Policies and Procedures

Printable Version of our Policies and Procedures

Welcome to UVU INTRAMURALS!
The Intramural Department is an important aspect of student life at UVU. The purpose of the Intramural Department is to provide various activities for the students, faculty, and staff. We are here to help people stay active, and to get people active again. We accomplish this through activities such as flag football, ping-pong, 5k runs and many other events.

UVU INTRAMURALS MISSION STATEMENT
We at the Intramural Office are dedicated to helping UVU students, Faculty, and Staff in finding their own niche on campus. We provide opportunities to participate in a wide variety of individual, dual and team sports at various levels of competition. We strive to provide not only structured and organized programs, but we are always looking for "new sports" to add. We also strive to provide activities that aren't normally associated with intramurals. Our main goal is to increase our participation levels in Intramural activities.

Intramural Sports
Intramurals provides UVU students, faculty and staff with the opportunity to compete in various organized sports. Several sports have a team fee, while others are free of charge. Different leagues and divisions are set up to meet different skill levels. Team sports include flag football, basketball, volleyball, outdoor soccer, and softball. Individual/Dual sports include golf, tennis, table tennis, racquetball, fun runs, billiards, monthly trivia, etc...

For your convenience, Intramural activities are divided into 3 Categories.

• Leagues- Seasons last 4-5 weeks, followed by 1 to 2 weeks of playoffs. Only teams that qualify will advance to the playoffs. Leagues are; Flag football, 5 on 5 Basketball, Volleyball, and soccer
• 2/3 Day Tournaments- Team events that last only 2 to 3 days (3 on 3 basket ball). The tournaments are round-robin format, single or double elimination. The format depends on the number of teams. Teams typically receive a minimum of 2 games.
• Single Day Events- Activities last for only one day (5k runs, Ping-pong, Golf, and etc.). These competitions are usually head to head or tournament format.

Intramural Sports Information
Objectives
Intramural Sports provides broad recreational and competitive opportunities for the university community through team and individual sports and special event activities. Events are offered on a voluntary basis in all programs.

Intramural Supervisors
Intramural supervisors are students employed by the intramural program to assist with the daily operations of intramural activities. These students supervise all intramural events and handle problems that may arise on-site during all activities. These students are trained to successfully deal with most situations and should be regarded as the primary resource person at the activity site. They work directly under the Leadership of the Intramural Director and report directly to the Intramural Director.

Sports Rules and Information Sheets
Rules for all events and sports are available, upon request, at the Intramural Office located in the Student Center 108c. Information sheets are distributed to all team captains and participants prior to the start of each season or event. It is the responsibility of each team sport captain to see that all members of their team are thoroughly familiar with all game rules. Nationally adopted rules are adhered to in each activity (i.e. USSSA, NCAA, NIRSA, and USVBA). Local ground rules are established where modifications are necessary.

Responsibilities of Intramural Team Captains
1. Check in at the Intramural Department often. The Office will cooperate in every possible way to form captains and teams of scheduled contests, entry deadlines and related information, but it is the individual's responsibility to keep in touch with the office for matters pertaining to his or her team's activities.
2. Submit team entries in the desired sport during the assigned entry period. Entry fees will only be accepted during office hours.
3. Attend all meetings to represent the team.
4. Notify all team members regarding place, date and time of all contests, and see that everyone is ready to play 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time. Make extra copies of the team schedule for their Players.
5. Recruit responsible co-captains to make sure games are scheduled, played and reported on time.
6. Many prospective participants will hesitate to sign up unless encouraged, so try to get them interested.
7. Be familiar with all eligibility and game rules and make the team aware of these rules.
8. Clearly print on the roster the full name of all players participating. The captain is completely responsible for the eligibility of all players on his or her team, and must provide us with a local phone number that he/she can be reached at.
9. Notify the Intramural Supervisor when any team member is injured or need medical attention.
10. Lead by example. Because of a captain's interest in sports, he or she should participate in a sportsmanlike manner and encourage their teammates to do likewise.
11. Be sensible about the number of persons on the teams entered. Forfeits hurt the team through loss of fees and hurt other teams through the loss of an opportunity to play. Be sure there are enough interested persons on the team. Make sure that every one gets a chance to participate.
12. You are responsible to contact the Intramural Department at 48 hours prior to the originally scheduled game time for any reschedules, forfeits, or defaults.

Eligibility Rules:
The purpose of the Intramural Sports Program is to provide reasonably equitable competition for all participants. The eligibility rules are designed to serve as guidelines for enjoyable and fair participation. They are designed with the intent of ensuring that the spirit of the rule is applied to everyone. The honor system is used in many cases, to ensure that these rules are upheld. We expect/require the support and compliance of our participants and fans, which allows a positive experience for everyone involved.

