2014-2015 Intramural Sports - Valdosta State University

2014-2015

Intramural Sports

Handbook

Policies and procedures governing Intramural
Sports participation as set forth by Valdosta
State University Campus Recreation

**Updated: 7/31/14**

Table of Contents 4
4
General Information 4
Mission Statement 4
Campus Recreation Office Information 5
Intramural Sports Administrative Staff 5
5
Health and Safety 6
Liability Statement 6
Health, Injuries and Insurance 7
Safety 7
8
Team Captain Responsibilities 8
How to Register 8
8
Team/Individual/Dual Sports 8
Forfeit Bond 9
Special Events 9
Free Agent Program 9
Leagues and Divisions 10
Leagues 10
Divisions 10
Team Scheduling 10
Format 11
League Schedules 11
Tournament Scheduling 11
Reschedule Policy 12
Playoffs 12
Identification 12
VSU One Card 12
Improper Use of Identification 12
Eligibility 13
Eligibility Rules
Ineligible Players
Collegiate Athletes
Professional and Olympic Athletes
Club Sport Athletes

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 2

Corresponding Sport Chart 13
Rosters 13
13
Roster Additions 14
Compete on Two Teams 14
Team Transfer 14
Playoff Eligibility 15
Coaches 15
Game Time 15
Attire 15
Jewelry 15
Forfeits 16
Defaults 16
Inclement Weather 16
Protests 17
Player Eligibility 17
Rule Interpretation Protest 17
Formal Protest 18
Sportsmanship 18
Sportsmanship Rating System 19
Ejections 20
Reinstatement 20
Appeals 20
Specific Violations and Penalties 21
Verbal Abuse and Threats 21
Profane Language or Obscene Gestures 21
Drugs and Alcohol 22
Champion Awards 22
Extramural Tournaments 22
Team Sponsorships 23
Officials Feedback 23
Intramural Sports Staff

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 3

General Information

Intramural Sports at VSU

Intramural sports are designed to provide an opportunity for all fee paying
students, faculty, and staff members to participate in organized recreational
activities. Over 30 different sports are offered throughout the academic year
including but not limited to: Flag Football, Softball, Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball,
Tennis, Racquetball, Golf, Extreme Dodge ball and Cornhole. Recreational,
Competitive and Open leagues may be offered in CoRec, Men’s, Residence
Hall and Women’s leagues. This handbook is designed to serve as an
informative and procedural guide for all Intramural Sports Participants.
Intramural Sports Participants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with this
manual before participating in any activity.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Campus Recreation is to provide students,
faculty, staff and members of the campus community the opportunity to
experience lifelong activities while enhancing their well-being by promoting
fitness and wellness, by offering a positive outlet for stress and by providing safe
and clean quality facilities, equipment, and programs. Furthermore, Campus
Recreation strives to promote a healthy college experience while building
interpersonal and leadership skills.

Campus Recreation Office Information

Monday – Thursday: 8:00am – 5:30pm
Friday: 8:00am – 3:00pm
229-333-5898

www.valdosta.edu/recreation
Email: [email protected]

Intramural Sports Administrative Staff

Andrew Stroefer Graduate Assistant
Justin Stewart Graduate Assistant
Cody Dixon
Jaleel Eugene Team Leader
Team Leader
Courtney Mitchell Team Leader

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 4

The Intramural Sports Staff is here to serve you. We hope you will have a fun,
safe, and orderly sporting event and we will do everything possible to achieve
the goals of Valdosta State University and the Department of Campus
Recreation. We encourage constructive comments and want to hear from you.
If we can be of service, email us at [email protected], come by the
Campus Recreation Office, or call us at 229.333.5898. One of our friendly staff
will be glad to be of assistance!

Health and Safety

Liability Statement

Participation in all programs or events sponsored by the Department of Campus
Recreation is completely voluntary. Individuals participate at their own risk!
Individuals are encouraged to have a physical examination, as well as obtain
adequate health and accident insurance prior to any participation. Valdosta
State University is not responsible for any physical, mental, or emotional injury
that may occur to individuals participating in any program or event sponsored
by the Department of Campus Recreation.

Prior to participation in any Campus Recreation Department sponsored activity
all participants must sign a Waiver Release and a Covenant Not to Sue form.
These waivers are valid throughout your enrollment at Valdosta State University.

