Intramural By-Laws

Sponsorhsip
The Department of Athletics sponsors a comprehensive intramural sports program for all qualified students, faculty and staff of Graceland University. A Faculty/Staff sponsor is appointed by the President.
Purpose
The purpose of this organization shall be the establishment, administration and supervision of a program of intramural sports which shall provide the opportunity for voluntary participation by all qualified undergraduate students, faculty, administration and other qualified employees of the University. The purpose shall be to create a program of recreational activities in order to promote the availability of all desirable aspects inherent in sports participation--physical, social and cultural--to all participants and spectators.
Membership
1. Only full-time students, full-time or part-time personnel of Graceland University, and their spouses, shall be eligible to participate in the intramural sports program, provided they qualify under the rules of eligibility established in the By-Laws. (Full-time students shall be enrolled in 12 or more credit hours or certified by their Dean as enrolled for a full-time course of study. Full-time and part-time personnel must be certified by Human Resources.)
2. Participants in intramural sports shall be directly responsible for their own eligibility. Organizations (House Representatives) shall be directly responsible for the eligibility of individuals representing them. The Intramural Sports Staff shall assume no direct responsibility for the eligibility status of participants. The Intramural Sports Staff shall be available to interpret eligibility rules on request of House Representatives.
Organization and Administration
1. The sponsor shall be responsible for the conduct of the Intramural Sports Program.
2. The Director of Intramurals shall be responsible to the sponsor for the immediate conduct of the Intramural Sports Program.
3. The Intramural Board shall serve in an advisor capacity to the sponsor and to the Director of Intramurals on issues involving the conduct of the intramural program, and/or the adoption, revision, or abandonment of policies contained in the Intramural Constitution and By-Laws.
4. The House Representatives shall be appointed by their house. The House Representative shall be a member of the organization and eligible to compete. During the House Representative's appointed time he or she is not during their job, the Intramural Board shall be responsible for ending appointment by vote.
5. The Intramural Board, composed of 5 people, shall act on all appeals concerning eligibility decisions made by the sponsor and Director of Intramurals.
Amendments
1. Amendment of this Constitution and/or By-Laws may be submitted by any official student organization in writing for Director of Intramurals, or the sponsor prior to any official meeting of the above group.
2. The sponsor and Director of Intramurals may submit proposals to amend the Constitution and/or By-Laws in written form prior to any regular meeting of the Intramural Board.
Eligibility
1. Men's and Women's Intramurals
  1. Only full-time students, faculty members, staff and employees certified as full-time personnel of Graceland University shall be eligible to participate in the Intramural Sports Program. Full-time students shall be currently enrolled in twelve (12) or more credit hours or certified by their Dean as enrolled for a full-time course of study. Provisions:
    1. A participant will not be eligible to compete as a member of more than one (1) team in the same intramural activity.
    2. The Intramural Board or the Intramural Director may declare a player or participant ineligible for intramural competition if, in its judgment, his/her presence on the field or playing area disrupts the equality of play.
    3. The Intramural Eligibility Board or the Intramural Sports Staff may declare a player or an organization ineligible for intramural participation because of flagrant, unsportsmanlike conduct of a player, players, or spectators (as detailed in the Sportsmanship Supplement).
    4. A student who has dressed for any current varsity or junior varsity games shall be ineligible for intramural competition in that sport.
    5. A student who has practiced as a squad member with any current varsity, junior varsity, or red-shirted that year shall be ineligible for intramural competition in that sport for the remainder of the season if he/she remains a member of the current varsity or junior varsity team after completion of the first scheduled game. If he/she withdraws before the first scheduled varsity game, he/she shall be eligible.
    6. Men may not participate in sports offered in the women's program if that sport or an associated sport is offered within the men's or coed intramural program. Likewise, women may not participate in men's sports when offered within the women's or coed intramural program.
    7. All rosters in elimination-type tournaments shall be "frozen" after the last game of the regular season. A participant in the playoffs must have competed in at least two regular season games to be eligible.
