Intramural Policy Handbook

INTRODUCTION

The goal of the Intramural Sports Program is to provide UW-Oshkosh students, faculty, and staff with the opportunity to participate in his/her favorite type of competition, and to explore and enjoy new or untried sport activities. The Intramural Sports Program includes individual, dual, and team competition in a variety of events, and in men's, women's, and co-ed divisions. Activities are varied so that there is an opportunity for every individual to participate, no matter what his/her level of ability may be. Through participation in physical activity, the Intramural Sports Department seeks to promote wellness, develop friendships, and to encourage wise use of leisure time. We invite you to sample several of these activities so as to discover the ones that you enjoy and will continue to pursue later in life. We believe there is something for everyone.

SCHEDULED COMPETITIVE ACTIVITIES

Intramural Sports are the scheduled competitive activities of the Intramural Sports Department. Teams are organized from residence halls, off campus students, independent groups, recognized organizations, and faculty/staff members. Inquire at the Intramural Sports Office in Kolf 134 or http://recreation.uwosh.edu/intramural-sports for all rules, deadline dates, entry blanks and other information.

ELIGIBILITY RULES

A. INDIVIDUAL ELIGIBILITY

All UW Oshkosh undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff are eligible to participate in intramural sports, except as noted in the following rules.  Any persons who are not students, staff or faculty of UW Oshkosh are not eligible to play intramural sports.  Teams caught using ineligible persons on their team will be removed from the league and will not receive a refund.

B. GENERAL ELIGIBILITY

1. Each person is responsible for his/her own eligibility. Any questions should be referred to a Intramural Sports staff member prior to participation. Team captains are responsible for the eligibility of all team members.
2. Participants must have a valid UW-Oshkosh I.D. to participate in any intramural contest.
3. All participants listed on roster/addition form must read and sign the intramural liability waiver prior to participation.
4. An individual may participate for only one team in any one sport or contest Once a person's name appears on a roster for a game or contest, he/she is considered a member of that team until officially deleted from roster.
5. Any player competing on two teams in the same sport shall be suspended from the league.  All games the player competed in shall be declared forfeits.
EXCEPTION: An individual may compete on a co-ed team and a men's/women's team concurrently.
6. Any player competing that is not officially listed on the roster will be removed from the contest immediately and the game will
be forfeited by the offending team.

ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY

1. Intercollegiate Athlete Eligibility:
a. Members of varsity, junior varsity, or freshmen teams are not eligible for competition in that sport or corresponding sport(s).
b. Persons who are practicing with intercollegiate teams will be treated as intercollegiate team members and are NOT eligible for intramurals in that sport or corresponding sport(s).
c. Any person practicing with intercollegiate teams past the first scheduled contest will be considered an intercollegiate player for the entire year and is NOT eligible for intramurals that academic year in that sport or corresponding sport(s).
EXCEPTION: If a person leaves the intercollegiate team before the first scheduled contest in
that sport, that person will be eligible to participate in intramurals in that sport.
2. Past Intercollegiate Athlete Eligibility:
a. Persons who have completed their intercollegiate athletic eligibility (including varsity, JV, or freshmen team) will be eligible to participate in that sport or corresponding sport(s) in intramurals the academic year following completion of the sport.
b. No more than one (1) former intercollegiate athlete from the previous academic year/season may participate on an intramural team in a corresponding sport.

ENTRY FORMS

Entry forms may be picked up outside of Kolf 134 or outside the main desk at the SRWC.  Entry forms can also be downloaded off the SRWC website.

ENTRY FEES

1. Entry fees for all individual activities and team sports will be charged to cover the cost of supervisors, officials, scorers, first aiders, and awards.
2. Fees will be paid at the time the complete entry form is submitted. Failure to pay the fee at that time eliminates the entry unless openings remain after the last registration day.
3. NO CHECKS!!!  Cash only.
4. The entry fee for all leagues except golf is $5.00/ person.  Golf is run through Expeditions and sets their own rate.  Call 424-HIKE for details.