Health, Injuries, and Insurance

The Intramural Sports program will provide initial emergency care, such as the
provision of bandages, ice, or immobilization to any participant injured during
their contest (please notify staff of all injuries). The Intramural Sports program will
not provide services to prepare or maintain a player's readiness to participate.
Participants need to bring their own tape, etc. to prepare themselves to play.

The Intramural Sports Program does not carry health or accident insurance for
participants.

It is the responsibility of every person participating in intramural sports to
ascertain whether they have any health conditions, which make it inadvisable
to participate in that sport. The University and Intramural Sports program do not
assume that responsibility. Persons who are uncertain should consult their
physician before participation in intramural sports.

Emergency medical personnel may be dispatched to assess an injury
(particularly in the event of head, neck, and back or major joint trauma). There

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 5

is no cost for injury assessment. Cost for ambulance treatment/transportation is
the participant's responsibility. An accident/injury report will be completed for all
injuries and a copy will be made available to you upon request.

Any player may be restricted from participations pending medical clearance
after suspected head/neck/back injury or EMS transport for injury.

Safety

All Intramural Sports activities require the removal of all jewelry, including but not
limited to watches, chains, bracelets, necklaces, and piercings. In these
activities only a medical alert chain or bracelet may be worn. Medical alert
bracelets must be secured with tape so no sharp edges or chains are exposed
while still leaving the medical alert visible. Religious jewelry/apparel must be
approved prior to participation by the Assistant Director and/or Graduate
Assistant. Rulings by the Intramural Sports staff regarding jewelry are final.

In an effort to maintain a safe playing area, all participants are to adhere to the
following Blood Rule, which is consistent with the NFHS standard. Intramural
Sports participants who are found to be bleeding, have an open wound or any
amount of blood on their clothing shall be removed from the game. They may
return at the next legal substitution opportunity provided the bleeding has been
stopped, the open wound is covered, and any affected clothing has been
removed. Any player who is bleeding must be substituted for until the bleeding
stops. An Intramural Sports staff member has the authority to remove the player.
If by removing the player who is bleeding, the team falls below the minimum
number necessary to play (sport specific), the following will apply: the game
clock will stop and a maximum of five (5) minutes will be allowed for the player
to stop the bleeding. If the bleeding is not stopped within the allotted five (5)
minutes, the team will forfeit the game. The allowance is only for players who are
bleeding when the team cannot continue to play without them. In all
supervised activities an Intramural Sports Staff member will be available to assist
a bleeding player and determine whether the individual may resume play.

Team Captain Responsibilities

Each team entered in any Intramural Sport activity must have a team captain
who will act as the official liaison between the team and the Department of
Campus Recreation.

Team Captain's/Manager’s duties include, but are not limited to:
• Organize the team and register online at IMLeagues before the end of the
registration period.

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 6

• Complete the online captain’s quiz.
• Make sure ALL players are signed up on the imleagues website on the

team roster.
• Keep the team members informed as to the time and place of the

scheduled activity and assure their presence at the activity.
• Check your team in with the supervisor a recommended 15 minutes prior

to their scheduled game time.
• Be familiar with all intramural eligibility rules and see that only eligible

players participate.
• Regularly check the online schedules on imleagues.com to keep informed

of any changes or updates. During tournament play a daily check is
encouraged.
• Be responsible for the conduct of your players, coaches, and spectators
before, during, and after the contest. Act as the team spokesperson and
role model on and off of the playing field.
• Following the game; sign the score sheet to confirm that the game is
recorded correctly.
• Notify all team members and fans that alcohol, tobacco products, illegal
substances, and vehicles are prohibited on all Intramural Playing Fields.
No one is allowed to participate while under the influence of alcohol or
illegal drugs. The use of all tobacco products is also prohibited on all
Intramural Playing Fields.

How to Register

Team/Individual/Dual Sports

In order a sign up a team, captains are required to complete the registration
process during the designated registration period for each sport. All registration
will be completed using IMLeagues.com which can be accessed from the
Intramural Sports website. During the registration period, the team captain must
pay the forfeit bond for the sport, create the team on IMLeagues, pass the
captain’s quiz, pick the day and time of play if applicable, and add the
required number of players for the sport. More detailed sign-up instructions can
be found on the Intramural Sports website.

