Intramural Sports Handbook

INVITATION TO ACTIVITY

The Hope College intramural program is planned to offer a variety of individual and team events in three divisions: men, women, and coed. It is my wish that our program in its diversity will invite each of you to participate in at least one event during the academic year.

Participation in the intramural program is organized through teams. Teams of individuals from your immediate residence area, classes, or friends compete the entire year for the same goal.

I am sure you will enjoy your participation in the intramural program. In Health Dynamics you learn about the benefits of exercise. In the intramural program you have the opportunity to exercise with new and old friends within an organized structure of physical activity. For all of the benefits of the intramural program, I would like to challenge each of you to achieve a participation level higher than ever before in your life. See you in intramurals!

Kristen Morrison
Intramural Director

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the HOPE COLLEGE intramural program is to provide an opportunity for all students, faculty, and staff, regardless of skill level, to take part in a well-organized program of sporting activities.

All individuals are urged to participate in as many IM sports as time, interest, and knowledge allow. The overall success of the program depends on each participant's full commitment to the activity by showing up for each scheduled contest and playing to the best of one's ability in a sportsmanlike manner.

The following objectives may be obtained through participation in the Hope College IM Program:

1. To provide an opportunity to spend one's leisure time in organized sports and recreational activities.
2. To develop and/or maintain a physical fitness level.
3. To maintain and/or gain greater physical skill in a sport.
4. To increase social contacts.
5. To test one's physical skill against others.
6. To release mental stress in a positive manner.
7. To provide opportunities for leadership to students.

TEAM ELIGIBILITY RULES

1. All students currently enrolled at Hope College are eligible to participate in the intramural program except as listed in Rules 15, 18, and 20.
   
2. Faculty/staff may play on an IM team as well as graduates of Hope College.
   
3. Seminary students/faculty may play on an IM team, however, a proper Dow pass will be necessary if the sport takes place in the Dow Center.
   
4. There will be no maximum membership indicated for a team roster; however, the most needed on any given sport/activity team is ten players.
   
5. It is recommended that individuals remain on the same team for the academic year to give the team the best chance of winning the Outstanding Team Award.
   
6. Additions to IM team rosters after the start of a season are permitted, provided the individuals have not been registered previously with another IM team, all IM rules have been observed, and the Dow office is notified. An addition must be reported on an entry form and placed in the IM tray on the counter in the Dow office before game time if the new participant plans to play during that evening's contest. A team member must play in at least one of the team's regular season contests to be eligible to participate in any play-off or tournament contests.

FORMING TEAM REGULATIONS

1. In order to enter all sports/activities throughout the year, organize your roster (students-faculty-staff-Seminary) according to the number necessary for that sport. (See IM Partcipation and Entry Points.) If you are having difficulty finding a team on which to participate, ask other students or contact the IM Director.
   
2. Fill out an IM roster entry form with all team members listed. To register your team, return the completed entry form to the Dow office. Restrictions on playing times and days must be made very clear on your team entry form.
   
3. Choose from the names on the roster a team manager/captain. (See IM Team Managers and Captains.)
   
4. Keep the same team name the entire academic year to have a chance at winning the Outstanding Team Award. A team is considered the same team as long as it does not add members to its roster who were previously registered with another team and it keeps the same team name.
   
5. Once there has been an exchange of membership from one team to another, the team that adds a member who was previously on another roster, and every team member of that team lose all points and start over again at zero.
   
   EXCEPTION: If an individual's team has not entered that IM sport/activity, then he/she may be borrowed by another team for that sport/activity without penalty. He/She must return to his/her primary team for the next IM sport/activity participation.
   
6. To be eligible for competition in a particular IM sport/activity, the team manager or team captain (see IM Team Managers and Captains) must sign-up their team in the Dow office by 5:00 p.m. on the sign-up date for that sport. (See the IM Sports Meeting Calendar.) Competition entry forms are to be completed with all restrictions on playing times and days listed carefully. No more than two former varsity or jayvee players of a sport may be on a single roster for that IM sport or related sports.
   