SPORTS CONDUCT

The development of appropriate sports conduct is one of the major goals of the Intramural Sports Department at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. A team is responsible for the actions of individual members and for spectators directly related to the team. The conduct of players and spectators before and after the game is as important as the conduct during the game. An individual or team must be able to accept defeat without blaming others. Teams/organizations will be held responsible for their group's behavior. To
discourage conduct that is not positive, the following policies have been adopted:
1. Disrespect toward staff, officials, and/or scorers:
Any individual addressing a staff member, official, and/or scorer in a discourteous manner is immediately disqualified and ejected from the game (and therefore out the following game. A second ejection will result in disqualification from that sport for the remainder of the season. Any player ejected from a contest must meet with Coordinator of Intramurals before he/she is eligible to participate again. Team members, captains, spectators, coaches or entire teams may be asked to leave the playing area if displaying inappropriate behavior and/or abusive language. Any contest may be forfeited if a team, coach, individual participant, or spectator exhibit inappropriate or disruptive behavior. The decision of the supervisor, official, and/or scorer in such cases will be final.  All parties that are involved must meet with the Coordinator of Intramurals before they are eligible to participate again.
2. Shoving or striking a staff member, official, and/or scorer:
This shall result in an indefinite suspension from all intramural activities for a minimum of current semester plus the following semester. This may include an attempt to strike, even though there may not be contact. Player must meet with the Coordinator of Intramurals before he/she is eligible to participate again.  Referral for disciplinary action through the Dean of Students Office will also be a result for this type of behavior.
3. Ejection:
If a player is removed from a contest for any reason, he/she is suspended from the next scheduled contest. If it is the second ejection  rom a contest, the player is automatically disqualified for the remainder of the season, if game is the last of the season he/she will  remain ineligible for the next sport he/she chooses to participate in. The player must also meet with the
Coordinator of Intramurals before he/she is eligible to participate again.
4. Team/Organization:
Any team or organization displaying conduct that is not sports-like is subject to disciplinary action as follows:
a. Game is forfeited because team displays inappropriate conduct: team suspended for minimum of one game and must appear before Coordinator of Intramurals for final ruling.
5. Alcohol or Drug Use:
c. Drinking alcoholic beverages of any kind and/or using drugs by players, substitutes, coaches, and/or spectators associated with any team at an event sponsored by the Recreational Sports Department is PROHIBITED before, during, and/or after any contest. Any evidence or suspicion of this may subject the team or teams involved to forfeiture of the contest and further disciplinary action. NOTE: if a staff member suspects that any players, substitutes, coaches, and/or spectators associated with any team have been drinking and/or using drugs at any time prior to, during, and/or after a contest, he/she has the right to remove such individuals from the premise.

TEAM CAPTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Enter team in desired sport by the due date by submitting an official intramural roster with a list of participant names, identification
numbers, phone, and email addresses.  The captain is also responsible for making sure their players read and check off the box that states they have read all rules pertaining to participation in Intramurals.
2. Register appropriate number of participants on the official roster prior to participation (see rules B-3, B-4, B-5 under eligibility).
3. Team captain and/or representative(s) must be present at the designated captains meeting to become officially entered in the competition. Meeting dates will be posted on the bulletin boards and website. All organizational meetings are mandatory.  No excuses!
4. Be thoroughly familiar with rule sheets and eligibility rules published in this handbook and discussed at the captains meeting.
Inform players of all rules, policies, and procedures.
5. Ensure that all team members are eligible for intramural sports participation (see eligibility rules).
6. Keep in close and frequent contact with the Intramural Sports website, their league supervisor and/or bulletin boards in Kolf Sports Center.  All league schedules and scores are on the SRWC website.
7. Notify team members of the date, time, and place of each contest and make certain the team is present.
8. Ensure that all team members are on the score sheet before each contest and ensure each member has appropriate identification.
9. Gather appropriate identification for all players and submit to staff member. Game procedures for I.D.’s will be explained at all captains meetings.
10. Have team members play according to the rules of the game and conduct themselves in a sports-like way.

EQUIPMENT, DRESS, and JEWELRY

Equipment: the responsibility of getting equipment to an activity is specific to each sport. Rules sheets given at the captains meetings will provide this information. Team captains assume responsibility of their team's proper use and care of all equipment used during contest. Some sport equipment must be furnished by the individual (footballs, softball bats and gloves). Dress: all participants must wear shoes and a shirt when participating in intramural sports. Shoes with a rubber sole of a "turf" nature will be considered legal for outdoor activities. Football, track, and baseball spikes are illegal and therefore PROHIBITED.