Registration and payment will be taken based on the number of spots available
in a given league. Any teams that register after a league is filled, will be added
to a Wait List to be contacted if additional spots become available. If
contacted, teams will be given information on how to pay and complete the
registration and scheduling process.

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 7

The Intramural Sports staff reserves the right to alter an intramural team name if it
is judged to be obscene, derogatory, vulgar, offensive, contains profanity, or is
not within the spirit of good sportsmanship. The team will not be entered
officially until the name is suitable to the Intramural Sports staff.

Forfeit Bond

All entries require a forfeit bond to be paid at the time of entry. Entries will not
be accepted until this bond is paid. PayPal will be the method of paying when
paying online through the IMLeagues web page. You may also pay the bond
with cash or check in the Campus Recreation main office. The forfeit bonds will
be returned to you in cash at the SRC main office during the last two weeks of
the semester provided your team does not forfeit throughout the season. Each
forfeit will deduct $10 from the amount you are eligible to receive as a refund of
your forfeit bond. If you do not pick up your forfeit bond during the designated
forfeit bond return period, you will not be eligible to claim your refund. Any
team not paying their bond, and then forfeiting, may have a hold placed on
the team captain’s academic records until the bond is paid.

Special Events

Please check the sport page on IMLeagues and the Intramural Sports website as
venues, times, rules and registration procedures may vary for each special
event.

Free Agent Program

If you do not have a team or partner and want to participate in an intramural
sport, you are encouraged to add yourself to the online Free Agent list through
IMLeagues. Your name will be available to any individual or team captain
looking for additional players. Additional information and specific instructions
are available on the Intramural Sports website and at IMLeagues.com.

Leagues and Divisions

Leagues

When an individual or captain signs his/her team up for play, they must choose
the league that they wish to play in. The three distinct leagues are:

Men’s: Teams are comprised of males only.

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 8

Women's: Teams are comprised of females only

Co-Rec: Teams are comprised of males & females as designated per sport rules.

Open: Open leagues are leagues that do not have any gender or affiliation
(Greek/Residence Hall) requirements.

Greek: Any team that is comprised entirely of Greek affiliated members
(Fraternities and/or Sororities) as regulated by the office of Greek Life. No more
than the minimum required to start a game, up to a maximum of 5, may
participate on the same team in multiple divisions.

Residence Hall: Any team whose roster is comprised entirely of students who live
in a specific Residence Hall. Residence Hall leagues will have no gender
requirements and play by the Men’s/Women’s rules of a specific sport. Only
residents of the respective Residence Hall team will be allowed to participate on
that team. No more than the minimum required to start a game, up to a
maximum of 5, may participate on the same team in multiple divisions.

Divisions

Competitive: Competitive leagues are for players whose skill level is average to
above average, and who want to compete in a competitive environment.
Participantss in this league generally have played high school varsity sports and
remain active in their sport outside of Intramural Sports competition.

Recreational: Recreational leagues are for players whose skill level is generally
less than average, and are primarily interested in playing for enjoyment of the
sport or may be new to the sport. These leagues are structured with a greater
emphasis on participation than competition.

Open: Open leagues will be offered when the amount of space available for
games and/or number of teams dictate only one league offering. An open
league will have a mix of competitive and recreational players.

Team Scheduling

Format

Activities will generally be structured in one of the following formats:

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 9

League Formatted sports will be scheduled for a 3 to 5 game regular season
followed by a single elimination playoff. At the conclusion of the regular season,
teams may be split in to competitive and recreational playoff brackets.

Tournament Formatted sports will be scheduled in either a single or double
elimination tournament.

Special Events will be one day events and will vary in format based on the
event.

League Schedules

Teams will be instantly scheduled during registration online by choosing the
specific day and time they wish to play. You will only be moved in to this league
after you have paid your forfeit bond. If you do not pay your forfeit bond online,
your team may be moved to the waitlist until the bond has been paid. Instant
scheduling will be done on a first come, first served basis. Teams are
encouraged to sign up early to have the most time options available to them.
Teams wishing to move their team to a different day or time should complete
this process before the end of the registration period. Once the registration
period has closed, teams will not be allowed to move divisions without approval
of the Intramural Sports staff.

