Intramural Activities Handbook

The Intramural Program at McMurryUniversity strives to provide a variety of competitive sports and recreational activities which will meet the interests and needs of the entire University community during their leisure time. Each individual is encouraged to participate in a number of the activities throughout the school year regardless of their skill and ability. Playing in wholesome recreational activities will provide many physical, mental, and social benefits.

Objectives:

  1. To provide sports and recreational activities which meet the needs and interest of all students during their leisure time.
  2. To develop desirable Christian attitudes, good sportsmanship habits, and high standards of cooperation during competitive contests.
  3. To acquire physical skills which will carry-over value for later in life.
  4. To provide experiences which develop desirable physical, mental and social skills.
  5. To provide students with the opportunity of decision making and leadership as officials and team managers.

Organization:

The Office of Intramurals is a part of the Department of Student Services at McMurryUniversity.

The Director of Intramurals Activities is responsible for the planning, organization, supervision and direction of the University Intramural Program.

Sportsmanship:

All individuals and organizations participating in the Intramural Program shall be expected to comply with the spirit as well as the letter of the rules. No attempt is made to spell out all rules to cover all competitive situations.

The game official is required to remove from the contest any individual who demonstrates by language and/or behavior unbecoming a Christian individual. That player will not be allowed to participate in the next played game. The Intramural Director or Assistant Director can and will remove anyone (player, spectator, or visitor) who acts in an unacceptable manner (cursing, punching, fighting), the player will be expelled from the contest and possibly Intramurals completely.

Any player who receives a technical or unsportsmanlike foul must visit with the Director or Assistant Director before further competing in Intramurals. This meeting will determine the proper disciplinary action that will be taken.

Eligibility:

Statement of Purpose: Eligibility rules for intramurals are designed to provide an opportunity for everyone to play, to provide for balanced and fair competition, and to keep a team from stacking its roster with athletes of demonstrated or probable skill. The rules listed below cannot provide for all possibilities, therefore the Intramural staff reserves the right to rule on eligibility status of participants not covered specifically by the rules.

The Intramural-Recreational Sports Department cannot assume responsibility for the eligibility of players, but will assist team managers and individuals with their problems of eligibility and interpretation of rules to competition.

All Faculty and Staff are eligible to compete in intramural activities. Also, Alumni of McMurry University and all students who are regularly enrolled at McMurryUniversity, taking six or more semester hours, except as follows:

  1. Students who have earned a Varsity Letter or Varsity Award at any junior or senior college shall be ineligible to compete in that sport or the related sport during the same academic year that they played.
  2. Any student participating with or practicing with own sex in an Intercollegiate Sport or Sport Club shall be eligible to participate in that sport or the related sports provided they quit the team before the first scheduled competition game and also quit practicing with that team. A red-shirted player or hold-out has the intention of playing with the team and therefore is not eligible to play in the Intramural League.
  3. Students who have completed a specific sport season prior to the end of the Intramural sport season are ineligible for Intramural play.
  4. Ex-varsity players in the same sport or similar to, may only have this many players on the court/field at one time:
  5. Soccer2 on the field
  6. 7 on 7 Flag Football 3 on the field
  7. Volleyball 2 on the court
  8. 3 on 3 Basketball 1 on the court
  9. 5 on 5 Basketball 2 on the court
  10. 4 on 4 Flag Football 1 on the field
  11. Softball 3 on field (including present J.V. players)
  12. Racquetball & Pickle-ball have no stipulations

Team Limits for Individuals:

A. Contestants shall not represent more than one team in any one sport. When a person’s name appears on a roster after the first game, he/she is considered to have played in that on test. A contestant becomes an ineligible player when that player plays for a second team in one sport.
Exceptions:
1. A contestant may play on one Coed team and in one of the other divisions in which he/she is eligible to participate.
2. If a team legally drops from competition before the second regularly scheduled contest, then that team’s members may play for another team in that sport.
B. Minimum disciplinary action for a contestant playing on more than one team is suspension for the remainder of the sport.

C. Any team that allows an ineligible player to play will forfeit the game or games in which the ineligible player participates. Note: This rule may be carried out by the Intramural Director or Assistant Director.

D. Player Pool: Any student who wishes to participate in an Intramural activity but:
1. Is not a member of a participating group or organization.

2. Is a member of a group or organization that does not field a team.

3. Their team legally drops from competition before the second regularly scheduled contest.
He/She will be placed in a player pool and will be assigned to a participating team at the discretion of the Intramural Director or Assistant Director.

*****Any team that does not win a regular season game will not be forwarded into the play-offs of that sport unless otherwise approved by the Intramural Director or Assistant Director. *****

Rosters:

A: Only faculty and staff who are legal sponsors of a chartered social club (as officially listed in the Student Services Office) will be allowed to participate with that team. No off-campus sponsors are allowed to participate.

B. Entry forms which have been turned in with money will be the official entry forms. After the second game these may not be changed or added to.

C. At each contest a roster will be filled out and this will be considered the playing roster. Only players from official entry forms may play and be put on these.

