Contest Procedures
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All participants in a contest sanctioned by the Intramural Sports Office will be identified to the Intramural Sports Director through the appearance of all appropriate information on a roster which has been filed with the Office.
Blank rosters can be obtained from the Intrasmural Sports Office or from the IM Bulletin Board located near the Equipment Room in the Dana Athletic Center. Deadlines for roster submission will be announced on the posters used to publicize the offering of the particular sport. Filing a fully completed roster with the Office in a timely manner is needed for efficient planning and scheduling of the contests. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate anyone who desires to participate and meets the eligibility criteria. However, should facility availability and/or university calendar limit such participation, rosters will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis to schedule a season of contests and playoffs as appropriate.
Contests are expected to be played with the maximum number of participants allowed by the particular contest. In the case of individual sports, the maximum obviously equals the minimum number required for play. Contest rules will be distributed and, if necessary discussed, at the captains' (or, in the case of individual sports, the participants') meeting prior to the start of the season. As part of such rules, a minimum number of team players will also be specified for a contest to be valid along with the grace period which has been stipulated for that minimum number to be reached. It is to be understood, however, that in the interest of time a contest is to begin at the scheduled time or as soon as each team has the minimum number of participants ready to play. In other words, contest will not be delayed simply because a team wishes to wait until the end of the grace period for more players to appear.
In general, if a team, or an individual when applicable, fails to appear and be ready for play at the scheduled site within 10 minutes of the scheduled time for a contest, the official(s) in charge shall declare the contest forfeited to the opponent. In some cases, no or other such grace periods may be appropriate (please consult league rules). To obtain a contest victory by forfeit, the full lineup must be present or a double forfeit will be declared. Each sport will have its own procedure for incorporating forfeits into its league standings.
Typically, a contest will be considered a forfeit if:
a. a team does not appear for a scheduled contest,
b. a team appears after the relevant grace period has expired,
c. a team can only field fewer than the minimum number of players at the expiration of the grace period,
d. both teams agree to reschedule their scheduled contest without approval from the Intramural Sports Office.
Officials can also declare a contest forfeit if:
e. a team leaves the field or court before conclusion of play,
f. a team or individual displays unsportsmanlike conduct,
g. spectators affiliated with one of the competing teams displays conduct detrimental to good competition.
PENALTY. When a team forfeits, it will be recorded as a loss in the league standings. The team retains its playoff eligibility until it has forfeited a contest for a second time during the same season. At this time the team will be eliminated from the league's schedule. Scheduled opponents affected in this manner will be awarded the victory with the score to be determined as appropriate for the particular sport.
A contest will be considered defaulted if:
a. a team has not filed a complete roster with the Intramural Sports Office or paid in full the appropriate fees,
b. a team has used an ineligible player,
b. a team is reduced, for any reason, to a number below the required minimum for play after the contest has started,
c. a team or individual sport participant successfully notifies the Intramural Sports Office at least 24 hours before the scheduled contest of the inability to compete.
The difference between a forfeit and a default is that other than incurring the loss in the standings, defaults carry no further team penalty in terms of further competition or playoff eligibility. The latter remains a matter of win/loss record.
When such fees are required, checks made out to Bentley College, should be submitted along with the completed roster to the Intramural Sports Office prior to the team's first scheduled game.
Schedules for activities are issued by the Intramural Sports Office indicating opponents, dates, times, and playing locations. Schedules are determined by the number of teams entered and available facilities. Leagues could be divided into smaller divisions for round robin competition with a playoff format to determine a league winner.
Rescheduling of games is only possible given the university's calendar and facility availability. Contests rescheduled without the sanctioning of the Intramural Sports Office will not be considered valid and therefore not counted in the standings. When valid, non-weather related reasons exist, such reasons should be submitted to the Intramural Sports Office no less than 24 hours prior to the scheduled contest. Once the Office has approved the rescheduling request, it will be the responsibility of the requesting team to notify and secure the cooperation from the scheduled opponent(s). Under no circumstances is rescheduling of this type to delay the season and/or the playoffs.
A $50 forfeit fee, payable upon entering, will be charged for all team sports. The fee will be fully refunded to teams that do not forfeit a game. Two forfeits result in no refund AND the team will be eliminated from further participation. Teams may claim their forfeit fee at the conclusion of the activity's playoffs. To participate in certain team sports, a per-team fee may be charged to allow for the purchase of t-shirts to distinguish the teams during their contests. This avoids organizational problems for teams and officials alike.
In the event of inclement weather it is the responsibility of the team captain to contact the Intramural Sports Office for the official decision concerning the playing of a contest. Inclement weather decisions can usually be made no sooner than 11/2 hours before a game time. In case of weather related reasons, every effort will be made to make up any postponed contests given the university's calendar and facility availability.
FUNCTION/PURPOSE OF TEAM CAPTAINS
Team captains serve as a vital link in the communication chain necessary for the success of the Intramural Sports Program. A list of the team captains' responsibilities is as follows:
a. Serve as a liaison between the intramural team and the Intramural Sports Office with regard to current information concerning schedules, rules, and rule changes.
b. Represent the team and/or organization at the mandatory team captains' meetings.
c. Notify team members of all playing dates, times and locations.
d. Know all rules pertaining to player eligibility, and make certain that all team members are eligible before listing them on the roster.
e. Keep a current address and phone number on file in the Intramural Sports Office.
f. Become familiar with rules and officiating techniques.
g. Consult Intramural Sports Policies and Procedures for information related to rescheduling games, protest procedures, forfeits, etc.
h. Serve as an example of good sportsmanship for fellow team members and followers by displaying these qualities.