Tournament Scheduling

Teams registering for tournament play will be placed in to a single elimination
bracket. Teams may be scheduled by selecting preferences on IMLeagues
during registration or by a bracket draft where they will choose their place in the
bracket. Teams will be removed from the tournament if their sportsmanship
rating drops below a 4.0 average. (See Sportsmanship section for more
information.)

Reschedule Policy

Teams wishing to reschedule are required to submit the online Reschedule Request
form by noon the business day before the originally scheduled game. This form must
be filled out completely, including detailed information regarding the conflict for
each individual. Forms that are not filled out completely by the deadline will not be
considered. For playoffs, teams are encouraged to look ahead in their schedule to
anticipate potential conflicts and submit a request by the appropriate deadline. (For
example, if you play tonight and win, you will advance to play tomorrow night. If
tomorrow night's game would be a conflict, you should submit the reschedule request

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 10

today by noon before you play tonight's game.) The Reschedule Request form can
be found on the Team Information page of the Intramural Sports website.

Game times will not be given out over the phone or by Intramural Sports Staff. Game
times can be viewed online at IMLeagues.com.

Playoffs

All teams will advance to the playoffs at the conclusion of the regular season,
provided they meet the Forfeit/Default and sportsmanship rating requirements.
Teams may be split in to competitive and recreational brackets based on league size
for the playoffs.

Teams with more than 2 Forfeits and/or Defaults will not be advanced to the playoffs.

Teams must maintain an overall sportsmanship rating of 4.0 or above to be eligible to
compete in the playoffs. Any team following below a 4.0 overall sportsmanship rating
at any time during the playoffs, must meet with the Intramural Sports administrative
staff to determine whether or not the team will advance. All regular season
sportsmanship ratings become final at noon, the day following the end of the regular
season. It is the captain’s responsibility to ensure that all information is correct prior to
that deadline.

All qualifying teams in each league will have the opportunity to select their position in
the playoff bracket which is true-seeded. Teams will be ranked by their winning
percentage with the tiebreaker being accumulated sportsmanship points. Further ties
will be broken randomly by the league coordinator. Information regarding your
team’s draft time can be found on your team’s IMLeagues homepage. Qualifying
teams that fail to select their spot in the draft prior to its conclusion will be randomly
assigned an open spot by the Intramural Sports Staff. Before selecting a spot on the
playoff bracket teams are encouraged to look ahead at potential dates and times to
avoid potential conflicts.

Identification

VSU One Card

Players are required to bring their One Card to each activity and present it to
the Intramural Sports Staff at the game site prior to participating in a game.
Participants that do not have a valid One Card showing their full name, clear
photo and 870 # will not be allowed to sign in to participate.

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 11

Improper Use of Identification

An individual may not participate under an assumed name or use false
identification. If the Intramural Sports staff determines that an individual is
attempting to check-in with false identification in order to participate in an
Intramural Sports contest, the One Card will be confiscated and that individual
will not be allowed to play. Both the individual will attempting to use the false ID
and the individual whose ID is being used will be ejected and asked to show
proper identification. If the individual refuses or fails to show proper
identification or cooperate fully with the supervisor on site, the team will forfeit
their game. If the Intramural Sports staff determines that the team captain was
aware of the individual's use of improper identification, then that team may
forfeit their game and be subject to removal from the league.

Eligibility

The Department of Campus Recreation and the Intramural Sports Program does
not assume responsibility for the investigation of the eligibility of all participants.
However, we will investigate any case brought to our attention and may
perform random roster checks throughout the year.

Eligibility Rules

Currently enrolled students with a paid activity fee and faculty and staff with
paid Campus Recreation memberships are eligible to participate in Intramural
Sports Activities. Individuals may be declared ineligible by the Intramural Sports
Staff for violations of any policies set forth in this manual. Participants in the
Greek Leagues must also abide by participation guidelines set by the Greek Life
Office.

Ineligible Players

Teams will receive a forfeit for any game played with an ineligible player and
may be subject to removal from the league.

Collegiate Athletes

Any person, whose name appears on a varsity squad workout list or roster, is
enrolled in a varsity activity for class credit, is on an athletic grant-in-aid
scholarship, or is a red-shirted member of a varsity team during any part of the
current academic year is not eligible to participate in that sport or related sport
during that academic year.

