Women’s Claw, and Jack and Jill.  Each of the five categories represented in the Skyhawk Point System have been assigned point values. The distribution of points in each sport can be found on the Skyhawk Point System Graph.

Participation points will make up a large number of the team’s total points. Participation points are awarded if a team competes in all scheduled events.

NOTE:  For each forfeit a 20 point deduction will be assessed.

Sportsmanship points are awarded according to the ratings received by a team. The ratings are based on evaluations completed by intramural staff. In order to qualify for the post-season tournament, a team must have a “B” (3.0) average sportsmanship rating or better during the regular season play. The criteria below will be used for the sportsmanship rating.

“A” – excellent conduct and sportsmanship: coaches, players and spectators cooperate fully with the officials, sport supervisors and opposing team members. The captain calmly converses with officials about interpretations and judgment calls. The captain also has complete control of the team members and himself/ herself.

“B” – average conduct and sportsmanship: coaches, players and spectators show verbal dissent toward officials, sport supervisors and/ or the opposing team members briefly during a contest which may or may not merit actions by the intramural staff. The captain exhibits good control over the team, and is in complete control of himself/herself. There are no blatant displays of overall poor sportsmanship, however a member of the team may have been penalized for a nonthreatening unsportsmanlike act.

“C” – below average conduct and sportsmanship: coaches, players and spectators constantly comment, argue and complain to intramural staff and opposing team members during a contest which may or may not merit actions by the intramural staff. Team captain has minor control over his/ her team and is generally in control of himself/ herself. Specific acts include but are not limited to abusive language, profanity toward an opponent, profanity from the sidelines, excessive arguing with an officials decision, taunting and opponent, or obscene gestures.

“D” – poor conduct and sportsmanship: coaches, players, and spectators constantly comment, argue and complain to intramural staff and opposing team members during a contest which merits action from intramural staff. Team captain has no control over his/her team or him/herself. Specific acts include but are not limited to fighting, profanity or threatening behavior towards and official, a flagrant foul, profanity from the sidelines, or repeated offenses on the same player.

NOTES: In the above description, the player(s) refers to all participants on a team. Teams receiving a “C” or “D” rating must have their captain meet with Coordinator of Intramurals prior to their next contest. A second “D” rating will automatically result in being dropped from league play. No refunds will be given.

Games and matches won are applied to a team’s total points, by multiplying the number of games or matches won by ten during season play. Each sports number is listed on the Skyhawk Point System Chart. Captain’s meeting points are given each time a team’s representative attends the captain’s meeting. Placement points are awarded at the end of the tournament.

Skyhawk Point System Graph

Injuries
Neither the University of Tennessee at Martin nor the Office of Campus Recreation accepts any responsibility for ill health or injury sustained while participating in any of the recreational programs. No medical or ambulance expense incurred by a participant will be paid by the Department or by the University. Program participation is on a voluntary basis. Individuals use the facility at their own risk.” It is recommended that all participants undergo a prior physical examination and carry some form of health and accident insurance. If an injury does occur, it should be reported to the nearest Campus Recreation staff member. In the event that blood is involved in an injury, that person cannot continue to participate until the wound is properly cleaned and dressed; any clothing with blood must be removed.