Jersey Vests: the Intramural Sports Department will provide colored jersey vests for team sports. All players must wear t-shirts with sleeves under jerseys to prevent jersey from contacting skin. Teams are allowed to purchase their own jerseys. However, there must be whole numbers placed on the jerseys (no symbols allowed).

Headwear: hats may not be worn during any activities (exception: softball).
Headbands and bandanas are allowed.

Jewelry: All necklaces, rings, watches, and bracelets must be removed. Any player wishing to wear piercings may do so at their own risk, however, these must be taped if visible.

SCHEDULE CHANGES

All weekly schedules are posted on the website (www.recreation.uwosh.edu).
Playoffs are posted on the website with the following provisions:
1. Once game schedules are posted, no changes will be made (exception: unforeseen circumstances).
2. Postponements due to inclement weather or facility conflicts will be rescheduled as time and facilities allow.

FORFEITS

1. Any team unable to attend a scheduled contest should notify the league supervisor as early as possible. Contest will be declared a forfeit and a loss will be recorded. Opposing team will receive a "win".
2. A second forfeit by the same team will result in immediate elimination from the league and forfeiture of all remaining league games.
3. A team or contestant that fails to appear at the scheduled site within five minutes of scheduled time shall forfeit the contest to the team or contestant ready to play. The official's decision is final.
4. A team must field the required minimum number of players to prevent a forfeit. When neither team has enough players, a double forfeit shall be declared.

REFUNDS

Refunds will not be given once league play begins.

CARE OF INJURIES

First aid treatment is typically available during most intramural contests. All league supervisors are First Aid/CPR/AED certified.  A Student trainer is on site for all flag football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball and dodgeball games. Any player who is bleeding must leave the game immediately. Bleeding must be stopped and the wound securely covered with a bandage before that player can continue playing.  Injured individuals must report to the intramural supervisor on duty at the time so that he/she may complete an injury report (regardless of severity of accident).  If necessary, students severely injured in intramural contests may need emergency treatment at the local emergency room. In this situation, the student assumes all financial obligations.

VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION

Participation in all programs sponsored by the UW Oshkosh Intramural Sports Department is voluntary. UW Oshkosh and the Intramural Sports Department are not responsible for accidents or injuries incurred during participation. Each student is advised to carry his/her own health insurance. Insurance is available through the university if desired. Interested students should contact the Health Center for further information.

Leagues/Competitons Offered

Bags – M, W & Coed together
Basketball – M & W
Dodgeball – M & Coed
Flag Football – M
Racquetball – M, W & Coed
Indoor & Outdoor Soccer – Coed
Softball – Men & Coed
Tennis – M, W, & Coed
Ultimate Frisbee – M & Coed
Indoor & Outdoor Volleyball – Women & Coed

Campus-wide Swim Meet
Campus-wide Wrestling Meet

AWARDS

Intramural champions receive specially designed t-shirts. These shirts will be presented to sports winners as listed below:
Team sports:
Bags – maximum 2
Basketball - maximum 10
Dodgeball – maximum 10
Flag Football - maximum 12
Racquetball – 1 or 2
Soccer - maximum 10
Softball - maximum 14
Tennis – 1 or 2
Ultimate Frisbee – maximum 10
Volleyball (6’s) - maximum 10
Volleyball (4’s) – maximum of 6

Individual Events: - maximum 1

Dual Events: - maximum 2
Special Events: - based on event

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Where can I get an entry form to signup?
A: You can pick them up outside of Kolf, room 134, just outside the the main desk at the SRWC or download the form at the SRWC website.

Q: Do we form our own teams or does Intramurals put us on teams?
A: You need to form your own teams. 

Q: What is the entry fee per person?
A: $5.00 per person, except for the golf league which has their own price.  NO CHECKS!!!  CASH ONLY!  Contact Expeditions at 424-HIKE for details on the Golf League.

Q: What time commitment is involved with Intramurals?
A: You would play once a week on a designated day of the week for anything from 5-10 week schedule.

Q: How long do I have to get my entry form and money into the Intramural Office?
A: Each league has a cutoff date which is listed on the SRWC Website.  You must have your completed entry form and money into Kolf room 133 no later than what is posted on the website.

Q: Does the captain have to attend the captain’s meeting?
A: ABSOLUTE, YES!  Failure to attend the meeting or to have a representative from the team attend the meeting may result in the team being dropped from the league