Bylaws

Intramural Programs

ARTICLE I - TITLES

INTRAMURAL COUNCIL

This organization shall be known as the University of Delaware Intramural Council. This Council will consist of men's, women's and coed intramural team captains or representatives of the sports currently in season.

RECREATION AND INTRAMURALS COMMITTEE

ARTICLE II - OBJECTIVE

To govern and promote intramural sports at the University of Delaware.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Any full-time undergraduate student, full-time graduate student, faculty or staff member may be eligible to be a member of the Intramural Council.

ARTICLE IV - REPRESENTATIVES

Each member unit of IM Council shall send one or more representatives to each Captain's meeting (a unit is defined as any residence hall, fraternity/sorority or independent team participating in a sport concurrent with the Captain's meeting).
An elected representative from a residence hall or fraternity/sorority should serve for the full year, rather than for certain sports only. Duties shall be to organize teams within the respective groups and attend all Council meetings, maintaining communication between the Council and their groups.

ARTICLE V - ELIGIBILITY RULES

Teams may not play ineligible players, even by mutual consent.
All full-time undergraduate students (12 or more credit hours) and their spouses are eligible for competition except as noted herein.
Full-time graduate students (9 credit hours or more) and their spouses are eligible for intramural competition.
All full-time faculty and staff and their spouses are eligible for intramural competition.
An individual may participate on only one male/female team and one coed team of the same sport during the season. The first team played on is considered to be that person's eligible team. Any subsequent participation on another team constitues the use of an ineligible player.
Any player caught playing on more than one team during a season will be subject to disciplinary action by the Coordinator of Intramural Sports.
The use of a University ID other than one's own is strictly prohibited. False IDs will be confiscated by Intramural Staff and both the participant using said ID and the owner of the ID will be subject to disciplinary action.
Any person eligible to purchase a membership to use the Carpenter Sports Building may do so and be deemed eligible for Intramural Participation.
All Intramural events require participants to present a University of Delaware ID card to participate. The official entry form supplied by the office of Intramural Sports shall be used in all events. Entries will not be accepted on other forms.
Any team playing an ineligible player shall forfeit all games that player participated in.
All current members of a varsity team are ineligible for intramural competition in their same or related sports during that academic year. (Includes Red-Shirt members)
1. A person shall be considered a member of a varsity team once listed on the official University team roster.
2. Varsity team members, although ineligible for that same or related sport in which they are participating, may participate in other intramural sports during that sport season or academic year.
3. An athlete declared ineligible because of the N.C.A.A. Transfer Rule may not compete in the same or related intramural sport.
Any student who quits a varsity team or who is cut from the team for disciplinary reasons shall be ineligible to play in that intramural sport during that academic year, but may compete in other intramural sports.
1. If a student is cut from a varsity team for any other reason, their eligibility shall be determined by the Intramural Coordinator.
2. A student has officially quit a sport on the day that all equipment issued for that sport by the Athletic Department is returned to the Athletic Department.
Any male/female student, who was a member of a collegiate varsity team, yet did not earn a varsity letter, shall not be eligible to participate in the same or related sport in the intramural program for a full calendar year following the last semester in which he/she was a team member.
In the case of club sport activities within the University only four (4) members of an intramural team may be a member of the same or related sport club team.
1. At no time can more than two club players be on the court or field competing at one time.
Any player pecoming a member of a varsity team after the first scheduled contest is ineligible for the remainder of that season in the same or related sports.
Any student on athletic scholarship in ineligible in that I.M. sport during the same school year.
A student who has earned a varsity letter at any college, junior college or university, shall be ineligible to compete in that or similar activities for a period of one calendar year from when they were last eligible and participated on the roster. **If the school at which the student participated in varsity athletics does not formally award varsity letters, it will be up to the discretion of the Intramural Sports Coordinator to determine whether a letter was "earned" by the level of participation. When in doubt, contact the Coordinator of Intramural Sports to make a ruling on a participants's eligibility before the student participates.
Students barred from intercollegiate athletics because of professionalism shall be ineligible for intramural competition in same or related sports.
Any individual who has ever participated in a semi-professional or professional sport is permanently ineligible to participate in that sport, similar sport, or activity.

Related Sports:

Basketball- Basketball League, 3v3 Basketball

Tennis- Tennis Singles and Doubles

Soccer- Outdoor Soccer League, Indoor Soccer (Futsal) League

Volleyball- Volleyball League, Outdoor Volleyball, Wallyball

Baseball- Softball League

Softball- Softball League

Football- Flag Football

Women are eligible to play on men's teams, and men on women's teams, only when there is no same or similar intramural sport offered concurrently for them (including a coed division).
Any needed interpretations of eligibility rules shall be submitted to the Intramural Committee.

