Section 1. Intramural Sports Captains/ Chairpersons, pg. 5
1.1 Administrative Duties
1.2 Sportsmanship Duties
3.1 Game Schedules
3.2 Individual Sports and Special Events
3.3 Playoffs
3.4 Reschedules
3.5 Forfeits
Section 5. Sportsmanship Rating, pg. 9-11
5.1 Sportsmanship Rating System
5.2 Rating Method
5.3 Rating Factors
5.4 Rating Scale
5.5 Special Game Situations
5.6 Team Sportsmanship & Playoff Eligibility
5.7 Playoff Tournament Sportsmanship
6.1 Conduct
6.2 Verbal Abuse
6.3 Physical Abuse
6.4 Probation
7.1 Team Suspensions
7.2 Organizational Suspension
7.3 Coach Suspension
7.4 Penalties
7.5 Team Supporter Behavior
8.1 Hearings & Appeals
8.2 Protests
8.3 Special Tournament Protest
8.4 Player Eligibility Protest
8.5 Game Protest
8.6 FAR Advisory Board
8.7 Other Appeals
9.1 Insurance
9.2 Blood
10.1 Facilities
10.2 Equipment Checkout
10.3 Vandalism
10.4 Alcohol and Drug Policy
10.5 Harassment Policy
10.6 Banned Equipment Policies
10.7 Additional Safety Information
The GOAL of the Intramural Sports Department, in providing a program of Intramural Sports, is to encourage students to complement their academic pursuits with the social and physical benefits of recreation. Additionally, faculty and staff members of the Norman Campus can enjoy the social and physical benefits of recreation as well. The OBJECTIVE of the Intramural Sports program is to provide opportunities that are diverse in both type of activity and level of competitiveness. We wish to be able to serve as many students, faculty and staff as possible, to encourage increased participation, to establish sound recreational planning and to adopt new ideas and activities that would improve the quality of the program.
The Intramural Sports Department strives to provide a recreational environment for the University community, which is safe and enjoyable. While the game atmosphere is often competitive, ensuring participant safety, providing a fun and social atmosphere, and promoting sportsmanlike behavior among participants, spectators, and team followers are our primary concerns. The game atmosphere should remain good-natured at all times. Participants shall maintain good sportsmanship throughout their participation in all facets of the Intramural Sports program.
Team Captains/Chairpersons shall serve as the liaison between the Intramural Sports Department and their team/organization. Intramural Sports Captains/Chairpersons are the essential links between an organization and the Intramural Sports Staff. Every organization and/or team should designate Captains/Chairpersons to represent his or her team throughout the year. Everyone should remember that with the large number of entry deadlines, start dates and playing times during the year, it would be best to have a couple of people to handle the task. For some team sports, there may be a brief Captain’s meeting prior to the start of the season that captains would be encouraged to attend to get important information. Other Intramural Sports Captains’ responsibilities are outlined below:
1) Register your team for each/every sport or event in which you wish to participate online at www.imleagues.com. Each sport has a registration deadline!
2) Check schedules regularly for game times. All schedules are posted online at www.imleagues.com by Friday at noon each week. Occasionally, schedules may change due to various reasons, including but not limited to the following: facility availability changes, weather, teams forfeiting, etc.
3) Check www.ou.edu/far or www.imleagues.com.often for any updated information, new game times, changes to fields, etc. The website is our most effective way to communicate information to the masses, and contains almost all information related to Intramural Sports. Check out our social media pages as well for updates: Facebook.com/OUFitRec and @OUFitandRec on Twitter.
4) Be responsible for thoroughly understanding the rules of the sport you are participating in and informing your team members of the Intramural Sports rules, policies, and sportsmanship rating.
5) Ensure that enough eligible participants are at the game 15 minutes prior to the beginning of a scheduled contest. Game time is forfeit time!
1) Educate your team members regarding the consequence of poor sportsmanship for both the individual and the team.
2) Educate yourself and those you participate with of the Sportsmanship Rating System and what it entails.
3) Be responsible for the behavior of all your players and spectators.