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 12

Intramural teams may have two (2) former intercollegiate athletes listed on their
roster provided they compete in the Competitive Division only.

Professional & Olympic Athletes

An individual who has received compensation/income as a professional in a
sport or in an Olympic competition is not eligible for intramural competition in
that sport or similar sport. A former professional or Olympic athlete may petition
the Assistant Director of Intramural Sports for approval to compete in that sport.

Club Sport Athletes

Any person whose name appears on a club sport’s Campus Connect roster or
any official documentation is eligible to participate in that sport or any related
sport during the current academic year, provided that a maximum of two club
members may be listed on an intramural sport roster in the same or
corresponding sport. Club members may only participate in the Competitive
division in their same or corresponding sport. Any person who competes in
scheduled contests, practices with the team, coaches or assists in coaching
and/or is on the team roster for that academic year is considered to be in that
club.

Corresponding Sport Chart

Intramural Sport Related Sport

Flag Football, 4v4 Football
Softball Baseball, Softball
Basketball, 3v3, water basketball Basketball
Volleyball, Sand Volleyball Volleyball
Futsal, Soccer Soccer
Golf Scramble Golf

The total number of club and former varsity athletes may be no more than 2 on
a team in a related sport.

Any matter that cannot be resolved through these eligibility rules shall be
brought to the Assistant Director of Campus Recreation for a decision.

Rosters

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 13

Roster Additions

Rosters are unlimited per team.

League Formatted Sports: Players who have not played on any Intramural Sports
team in a league (i.e. CoRec, Men’s, Women’s), who are eligible to play in that
league, may be added to a team roster at any time on IMLeagues or may be
added to the scoresheet at the game site.

Tournament Formatted Sports: Players who have not played on any Intramural
Sports team in a league (i.e. CoRec, Men’s Women’s), who are eligible to play in
that league, may be added to a team roster at any time on IMLeagues before
3pm the day of a team’s 2nd game of tournament play. Players will also be
allowed to add themselves to roster by signing in at the game site at the team’s
first scheduled game only.

IMLeagues: To be added to a roster, participants must activate their IMLeagues
account through the Intramural Sports website and may add themselves
electronically. Instructions for adding players to team rosters are provided on the
Intramural Sports website. To view team rosters, log into your IMLeagues account
from the Intramural Sports webpage and click on your team’s banner on the
Homepage.

Compete on Two Teams

A player may only participate on one single gender, one CoRec, one Greek
and one Residence Hall team in any given activity during a season. Once a
player has been checked in on the score-sheet for a team, he/she is considered
permanently on that team. A player found to be playing on two teams in the
same league will be declared ineligible and will cause the 2nd team he/she
participated on to forfeit and may be suspended from further participation in
that sport.

Team Transfer

A player may be dropped from a roster one time only during the regular season
of a League Formatted sport, so long as they have only signed in to participate
in one game with the team in which they are looking to be dropped from.
Once the playoffs have begun, no team transfers will be made. A player
wishing to be dropped from a team, must contact the Intramural Sports staff at
[email protected] to have themselves removed from a team. After
successfully completing the drop procedures, a player is eligible to join a

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 14

second team. A player will only be allowed to drop once per season. To avoid
a forfeit, a player must complete the official drop request process and receive
confirmation from the Intramural Sports office. Players will not be allowed to
transfer teams in a Tournament Formatted sport.

Playoff Eligibility

Team members must be on the team roster prior to the completion of the
regular season.

Coaches

Only one coach is permitted per team per season. Coaches must be a
currently enrolled student with a paid activity fee or a faculty or staff member
with a paid Campus Recreation membership and must be officially added to
the team’s roster. Coaching will not count against a player’s team participation
count if they are designated as a coach only. Only non-playing individuals
designated as coaches will receive coaching privileges granted by a specific
sport. All coaches MUST sign an assumption of risk waiver form.

Any coach receiving an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty (i.e. technical foul,
yellow card, etc.) or displaying unacceptable sportsmanship will be ejected
from the contest and prohibited from coaching for the remainder of the season.