  2. Open Division - Any participant who fulfills requirements outlined in Section A above is eligible to complete in the Open Division.
2. Coed Intramurals. In addition to all those eligible to play in men's and women's intramurals, spouses of students, faculty and staff are also eligible to participate in coed sports. Children are not eligible to play in the intramural program.
Postponements
1. The Intramural Sports Staff shall be empowered to postpone any scheduled intramural events when such action is, in their opinion, warranted by prevailing conditions.
2. The Intramural Sports Staff shall be empowered to postpone intramural events due to inclement weather.
  1. House Representatives shall be notified as soon as possible after postponement is definite.
  2. House Representatives shall be responsible for contacting the Intramural Office when weather conditions indicate that contests may be postponed.
  3. Competing teams shall appear at the field ready to play, unless specifically advised of postponement by the Intramural Sports Staff or their delegated representative.
3. Postponed contests shall be rescheduled when possible before the regular league schedule or the round of play in a tournament is completed. The weather conditions and availability of facilities are the only factors that would extend the season.
Ethics and Rules.
The eligibility rules, as well as activity rules and regulations, are subject to limitations, distortions, and misinterpretations. The spirit and intent of the rules are evident. Violations are most likely to occur when a manager or an organization apply the rules to gain an unfair and undeserved advantage. Organizations sponsoring intramural teams should be concerned with maintaining and observing the spirit and intent of the rules, not to see how close they can border the legality of the rule without committing technical violations. If such violations are deliberate, the respective Intramural Board and/or the Intramural Director reserves the right to take immediate corrective action.
Protests
1. Protests, except those concerning eligibility of players, shall be made on the field of play by the captains of the team to the officials in a sportsmanlike manner at the time the question occurs and before play is resumed. The official in charge must notify each team captain that the game is being played under protest and note the exact time and situation in the official score book. Protests which are upheld will result in the game being replayed from the point of protest. The INTERPRETATION of rules by an official may be subject to question and protest. The JUDGMENT of an official is not. Protests shall be accepted for review by the Intramural Sports Staff provided the protest is filed according to the following procedures:
  1. Intramural Board Members must notify the official and opponent's team captain immediately on the field or court that the game is being continued under protest.
  2. The captain must file a written description of the situation causing the protest. This protest will contain reasons for the protest and evidence thereof. The apparent infraction in the rules must be stated and the rules quoted from the rule book and/or intramural rules governing the sport. Protests are due in the Intramural Office twenty-four (24) hours following the contest being protested. One copy of the protest shall be given to the House Representative of the house being protested against and one copy to the Intramural Sports Staff.
  3. Captains and their House Representative shall be permitted to attend the Board meeting for a final ruling on the protest. The Board's action shall be final and not subject to further appeal.
2. Protests concerning the eligibility of participants shall be made by the House Representative to the Intramural Sports Staff. The Intramural Sports Staff shall investigate all protests regarding eligibility and rule on such protests. The participant(s) shall have the right to appeal any such decision to the Intramural Director.
  1. Written protests concerning the eligibility of participants shall be made no later than twenty-four (24) hours after the contest in which the disputed player has participated. The burden of proof rests with the protester. One copy of the protest shall be given to the House Representative of the house or individual being protested against and one copy to the Intramural Sports Staff. It shall be the responsibility of the house or individual being protested against to personally appear and present a written explanation of the situation to the Intramural Sports Staff.
  2. The Intramural Sports Staff shall have the power to protest the eligibility for any participant.
  3. So-called "Gentlemen's Agreement" between teams will not be supported by the Intramural Sports Staff when such agreements are at variance with the Intramural rules.
  4. The Intramural Sports Staff shall be responsible for administering the penalties prescribed in Article IV of the By-Laws in conjunction with the determination of the sponsor or Intramural Sports Staff decisions.
  5. The captain or House Representative shall be permitted to attend the Board meeting hearing for a final ruling on the protest.