4) Be responsible for ensuring all your team members understand and abide by all the Intramural Sports policies as posted at www.ou.edu/far
5) Be responsible for reading, understanding and informing your team members of the Intramural Sports Unsportsmanlike Conduct policies. Ignorance of any Intramural Sports rules and/or policies is not an excuse for violations.
6) Inform any ejected players that they must promptly leave the facility or field in which the competition is being held, or risk forfeiture of the remainder of the game.
7) Inform any ejected players of suspensions and the procedural steps for reinstatement.
8) Only the team captains are permitted to clarify calls with the Intramural Sports Officials or Intramural Sports Supervisors at the specific game sites.
1) Register your team for each/every sport or event in which you wish to participate (this includes all pay-plan holders) online at www.imleagues.com. Each sport has a registration deadline!
2) All participants need to have their own IMLeagues account created and active prior to being able to play in an Intramural event. Once created, participants may register for events and join teams they wish to play on.
3) If a team registers late for a league, that team is subject to being excluded from the first week of competition. Teams who register late for a tournament may or may not be included in the tournament at the discretion of the Intramural Sports Department.
4) It is the responsibility of the team manager to submit an appropriate team name. Names that include inappropriate language or references will be removed. The Intramural Sports Department reserves the right to change any name they deem as unsuitable. If a team name is not submitted, one will be assigned to the team.
1) Roster additions may be submitted online at www.imleagues.com.
2) Roster additions may be made at any time.
1) All Faculty/Staff Intramural Sports are FREE thanks to OU Wellness.
Intramural Sports schedules for team sports, individual sports and/or special events will always be posted online at www.imleagues.com. Team Sport schedules are drawn up weekly and posted each Friday, by noon, during the regular season. There is absolutely no rescheduling of any team sport games. League games called due to inclement weather will not be rescheduled and all scheduled teams will be awarded a win. Tournament matches will be rescheduled, at the discretion of the Intramural Sports Department.
These are posted prior to the beginning of the activity and updated regularly. No schedules will be given out over the phone. Any games postponed during playoffs will be rescheduled (except under extreme circumstances) for a later date except during double elimination tournaments where time may force the cancellation of the loser’s bracket.
All faculty and staff teams that have attained the required sportsmanship rating will qualify for postseason play. Teams will be responsible for knowing their playing dates and times. Game times are set and cannot be changed once the bracket has been created.
Regular season, playoff, and tournament games will not be rescheduled once the schedule has been made. Teams can request specific times not to be scheduled, and may make adjustments to the conflict times prior to any game schedules that may be affected by the changes through www.imleagues.com.
In all team sport activities, teams are required to be at the scheduled field/court with the correct number of players, equipment and information on the scorecard by the scheduled game time. Game time is forfeit time!
1) Participants must have proper identification (OUID) in order to participate in Intramural Sports events and must present ID at any time it is requested by the Intramural Sports Staff to determine player eligibility.
2) Norman campus faculty/staff, OUHSC faculty/staff and employees of the University's Research Campus can participate in faculty/staff Intramural Sports events.
3) Graduate Assistants (GA, PTA, etc.) may participate in faculty/staff OR student divisions.
4) Once a player has played for a team, they may not switch to another team, unless the original team has disbanded (per departmental approval). All participants are responsible for determining their own eligibility. The Intramural Sports staff may grant special permission on eligibility requests.
The Sportsmanship Rating System is intended to raise the level of sportsmanship using an objective scale by which teams' attitude and behavior can be assessed throughout the Intramural Sports leagues and playoff seasons. Behavior before, during, and after an Intramural Sports contest is included in the rating. The team captain is responsible for educating and informing all players and spectators affiliated with his/her team about the system.
A team is responsible for the actions of the individual team members and spectators related to it. The team captain's efforts in assisting Intramural Sports officials/staff to calm difficult situations and to restrain troubled teammates are keys to controlling team conduct, and may have an effect on the rating of a contest.
Sportsmanship is vital to the conduct of every Intramural Sports 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 Sports administrative staff will rule on further penalties as a result of unsportsmanlike conduct.
