UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

Sportsmanship is a vital part of every Intramural contest. A student or a student group displaying unsportsmanlike behavior may forfeit the opportunity to participate in the program. Any professional or student employee of the IM department SHALL HAVE the authority and power to make decisions before, during and following an IM activity to warn, penalize, or eject coaches, players or spectators in order to encourage proper conduct.

Any person ejected from an IM activity MUST leave the entire playing area within two (2) minutes of notification or the game may be forfeited. All ejected players or coaches shall be automatically suspended for no less than one game.

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT may be defined as improper behavior that may include verbal abuse, physical abuse, mental harassment or other unsportsmanlike acts such as obscene gestures or actions. Such conduct may be punishable by suspension from a contest, the entire activity or for the academic year. An individual or group may also be subject to being charged under the University STUDENT CODE.

ALL GAME EJECTIONS ARE CONSIDERED PART OF THE GAME RULES. GAME EJECTIONS, INCLUDING PRE OR POST GAME, ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO BE APPEALED; HOWEVER, SUBSEQUENT PENALTIES MAY BE SUBJECT TO APPEAL TO THE TEAM SPORT COUNCIL.

VERBAL ABUSE: Any language deemed offensive or derogatory (not necessarily "swear words") to a departmental official may cause automatic ejection from a game. Persons ejected for Verbal Abuse SHALL BE AUTOMATICALLY SUSPENDED FOR ONE GAME. If the Verbal Abuse is deemed to be harassment, a player, coach or fan may be ejected for the remainder of the sport. Persons ejected for Verbal Abuse more than once during the year may be suspended from all activities for the remainder of the academic year. PLAYER, COACH AND/OR FAN VERBAL ABUSE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES! ANY TYPE OF DEROGATORY AND/OR INFLAMMATORY STATEMENTS BY ANYONE ASSOCIATED WITH OR SUPPORTING A TEAM MAY CAUSE THE TEAM TO FORFEIT THE GAME.

PHYSICAL ABUSE: Any player, coach or fan SHALL NOT physically abuse or attempt to physically abuse another player, coach or fan. The act and/or the attempt shall be penalized according to the severity of the act. Persons ejected for hitting or striking another individual SHALL BE AUTOMATICALLY SUSPENDED FOR NO LESS THAN ONE GAME and may be suspended for the remainder of the academic year. Persons ejected for pushing, shoving, grabbing and/or throwing and/or kicking an object at another individual SHALL BE AUTOMATICALLY SUSPENDED FOR NO LESS THAN ONE GAME and may be suspended for the remainder of the academic year. Persons involved could be subject to judicial review by the Office of Judicial Services in Student Life.

PERSONS WHO IN ANY WAY PHYSICALLY ABUSE OR ATTEMPT TO PHYSICALLY ABUSE ANY DEPARTMENTAL OFFICIAL BY HITTING, STRIKING, PUSHING, SHOVING, GRABBING, THROWING AND/ OR KICKING AN OBJECT SHALL BE AUTOMATICALLY SUSPENDED FROM THE IM PROGRAM FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR AND SHALL ALSO BE SUBJECT TO CHARGES UNDER THE STUDENT CODE. Persons involved will be subject to judicial review by the Office of Judicial Services in Student Life.

IM SUSPENSIONS

TEAM SUSPENSIONS: Teams shall be responsible for the conduct of their players, coaches and fans. Teams may be suspended from a major team sport for excessive misconduct by their players, coaches and fans.

*Should a team have FOUR ejections during a Team Sport, the team may be suspended for the remainder of the team sport. Teams may also be suspended for 1) Players participating under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol; 2) Players participating in brawls where individuals cannot be readily identified; 3) Players inciting others to participate in a brawl; 4) Repeatedly (more than once) using ineligible players; and, 5) Team members, coaches or fans failing to leave a playing area once requested to do so by a departmental official.

ORGANIZATIONAL SUSPENSION: An organization has responsibility of monitoring and controlling its members, pledges and/or fans in terms of sportsmanlike behavior during Intramural activities. Unsportsmanlike behavior including player ejections and/or other acts shall directly reflect on the organizations continued eligibility. In effect, the actions of one team or one individual may cause the entire organization to be suspended.

PENALTIES: The SIXTH PLAYER EJECTION of any member of an organization in an academic year may result in an automatic suspension of the organization for the remainder of the academic year. BRAWLING AND/OR FIGHTING by two or more team members twice in a year may result in automatic suspension of the organization for the remainder of the year. THE USE OF FOUR INELIGIBLE PLAYERS by an organization during an academic year may result in organizational suspension for the remainder of the academic year. UNSPORTSMANLIKE CROWD/ FAN BEHAVIOR by an organization may result in organizational suspension for the remainder of the academic year.

TEAM SUPPORTER BEHAVIOR: Team supporters are considered to be the responsibility of the team and/or organization. If a crowd supporting a team behaves in an unsportsmanlike manner (verbal abuse etc.), the team may be penalized under the rules of the game and the team captain will make an appeal to the crowd to cease such behavior. Repeated unsportsmanlike behavior by the crowd shall cause the team to receive a forfeit. Obviously, such behavior at subsequent games for the same or other teams could cause the teams and/ or organization involved to be suspended from further participation.