3. A student or organization declared ineligible for intramural participation according to Intramural By-Laws shall be afforded the right to appeal to the Director of Intramurals prescribed in Article X of the By-Laws.
Registration of Players
1. All contestants in team or league events shall be required to be on an official team roster submitted by the House Representative of the competing organization and on file in the Intramural Office prior to the date established by the Intramural Sports Staff for closing entries in the specific sport (subject to Section 2).
2. Changes on the entry forms for team sports may be made in the Intramural Office. Each player(s) being added must meet all the requirements of eligibility.
Forfeits
1. A contest shall be declared forfeited to the opponents by the official-in-charge if an individual (in tournament play) or an organization (in league play) fails to appear (ready to play) at the appointed place within the time limits prescribed (10 minutes) or as established by special rules for each intramural activity. When neither contestant in individual events or neither full team in league play appears (ready for play) at the appointed place within the time limits prescribed, a forfeit will be charged to each team or individual.
2. The members of an organization (in a team event) or an individual (in an individual event) leaving the field of play before a contest is completed or is called by the official-in-charge shall subject themselves a forfeit.
Penalties
1. All games or contests in which an ineligible player, as determined by Article I, Section 1, participates shall be forfeited retroactively to the respective opponents, excepting that the protest of an ineligible participant must be on file with the Intramural Sports Staff not later than the established deadline for completion of a round of tournament play or not later than twenty-four (24) hours following the completion of the event or contest in the specific Intramural sport in which the ineligible player participated.
2. In any game in which a contestant in ineligible by reason of failure to confirm to the rules for listing of names on team lists, the contestant is ineligible and the game is forfeited only upon protest. Conformity with all the rules in subsequent contests will make the same participant eligible for further competition if otherwise eligible.
3. Any team or organization or individual in intramurals after its second forfeit will automatically be eliminated from competing in the playoff tournament of that sport.
4. Any team or organization in intramurals will automatically forfeit the remainder of its games to be played in an activity upon receipt of its third forfeit.
5. If any team or organization is eliminated for any reason in intramural play, the members of that team or organization shall be ineligible for that activity within that activity duration.
6. A student participating under an assumed name may be barred permanently form any further participation in the Intramural Sports Program, and the members of the organization or unit, and the members of the team on which the player participated under an assumed name may be barred from intramural participation for the remainder of the academic year. Duration of penalty shall be determined by the Intramural Sports Staff or sponsor.
7. Instances of flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct (as detailed in the Sportsmanship Supplement to the Constitution) on the part of individual players, individual spectators, or organizations may be penalized by the Intramural Director or the Intramurals Sports Staff with loss of eligibility for intramural participation.
8. Repeated violations of any rules by a team or any individual may result in barring the team or individual for competition for the remainder of the season or the entire school year, as determined by the Intramural Director or the Intramural Sports Staff.
9. Any individual ore organization charged with the loss of or willful damage to Intramural equipment will cause the team to forfeit its games and cost of the equipment will be charged to the organization the team represents.
Activity Rules
1. Play in all intramural contests shall be governed by the National Federation of State High School Associations or amateur rules for the sport, except as provided in special rulings formulated by the Intramural Sports Staff.
2. All playoff games shall be scheduled to commence within seven (7) days after the end of the regular schedule.
3. Contest will not be scheduled during final exam periods.
Health Regulations.
The University and the staff of the Department of Athletics shall assume no responsibility for injuries incurred in intramural practice or participation. Participants are urged to avail themselves of an insurance plan which includes benefits for injuries which occur in intramural participation.
Administration of Intramural Sports
1. The Intramural Sports Staff shall be responsible for the determination of the calendar of intramural activities, for the scheduling of all group activities (including postponed activities), for the grouping of teams in leagues, for the drawing of tournaments, for the assignments of officials, for the establishment of special training requirements, special ground rules related to each activity, for the issue of equipment to intramural teams, for the procurement and distribution of team and individual awards, and for other administrative functions in accordance with the provisions of the Intramural Constitution and By-Laws.