7. No officials will be used in intramural sports. Captains will be expected to keep their teams under control. A knowledgeable arbitrator will be hired for some sports only to settle disputes that cannot be resolved by the captains. The arbitrator will not be making calls.
   
8. The intramural supervisor will act as an arbitrator in some sports, but in all sports will be the scorer and/or timer. There will be no officials hired. Each captain will make sure that the teams make their own calls.

VARSITY ATHLETE ELIGIBILITY RULES

1. No varsity or junior varsity athlete may compete in intramurals during his/her official sport season, unless he/she is officially dropped from the varsity/jayvee team.
   
2. If a student is planning to play in or try out for a varsity or junior varsity sport and has been participating in a given IM sport prior to the date of the first varsity/jayvee scheduled athletic contest, then that student may "finish out" the given IM sport season if the coach permits. ("Finish out" shall not exceed 40% of an intramural team's remaining regular scheduled games.)
   
3. Students who intend to play or try out for a varsity/jayvee sport in an athletic season later in the academic year may participate in that IM sport or related sports unless they have participated in that varsity/ jayvee sport in the previous academic year at Hope College or at some other college, in which case they must be waived by the intramural director for participation.
   
4. Participants in a varsity/jayvee sport at Hope College or at some other college, shall not be eligible to compete in that particular IM sport or related sports during that academic year.

5. A former athlete of a varsity/jayvee sport at Hope College or at some other college who is not participating in that sport during an academic year, or has been cut from or dropped out of the intercollegiate program is eligible to compete in that IM sport or related sports. However, no stacking of players is permitted. Only two former varsity or jayvee players of a sport are allowed on any one team roster for that IM sport or related sports.
   
6. Any student classified as a professional athlete and barred from varsity/jayvee competition in a sport shall also be barred from equivalent and/or related IM sports.

ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING REGULATIONS

1. Organizational meetings are mandatory for participation in a particular sport or activity. The team manager or team captain (or a roster member substitute) must be in attendance at said meeting, or make other arrangements with the IM Director prior to the meeting, or the team will run the risk of being disqualified from competition.
   
2. Special rules, procedures, and playing arrangements for the sport will be arranged and agreed upon at the organizational meeting of team managers/team captains with the IM Director in Dow 201. Check the IM Sports Meeting Calendar or the IM bulletin board for meeting times. Please be on time.
   
3. All questions regarding the sport and the tournament structure will be answered at the organizational meeting.
   
4. If you are not affiliated with a team, but wish to participate, contact the IM Director before or at the meeting.

PARTICIPATION RULES

1. A team member must legally play in at least one regular season contest to be eligible for playoffs.
   
2. If a team fails to appear at the appointed place, the contest shall be declared a "no show." If a team is not ready to play (Rule 28) at the scheduled starting time or if a team has one member present, but falls short of the minimum number (see Participation Numbers and Entry Points), the contest shall be declared a forfeit. One "no show" or two forfeits voids all IM team and individual participation points earned to date in that IM sport/activity season for said parties and places that team on probation. Once on probation, one additional "no show" or forfeit will eliminate that team from competition in that sport.
   
3. A team forfeits any contest in which it uses an ineligible player. The responsibility of checking on eligibility rests entirely upon the team manager or team captain. The IM director will check on a player's eligibility only when requested to do so. The illegal player does not receive points toward awards for that contest.
   
4. Being ready to play means that a team must have (on the playing site) the official number of players needed to start a contest in that sport. The team lineup must be properly recorded on the official score sheet by the team captain prior to the start time of the contest.
   
5. In sports without a sport supervisor, the team captains shall correctly enter the scores on the official score sheet and submit same to the IM Office within 24 hours following the conclusion of said contest.
   
6. Any player or coach ejected from an IM contest by an arbitrator or the sport supervisor shall be disqualified for the remainder of that contest as well as the next regularly scheduled contest. The ejected party may be subject to further disciplinary action (See Rule 36) if the IM director feels the individual's unsports- manlike behavior to merit such action.