Game Time

Attire

All participants are required to wear to appropriate attire for the event. For all
sports, shirts/jerseys, shorts/pants and shoes covering the top and bottom of the
foot must be worn at all times. Flip-flops and sandals will not be allowed. Boots,
five-fingered shoes (Vibrams), and metal cleats of any kind are strictly
prohibited. Knee braces are permitted with approved protective covers
(neoprene protective covers). The only exception is for sand volleyball where
participants may be bare foot or play without shirts.

Jewelry

The National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) rules
concerning jewelry will be followed. Jewelry (rings, watches, necklaces, ankle

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 15

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 Sports staff, may be covering a piece of jewelry. Religious
medallions/jewelry may be worn if preapproved by the Intramural Sports Staff. If
worn items, must be taped to the body or tucked into clothing. Medical alert
bracelets must be taped with proper information visible.

Forfeits

Teams or individuals failing to appear at the playing area with the minimum
number of players as defined in the specific sport rules will forfeit the contest.
Teams will have a 5 minute grace period from the scheduled start time to have
the minimum number of players present and signed in eligible to play. If neither
team complies with this requirement, a forfeit shall be recorded for both teams.
Teams are encouraged to be at their game site at least 15 minutes prior to the
start time!

Teams will also receive forfeits for games ended due to sportsmanship and
games played with ineligible players. Games will be forfeited during the regular
season when a team receives 3 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties (i.e.
technical foul, yellow card, flagrant personal foul, etc.). Any player ejection will
count as 2 penalties to the 3 total for forfeit. During the playoffs or a
tournament, games will also be forfeited if any player or coach is ejected.

Teams will have their Forfeit Bond reduced by $10 for each forfeit. Teams or
individuals that have forfeited two scheduled games or contests will
automatically be dropped from further competition.

Defaults

Any team or individual knowing in advance that they will not be able to play a
regularly scheduled contest is provided the opportunity to default that contest.
In order for a contest to be considered a default, the team captain must
complete the online Default Form found on the Intramural Sports website by
3:00pm the day of the game. A loss will be assessed for the default and the
other team will be informed to not show up to the game. Teams will not have
their forfeit bond reduced for Defaults.

Inclement Weather

In the case of inclement weather, the Intramural Sports staff will make every
attempt to have a decision made regarding the status of games by 4:00pm.

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 16

Potential reschedules will be available by noon the next business day. Captains
should check their schedules on imleagues regularly for affected games. Also,
please opt in for text messages via imleagues online. All reschedules will be
notified via text message to those participants who opt in. Game statuses will
be posted on IMLeagues and Facebook and team captains will be notified via
email when games are cancelled.

Protests

Only protests based on questions of player eligibility and rule interpretation will
be accepted. Protests which challenge the accuracy of a judgment call made
by the officials or Intramural Sports Supervisors will not be accepted.

Player eligibility

Any team protesting eligibility must provide the player(s) in question's full name.
All regular season protests must be filed before the end of the regular season.
During playoffs, if an eligibility protest is found valid, the protesting team
advances with all previous rounds remaining the same. During the playoffs, any
team protesting the eligibility of a player must do so by noon of the next business
day to allow the Intramural Sports 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 the eligibility of a player participating in a championship
game, the protest must be made before the conclusion of the game. In such
cases, t-shirts will not be awarded until the protest has been ruled on.

Rule Interpretation Protest

The team captain or designee must make any protest involving rule
interpretation to the Intramural Sports Supervisor at the time the incident in
question occurs. The team captain or designee should make a verbal protest
which must include the word “protest” to the game official. The team must call
a time out. Teams with no time outs remaining, may call a time out to request a
protest. The official will then announce to both team captains that a protest has
been made and beckon the Intramural Sports Supervisor. This must happen
immediately after the incident in question. If play has continued, the team can
no longer protest the related call. The Intramural Sports Supervisor will rule on
the protest and play will continue. If the protest is granted, the team will not be
charged the time out. If the protest is denied, the team will be charge with a
time out. If the team does not have a time out remaining, they will be subject to

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 17

the sport specific delay of game penalty. If the team does not agree with the
supervisor’s ruling, they may file a formal protest with the supervisor on site.

Formal Protests

To file a formal protest, the team captain must notify the supervisor on site of the
intent to protest the game immediately at the time of the Rule Interpretation
protest. At this time, the Intramural Sports supervisor will fill out an official protest
form with both team captains. The protest form will include all necessary
information regarding the rule being protested and the game situation. Once
this form has been completed, the game will be resumed and finished under
protest. The Intramural Sports staff will review the protest the next business day
and inform both team captains of the outcome.

