1. Participation Expectations

1. 1. UC Santa Cruz Intramural Sports is committed to promoting and protecting an environment that values and supports every person in an atmosphere of civility, honesty, cooperation, professionalism, fairness, and fun. As such, Athletics & Recreation expects every campus member will practice the Seven Principles of Community. Collectively, we strive to be: Diverse, Open, Purposeful, Caring, Just, Disciplined, and Celebratory.
   2. Sportsmanship ratings are assigned by Intramural Sports staff on-site at all activities. 
   3. Sportsmanship Rating System - All teams and participants are subject to receiving a sportsmanship rating on a scale of 1-4 for every event they participate in. All ratings are determined by the Intramural Sports Staff on duty throughout the event. Teams/participants that earn an average sportsmanship rating of less than 2.75 are subject to being removed from playoff contention or the remainder of scheduled events. Please read below for details on what each rating represents. 
      1. 4 = Excellent - Team members and fans were cooperative with officials and were respectful of opponents and officials. The captain had full control of the team. Team members showed complete respect for all opponents and staff throughout participation.
      2. 3 = Above Average - Team members and fans were mostly respectful of opponents and staff throughout participation except for one or two minor incidents. Minor incidents do not include administrative penalties for illegal substitutions or too many people participating at a time, unless the actions are deemed intentional or has been a repeated offense. 
      3. 2 = Below Average - At least one of these examples must occur for a Below Average rating to be given: Team members or spectators were disrespectful of opponents and/or officials on a number of occasions. Captain showed little control of the team. An unsporting technical foul, unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, or yellow card was issued. An Intramural Sports Supervisor had to step in to address unsportsmanlike behavior among team members. Teams failed to clean up after themselves after the game ended. Any other behavior deemed inappropriate or unsportsmanlike by the Intramural Staff.
      4. 1 = Poor - At least one of these examples must occur for a Poor rating to be given: Team members initiated, retaliated, and/or entered into a physical altercation including but not limited to pushing, striking, kicking, spitting, tackling, etc. Team members or spectators continually comment to opponents and/or officials and are disrespectful. Team captain showed no control over the team. Multiple unsporting technical fouls, unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, or yellow cards issued. Participant ejection for unsporting behavior. An Intramural Supervisor had to step-in on more than one occasion to address unsportsmanlike behavior among team members. Any other behavior deemed inappropriate or unsportsmanlike by the Intramural Staff.
   4. Sportsmanship is further defined as:
      1. Abiding by the letter and the spirit of the rules of play;
      2. Treating opponents with courtesy and generosity;
      3. Playing his or her best but never losing sight of the fact that it is a game which was designed primarily for enjoyment;
      4. Winning and losing with dignity and respect;
   5. Unsportsmanlike conduct will not be tolerated. Examples of unsportsmanlike conduct include but are not limited to:
      1. Persistently questioning game official(s) decisions;
      2. Making derogatory remarks about/to officials and/or players;
      3. Using profanity excessively;
      4. Making obscene or objectionable demonstrations or dissent;
      5. Conduct which seeks to intimidate or deceive officials;