HEALTH AND SAFETY REGULATIONS

1. It is the student's responsibility to consider his/her own state of health/fitness before becoming involved in intramurals. If you have questions about your level of conditioning or readi- ness, you should consult with the health clinic or your physician. The college cannot be held responsible for students who participate without a sensible training period.
   
2. The college does not accept responsibility for injuries resulting from intramural competition. First aid will be the intramural participant's own responsibility and may be obtained at Holland Community Hospital at the participant's own expense or at the health clinic during the clinic hours at the participant's own expense.
   
3. The IM program does not carry insurance to cover those individuals who are injured while participating in IM contests. It is strongly recommended that all participants provide themselves with some form of accident insurance if they are not covered either by their own or their guardian's insurance program.

EQUIPMENT REGULATIONS

1. In intramural competition, no one may use equipment hazardous to others, such as: football equipment, baseball/ softball metal spikes, track spikes, or any other equipment or devices deemed hazardous by the IM Director, the sport supervisor, or the game arbitrator.

TIE BREAKER REGULATIONS

1. If two or more teams are tied, the following rules will be followed in order to determine the league regular season standings or the league bonus points after the playoffs:
   
1. WITHIN POOLS:
   
   1. Whoever does not have a "no show" or a forfeit on their total record. A "no show" is a more serious offense than a forfeit.
   2. Head-to-head best record
   3. Difference in points scored for vs points scored against in contests involving just those teams
   4. Difference in points scored for vs points scored against in all common contests excluding forfeit and "no show" contests.
   5. Flip a coin
   
   
2. TWO OR MORE POOLS:
   
   If a situation occurs which is not covered above, the IM director will make a decision on a process to handle it.
   
   1. Rank the teams in the playoff tournament bracket according to wins/loses and/or 35.a.1. above, if possible.
      
   2. For teams not in the playoffs and other situations not covered above, rank the teams according to percentage of wins. If there are percentage ties:
      
      1. Look at strength of pool
      2. If "no show" on record, rank below a "forfeit"
      3. If "forfeit" on record, rank below playing all games
      4. Flip a coin

SPORTSMANSHIP RULES

1. Any individual who is found guilty of acting in an unsportsman- like manner may be disqualified from all IM participation for the balance of the individual's college career, or any part thereof. The opinion of the game official or the sports supervisor will be the deciding factor in the suspension of a participant. However, all suspensions will be reviewed by the IM director. If another member of the team is a party to the unsportsmanlike conduct, that individual or the team may be barred from IM participation for the balance of the year or any part thereof. Some examples of the infractions which would be considered as an unsportsmanlike act are:

1. Playing under an assumed name.
2. Playing illegally on more than one team.
3. Misrepresenting a score.
4. Being a varsity/jayvee participant and withholding the fact.
5. Willfully taking action to injure an opponent.
6. Playing "out of position" to gain unfair advantage in IM sports where ability is an important part of positioning.
7. Behaving grossly or unruly at an IM contest either as a player, coach or spectator.
8. Using swear words toward another or swearing loudly.
9. Any other unsportsmanlike or unacceptable action displayed in any manner or degree.

2. Lineups for matches in tennis should, as a matter of honor, be ranked according to ability by the team's captain.

PROTEST RULES

1. No protest will be considered which concerns itself with the question of judgment exhibited by an arbitrator or the sport supervisor during an IM contest.
2. All protests, other than those concerning eligibility, must be made at the contest site at the time of the dispute to the proper official (an arbitrator or sport supervisor) indicating that the game or contest is being continued under protest along with the rationale for same. The proper official will take time to write a note on the back of the score sheet before the game is resumed. Said protest must be signed by the official and both opposing captains. The signatures show that each party knows of the protest. It does not hold you to what is written on the protest. No consideration will be given to a formal protest that has not been made in the manner described above. In most instances problems can be satisfactorily resolved on the site by the IM sport supervisor or game arbitrator.
3. All protests, except those regarding eligibility, must be made in writing and given to the IM director within twenty-four hours after the contest in which the protest arose. If a protest is filed after the standard 24 hour time period, it must further include a rationale for why the protest should be considered when it is beyond the usual 24-hour period.
4. A contest in which a non-eligibility protest is sustained, after the IM director has reviewed it shall be replayed from the nearest actual point and condition of the game as was in force at the time of the protest or, as in softball, from the beginning of the half inning in which the protest occurred. A team found to have used an ineligible player shall have voided any victory gained in any contest in which the ineligible player participated.