Sportsmanship

A part of the philosophy of the Intramural Sports Program at VSU is that
sportsmanship is vital to the success of each and every program we offer to the
university community. Intramural Sports expects all participants and spectators
to conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner and follow the Student Code
of Conduct as set forth by the Dean of Students Office. Unsportsmanlike
conduct or other inappropriate behavior occurring in Campus Recreation
indoor or outdoor facilities before, during, or after intramural events will not be
tolerated. Teams will be held accountable for the actions of their players (both
participating and non-participating), coaches and their fans. Officials and the
Intramural Sports staff have the authority to impose and enforce penalties on
teams, players, coaches and/or fans that have committed offenses. Penalties
for post-game, playoff, and tournament play violations may be carried over into
subsequent games and/or sport seasons.

Following each game, officials and/or supervisors evaluate team behavior and
issue sportsmanship ratings to all teams. Captains may view their sportsmanship
rating online on IMLeagues the business day following their game. Questions
regarding a particular sportsmanship rating should be directed to the to the
Intramural Sports administrative staff by emailing [email protected]. In
order to be eligible for the playoffs, a team must have a minimum average
sportsmanship rating of four. During playoffs and tournaments, teams must
maintain an overall sportsmanship rating of 4 (this includes ratings earned during
regular season games). A team whose sportsmanship rating falls below 4 during
playoffs and tournament play must contact and meet with the Intramural Sports
administrative staff to determine whether or not the team will advance.

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 18

The use of any and all Campus Recreation facilities and programs is a privilege
that can be revoked from any one and used in conjunction with any penalty
below.

Sportsmanship Rating System

All teams’ sportsmanship will be scored after each game on a 5.0 scale The
breakdown of sportsmanship ratings is as follows.

Respect shown to the game and staff by participants and spectators at all

times. Participants speak to staff members appropriately in all situations.

5 Games defaulted by 3:00pm the day of the game. Games forfeited on site

due to not having the minimum number of players with no sportsmanship

issues by team.

Participants display disagreement/frustration with decisions of staff/officials.

Questioning of judgment/rules interpretation not presented in a respectful

4 manner. Minor incidents of unsportsmanlike behavior towards opponents,
spectators or staff. Examples include, but are not limited to, trash talk, cursing

in any manner, publicly questioning an official's abilities, mocking the skill

level of an opponent.

Repeated question of judgment/officiating abilities. Sportsmanship related

3 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties (i.e. yellow card in soccer, technical foul

in basketball, etc.) Ejection(s) prior to the contest for illegal use of an ID.

2 Multiple unsportsmanlike (multiple participants) or spectator's harassment of
the officials/opposing team.

1 Any ejection other than ejection prior to the contest for illegal use of an ID.

Fighting or contest ended due to extenuating conduct circumstances:

0 Includes threatening an employee. If involved in a fight your team could be

removed from the league for the remainder of the season.

Ejections

Intramural Sports participants, coaches and spectators will be held accountable
for their actions while participating in an Intramural Sports event. The playing
field/court is not a venue for physical or verbal abuse for players, coaches, or
spectators. In order to encourage proper conduct before, during, and after the
scheduled contest the Intramural Sports staff reserves the right to warn, penalize,

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 19

or eject players, coaches, spectators or teams for conduct deemed
unsportsmanlike.

Participants and spectators who choose to follow unsportsmanlike practices
during a contest, whether directed toward an opponent, Sports Official or
Intramural Staff member, before, during, or after the contest, may be ejected
from that contest and will be removed from the facility. The jurisdiction of the
Intramural Sports staff begins when the participant/spectator enters the visual
confines of the field/court and ends when the involved persons leave the facility
in which the contest is being held and the visual confines of the playing area.
Anyone ejected must leave the playing area and facility immediately and be
completely out of visual confines of the facility. If the person ejected refuses to
leave within a reasonable time, the game will be forfeited. Captains must assist
the Intramural Sports staff with retrieving the ejected participant's identification.

One flagrant technical/personal foul will be the equivalent of 2 unsportsmanlike
conduct penalties to count towards the 3 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties to
result in an ejection.