2. The Intramural Sports Staff shall be receptive to the advice of the sponsor in accomplishing these duties, and shall incorporate student suggestions in the administrative plan insofar as they are consistent with the equitable distribution of facilities, equipment, staff, time, finances, etc.
Appeals.
Individuals and organizations ruled ineligible according to the Intramural By-Laws may appeal in writing to the Intramural Sports Staff. The form of the appeal shall contain the ineligible individual or organization's name, address(es), and telephone number, along with a detailed explanation for the appeal. The appeal shall be made within a twenty-four (24) hour period following notice of the original action. The Intramural Staff will then evaluate the appeal and issue a ruling. This ruling shall be made in writing and a copy given to the appellant. Should the ruling not be satisfactory, the appeal may be carried to the Intramural Director or sponsor who may either uphold the Intramural Staff decision or reduce the period of ineligibility probation. This decision shall be final.
Fees and Fines
1. No fee shall be assessed by the Intramural Department for individual or group participation in activities of the regular intramural sports program.
2. Willful damage of intramural equipment or loss of such equipment will require the participant(s) to make arrangements for the replacement of such equipment before the participant(s) will be allowed to continue in a tournament or other sponsored activity.
Awards
Awards may be presented by the Intramural Sports Staff to the winners of competition conducted on a league basis.
Changing Leagues
Any individual who has been playing on one league and decides to change leagues is allowed to before two regular season games have been played. Any individual is only allowed one move per sport. Any individual requesting to play with a different house must receive permission from Residence Life before playing.
Intramural Board
1. The Board may take necessary action on all disputes arising in the intramural competition. These disputes may involve cases of poor sportsmanship by individuals or teams, cases where a role interpretation by an official is questioned.
2. In cases where sportsmanship is involved, the parties will be called before the Intramural Sports Staff. Persons or teams found guilty of poor sportsmanship may be penalized or suspended from intramural participation. Officials' decisions relative to sportsmanship displayed in a contest are final. The protest board is made up of four students.
3. Individuals and teams imply their acceptance of the policies of the Intramural Program and their acceptance of the decisions of the Board when they elect to participate in the Intramural Program.
Sportsmanship
1. Part of the philosophy of the Intramural Sports Staff is that good sportsmanship is vital to the conduct of every contest. In order to promote better sportsmanship, an award is made each year to the competitive unit that most consistently displays good sportsmanship. In order to encourage proper conduct during games, officials, supervisors, intramural managers and administrative personnel shall make decisions on sportsmanship. These decisions are final. The Board and/or the Intramural Sports Staff will rule on further penalties to be prescribed as a result of unsportsmanlike conduct. The following are considered by the Intramural Sports Staff to be evidence of poor sportsmanship:
  1. Profanity;
  2. Unnecessary delay of the game;
  3. Striking or shoving an opponent or official (automatic ejection from the game);
  4. Arguing with officials concerning decisions (discussion is allowed as long as it is done in a mature manner by the team captain);
  5. Derogatory and abusive remarks toward an opponent;
  6. Any action, the intent of which is to physically injure an opponent; or
  7. Any action which shows disregard for the rules or policies of the intramural program.
2. A team is responsible for the actions of any individual members of the team or for spectators directly related to the team. The conduct of players and spectators before and after the game will be held responsible for conduct at these times as well as during the game.
3. Following is a summary of the grading system that will be used by officials and/or area supervisors to evaluate the sportsmanship of teams:
  1. In order for your team to qualify for the tournament, they must have:
    1. A 2.5 average sportsmanship rating during the regular season games.
    2. Not have forfeited twice during the regular season.
  2. Sportsmanship ratings will be based on the following criteria:
    "A" 4.0 Excellent Conduct and Sportsmanship. Players cooperate fully with the officials and other team members. The captain calmly converses with the officials about rule interpretations and calls. The captain also have full control of all teammates.