CONTEST POSTPONEMENT REGULATIONS

1. With an extraordinary circumstance prevailing, it may be possible to reschedule a contest should conditions permit. A scheduled contest may be postponed only by unanimous agreement of both team captains and the IM director. Such a postponement must be done not less than twenty-four hours prior to the originally scheduled contest time to enable adequate notification to all parties affected by the postponement. With the large number of entries, the comparatively short playing seasons, and the limited playing facilities, the requests for postponement must be kept to a minimum. No game will be rescheduled if a request by either team to postpone occurs on the originally scheduled date.

IM AWARDS SYSTEM

SPORTS/ACTIVITIES CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS

1. The members of the championship team in each IM sport/activity will receive a championship IM T-shirt. A team member must have participated in at least 50% of the team's regular season contests or, if a playoff is held in a sport, participated in at least one regular season contest and in one playoff contest to be eligible to receive a championship IM T-shirt for that sport. However, a team member not qualifying for an IM T-shirt award will receive individual participation points for each of the contests participated in which will accumulate toward the Outstanding Individual Award. No individual may receive more than two IM T-shirts during the academic year.

IM TEAM MANAGERS AND CAPTAINS

If an IM team is to receive maximum benefit and the best success in the IM program it must select a responsible person to serve as the IM team manager or captain. This person is the chief coordinator for all items of business between the team and the IM office including such responsibilities as:

1. Becoming knowledgeable in all IM matters by frequenting the IM bulletin board located in the gym hall of the Dow Center, calling the IM office (x7956) or the IM director (x7694), and attending the organizational meeting for each sport. (See the IM Sports Meeting Calendar.)
2. Communicating to your team all the important information received.
3. Registering your team by placing all team member's names on an IM roster entry form and returning it to the Dow office with accurate restrictions listed regarding times and days of competition.
4. Entering your team in the desired sports on or before the posted sign-up date for entries. (See the IM Sports Meeting Calendar.)
5. Being a positive and active IM participant and promoter by doing everything possible to keep your team in consideration for the annual Outstanding Team Award as well as encouraging individuals to seek the Outstanding Individual Award.
6. Seeing that each sport/activity team has a capable captain, if not yourself. Experience has shown that teams having the best level of participation have had excellent team captains.
7. Daily do the following or instruct a TEAM CAPTAIN to:
   1. Notify the team members of the date, time, and place of each contest.
   2. See that team members are on hand for all contests at the scheduled time.
   3. Be thoroughly familiar with the eligibility rules as contained in the IM handbook and abide by them.
   4. Write the full name of each player on the score sheets before each game.
   5. Be knowledgeable of the sport rules.

Only those students who are vitally interested and have the time and ability to organize a group should be appointed or elected as team managers or team captains. Inadequate managers or captains will be asked to relinquish their duties to someone better able to shoulder the responsibility.

IM CONTEST ARBITRATOR

QUALITIES OF AN ARBITRATOR

1. In IM sports/activities where there is fast action, potential physical contact between opponents, and team sizes of five or more players, an arbitrator will be assigned to a contest.
   An arbitrator is a student employed by the IM program and selected on his/her ability to make good, quick decisions and knowledge of the rules. With some sports/activities the sport supervisor is also the arbitrator.

PROCEDURES FOR HIRING AND FIRING

1. Individuals interested in arbitrating in the IM program must contact the IM Director. A contest arbitrator is a paid position. Arbitrators are subject to removal by the IM Director based on input by IM team managers, captains, and supervisors.