Section 1- General Rules:
I. Eligible participants shall include the following: Students, Faculty and Staff of Utah Valley University. PARTICIPANTS MUST BE ABLE TO PRESENT A VALID, CURRENT SEMESTER IDENTIFICATIONCARD TO ENTER FACILITIES AND TO PARTICIPATE IN INTRAMURAL EVENTS.
II. To be eligible for the playoffs, a player must have participated in at least one regular season game.
III. In any given sport, an individual may play on only one team in the men's or women's division.
IV. Players are responsible for their own eligibility. (Teams risk forfeiture or disqualification for the use of an ineligible player.)
V. Team captains are responsible for their team's eligibility and for accurately filling out team entry forms for each sport. IF A TEAM ENTRY FORM IS NOT COMPLETELY FILLED OUT BY THE TEAM'S SECOND GAME (names of players, student number, and phone numbers). THE TEAM WILL BE INELIGIBLE FOR THE PLAYOFFS.
VI. If a player is checked and found to be ineligible, he/she may not participate in that game. (This includes not having an I.D.)
VII. For league sports you must be eligible by the first 2 weeks and stay eligible. This means if you owe money or dropped your classes in the middle of the season you need to let the Intramural Department know and buy a guest pass. We will check eligibility of participants periodically on the UVSC system. If you are ineligible you will not be allowed to play until you purchase a guest pass or are an eligible student. ** A maximum of 2 guest are allowed per team. **

Section 2 - PROFESSIONAL/VARSITY/SPORTS CLUB STATUS:
I. Current or former member of varsity intercollegiate teams at Utah Valley University or other institutions or any professional organization are not eligible for participation in the sport in which they participated or corresponding sport (i.e., baseball and softball; football and flag football, etc.) for two complete academic semesters (not including summer session) after varsity or professional eligibility ceases. Varsity players are considered those participating in either organized or practice or any type of competition. Eligibility of varsity athletes will be the decision of the Intramural Director.
II. Varsity athletes may participate in sports in which they do not/have not represent(ed) Utah Valley University or other institutions.
III. Persons classified as red-shirts or those working out with the varsity teams shall be treated as varsity squad members. The "red-shirt athlete" or an individual working out with a team anytime during the intercollegiate season and who does not or has not lettered will be considered a varsity athlete for the entire year. (Included are players who work out with a varsity team in any capacity for any number of days with that sport.) Any player having signed a letter of intent or tender to play a sport at the College will be viewed as a varsity squad member.
IV. Any team with a majority of Sports Club members of that sport on that team must play intramurals at the highest skill level available ("4A" division).
Section 3 - SANCTIONS:
I. ANYONE WHO PLAYS FOR TWO TEAMS SHALL BE INELIGIBLE for all future games in that sport for the remainder of the semester, and the second team for which the player played shall receive a forfeit loss for each game in which the ineligible player participated.
II. Any player whose conduct is considered threatening to other players, officials or supervisors, or who disrupts play will be referred to the Intramural Director for appropriate disciplinary action. Cases of misconduct will be referred to the Intramural Director for disciplinary action and may be referred to other appropriate college offices.
III. All Intramural officials, sports supervisors, and professional staff members have the responsibility and authority to enforce any violation of these eligibility guidelines.
In cases in which these rules do not cover the situation, common sense and the spirit of the rule will apply. This is at the discretion of the professional staff of the Intramurals Department.
* Anyone who violates these eligibility guidelines must make an appointment to see the Intramural Director or other professional staff member as soon as possible.

Sportsmanship/Punitive Action Policy
The Utah Valley University Intramurals Department encourages sportsmanlike conduct from all participants. Unsportsmanlike or any other inappropriate behavior on or in College facilities occurring during Intramural Sports events will be handled in an expeditious manner within the guidelines set forth below. Action taken may range from probation for any length of time to expulsion from the program for anywhere from one game/day to the individual's collegiate career. Other actions taken may include: forfeiture of the game/match; suspension of a particular team for a period of up to 1 year or; such other action as the offense dictates. The professional staff in charge of the particular activity will determine what action is appropriate after consultation with all involved parties. If this seems unsatisfactory to the individual/team involved they may appeal that decision to the next level.
Example penalties for any player ejected from Intramural play:
• Obscene/abusive conduct/language-ejection
• Verbal threatening of official-minimum 1 game suspension
• Fighting/roughing-ejection and 1 game suspension.
• Ineligibility-minimum suspension for the rest of that particular sport
• Improper contact of an official-minimum semester suspension
• Negative spectator conduct/language-minimum, penalize team/possible immediate forfeiture of contest
• Other occurrences will be judged on a case-by-case basis