Each participant should choose his or her team members carefully, as all team members will suffer the consequences of any disciplinary action taken by the Intramural Sports staff against that team for violation of the Intramural Sports rules and sportsmanship guidelines.
Each team in a contest shall be rated by the Intramural Sports Supervisors assigned to that game. The authority of the supervisors’ ratings exists prior to, during, and following all contests to which that supervisor is assigned, and extends to all persons on, at, or near the playing site. Sportsmanship ratings shall be marked on the score sheet as well as posted on IMLeagues.
In all cases, Intramural Sports officials and the Intramural Sports administrative staff may provide input which may raise or lower the rating. Supervisors may amend any rating for inappropriate conduct by a team or its spectators before, during, or after a contest. Intramural Sports administrative staff members may amend a rating at any time for inappropriate conduct, use of an ineligible player, use of a suspended player, and/or any violation of an Intramural Sports rule/policy.
Officials have been instructed not to comment to teams about ratings. Teams may inquire with an Intramural Sports supervisor at the game site to view their sportsmanship ratings. Teams may also view their sportsmanship ratings in the Intramural Sports Office during normal business hours. A team captain may appeal his or her team's sportsmanship rating by submitting an appeal to the Intramural Sports office by noon of the next business day following the game/match.
Appeals after this time will not be accepted.
The Intramural Sports administrative staff reserves the right to review any rating given to a team.
The following actions and behaviors by team members, coaches, spectators, and/or team followers can have a positive effect on a team’s sportsmanship rating:
· Team members cooperate with and demonstrate good sportsmanship toward members of both teams, spectators, officials, and all other Intramural Sports staff.
· Team captain exhibits control over his/her team and spectators, converses reasonably and rationally with officials about rule interpretations/calls, and cooperate by providing any information requested by an Intramural Sports official/staff.
· Team members participate in the spirit and intent of the Intramural Sports game rules and/or program policies.
· Team members accept judgment decisions made by the officials during the contest.
· Respect is shown for all University of Oklahoma Fitness and Recreation facilities and equipment.
The following actions and behaviors by team members, coaches, spectators, and/or team followers can have a negative effect on a team’s sportsmanship rating:
· Participants / spectators who continually complain about officials' decisions and display dissention which may include derogatory or abusive remarks. Complaints include both verbal and nonverbal behavior. Excessive arguing between opposing teams / spectators may also lead to a lower rating.
· Team captain exhibits little control over his/her team and spectators, converses in a dissenting manner with officials about rule interpretations/calls (discussion is allowed as long as it is done in a mature manner by the team captain), or does not cooperate with game officials or Intramural Sports staff. Does not provide information requested by any Intramural Sports official/staff while performing duties.
· Having any technical fouls or penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct or having a player(s) ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct.
· Taunting an opponent or opposing team spectator (trash talk).
· Public indecency, vulgarity, or obscenity including foul or profane language and obscene gestures, incidental or intentional, non-directed or directed at an opponent, official, teammate, supervisor, spectator, or Intramural Sports staff member.
· Physical abuse by participants / spectators in the form of fighting with an opponent, teammate, official, or staff member which occurred before, during, or after an Intramural Sports contest.
· Any threatening behavior (verbal and/or nonverbal) toward any University Intramural Sports or Fitness + Recreation employee, participant, or spectator which occurred before, during, or after an Intramural Sports contest.
· Individuals / teams playing under the influence of alcohol / drugs. If the contest has begun when this is discovered, the player(s) will be immediately removed from the facility, and the contest will be forfeited to the opponent.
· Purposeful damage to or destruction of any University of Oklahoma Fitness + Recreation facilities or equipment.
Team sportsmanship is graded following each contest according to but not limited to the following scale and criteria:
4 points: Excellent Sportsmanship
Players cooperate fully with the officials about rule interpretations and calls. The captain also has full control of his/her teammates. Team members and spectators were respectful of opponents and officials and encouraged each other’s efforts. At no time was this team disrespectful towards participants or officials.
3 points: Average Sportsmanship
Team members and spectators are respectful of opponents and officials for a majority of the contest which may or may not merit a warning from the game officials or supervisor.