Reinstatement

Anyone ejected is ineligible to participate in all Intramural Sports activities until
they have completed the reinstatement process and any subsequent
suspension has been served.

To be reinstated, the ejected person must:
• Submit a written statement detailing the events surrounding the incident.
Include an outline of the events leading up to the ejection, details of the
incident, assurance that the behavior will not occur again, suggestion of
appropriate disciplinary action, and how the behavior will be avoided in
the future. This statement should be emailed to the graduate assistant in
charge of discipline via email.
• Schedule an appointment with the graduate assistant to discuss the
incident.
• Attend the reinstatement meeting.
• Serve any subsequent suspension given out by the graduate assistant.

Repeated unsportsmanlike issues will be monitored by the Intramural Sports staff
and participants demonstrating a pattern of unsportsmanlike behavior are
subject to suspension from all Intramural Sports activities.

Appeals

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 20

Decisions on participant suspensions may be appealed in writing to the Assistant
Director of Intramural Sports within one business day of the suspension. The
Assistant Director should be emailed the written appeal and will then schedule a
meeting to hear the appeal. Appeals may 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.

Specific Violations and Penalties

Violation – Shoving, striking, or physically abusing a Sports Official or any
Intramural Sports Staff.
Penalty – Automatic indefinite suspension from Campus Recreation and possible
legal action.
Note – This includes being reported to the Dean of Students and possible assault
charges filed with Campus Police.

Violation – Pushing and shoving outside normal game activity.
Penalty – Minimum of a 2 month suspension from all Intramurals Sports and
Campus Recreation programs.
Note – This may include being reported to the Dean of Students and possible
assault charges filed with Campus Police

Violation – Ejections from a game due to fighting (Fighting is defined as, but not
limited to any attempt to strike, punch or kick by using a fist, hands, arms, legs or
feet regardless of whether contact is made or any combative or violent contact
outside the scope of the sport)
Penalty – Automatic suspension from all Campus Recreation activities for (1) one
full calendar year. (Any individual coming on to the playing area during a fight
will receive a minimum of a 2 game suspension)
Note – This includes being reported to the Dean of Students and possible assault
charges filed with Campus Police.

Violation – Sidelines emptying on to playing area. (Teams)
Penalty – Automatic forfeit of game by both teams. Any individual who merely
comes on to the playing area during a fight will receive a minimum (2) two
game suspension. All individuals reported to have participated in the fight will
be suspended from all Campus Recreation activities for (1) one full calendar
year.
Note – This includes being reported to the Dean of Students and possible assault
charges at the county courthouse.

Verbal Abuse of Threats

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 21

Verbally abusing or threatening an opponent, official or supervisor will result in
immediate ejection of individual and/or team for that contest. A report may be
filed with University Police and the Dean of Students Office.

Profane Language or Obscene Gestures

Profane language or obscene gestures directed toward teammates,
opponents, officials, and/or supervisors will result in immediate ejection of
individual and/or team from that contest.

Drugs & Alcohol

Teams and individuals understood or suspected to be under the influence of
drugs or alcohol (i.e. alcohol on breath) will not be allowed to participate in any
Intramural Sports activity. Any individual found participating while under the
influence of drugs or alcohol will be immediately ejected from the contest. Any
incident involving drugs and alcohol will be reported to the Dean of Students
office. The new campus tobacco free policy is in effect for the 2014-2015 school
year.

Champion Awards

The champions of each league will receive champion t-shirts. Teams will receive
shirts for one and one half times the number of players required to field a team
in that sport up to a Max of 16. Individual and dual sports will receive one or two
shirts, depending on whether it is a single or doubles event. Some Special Event
winners may receive T-shirts or other types of awards. Only players present at
the championship game will receive shirts that night. Players not at the
championship game that played in at least 1 game during the
season/tournament may come to the Intramural Sports office to claim their t-
shirt.

Extramural Tournaments

For flag football and basketball, there may be state, regional, and national
tournaments (extramural tournaments). There is the potential for the
Department of Campus Recreation to pay the entry fee of the state or regional
tournament hosted by a state of Georgia school. All teams have the
opportunity to participate in state, regional or national tournaments at their own
expense.

Intramural Sports Handbook 2014-2015 *www.valdosta.edu/recreation* Page 22