Miscellaneous Rules:

A. Anyone playing under an Assumed Name shall be ineligible for any Intramural participation during the semester, and the team shall forfeit all contests in which that person played.

B. No player may be added to a roster after the second game of a given sport. Subject to approval by Intramural Director or Assistant Director.

C. Teams, under no circumstance, may play an ineligible player. If a player is found ineligible at some point during the course of a season of play, all contests in which the player participated will be forfeited.

D. Participants who have played professional athletics are ineligible for those sports in which their amateur rating for a period of five years following retirement from the pro sport.

E. Isolated questions regarding Eligibility not covered in these rules will be resolved by the Intramural Director or Assistant Director.

Protests:

1. Each team manager is required to check opposing member’s eligibility prior to the start of a contest or when the player enters the contest. Announce specific question on a player with official, Intramural Director or Assistant Director, and opponent’s manager.
2. Protests on misinterpretation of a sport rule by an official must be announced immediately to the official. Captains and officials will correct the error at their discretion and continue the game. An official’s judgment will not be reason for protest.

Defaults:

1. Entry forms must include correct phone number. If no phone available, Intramural Representative phone must be given.

2. Failure of a team or individual to be ready to participate within 5 minutes of the scheduled contest will constitute a forfeit.

3. In case of a forfeit, officials will attempt to organize a practice contest with personspresent. However, officials nor the Intramural Director or Assistant Director have to be present for the practice contest.

Officiating:

  1. The Intramural Office assigns officials for team sports.
  2. Officials will be required to attend the clinic for the sport in question prior to the season in order to be eligible to officiate that sport.
  3. Each team may be responsible for providing officials in the event that the Intramural Office can not find enough officials to play.

Sports Schedules:

1. All schedules shall be approved, distributed and posted by the Director of Intramurals.

2. Special requests on days and times for competition should be submitted with the team entry.

3. Type of schedule for each sport is determined by the number of entries, length of season, and availability of facilities.

Sports Rules:

  1. Rules for each sport are available on the Intramural website.
  2. Prior to the start of the team sports a mandatory captains meeting is held to discuss the current rules and to provide safety of participants and a fair situation for both teams.

Discipline Policy for Intramurals

Any person or persons ejected from a game must leave the field, gym or playing area within 2 minutes of notification or the game may be declared a forfeit. All game ejections are considered part of the game rules. Game ejections, including pre and /or post game, are not eligible to be appealed.

1. Verbal Abuse

Any language deemed offensive or derogatory (not necessary “swear words”) to an official(s) and/or participant(s) may cause automatic ejection from the game.

a) Person(s) ejected for verbal abuse must meet with the Intramural Director and Assistant Director before they are allowed back into Intramurals.

b) Person(s) ejected twice in a sport for verbal abuse will meet with the Intramural Director and Assistant Director and be barred from the rest of the season.

c) Person(s) ejected for verbal abuse in more than one event may be suspended from all activities for the remainder of the year.

2. Physical Abuse

Any individual participating in the Intramural Program as a player, coach, or spectator shall not physically abuse another player, coach, official, or spectator. The act and/or attempt shall be penalized accordingly.

a) Person(s) ejected for hitting or striking another individual shall be automatically suspended for at least the remainder of the season in progress and must meet with the Intramural Director and Assistant Director.

b) Person(s) ejected for pushing, shoving, throwing and/or kick an object at another individual shall be suspended for one game and meet with the Intramural Director and Assistant Director.

3. Team Suspensions

If one team receives 3 ejections of team members in one season, they will be up for review to determine if they will be allowed to compete for the rest of the season or year.

4. Captain’s Meeting

It is mandatory that team captain or team co-captain be present at the captain’s meeting. This meeting will take place before the league begins and will address the following:

  1. Specific rules of the sport.
  2. Game locations, times and days of the week.
  3. Player eligibility
  4. Conduct of participants.
  5. Questions and rules’ interpretations.
  6. Sign discipline compliance and responsibility clause.

Failure to attend the Captains meeting will result in a $10.00 penalty for the team. The penalty must be paid before the 1st game of the season, or the team will be dropped from the schedule and forfeit their team entry fee.

Captains are responsible to inform all team members of the Intramural departmental and game rules. Ignorance of the rules will not be accepted as excuse for exceptions.

Point System for Social Clubs:

The point system is provided for social clubs to earn points through out the school year. The system is designed to issue points to clubs pending how they finish during an intramural activity. The points are then totaled for each social club to determine the most outstanding social club in McMurry Intramurals.

A social club must have half or more members on a team in order to earn points.

Top Gun/Open for men Rec. League for men

1st 10 points 1st 7 points

2nd 8 points 2nd 6 points

3rd 6 points 3rd 5 points

4th 4 points 4th 3 points

5th 2 points 5th 2 points

Any place over 5th gets one point

Women’s Intramural sports

1st 10 points 2nd 8 points 3rd 6 points

4th 4 points5th 2 point

Any place over 5th gets one point

Supervisor right:

The Director or Assistant Director of Intramurals ultimately has the right to amend any rule or change any procedure if they see fit.