There will be a $20 Forfeit/Sportsmanship Deposit which is paid to the intramural department at the time or registration. This will be in used in the event of a player being ejected from a game, a technical foul of aggressive nature, unsportsmanlike conduct or teams forfeiting a game. It will be your responsibility to make sure there is a zero or positive balance. Each time there is a forfeit or an ejection etc. the amount $10 will be taken from the account and paid to the Intramural Department. After each offense the expectation is that the individual or team captain schedules a meeting with the intramural director in order to become eligible for future play. If due to an offense the balance drops to $10 the individual causing the offense is ineligible until the fine is paid. If there is a zero or negative balance the team is then ineligible for future pay until the amount of fines are paid that bring the balance up to $10. * Even if a large amount of fines are assessed to one individual, that team will still be considered ineligible until the fines are covered in such a manner that the balance becomes a minimum of $10.
ANY PERSON WHO IS EJECTED FROM AN INTRAMURAL ACTIVITY MUST MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE THE INTRAMURAL DIRECTOR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THAT PERSON WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY INTAMURAL EVENT UNTIL HIS/HER CASE HAS BEEN HEARD.

Each offense will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. All offenses include automatic probation for the individual and possibly the team for a period determined by the Intramural staff.

*Any abuse, physical or verbal, of an official will not be tolerated and will be dealt with severely.

Protests
I. Rule Interpretations
a. No Protest will be considered which concerns the judgment of an official.
b. To be valid, a protest of a rule interpretation must be verbally registered with an official at the time the incident occurs. The game will be stopped; the officials and team captains shall separate themselves from the other participants and determine the correct ruling.
c. If either captain believes the ruling to be in error, he/she may request that the officials consult with the sports supervisor on duty. The supervisor will make a decision and the game will continue.
d. If either captain believes the supervisor's ruling to be in error, he/she should inform the supervisor. At that time, the protesting captain will complete a protest form with the supervisor. The game will continue under protest.
e. The Intramurals Director will rule on all written protests. If a rule interpretation protest is ruled valid, the game may be either replayed in its entirety or replayed from the point at which the protest was lodged.
f. No protest can be made on a previous play, after the game resumes.

II. Participant Eligibility
To exemplify the values of honest sports competition, protests of alleged ineligibility should be made immediately to game officials and supervisors.
a. If an eligibility protest is made prior to a game and it can be determined that the player is ineligible, he/she will not be allowed to participate. No Recreational Sports staff member will knowingly permit an ineligible player to participate. If the eligibility of a player in question cannot be determined, the team in question has the option of using the player. However, if it is later determined that the player is ineligible; the team will forfeit the game.
b. If a protest regarding eligibility is made at any time other than before the game, the protesting captain must complete a protest form with the sports supervisor. The Intramurals Director will examine the protest and rule on the eligibility of the player in question.
c. A protest will always be viewed more favorable if these procedures are followed. However, the philosophy of the Intramurals Department is that ineligible players should not be permitted to participate, and their status can be questioned at any time.
d. Once a matter of eligibility has been raised by a team, captain, official, or supervisor, the professional staff of the Intramural Department will investigate any possible Improprieties.

Forfeit/Default Policies
Rescheduling;
In the event of bad weather and or loss of fields due to uncontrollable circumstances, intramurals will do the best to reschedule games at the convenience of all parties involved.
Forfeit:
A forfeit is defined as, not having the minimum number of participants appear by game time. Forfeited games will not be rescheduled. A team's first unexcused forfeit will cause a loss of $10. A second will remove the team from league play and result in a full loss of their $20 deposit.
Default:
If a captain/team has notified the Intramural Department and their opponent 48 HOURS before a scheduled game that they are unable to play, it is considered a DEFAULT. The captain/team may default one game in league play. This defaulted game will count as a no game for the team defaulting and a win for their opponent unless rescheduled and played at another date. Defaults by a team will be taken into consideration when tournament draws are made. A second default may result in the team being dropped form league play.

** The Intramural Director reserves the right to change any game status as needed.

Important Information
Assumption of Risk
Participation in all Intramural programs is completely voluntary. Individuals participate at their own risk and assume responsibility for their own health and safety. Utah Valley University and the Intramural Department are not liable for injuries sustained during participation in any Intramural sponsored activity.

It is strongly recommended that all participants consult a physician and/or have a physical exam prior to participation. It is also strongly suggested that all participants obtain medical insurance before they participate in any Intramural activity. Proof of health insurance by an individual's statement of policy number is required of each participant.

