intramurals
Sportsmanship
Sportsmanship is vital to the conduct of every intramural contest. In order to encourage proper conduct during games, officials, administrative personnel, and supervisors shall make decisions on whether to warn, penalize, or eject players or teams for poor sportsmanship. These decisions are final. The intramural directors and/or the rules and protest committee will rule on further penalties as a result of unsportsmanlike conduct.
The following may be considered as evidence of unsportsmanlike conduct:
- profanity
- unnecessary delay of the game
- striking or shoving an opponent
- arguing with officials concerning decisions (discussion is allowed as long as it is done in a mature manner by the team captain)
- derogatory and abusive remarks toward an opponent or official
- touching an official
- any action the intent of which is to physically injure an opponent or official
- any action which may potentially cause equipment or facility damage
- any action which shows disregard for the rules or policies of the intramural program
Each student participating on a team should choose his or her team members carefully, as all team members will suffer the consequences of any disciplinary action taken by Recreational Services against that team for violation of the intramural rules.
A team captain/manager is responsible for actions by an individual member of the team or for spectators directly related to the team. The conduct of the players and the spectators before and after the game is just as important as the conduct during the game. An organization will be held responsible for its conduct at these times as well as during the game.
Sportsmanship rating system
The sportsmanship rating system is intended to be an objective scale by which teams' attitudes and behaviors can be assessed. Behavior before, during, and after an intramural contest is included in each rating. Each team manager is responsible for educating ALL players and spectators affiliated with his/her team about the system. Rating criteria are defined as:
Excellent (4) - Team exhibited outstanding sportsmanship throughout the course of the game and generally met the following guidelines:
- Players cooperated fully with game officials, scorekeepers, and supervisors
- Players interaction with opponents was cordial and non-aggressive.
- Team captain/manager provided necessary leadership to control team and address concerns or questions in calm non-aggressive manner.
- Players did not engage in unsportsmanlike behavior throughout the course of the game (i.e. taunting, excessive fouls, arguing, cursing, etc.)
- Team was not penalized with an unsportsmanlike penalty.
- No comments of a derogatory nature directed at any individual.
Good (3) - Team generally exhibited good sportsmanship throughout the course of the game and generally met the following guidelines:
- Players generally displayed good sportsmanship to game officials, scorekeepers, and supervisors.
- Minimal arguing with game officials on calls.
- Overall behavior was acceptable.
- Team captain/manager provided necessary leadership to control team throughout the course of the game.
- Team had no blatant acts of unsportsmanlike conduct.
Below Average (2) - Team exhibited characteristics of both good and bad sportsmanship throughout the course of the game:
- Players argued several calls made by game officials, scorekeepers, or supervisors.
- Team received one unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
- Teams made inappropriate comments to game officials, scorekeepers, supervisors, or opposing players.
- Overall behavior was inappropriate and team was visibly agitated throughout the game.
Poor (1) - Team displayed poor sportsmanship, was confrontational and uncooperative throughout the course of the game.
- Team received two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
- Players consistently argued calls made by game officials, scorekeepers, and supervisors.
- Players were uncooperative with game officials, scorekeepers, and supervisors.
- Team used inappropriate language towards game officials, scorekeepers, supervisors, and other participants.
- Players displayed aggressive actions towards game officials, scorekeepers, and supervisors.
Unacceptable (0) - Teams behavior was unacceptable.
- Team received three unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
- Team's behavior was consistently inappropriate toward game officials, scorekeepers, and supervisors.
- Players were in a fight.
- Team's behavior was so inappropriate that the game was called due to unsportsmanlike conduct.
Unsportsmanlike conduct and ejection policy
If any intramural participant or spectator is ejected from any activity, he or she is immediately ineligible for further competition in any intramural activity until he or she is cleared by the intramural assistant director or his or her designee. When ejected from an activity, the participant or spectator must immediately leave the facility, Recreation Complex, or intramural playfields.
It is the participant's responsibility to schedule an appointment with the intramural assistant director to review his or her behavior and subsequent eligibility in any intramural activity. Penalties are effective after the meeting with the intramural director or his or her designee (i.e., no self-imposed penalties).
Individual
Ejection from a contest for unsportsmanlike conduct will result in penalties against the individuals involved. These range from the minimum of the basic unsportsmanlike penalty below to suspension from all intramural activities for one full calendar year depending on the severity of the unsportsmanlike action.
Team
Team involvement in unsportsmanlike conduct may result in a minimum of probation for that team up to removal from the intramural schedule. (See team suspension below.)
The number one priority in intramural play is good conduct and sportsmanship. When taunting and baiting are allowed to take place, sportsmanship takes a backseat. Examples include, but are not limited to, harassing, heckling, badgering, teasing to engender ill will, or mocking or challenging in an insulting manner. Any demonstration of taunting or baiting during intramural activities will be penalized.
Intramural probation
Individual
The individual may continue his or her participation in that sports season with the full understanding that any further reports of unsportsmanlike conduct will result in stricter penalties, i.e., suspension.
Team
Intramural probation places a team on probationary status. Any further unsportsmanlike conduct will result in suspension from any further intramural participation. This also applies to teams not in attendance at captain's/manager's meetings or soccer captain's meeting.
Intramural suspension
Individual
The individual may not participate in any intramural activity, whether it be a team sport, meet sport, or an individual sport. Any action taken against an individual does not preclude the right to take action against the organization the individual represents for the same incident(s) of unsportsmanlike conduct.
Team
Suspension from intramural activities prohibits the suspended organization from participating in any team or meet sports or being represented in individual sports during the period of intramural suspension.
The term of probation or suspension for individuals and teams may be set for a particular sport, semester, year, or an indefinite period.
Please refer to Recreational Services unsportsmanlike conduct and ejection policy for further information.
Basic unsportsmanlike penalty
Any participant ejected from a contest will not be allowed to participate in his or her team's succeeding contest. Doing so will result in intramural probation. This is a minimum penalty. Other penalties may be applied.