Note: All team names must be approved by the Intramural Office before they become official. Discretion in choosing team names is advised.
a. A team meeting to discuss policies and procedures, interpret sport rules, and to finalize playing dates and times is scheduled for each major team sport and selected special activities.
b. EACH team and/or organization must send a representative, who must be a player included on the team's official roster.
c. Failure to attend this meeting will result in starting the season with one loss and possibly no participation that season at all. Note: Teams starting the season 0 - 1 will be allowed to go to the playoffs if eligible.
Protests will not be considered if they are based on a decision involving the judgement of an official of a contest. Instead, valid causes for protests are those involving:
A. Eligibility. The opposing team, through its captain, will be responsible for filing this type of protest. When a player's eligibility is brought into question it must be brought to the attention of the official in charge of the contest at the earliest opportunity. If proof of eligibility cannot be produced at that time and that player does participate in play, the official in charge of the contest will note the incident on the game report form. The player whose eligibility has been questioned has 48 hours from the conclusion of the contest involved to present the required proof of eligibility to the Intramural Sports Director. Knowingly postponing a challenge of an opposing player's eligibility until the result of the contest is known can jeopardize the validity of the protest.
B. Rule interpretation, procedures, or other non-judgmental decisions. Whenever such a matter arises during a contest, the Team Captain must notify the official in charge of the contest, and the opponent, before play is resumed of his/her concerns. After the Team Captain, in a reasonable and timely manner, communicates the specifics of the complaint(s), the official in charge will clearly state the basis for his/her ruling. If still not satisfied, the Team Captain must inform both the official and the opposing team of the intention to file a formal protest. Following this exchange and as soon as it is possible, the contest must be resumed.
Note: This type of protest will not receive any further consideration if filed by a team who was not represented at the Team Captain's meeting held prior to the start of the season.
In order to be considered, protests of either kind must be filed in the following manner:
1. Protests must be submitted, in writing, to the Intramural Sports Director before 4:30 PM the day following the incident. If the event was played on a weekend or during playoffs, the written protest must be filed by 9:00 AM the first working day following the incident. If the incident(s) occurred during a playoff contest , the formal protest must be filed before the next contest in which either team would be involved.
2. Written protests must include all pertinent facts, dates, times and persons. Once submitted, no additional input from the protesting party (-ies) will be considered unless solicited by those rendering a decision. 3. When possible, protests will be decided by the Intramural Sports Council Executive Board. If necessary, the Intramural Sports Director may ask a representative from each team involved in the incident to appear before the Director and/or Council to clarify particulars involved in the protest claim.
4. When time does not permit consultation with the Council, the Intramural Sports Director will decide protest claims.
5. The final result from the hearing of a protest can be, but is not limited to: a. denial, b. granted, with the contest declared a default in favor of the protesting team or individual, c. granted, with the contest restarted from the time the incident occurred, d. granted, with the contest being replayed in its entirety.
Behavioral problems such as excessively aggressive play, official harassment, poor sportsmanship or other actions that do not exemplify the code of behavior nurtured by the Intramural Sports Program will be discussed with Team Captains. It is the captain's responsibility to control respective team members and team fans. Any discussion between officials and individual players during any activity can easily be misinterpreted and should be kept to a minimum.
In compliance with state laws and the Bentley College alcohol policy, the consumption of alcohol in public places (i.e. playing fields, roadways, etc.) is forbidden. Anyone who violates the alcohol policy while participating in the Intramural Sports Program will be suspended for the remainder of that season and referred to the Judicial Board.
Similarly, those individuals found in violation of university, state and federal drugs and narcotics policies will be reported and prosecuted according to the appropriate statutes.
Part of the philosophy of the Intramural Sports Program is that good sportsmanship is vital to every contest. To encourage proper conduct during games, officials, supervisors and administrative personnel shall make decisions on whether to warn, penalize or eject players or teams for poor sportsmanship. These decisions are final. The following may be considered as evidence of unsportsmanlike conduct:
o Profanity
o Unnecessary delay of game.
o Striking or shoving an opponent.
o Arguing with officials concerning decisions (Discussion is allowed as long as it is done in a mature manner by the team captain.)
o Derogatory and abusive remarks toward an opponent or official.
o Any action that shows disregard for the rules or policies of the Intramural Sports Program.
A. Conduct Toward Officials or Opponents (by players, coaches or spectators)
1. Violation:
Abusive conduct toward an official or opponent, resulting in ejection from the game.
2. Penalty:
First Offense: Minimum of 1 game suspension maximum suspension for one full calendar year, depending on the severity of the incident.
Second Offense: Minimum of 30 day suspension maximum suspension for one full calendar year.
B. Team and Individual Conduct
1. Team Violations
a. Intramural Probation: Any further unsportsmanlike conduct would cause a suspension from Intramural Sports participation. The term of probation may be set for a particular sport, for a semester, a year, or an indefinite period.
b. Suspension from Intramural Sports: No participation in any team sport for the members of the offending team during a period of not less than 30 days.
Note: To repeat, the conduct of players and spectators, before and after the game, is as important as the conduct during the game. The team will be held responsible for the conduct of players at all times.
2. Individual Violations
The disciplinary measures that may be taken in case of individual unsportsmanlike conduct include measures listed above for a team, except that in case of suspension an individual may not participate in any activity, whether it be a team or an individual sport. Any action taken against an individual does not preclude the possibility of further disciplinary action by the Dean of Student Activities and/or Director of Intramurals.
Any player ejected from an intramural contest for unsportsmanlike conduct or flagrant abuse of an opponent is automatically suspended from the next game his/her team plays. This person is also subject to further disciplinary action by the Dean of Student Activities and/or Director of Intramurals.