2 points: Sportsmanship Needs Improvement
Team members or spectators are disrespectful of opponents or officials for a majority of the contest which may or may not warrant a penalty. Captain exhibits minor control over his/herself and his/her teammates and spectators. Teams receiving multiple warnings or having a player ejected for an unsportsmanlike act will likely receive no higher than a 2 rating.
1 point: Unacceptable Sportsmanship
Teams constantly share negative comments to the officials and/or opposing teams from the field and/or sidelines. The team captain exhibits little or no control over teammates or himself/herself. Majority of individuals on this team are disrespectful of opponents and/or officials during the contest. Teams receiving multiple warnings or having players ejected for an unsportsmanlike act will likely receive no higher than a 1 rating.
Teams which receive a second unacceptable rating (1 point) in the same sport or activity are subject to immediate dismissal from league or tournament play.
0 points: Team Discipline Needed
Team is completely uncooperative and out of control before, during, or after Intramural Sports contest(s). Team captain (spokesperson) exhibits poor control over self, the team, and/or the spectators. Team is issued multiple ejections from blatant unsportsmanlike conduct that endangered participants, fans, officials, or supervisors. Team fails to cooperate / comply with Intramural Sports administrative staff / University officials while performing their duties;; falsely represents or withholds any requested information. Team members played after the consumption of alcohol/drugs.
Teams which receive an 0 rating are subject to dismissal or suspension from league or tournament play.
A team winning a game by default or forfeit with no game played will receive a 3 rating, unless special circumstances dictate otherwise. A team that wins a game by forfeit after the game has started and game play has occurred shall receive a rating based on their sportsmanship in the game play up to the time of the forfeit.
A team that defaults their contest to the Intramural Sports department before noon of the day of the contest will receive a 3 sportsmanship rating. A team that defaults their contest after noon of the day of the contest will receive a 2.5 sportsmanship rating. A team that forfeits onsite or that no-shows for their game will receive a 2 sportsmanship rating.
Teams receiving an unacceptable (1 point) or lower sportsmanship rating in a weekend tournament will be eliminated from further competition regardless of the contest's outcome.
A team must earn a 2.5 average, or higher, sportsmanship rating during regular season league games to be eligible for the playoffs. All games (played, forfeited, or no-showed) will result in a sportsmanship rating for both teams.
A winning team which receives a 1 sportsmanship rating in a playoff game is subject to probationary status. Team must receive a 3 or higher sportsmanship rating in all remaining playoff games.
Any team which receives an 0 sportsmanship rating during the playoffs will be immediately dismissed from further tournament play and subject to further disciplinary action as a team in subsequent sports, as individuals when appropriate, or to the team captain.
A losing team which receives a 1 or 0 sportsmanship rating in their final playoff game is subject to further disciplinary action as a team in subsequent sports, as individuals when appropriate, or to the team captain.
Sportsmanship is a vital part of every Intramural Sports contest. Any faculty or staff member displaying unsportsmanlike behavior may forfeit the opportunity to participate in the program. Any professional or student employee of the Intramural Sports department has the authority and power to make decisions before, during, and following an Intramural Sports activity to warn, penalize, or eject coaches, players, and/or spectators in order to encourage proper conduct.
Any person ejected from an Intramural Sports activity must leave the facility within two minutes of notification or the game may be forfeited. All ejected players or coaches will be automatically suspended for no less than one game.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct is defined as improper behavior that may include verbal abuse, physical abuse, mental harassment, or other unsportsmanlike acts such as obscene gestures or actions. Such conduct may be punishable by suspension from a contest, the entire sport’s season, or for the academic year. An individual or group may also be subject to being charged through OU Human Resources and/or by the Office of Judicial Services.
Ejections made by Intramural Officials and Supervisors are final. Game ejections, including pre or post game, are not eligible to be appealed. However, subsequent penalties may be subject to appeal to the Team Sport Council.