ANY TIME a team's fans enter the field/court of play before, during or following a contest, the game may be forfeited and the organization suspended for the remainder of the year. Fans supporting one team, who attempt to incite a brawl or fight with another team's fans may cause their teams game to be forfeited. (POST-GAME CHEERS AND/OR CELEBRATIONS SHALL BE ALLOWED UNLESS THE IM STAFF DIRECTS OTHERWISE}. All team supporters are subject to the same IM rules and regulations as players. Penalties may be imposed on individual students or student groups.

Any team or teams fans who exhibit extreme unsportsmanlike behavior before, during or following a game during a playoff tournament may cause the team to forfeit any points earned in the participation enhancement system.

IM PROBATION & COACH SUSPENSIONS

IM PROBATION: Unsportsmanlike incidents not directly resulting in ejections or other disciplinary problems otherwise outlined in the Handbook will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Individuals, teams and/or organizations may be placed on probation for the sport or for the academic year if the IM staff determines an individual, team or organization is behaving in an unsportsmanlike manner, notification will be given outlining the infractions. PROBATIONARY STATUS SHALL NOT RESTRICT THE INDIVIDUAL, TEAM OR ORGANIZATION FROM FURTHER PARTICIPATION. HOWEVER, IF FURTHER INCIDENTS OCCUR, THE PROBATION WILL BE VIOLATED AND SUSPENSION WILL RESULT. PROBATIONARY STATUS IS NOT SUBJECT TO APPEAL.

INELIGIBLE PLAYERS: Any student found to be participating illegally shall be automatically suspended for the remainder of the sport and/or the remainder of the academic year. It is ILLEGAL to participate on more than one (1) team under an assumed name; as a varsity athlete; of in anyway violate the eligibility rules set forth in this website. Players found to be participating ineligibly by the IM staff may be disciplined at any time. The IM staff shall have the authority to overturn game results if the ineligible player is deemed to have substantially contributed to the team having won the game.

COACH SUSPENSION: Any coach ejected from a game for any unsportsmanlike act shall be suspended from coaching for the remainder of the season and may also risk being suspended from playing.

PLAYOFF PROTEST & SUSPENSION:

The IM staff will rule upon game protest made in accordance with the rules at the time they are lodged and all decisions shall be final. Players, teams or organizations suspended from play must personally seek reinstatement by 10:00am the following day with the Assistant Director or his/her delegate. He/she shall render an administrative decision at that time. If the parties wish to appeal the decision, the team sport council will convene before the next scheduled playing time and irrevocably rule on the matter. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN A PROTEST DELAY THE TOURNAMENT FROM PROGRESSING.

SPECIAL TOURNAMENTS: During special tournaments designed to be played over a short period of time, the IM staff has exclusive responsibility to rule on all protest and suspensions. Once ruled upon, the decision may not be overturned or appealed to a higher authority. While special tournaments are not considered in the same category as the regular season, suspensions from the regular season may not be served in special tournaments. Ejections and suspensions from special tournaments may jeopardize continued participation in other IM activities. Such actions may be appealed to the Team Sport Council, but any rulings may not be made retroactive in such a way as to effect the administrative decisions made during the special tournament.

NOTIFICATION & APPEALS: Students participating in the IM program shall have the right to appeal administrative decisions involving suspension or expulsion based on the policies and procedures of this website. It is the responsibility of the staff to enforce the policies and procedures of the program and to give students every reasonable opportunity to participate under the rules.

HEARINGS & APPEALS

Because the IM program is designed to operate activities on a specific time frame, a special process has been established to provide students an avenue of timely appeal. It should be noted that at no time during regular season play should the appeal process be allowed to interfere with the continuation of play in an IM activity.

Any student or student group charged with violating any part of this website shall be notified within 2 school days of the incident either personally or through the students appointed IM Chairperson. Notification may be made during or following an IM contest. Every effort should be made by the student or group Chairperson to contact the department about any problems in order to expedite the matter

HEARINGS: Once a student or student group has been officially notified, he/she must arrange an administrative hearing with the Assistant Director or his/her delegate within 2 school days. The student must sign a statement that he/she has received a copy of the charges. APPEALS: In matters concerning suspensions for verbal or physical abuse where time is not a major factor, a student or organization shall have three school days to file a written petition to the Assistant Director for reinstatement. Such a request will be forwarded to the and a meeting will be called within a reasonable amount of time. (If Judicial Services ruled upon the actions of involved persons, the IM Staff will have no process for appealing sentence determined by the Office of Judicial Servies.)

On matters where a time factor could affect an individual, team's or organizations continued participation, a written petition must be filed within 1 school day to the Assistant Director. The request will be forwarded to the Team Sport Council and a hearing will be scheduled within four school days. (If Judicial Services ruled upon the actions of involved persons, the IM Staff will have no process for appealing sentence determined by the Office of Judicial Servies.)

TEAM SPORT COUNCIL DECISIONS: In all appeals, the complaining party must personally seek reinstatement before the council. If legal counsel will be present, the complaining party must notify the department 24 hours in advance of the hearing. There shall be no formal rules of evidence and if attorneys are present, they must act ONLY in an advisory capacity. The council will render a decision within 2 school days to the Director and the individual involved. The council's decisions are final.

OTHER APPEALS: Persons charged with Intramural policy violations not associated with Team Sports shall be subject to the same rules and regulations outlined in this website. Appeals of administrative decisions on matters not related to team sports may be made to the Director or his/her appointed delegate who has not been in the disciplinary process.