ARTICLE VI - SCHEDULING

Team Sports--Team sports will be scheduled based upon the availability that the team captain submits on IMLeagues.com. Each team will be scheduled for four regular season games. In the event that games are canceled due to weather or other unexpected situations the Intramural Office will make every attempt to reschedule those games. In most cases, the regular season will be immediately followed by a single elimination playoff.
Individual Sports--In most cases the individual and dual sports are scheduled using a round robin format; however, a single or double elimination format may be employed when necessary.
Tournament Sports--These sports are one-day events, such as the tennis tournament, badminton tournament, cornhole tournament, etc.

ARTICLE VII - ROSTERS & SCORESHEETS

In order to compete, each organization must have a roster on file that all participants for that team must be added to prior to competing. Individual players must personally register online at imleagues.com by creating an account and electronically signing a waiver for participation. Participants will need their student ID/employee ID number and udel email account when creating an account. Additional participants may be added up to the start of that team's final season game in any team sport. All players' names must appear on the roster prior to any contests in which they participate.
Each organization wishing to enter a team for a specific sport must create a team and pay the team registration fee online at imleagues.com. A team will lose their playoff eligibility for the first game it forfeits (see Forfeits, Article XI). The second forfeit will result in dismissal from the league.
Maximum rosters sizes: Team Sports--16 for all team sports except softball and outdoor soccer which are 20.
Replacement or deletion of a competitor's name on a roster is prohibited except for medical reasons.
Names for individual sports may be scratched if done so before the start of the tournament, otherwise forfeits will be charged.
There are three levels at which teams may compete:

Blue--These leagues consist of teams with experienced players who possess a very high skill level and desire opponents of the same.
Gold--These leagues have been established for those teams who may not have as much playing experience as those in the blue leagues, or who wish to play in a less competitive setting, but still possess the skills and knowledge needed to play the game.
White--These leagues are for those who simply enjoy participating in an organized program. Players may or may not be experienced. This level is perfect for beginners or those who desire to learn the basics of the game.

Each participant must show his/her own University of Delaware ID Card to the game official or supervisor each game. No one person may sign-in for the whole team. Anyone who does not appear on the scoresheet will not be permitted to participate in that game. (Players may go to the IM office prior to the game to be added to the team.) Scoresheets will be checked by officials and should be checked by team captains before the start of each game.
Open Registration-- Certain events may have an open division which is a competitive level with no restrictions on gender of participants.

ARTICLE VIII - PROTESTS

There are two types of protests recognized by the Intramural Sports program. Those are ineligible player and misinterpretation of playing rules by a game official. Note that matters involving an official's judgment are not eligible for protest.

Player Eligibility- All protests concerning player eligibility must be made in writing, and submitted to the Intramural Office no later than the end of business hours on the day following the contest in question. Player eligibility can be protested throughout the season.
Misinterpretation of Playing Rules- The initial protest must be made immediately following the play in question, prior to play becoming "live" again. Game officials and the site supervisor must be notified that the contest is being protested. If the protest cannot be resolved at that time by the supervisor on site, a written protest, including the specific rule that was misapplied, must be submitted to the Intramural office by the close of business the next regular business day. The Coordinator of Intramural Sports will rule on the protest. Any protested contest where the protest is upheld may be replayed from the point of the protest or left to remain as is.

ARTICLE IX - FORFEITS AND DEFAULTS

If a team or individual fails to appear at the scheduled time (after a 5 minute grace period), the game or match shall be forfeited to the team or individual ready to play. (Also read Article IX-2)
For every minute a team or player delays the start of a game their team will be penalized a certain amount of points as determined by that specific sport
The winning participant of individual intramural sports matches is required to report scores to the Intramural Office by the specified date or a forfeit will be recorded for both participants.
Teams have the option of declaring a "default." If a team knows they will be unable to attend a contest, they may fill out the online default form by 12pm the day of the game. If a default is declared the team will be charged with a loss but not a forfeit. Each team has the option of declaring 1 default per sport (a default cannot be declared in the playoffs). If a team defaults a second time it will be treated as a forfeit and that team will be removed from the league for the rest of the year.
If a team forfeits one game during the regular season they will no longer be eligible for the playoffs. However that team will have the option of paying a “buy-back-in” fee which will make them eligible for the playoffs. A team that defaults one game during the regular season will not be required to pay this while still remaining eligible for the playoffs. Any team that misses more than one game whether by forfeit or default will no longer be eligible for the playoffs, they will not be allowed to pay the “buy-back-in” fee and they will be removed from the league for the rest of the year.

ARTICLE X - POSTPONEMENTS AND RESCHEDULES

Unless a game is postponed, all games must be played as scheduled. Postponements must, and will be made and approved by the IM Office. Postponement dates will be posted on league sheets on the web.
In the case of inclement weather, a decision will be made one hour prior to the first scheduled contest of the day (usually 2:30 pm). Please call 831-2539 for weather information.
Contests will not be rescheduled. Teams pick their playing days and times. Any changes must be approved by the IM Department.
In scheduling, there will be no special consideration unless specified on original rosters or by vote of the Intramural Council--these should include special holidays, tests, etc.
All changes to the schedules will be posted on the Intramural website. It is the responsibility of the team captain to check these postings and relay this information to their team.