Any language deemed offensive or derogatory (not necessarily "swear words") to a departmental official will result in an automatic ejection from a game. Persons ejected for verbal abuse shall be automatically suspended for a minimum of one game. If the verbal abuse is deemed to be harassment, a player, coach, or fan, may be ejected for the remainder of the sport. Persons ejected for verbal abuse more than once during the year may be suspended from all activities for the remainder of the academic year.
Player, coach and/or fan verbal abuse will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Any type of derogatory and/or inflammatory statements by anyone associated with or supporting a team may cause the team to forfeit the game.
Any player, coach or fan shall not physically abuse or attempt to physically abuse another player, coach, or fan. The act and/or the attempt shall be penalized according to the severity of the act. Persons ejected for hitting or striking another individual, pushing, shoving, grabbing and/or throwing and/or kicking an object at another individual will be automatically suspended for no less than one game and may be suspended for the remainder of the academic year. Persons involved could be referred to the Employee Relations Office or the Provost Office.
Persons who in any way physically abuse or attempt to physically abuse any departmental official or Intramural staff member by hitting, striking, pushing, shoving, grabbing, throwing and/or kicking an object shall be automatically suspended from the intramural Sports program for the remainder of the year and shall be subject to sanctions by the Employee Relations Office or the Provost Office.
Unsportsmanlike incidents not directly resulting in ejections or other disciplinary problems otherwise outlined in the Handbook will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. Individuals, teams, and/or organizations may be placed on probation for the sport or for the academic year if the Intramural Sports staff determines an individual, team, or organization is behaving in an unsportsmanlike manner. Notification of probation will be given outlining the infractions. Probationary status shall not restrict the individual, team, or organization from further participation. However, if further incidents occur, the probation will be violated and suspension will result. Probationary status is not subject to appeal.
Teams shall be responsible for the conduct of their players, coaches and fans. Teams may be suspended from a major team sport for excessive misconduct by their players, coaches and fans. Should a team have four ejections during a Team Sport, the team will be suspended for the remainder of the team sport.
Teams may also be suspended for:
· Players participating under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol;;
· Players participating in brawls where individuals cannot be readily identified;;
· Players inciting others to participate in a brawl;;
· Repeatedly (more than once) using ineligible players;;
· Team members, coaches, or fans failing to leave a playing area once requested to do so by a departmental official.
An organization has responsibility of monitoring and controlling its members and/or fans in terms of sportsmanlike behavior during Intramural Sports activities. Unsportsmanlike behavior including player ejections and/or other acts shall directly reflect on the organizations continued eligibility. In effect, the actions of one team or one individual may cause the entire organization to be suspended.
Any coach ejected from a game for any unsportsmanlike act shall be suspended from coaching for the remainder of the season and may also risk being suspended from playing.
The sixth player ejection of any member of an organization in an academic year will result in an automatic suspension of the organization for the remainder of the academic year. Brawling and/or fighting by two or more team members twice in a year will result in automatic suspension of the organization for the remainder of the year. The use of four ineligible players by an organization during an academic year will result in organizational suspension for the remainder of the academic year. Unsportsmanlike crowd/fan behavior by an organization can result in organizational suspension for the remainder of the academic year.
Team supporters are considered to be the responsibility of the team and/or organization. If a crowd supporting a team behaves in an unsportsmanlike manner (verbal abuse, etc.), the team may be penalized under the rules of the game and the team captain will make an appeal to the crowd to cease such behavior. Repeated unsportsmanlike behavior by the crowd shall cause the team to receive a forfeit. Such behavior at subsequent games for the same or other teams could cause the teams and/ or organizations involved to be suspended from further participation.
Any time a team's fans enter the field/court of play before, during, or following a contest, the game may be forfeited and the organization suspended for the remainder of the year. Fans supporting one team, who attempt to incite a brawl or fight with another team's fans may cause their teams game to be forfeited (post-game cheers and/or celebrations shall be allowed unless the Intramural Sports staff directs otherwise). All team supporters are subject to the same Intramural Sports rules and regulations as players. Penalties may be imposed on individual participants or groups.