         1. Employing unnecessarily rough tactics against an opposing player;
         2. Refusing to abide by an official’s decision;
         3. Shoving, striking, or otherwise threatening participants and/or officials.
   6. Alcohol, Tobacco & Other Drugs - Alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs are not permitted at any Intramural Sports activity. Possession of these substances or suspicion of intoxication will lead to ejection (including team spectators). Those who fail to cooperate will forfeit the game for their team and are subject to disciplinary action through campus police and/or the Dean of Students office. 
   7. Game Official Authority - Intramural Sports game officials may employ the following procedures to any person for unsportsmanlike conduct.
      1. All Intramural Sports Game Officials begin their jurisdiction over an assigned contest after participants have signed in. Game officials maintain jurisdiction over the game until the next scheduled game begins or the game officials have left the facility playing area.
      2. Failure to abide by a game official’s decision will result in ejection from the event by the game officials or supervisors on duty;
      3. The ejected participant must leave the entire Athletics & Recreation Facility. They may not sit on the sidelines watching. 
         1. If on the East “Upper” Field, the individual must leave the field entirely. The closest they may be is the service road splitting the Athletics & Recreation complex from the East “Upper” Field.
      4. Should the participant(s) refuse to leave the facility or should the participant’s unsportsmanlike conduct be flagrant or persistent the game will be declared a forfeit win for the opposing team. UC Santa Cruz Police may also be alerted at this time.
      5. Intramural Sports Supervisors hold authority over the facility site for the entirety of their time on duty. They also reserve the right to eject participants and/or spectators for violation of Intramural Sports Policies & Procedures.
   8. Disciplinary Procedures - The following procedures will be observed in cases of alleged unsportsmanlike conduct and for all persons ejected or removed from play during, before or after an Intramural Sports contest or activity.
      1. The ejected individual will be suspended from all participation effective immediately.
      2. If a suspended participant ignores this policy and continues to participate in Intramural Sports games, all future games that the suspended person participates in, regardless of if it is the same sport or a different sport, will be declared a default win for the opposing team.
      3. The alleged or ejected participant(s) charged with unsportsmanlike conduct must make an appointment to meet with the Intramural Sports professional staff. Suspensions will remain in place at least until just after this meeting occurs.
      4. Suspended participants must be accompanied by their team captain. Both individuals will be asked to express their perspective and view of what transpired or contributed to the altercation/ejection. 
      5. At times, members of the Intramural Sports student leadership team may sit in on these meetings. 
      6. Depending on the severity of the incident, offenders will be suspended for at least one week in length and could remain suspended indefinitely. If a second offense occurs, the person is subject to a longer suspension and/or permanently removed from future participation in any and all Intramural Sports events.
      7. Depending on the severity of the incident additional Athletics & Recreation privileges and access may also be revoked.
      8. Any ejections/cases including but not limited to acts of violence, assault, discrimination, or hate will also involve the filing of a police report and/or adjudication by the Dean of Students office. 