Alcohol Policy
In accordance with UVU policies, the consumption of alcoholic beverages by players, coaches, and spectators is prohibited. Anyone caught violating this policy will be subject to disciplinary action. Participants will be ejected from the game and suspended from further competition. All teams are responsible for their spectators. Any unsportsmanlike conduct from spectators, including consuming alcohol, will result in the team they are "supporting," being penalized.

Intramural Policies
Player/Coach/Spectator conduct
1. Any person who violates the conduct rules (i.e., verbal/physical abuse outlined for each sport either before, during, or after the game may be disqualified from the game or subsequent game(s).
2. Any acts of physical abuse in a contest will result in suspension for the remainder of the season, a maximum 1-year suspension from the date of incident and /or suspension from participation in the intramural program.
3. Striking or physically abusing an official or staff member may result in suspension for the remainder of the season, a maximum 2-year suspension for the date of the incident and/or suspension from participation in the intramural program.
4. Teams will be responsible for actions of spectators and/or any one else associated with their team, including actions of harassment, abuse or interference with players, officials, scorers and supervisors.
5. Any individual who is found guilty of dishonesty may be disqualified from all intramural events for the remainder of his/her university career or any part thereof. If the individual's team is party to his/her dishonesty, the team may also be disqualified from participating in intramurals for the remainder of the year or any part thereof. Infractions under this category include playing under assumed name, playing on more than one team, or misrepresenting a score.
6. Because this is a school event, any extreme aggressive conduct could result in compromising your academic standings at UVU.

Each sport carries additional conduct rules specific to the sport. The team captain is responsible for informing players of specific rules.

Crowd Behavior Guidelines
Teams are responsible for the conduct of their spectators during Intramural contests. The following guidelines are followed when dealing with unruly spectators and/or crowds watching any intramural contest.
1. Both game officials and supervisors conduct a pre-game conference with each team captain or representative. The game officials will explain all ground rules such as legal and illegal equipment and specific game rules for each sport. The site supervisor will inform each representative that they are there to assist the game officials and teams when questions arise. The site supervisor should also remind the team representative of the team's responsibility for crowd behavior and that the game may be suspended for crowd control purposes.
2. When the site supervisor realizes that the unruly spectators are becoming a problem, the supervisor will contact the offenders and ask that they comply with Intramural Sports and/or UVU policy.
3. When the site supervisor realizes that one of the following situations has occurred or the previous request has been ignored, the team captain or representative will be notified to instruct their spectators to comply with Intramural Sports and/or UVU policies for conduct:
a. Abusive language directed at game officials or opponents and other spectators in an inappropriate manner at any game site.
b. Unauthorized pets at any game site.
c. Failure to remain in designated spectator boxes or areas (sport specific).
d. Any violations of the UVU Student Code of Conduct (which includes possession of alcoholic beverages and controlled substances, etc.).
4. In the event that a team's spectators fail to comply with the continued verbal warnings the following procedures may be implemented. The team representative(s) must be responsible for their spectators. The following options may be followed:
a. Suspension of the game until warning(s) are followed appropriately.
b. If the above suspension has not brought results, the game is ended and the team and spectators will be asked to leave the game site. The Intramural Staff will determine the outcome of the game later.
c. As a last resort when all other efforts have failed, the UVU Police will be called to assist with control.

Code Of Conduct
UVU students, employees, and organizations utilizing Intramural Sports programs, facilities, and equipment and/or representing UVU and Intramural Sports are expected to follow all university policies and regulations that are published and readily available. This includes, but is not limited to those policies and regulations found in the UVU Policy Manual, the Student Guidebook, and the Student Code of Conduct.
Violations of such policies and regulations may be addressed by the Intramural Sports staff and/or maybe referred to other applicable personnel. Including, but not limited to the Dean of Students Office, academic departments, Human Resources and/or appropriate legal authorities. Student conduct is regulated by the UVU Code of Student Conduct.

Sportsmanship Rating System
This system will be used for team sports such as, volleyball, football, soccer, and basketball. After each game, teams will be rated by officials, scores table personnel and supervisors. We will take the average of the 3 individual ratings for that game. You must average above a 3 for the season to be eligible for the playoffs. The ratings are as follows:
1-Very Poor Sportsmanship
2-Poor Sportsmanship
3-Average Sportsmanship
4-Good Sportsmanship
5-Great Sportsmanship
If you receive two 1's you will be ineligible for play. If you receive three 2's you will be ineligible for play.

Intramural Championships & Awards
Intramural Champion t-shirts will be awarded in each of the following categories: Men's 4A, 3A, and 2A, Women's 4A, 3A, and 2A, for all sports (except those sport offerings that do not meet the minimum requirement for the number of entries to conduct the event). There are also gift certificates given out at events such as; 5k runs, and other individual events.