Because the Intramural Sports program is designed to operate activities on a specific time frame, a special process has been established to provide participants an avenue of timely appeal. It should be noted that at no time during regular season play should the appeal process be allowed to interfere with the continuation of play in an Intramural Sports activity.
Any participant or group charged with violating any part of the Intramural Sports Handbook shall be notified within two business days of the incident either personally or through the team’s appointed Intramural Sports Chairperson.
Notification may be made during or following an Intramural Sports contest. Every effort should be made by the participant or group Chairperson to contact the department about any problems in order to expedite the matter.
HEARINGS: Once a participant or group has been officially notified, he/she must arrange an administrative hearing with the Intramural Sports Coordinator within two business days. The participant must sign a statement that he/she has received a copy of the charges.
APPEALS: In matters concerning suspensions for verbal or physical abuse where time is not a major factor, a participant or organization shall have three business days to file a written petition to the Intramural Sports Coordinator for reinstatement. A meeting will be called within a reasonable amount of time. If the Employee Relations Office or the Provost Office has ruled upon the actions of involved persons, the Intramural Sports staff will have no process for appealing the sentence determined by either office.
On matters where a time factor could affect an individual, teams, or organizations continued participation;; a written petition must be filed within one school day to the Intramural Sports Coordinator. The request will be forwarded to the Fitness and Recreation Advisory Board and a hearing will be scheduled within four business days.
All protests must be registered immediately with an Intramural Sports Supervisor on site. A valid protest must either concern player eligibility or a misapplication or misinterpretation of a sport rule. The Intramural Sports staff will attempt to resolve all disputes immediately. Matters involving an official’s judgment are not a basis for protest. The Intramural Sports Department reserves the right to rule in any matters not covered in this handbook. The Intramural Sports Department will apply the spirit of the rules and fairness in all situations. The decision of an official or Intramural Sports staff member to eject a player or spectator for any unsportsmanlike conduct (be it verbal or physical) will be firmly upheld by the Intramural Sports Department.
The Intramural Sports staff will rule upon game protest made in accordance with the rules at the time they are lodged and all decisions shall be final. Players, teams or organizations suspended from play must personally seek reinstatement by 10:00am the following day with the Intramural Sports Coordinator. An administrative decision will be rendered at that time. If the parties wish to appeal the decision, the Team Sport Council will convene before the next scheduled playing time and irrevocably rule on the matter. Under no circumstances can a protest delay Intramural Sports scheduled play from progressing.
During special tournaments, designed to be played over a short period of time, the Intramural Sports staff has exclusive responsibility to rule on all protest and suspensions. Due to time constraints, protests during the playoffs and/or any specials tournaments will be decided by the Intramural Sports Coordinator or Intramural Sports supervisor on-duty. Once ruled upon, the decision is final and may not be overturned or appealed to a higher authority. While special tournaments are not considered in the same category as the regular season, suspensions from the regular season may not be served in special tournaments. Ejections and suspensions from special tournaments may jeopardize continued participation in other Intramural Sports activities. Such actions may be appealed to the Team Sport Council, but any rulings may not be made retroactive in such a way as to effect the administrative decisions made during the special tournament.
Eligibility protests must be made to the Intramural Supervisor assigned to the game prior to the end of any contest and/or before the scorecard is turned in. The protesting party must identify the person in question to the supervisor before he/she departs the playing area. Once the game has officially ended, a team forfeits the right to file a protest that will impact the game in question. The Intramural Sports staff may remove an illegal player at any time or forfeit a game without protest from a team.
Teams may protest any rule misinterpretation or misapplication during a game provided the team captain lodges the protest with the game official and Intramural Supervisor for the game prior to resumption of play after the first dead ball. Judgment calls are not allowed to be protested. The game official and/or supervisor will make every attempt to rectify the protest at the time it occurs. If the protest cannot be resolved, the team must file a typed version of the protest by 4:00
p.m. the following school day with the Intramural Sports Coordinator. The Intramural Sports staff will review the protest and issue a ruling within 24 hours. The protest may not be appealed to a higher body. If you disagree with the on-site decision, you may appeal the decision with the Intramural Sports Coordinator. A protest is not complete until a typed version of the protest is available to the Intramural Sports Coordinator by 4:00pm of the day after the game in question. Otherwise, it will be discarded.