    
    "B" 3.0 Good Conduct and Sportsmanship. Team members verbally complain about some decisions made by the officials and/or show minor dissension which may or may not merit a yellow card. Teams that receive one yellow card will receive no higher than a “B” rating.
    
    "C" 2.0 Average Conduct and Sportsmanship. Team show verbal dissent towards officials and/or opposing team which will merit a yellow card. Captain exhibits minor control over teammates but is in control of themselves. Teams receiving multiple yellow cards will receive no higher than a “C” rating.
    
    "D" 1.0 Below Average Conduct and Sportsmanship. Teams constantly comment to the officials and/or opposing team from the field and/or sidelines. The team captain exhibits little control over teammates or themselves. A team which receives one (1) red card will receive no higher than a “D” rating.
  3. A team must receive at least a “C” rating in each playoff game.
  4. A team which receives an “E” rating must have their captain meet with the Intramural Director and a member of the Intramural Board the following day to be eligible to play in their next game.
  5. Any player who is ejected (given a red card) will not be eligible to participate in their team’s next scheduled contest and must arrange to meet with the Intramural Director before they or their team is eligible for further competition. Based on the ejected player’s actions, further disciplinary procedures may be taken. Any yellow or red cards for spectator misconduct will be issued against the team.
  6. Any player receiving a yellow card must sit out until the next available substitution. In sports where a running clock is used, the clock must run. In softball, the person must sit out until the next half inning. In volleyball, the person must sit out until a point is scored.
4. Determination of Cases of Poor Sportsmanship. The following description of penalties is to be used as a guide for the Intramural Sports Staff . The decision of the Board is final. A team implies acceptance of the above standards and implies acceptance of all Board decisions when it enters the intramural program.
  1. Team Violation
    1. For the first "D" rating, a reprimand will be forwarded to the captain of the team which received the "D" rating. This will be done by the Intramural Sports Staff.
    2. For any "E" rating and for the second "D" rating, the captain will be notified to appear (or send a representative to appear) before the Intramural Staff. The Intramural Staff may enforce any of the measures listed below or any other measures that the staff feels are appropriate. (A recommended minimum penalty is intramural probation).
    3. If a "D" or an "E" rating is received while an organization is on intramural probation, the captain will be notified to appear before the Intramural Staff hearing for the organization. (Suspension from the current sport or sports is a recommended minimum penalty for such a case).
  2. Following is a list of possible measures to be used by the Intramural Sports Staff for unsportsmanlike conduct. This is not exclusive of other actions.
    1. No Action. The Intramural Staff determines that further disciplinary action is unwarranted.
    2. Reprimand. A reprimand is an official notice of the unsportsmanlike conduct and shall be construed as a strict warning against any further unsportsmanlike action by members of that organization.
    3. Intramural Probation. Intramural probation places a team on a probationary status which would cause a suspension from intramural participation for any further unsportsmanlike conduct. The term of probation may be set for a particular sport, for a semester, year, or for an indefinite period. An indefinite period would continue until a team petitioned the Intramural Staff for restoration to good standing showing sufficient reason for the staff to grant such restoration to good standing.
    4. Suspension. Suspension from intramurals prohibits the organization suspended from participating in any team or meet sports during the period of intramural suspension. A period of suspension is automatically followed by a period of intramural probation not to be less than one full semester. Any participant(s) which feels the Intramural Staff ruling is unsatisfactory may appeal the ruling to the Intramural Board. After review of the situation the Intramural Board shall rule on the appeal. Such action by the Intramural Board shall be final.
  3. Individual Violation. If a man/woman is ejected from a game, he/she will be notified to appear before the Intramural Sports Staff. If he/she appears before the Intramural Staff, the staff can approve lifting of the suspension. The measures that may be taken in a case of individual unsportsmanlike conduct include those measures listed above for a team except that, in the case of suspension, an 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 of the Intramural Staff to take action against the organization which he/she represents for the same incident or incidents of unsportsmanlike conduct.

Policies

Intramural By-Laws