2. Eligibility

   
   
   1. The UC Santa Cruz Intramural Sports program invites all currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students to participate. Faculty and staff are also invited to participate.
   2. To participate in any Intramural Sports event, each participant must complete membership payment online at campusrec.ucsc.edu or at the East Field House front desk prior to checking in at the game site.
      1. Each participant is subject to providing proof of payment in order to participate in any Intramural Sports event.
      2. Exception: Any free event offered by Intramural Sports will not require a membership payment. 

   3. Payment Instructions

      1. Log on to recreation.ucsc.edu/intramuralsports
      2. Click on a link to IMLeagues.com or download the mobile application.
      3. Login to IMLeagues using your CruzID login credentials.
      4. Create/join your teams on IMLeagues before paying for your membership. To see more details on this, please visit “How do I sign up?” on the Intramural Sports website.
      5. Once you are registered with your team(s), continue to campusrec.ucsc.edu and locate the Intramural Sports membership under the “Memberships” category. Follow the payment process to completion and follow all links directed by the payment process.
   4. Identification Check Policy – Intramural Sports staff checks for valid, UC Santa Cruz or government-issued photo identification prior to the start of ALL Intramural Sports activities. This is to ensure adequate safety and fairness within our activities. Just as individuals need identification to access the Wellness Center or other facilities and establishments on/off campus, all participants need photo identification to participate in Intramural Sports. 
      1. Any person found to participate in Intramural Sports activity without checking in with appropriate identification will automatically forfeit the relevant Intramural Sports activity.
   5. Inclusive Gender Policy - The University of California, Santa Cruz is committed to creating and maintaining a community where all individuals, including non-affiliated visitors, who participate in university programs and activities, can do so in an atmosphere free of violence, harassment, discrimination, exploitation, or intimidation. Individuals who wish to participate and are not rooted in the gender binary may create open participation teams which are inclusive of all genders. UC Santa Cruz Intramural Sports offers many Open leagues and seeks to provide opportunities for all students to participate in our programs inclusive of gender identity. To that end, all individuals shall be permitted to participate in the Intramural Sports program (i.e. leagues, tournaments, sponsored events, etc.), in a manner consistent with their gender identity and expression. If an individual or team is unsure how to apply the inclusive gender policy, or seeks assistance in order to meet the participation needs of the individual and/or team, please contact the Intramural Sports professional staff. Any matters that may arise in regards to gender identity within Intramural Sports participation may be presented to the Intramural Sports professional staff and/or the Cantu Queer Center. For questions regarding gender identity harassment and/or discrimination, please contact the Title IX office at 831-459-2462.
   6. Varsity Athletes – Varsity Athletes who are currently on a NCAA roster and/or practicing with a varsity team are not eligible to participate in the associated sport. For example, a varsity basketball player cannot play Intramural 5v5 Basketball or 3v3 Basketball or any additional form of basketball. They can however, play any and all other Intramural Sports.
   7. Former/Ex-Varsity Athletes – NO EX-VARSITY PLAYERS ARE ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN "BEGINNER" LEAGUES. They must participate at the most advanced/highest skilled division offered ("Advanced" leagues). Ex-varsity players become eligible at the beginning of the quarter following the conclusion of their last varsity season. The Ex-varsity definition includes anyone who has played a varsity sport at any time during their collegiate career, including "red shirts". Participants are no longer considered Ex-Varsity after two years of not appearing on varsity roster. NO MORE THAN 2 GRADUATING/EX VARSITY PLAYERS ARE ALLOWED PER TEAM in the associated sport they participated in. 
      1. Teams with ex-varsity players are subject to automatic placement in the Advanced playoff bracket should their team qualify for playoffs.
   8. Faculty & Staff who hold a current Athletics & Recreation Facility Membership are welcome to participate. The Intramural Sports Program also supports the use of Day Passes for Faculty/Staff to participate in leagues with games taking place inside Athletics & Recreation controlled access areas if they do not hold a monthly, quarterly, annual, or other continuous membership.
   9. Alumni are not eligible to participate in Intramural Sports. While alumni will always be considered part of the Banana Slug family, alumni must pass the participation opportunity to current students.
   10. Playoff Participation – If applicable, individuals must participate TWICE (in at least two games/matches) with their team during the regular season in order to participate with the team during the playoffs. This policy promotes a fair environment while providing relative consistency with game play. 
       1. In case of a forfeit, a team will have to be at the game/match site in order to receive participation that will count toward playoff eligibility. If a team receives prior notice that a game will be a forfeit and/or default, participation will be marked for all participants of the winning team. 
   11. Protests may be submitted for two specific reasons:
       1. Ineligible Participant(s) - Must be reported by the opposing team captain before 12:00pm the day after the contest. Please communicate your intent to protest a player's eligibility to the Intramural Sports Supervisor on duty. To submit your protest, email imsup@ucsc.edu with full details of your report including which player you are protesting the eligibility of and why they are ineligible.
       2. Misapplication of a Rule - If a sport rule or procedure was not applied correctly by a game official, a team captain is permitted to declare a protest if the protest is declared immediately after the perceived misapplication of a relevant rule to the previous play. 
          1. Once the team captain informs the game official of the protest the game will be stopped.
          2. The game official will report to the supervisor on duty of the protest.
          3. The supervisor on duty will talk to the game official first. Then, the supervisor on duty will talk to the protesting team captain to discuss the protest at hand. 
          4. The supervisor on duty will make the final ruling on the protest. If a rule application needs to be corrected the game official will do so and continue the game. If the rule application was correct or if the protest was a judgement call by the game official, the game will continue with no change.
       3. Game official judgement calls cannot be protested. 