The Fitness and Recreation Advisory Board is a self-governing body established to ensure that students, faculty and staff have the opportunity to appeal administrative actions taken by the Intramural Sports staff toward an individual, team and/or organization in team sport activities. The Director of Fitness and Recreation shall serve as the chair of the council. The board has the authority to hear appeals related to policies and procedures as set forth in this publication. Game rules governing team sports are not subject to appeal to the council. All advisory board decisions are final. Specific information on how to file appeals of administrative decisions and rules as to how the appellate hearing will be handled are available to all students, faculty and staff in the Intramural Sports Office.
Persons charged with Intramural Sports policy violations not associated with team sports shall be subject to the same rules and regulations outlined in this handbook. Appeals of administrative decisions on matters not related to team sports may be made to the Director of Fitness and Recreation or his/her appointed delegate who has not been in the disciplinary process.
Students, faculty and staff are advised that participation in the Intramural Sports Program through the Department of Fitness and Recreation involves physical risk. Participation in Intramural Sports is strictly voluntary. There is a possibility that a participant may injure him/herself or others during the course of Intramural Sports activities. Players understand that despite precautions, accidents and injuries can and do occur. By voluntarily participating in Intramural Sports, participants acknowledge and assume all responsibilities related to the activities including death, injury, illness or loss from accidents, theft of or damage to personal belongings, and all related costs.
Players agree to reduce the risk of injury to themselves and others by following applicable rules and procedures and limiting personal participation to reflect the individual’s fitness level. Further, players agree to notify the activity coordinator immediately if safety and/or the health and well-being of a participant become a concern. In order to protect all participants, the Intramural Sports staff reserves the right to remove and/or restrict any individual from any activity when, in their reasonable opinion, continued participation might cause harm to the individual or others.
The University encourages Participants to obtain and maintain health insurance coverage for accidents and injuries. The University also encourages players to arrive early at an event site in order to have enough time to adequately warm-up. Participants should complete a physical exam with their physician prior to playing Intramural Sports or engaging in any Intramural Sports activity. Further, participants should seek assistance from certified fitness and/or medical professionals regarding information on conditioning and injury prevention.
As a comprehensive state University, the University of Oklahoma offers a variety of Intramural Sports programs to students, faculty and staff. Some of these physical activities are more strenuous than others, and since participation in the program is on a volunteer basis, the University of Oklahoma does not accept responsibility for injuries sustained while participating in Intramural Sports contests or in the general recreation program.
Each student, faculty and staff member should have a thorough periodic physical examination before participation in Intramural Sports. This is the player’s responsibility and while the University cannot compel routine, comprehensive physical examinations as a condition for participation, it strongly recommends that each participant do so on a voluntary basis.
Because of applicable state law, the University as a public corporate body does not have liability insurance to protect participants in the Intramural Sports or general recreation program. As a constitutional state agency, the University is protected against tort liability for its governmental actions. Thus, participants are urged to have adequate health insurance to protect against unforeseen accidents and misfortune. The Goddard Health Center may be contacted at (405) 325-4611 as a resource.
There is a risk for blood borne infectious diseases to be transmitted from one player's wounds to another. Recognizing the concerns this risk creates for our Intramural Sports participants, the Intramural Sports Staff has established the following policy: When an official or Intramural Sports staff member observes a player who is bleeding, has an open wound, or has an excessive amount of blood on his or her clothing, they will temporarily stop the game in the same manner as the official would have temporarily stopped the game for an injured player, except that the bloody player must leave the game.
A removed player is expected to receive appropriate treatment on the sidelines before returning to the game. The player involved shall not return to the contest until the bleeding has stopped, the open wound is covered, or an excessively bloody piece of clothing is changed and disposed of properly. Once play has stopped under this rule, the player may not re-enter the game until the official declares the player eligible. This includes: running of the clock, one “play” run in flag football, a substitution opportunity in soccer, a volley in volleyball, etc.