ARTICLE XI - OFFICIALS

No official shall be a member of a team or organization participating in the present contest.
Regardless of the sport, officials are in charge of the game to the limit of their jurisdiction as described in the University Intramural Official's Handbook or a corresponding Federation/FIFA/USA/N.C.A.A./N.I.R.S.A. guide.

ARTICLE XII - AWARDS

A team picture will be taken at the conclusion of the tournament of each winner. It will be posted on the Intramural Website.
Teams will be awared Championship T-shirts. Any member on the roster is elgible as long as they are attended at least two different games during the season.

Methods of determining championships:

Competition will be round robin with league champions being determined by won/lost percentages, and/or sportsmanship ratings, and/or a teams compliance with certain league requirements.
League champions will compete for the campus championship for that level in a single elimination tournament.

ARTICLE XIII - INJURIES

All injuries must be reported immediately to the sports supervisor, who will fill out an official incident report.
Injuries sustained in intramural competition should be treated at the University Student Health Center.

A student may use a physician of his/her choice if desired. It is recommended that each participant be covered by insurance. The Department of Recreation assumes no liability for injuries sustained in competition.

The sports supervisor shall determine if an injured player needs Public Safety to transport him/her to the Student Health Center or if an ambulance should be called.

ARTICLE XIV - MISSION STATEMENT AND CODE OF CONDUCT

Statement of Mission - The Recreation and Intramural Program is provided for the University community as an alternative to intercollegiate competition. Competitive team and individual sports are offered to provide individuals with the benefits of organized competition: self-knowledge, social responsibility, challenge, commitment and leadership. Recreation and Intramural Programs is committed to the creation and maintenance of an environment in which all athletes are encouraged to reach their potential, and where challenge, competition and comradeship mutually exist.
Code of Conduct - In concert with Recreation and Intramural Programs' Mission, it is expected that each participant in intramural sports will adhere to the following Code of Conduct:

"Participants in intramural sports will conduct themselves in such a way as to foster an atmosphere of fair play and mutual respect. Fair play allows for striving to win, but not at all costs. Each participant will agree to play within the rules of the game. Mutual respect demands that every player, official, and spectator be treated with dignity and respect."

Teams are responsible for the conduct of each player and their spectators.
Any degrading statements or profanity directed towards the opposition or an official is prohibited; officials are hereby authorized to expel violators from the game, and from the immediate area.
Any person whom is ejected is ineligible to participate in any further Intramural Events until s/he meets with the Program Specialist of Intramurals. At that time further ineligibility will be determined. (Ineligibility includes participation and spectating.) ATeam that competes with an ineligible player will forfeit that game.
Fighting will not be tolerated.
1. Any individual who is the aggressor in a fight (the initiator and/or one who is actively continuing the altercation in the discretion of officials or supervisor), will be immediately ejected from the game and prohibited from participating in any sport for one calendar year. Second offense by the same individual in any other sport will mean suspension from all IM activities forever.
2. If any team, team member or spectator enters the court/field during a fight, the entire team will be charged with a forfeit and will be prohibited from participating for the remainder of the season.
3. Any indivudual who is the non-aggressor in a fight, one who is defending him/herself only, will be ejected from that game and possibly suspended from the next. However, if the individual, in the estimation of the officials or supervisor present, moves from defending him/herself to aggressively partaking in the fight, he/she shall be deemed an aggressor and will be subjected to the penalties of such.
Depending on the severity of the incident, further judicial action may be initiated by Intramural Programs Office.
Players and/or spectators expelled from activity shall leave the area immediately or face suspension from all IM activity for the remainder of the academic year and a forfeit for their team. The official shall call for the IM supervisor, who will escort the participant from the area.
"Misconduct" may be charged to a participant according to the rules laid forth for that sport, or in concert with the following:

Misconduct may include, but is not limited to, unsportsmanlike conduct, use of profanity, verbal harassment of officials or opponents, visual display of temper, abusing University equipment, blatant physical contact or intentional breach of the rules. In general, a player is guilty of misconduct when he or she behaves in a way contrary to the atmosphere of fair play and mutual respect called for in the Intramural Code of Conduct.

The Intramural Program Specialist has the responsibility for interpretation and enforcement of the preceding rules of conduct. These infractions penalties are subject to change without notice and can be weighed on a case-by-case basis. The University and the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Services (DIARS) reserves the right to sanction the team/indivudual at whatever level is appropriate for the offense.

VIOLATION CLASSIFICATION	FIRST OCCURANCE	SECOND OCCURANCE	THIRD OCCURANCE
MISCONDUCT (see XVI,9)	official's discretion can be a warning up to ejection	offical's discretion can be warning up to ejection	ejection from contest
FIGHTING (non-aggressor, see XVI,6)	ejection	ejection for semester	ejection for 1 year
FIGHTING (aggressor, see XVI,6)	ejection for 1 IM season from all IM sports	ejection forever	N/A
GROSS MISCONDUCT (ie. striking an official)	ejection for 1 year	ejection forever	N/A