3. Team Rosters

   1. To become eligible, participants must be registered on an IMLeagues team roster and pay the relevant membership fee. In doing so they will sign the Intramural Sports waivers and policy agreements. 
      1. Failing to create an account and being added to a team's roster and attempting to, or successfully participating in, an Intramural Sports activity may result in that team forfeiting the activity in question for participating with an ineligible participant. 
      2. Participants are not considered eligible until they have created an account, been added to a team's roster, and paid for the relevant membership. 
      3. Participants listed on team rosters must present valid, UC Santa Cruz or state-issued photo identification to Intramural Sports staff at the site of the game or match. All participants should be prepared to show proof of purchase of the relevant membership to the supervisor on duty if necessary.
      4. Participants NOT listed on team rosters at the game site must be added to the roster digitally. Once roster is updated, the participant must present valid, UC Santa Cruz photo identification and proof of payment to the Intramural Sports supervisor on duty.
   2. Team Name Policy - There is a quarterly reward for “Most Creative Team Name”,  it must be appropriate. Any inappropriate team name, as judged by Intramural Sports Staff, will be changed to the Team Captain’s name. There is a quarterly award for “Most Creative Team Name” as judged by the Intramural Sports staff.
   3. Format – Maximum roster sizes are determined by a formula consisting of double the standard activity team size, plus two. For example, in a 7v7 flag football league the roster limit will be 16 (7+7+2) participants. This roster format allows participants the most opportunity to field a team throughout the season. Additionally, maximum roster sizes are formatted such that there is consistency within the team from week to week.
   4. Roster Completion/Minimum Participants Required to Play - In order to complete registration and select a time slot in any activity, all teams must meet the required minimum number of participants on the roster for each relevant sport. This mitigates the chances of a team forfeiting while assuring opposing teams that a game/match will occur.
   5. Injuries During the Game - If, during the game, as a result of injury, a team falls below the minimum number of players required to start the game, the team may be allowed to continue the game at the Intramural Sports Supervisor's discretion and willingness of the team that fell below the minimum requirement. 
   6. Roster Regulation - In addition to the roster format specifications listed above, participants will be unable to switch teams after participating in two games with the same team. This provides the Intramural Sports participant opportunity to find the right fit for their interest, skill level, and/or class schedule. Participants who wish to leave a team roster must notify the Intramural Sports staff for review of the roster movement. If the release is granted, the participant will be removed from the current team roster and the participant will be free to join any other team so long as it takes place before the roster addition deadline.
      1. All player additions for rosters will lock with less than two games to play in the regular season. This policy is in place to prevent late additions that change the make-up of a team, put it at an advantage over other teams, and encourages participants to play during the entire season.
   7. League Formatting - Participants are permitted to play in one skill level league per sport. For example, if a participant is rostered on an Open Advanced team they are not permitted to play on an Open Beginner team in the same sport. Fraternity and Sorority leagues are considered part of the "Advanced" skill level. Fraternity and Sorority leagues eventually join “Advanced” league playoff brackets if appropriate.

4. Scheduling

   1. Forfeit Policy

      1. Forfeit Fine: Captains and co-captains of teams which forfeit games are subject to receiving a $10.00 Forfeit Fine per university-approved Miscellaneous Fees. The fee will be attributed to the team captain and/or co-captains university bill. All captains are responsible for ensuring their team plays each game or attempt to work with the Intramural Sports staff to reschedule or default any scheduled game to avoid a forfeit occurring.
      2. Teams that forfeit scheduled games/matches will be marked as receiving a "2" sportsmanship rating for the game/match and recorded as a loss with points awarded to the team that was checked in and ready to play. 
      3. The Intramural Sports Program has the authority to remove a team after they record two forfeits during any given season.
      4. Participants on teams that forfeit out of any league/tournament are not eligible for a refund of their All-Access Passes in whole or part.
      5. Teams who display a pattern of forfeiting out of leagues and across multiple sports and quarters of play may become ineligible to participate in Intramural Sports programming at the discretion of the Intramural Sports office.