The Intramural Sports program utilizes a variety of facilities for activities. All indoor activities are held at the Sarkeys Fitness Center. Participants must have proper identification in order to gain admittance to the facility. Spectators and guests wishing to enter the facility may be required to present proper identification at any time.
Other Intramural Activities are held at various other locations on campus and around the city of Norman. Outdoor activities are held at the Recreation Fields with the exception of the following.
Softball- Reaves Park
Tennis - OU Recreation Tennis Courts
Equipment for Intramural Sports activities is generally available at the event site for the scheduled events. Equipment may be checked out utilizing your OUID. Practice equipment may be checked out at the Sarkeys Fitness Center. Reservations for outdoor sports practice equipment should be made at least 24 hours in advance to ensure availability.
Deliberate destruction of University property and equipment, public property, or personal property of individuals will not be tolerated, and will be reported to the Office of Judicial Services and OUPD.
If any member of your team is suspected to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol by the supervisor or official on duty, the entire team will be penalized by the assessment of a game forfeit. The team captain must meet with the Intramural Sports Coordinator before the team can be considered for reinstatement. The player(s) involved will also need to meet with the Intramural Sports Coordinator to discuss their individual reinstatement.
The Intramural Sports Department reaffirms that it does not condone harassment directed toward any person or group within its community--students, employees, or visitors. Every member of the University shall refrain from actions that intimidate, humiliate or demean persons or groups, or that undermine their security or self-esteem.
The Intramural Sports Department is in constant vigilance to ensure an environment that is free of abusive behavior directed toward an individual or group because of race, ethnicity, ancestry, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, and physical or mental disabilities. Any harassment toward University employees or participants will subject the individual and/or team to University disciplinary procedures.
The officials and supervisors on duty have the authority to disallow any participant from wearing any equipment, jewelry, or apparel which in their judgment is dangerous or disadvantageous to other participants. This is a rule for the safety of all participants, including the wearer of such apparel, and applies to any and all dangerous equipment and jewelry.
Jewelry is not allowed to be worn by any participant during an Intramural Sports event. This includes any rings, watches, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and any other such similar jewelry. Medical bracelets are permissible but must be secured and covered. No exceptions will be made for jewelry which is made to be permanent or that is unable to be removed.
Taping over, or using a band-aid to cover restricted jewelry is not permitted as it may not secure the jewelry in question.
Each sport/event has rules that govern shoes and equipment based upon the facility being used. All participants must wear proper shoes. A shoe shall be considered proper if it is made with either canvas or leather uppers or similar material. Sandals are not allowed. The Intramural Sports staff has the authority to disallow any type of dangerous footwear. Please check with the Intramural Sports staff if you have questions about footwear. Cleats are allowed for certain sports events throughout the year (please see the specific sport rules), however, metal cleats are never permitted for an Intramural Sport Event.
Headgear is not allowed to be worn by any participant during an Intramural Sports event. For indoor sports this headgear consists of any hats, bandanas, baseball caps, winter/wool hats, and any other such similar headgear. This also applies to outdoor sports with the following exception: in cold weather, wool hats are allowed. The officials and supervisors on duty have the authority to disallow any participant from participating that they feel would endanger the person wearing the headgear or their opponents until it is removed.
None of the following are allowed to be worn by any participant during an Intramural Sports event:
• Street pants (jeans, khakis, etc.)
• Bare feet
• Baseball Hats - except during softball games or by goalies in soccer.
• A guard, cast or brace made of hard and unyielding leather, plaster, pliable (soft) plastic, metal or any other hard substance - even if covered with soft padding - when worn on the elbow, hand, finger, wrist or forearm.
• Bandanas (Except a headband made of nonabrasive, unadorned cloth, elastic, fiber, soft leather or rubber may be worn. Rubber/cloth (elastic) bands may be used to control hair.)
• Sunglasses (except at your own risk in Intramural Softball)
Players and teams that are found to be in violation of this policy, and thus endangering the safety of all the participants, will be penalized in accordance with the rules and assessed to the violating player and their team. The player will be removed until the equipment or jewelry in question is removed.