   2. Default Policy

      1. Teams that want to avoid forfeiting games/matches must notify the Intramural Sports office by 2:00pm on the weekday of the game or by 7:00am on Saturdays/Sundays before the relevant game/match. 
      2. Defaults still count as a loss for teams, however they are not counted against a team's records as heavily as forfeits and captains avoid the Forfeit Fine.  
      3. Teams that win by forfeit or default will receive sportsmanship ratings of "4" for that contest and receive scores for that game as follows:
         1. Flag Football, 5v5 Basketball, Ultimate – 10-0
         2. Futsal, Inner-Tube Water Polo, Softball – 5-0
         3. Soccer – 2-0
         4. Indoor/Sand Volleyball, 3v3 Basketball - 10-0 set scores, 2-0 game score
         5. Dodgeball, Kickball – 4-0
   3. Reschedule Requests - Reschedule requests must be submitted at least 48 hours in advance of the originally scheduled game/match time to avoid a default situation. Rescheduling accommodations are not guaranteed due to limited time/space, but Intramural Sports strives to accommodate as best as possible. 
      1. If reschedules are not confirmed by 2:00pm on the day of the originally scheduled game/match than the original date and time must stand as scheduled.
   4. Weather, Environment, & Facility Conditions - All Intramural Sports events are subject to postponement, rescheduling, or cancellation due to inclement weather, poor facility conditions, or other extraordinary circumstance. If this occurs, participants will be notified via IMLeagues and/or email with as much detail as possible. If games are postponed due to weather or field conditions Intramural Sports will make every effort to reschedule the game(s) to a later date. However, this is not always possible due to facility availability and time remaining in the quarter.
   5. Playoff Qualifications- Teams that have not forfeit two games, have a division/league leading winning percentage, and an acceptable Sportsmanship Rating (at least 2.75) at the end of the regular season will be eligible to advance to one of two playoff brackets: “Advanced” or “Beginner”. In order for split brackets to occur, more than 12 teams must qualify for playoffs. In leagues with 11 teams or less qualifying for playoffs the bracket will default to “Beginner”.  
      1. The number of teams that advance to the playoffs will be determined by the amount of space and time that the Intramural Sports department can provide/accommodate due to daylight, weather, and space/reservations. Typically, teams finishing in the top 50% of division standings plus 1 additional team will be taken to playoffs.
      2. In order to determine playoff qualification, the Intramural Sports Staff will use the following guidelines in order:
         1. Win/loss record will determine final regular season standings.
         2. Any game that is defaulted by a team will count worse than a loss for that defaulting team’s record.
         3. Any game that is forfeit by a team will count worse than a default for that forfeiting team’s record.
      3. In the case of a tie between two teams, head-to-head record will be the first tiebreaker, followed by Sportsmanship Point Average (SPA).
         1. In the case of a tie between three or more teams, or if a head-to-head matchup did not occur between two tied teams, SPA will be used as the next tiebreaker criteria.
         2. Should the SPA of the teams be tied, point differential in all regular season games will be used.
         3. If point differential is the same, than the team with the least total points against will break the tie. If the tie is still unbroken, a random draw will occur.
         4. When one team breaks a tie, the process starts over for the remaining teams.
      4. Teams finishing the regular season as the top-ranked team of its respective  divisions will be seeded into the “Advanced” playoff bracket according to tiebreaker procedures.
      5. Teams finishing the regular season as the second or third ranked team of its respective divisions will be seeded into the “Beginner” playoff bracket according to tiebreaker procedures.
      6. Intramural Sports staff reserves the right to select teams for "Beginner" and "Advanced" brackets based on regular season outcomes. 

Policies and Procedures Updated 7/22/2019