Intramural Sports

This handbook answers many questions you may have about Luther’s intramural sports program. Any other situation not covered in this pamphlet or on the Recreational Sports calendar will be ruled on by the Recreational Sports staff.

Recreational sports helps you develop the essential qualities of cooperation, fair play, leadership, and the effective use of leisure time. You’ll also gain an appreciation for the physical benefits derived from active participation in sports and recreation. All students, faculty, and staff are eligible and encouraged to participate in as many activities as they wish.

Your Luther College Recreational Sports program is proud to serve the collegiate community including:

• On-campus students
• Off-campus students
• Faculty and staff

In addition to the following general rules, specific sport rules and regulations take precedence. These are given out at captain’s meetings. Each team captain is responsible for enforcing these.

Participation in the recreational sports program is voluntary. The college is not responsible for injuries incurred while participating in recreational sports. Each student is advised to carry personal health and accident insurance.

A recreational sports injury report form must be completed for all individuals incurring injuries during a recreational sports activity. These reports will be completed by the supervisor, and turned into the Recreational Sports office within 24 hours following the accident. The recreational sports coordinator will then make follow-up phone calls to the injured participant, insuring that the injury is given proper attention.

Each participant in recreational sports activities is responsible for the verification of student eligibility. Team captains should confirm the eligibility of all participants on the roster. Questionable cases should be referred to the Recreational Sports office for a ruling to be obtained before competing. All students are eligible to participate, as are faculty and staff. Participants may play on one co-recreational team and one men’s or women’s team in any sport.

• Varsity and Junior Varsity Athletes: Members of a Luther College varsity or junior-varsity athletic team are not eligible to participate in that particular sport or related sport during that season (Example: Fall soccer players in the spring intramural soccer program).
  • If a person leaves the intercollegiate team before the first scheduled contest in that sport, that person will be eligible to participate in recreational sports in that sport. If a person leaves the intercollegiate team after the first scheduled contest, they are considered a varsity athlete and is not eligible to participate in that sport for the remainder of the school year.
• Club Sport Members: The number of club sport members participating in particular sports are limited: up to two men’s volleyball club members are allowed on any one intramural team (Exceptions would be the four on four leagues where only one may be on a team).

A player may compete on only one team in a given sport (however, players may compete on one women’s or men’s team, and one co-recreational team). Cases warranting ineligibility, such as players using assumed names, will cause the player to be barred from that sport for the season, the forfeiture of the game that they played illegally in, and the team that they played illegally for to be ineligible for playoffs.

Any player deliberately striking or involved in a fight with another player, official, or supervisor shall be barred from all other recreational sports during the entire school year in which the offense was committed. Their team shall forfeit the game, and the team will be ineligible for playoffs.

Each team is required to submit a final list of its players at or before the deadline listed on the entry form. All team rosters become permanent following this deadline. For single or double elimination tournaments, team rosters become permanent at the stated deadlines. Please refer to each sport entry form for specific dates.

The recreational sports staff has the authority to rule a player or team ineligible whenever any of the above eligibility rules have been broken.

Unsportsmanlike conduct or verbal abuse (such as harassment or profane language) to an official or supervisor shall be cause for immediate suspension from the game. Unsportsmanlike conduct or verbal abuse to any other participant or spectator may be cause for immediate suspension from the game, the team may forfeit, and may be ineligible for playoffs. Other more severe conduct shall be reviewed by the recreational sports coordinator for possible suspension from the total program. Any players suspended shall leave the intramural playing areas. A second offense in any other sport shall result in being barred from further competition in all intramural sports for the remainder of the school year. Each team captain is responsible to enforce these rules.

Alcoholic beverages are not permitted on or around the recreational sports playing areas. Participants who appear to be under the influence of alcohol will not be permitted to participate in recreational sport contests. The supervisors or officials assigned to each game have the authority and responsibility to make decisions based on alcohol use of the participants according to their actions, language, or breath odor. If any member of a team is found guilty of alcohol use, the team will automatically forfeit the contest and be barred from further competition of the sport. Teams will be asked to leave the recreational sport playing area in any of these cases and any second offense by the above will result in them being barred from further competition for the school year.

A recreational sports team or individual participant not ready to play a scheduled contest at the game time location will automatically forfeit the contest. To win a game by forfeit, a team must have on the playing area the official number of players required in each sport, listed in the rules. The line-up must be recorded by the team captain on the official score sheet, 10 minutes prior to game time. The first forfeit will result in a loss. The second forfeit forces a team to be dropped from competition and ineligible for play-offs.

Forfeits will be assessed for the following:

• Use of ineligible players.
• Unsportsmanlike conduct, verbal abuse, or alcohol use.
• Not appearing at a scheduled contest.
• Appearing late to a scheduled contest.
• Any infractions of the specific rules governing each sport.

The recreational sports supervisor and the officials must be notified immediately at the time a discrepancy or rule misinterpretation occurs if a game is being played under protest. Protests on eligibility will be accepted. However, protests involving judgment of the officials will not be accepted. The supervisor working the game will attempt to resolve the protest before continuing play. If it can’t resolved, the officials will note the time, score, and circumstances, so that if the protest is upheld the game may be replayed from that point.

For a protest to be valid, an official protest form must be completed by the team captain immediately following the contest, and given to the sport supervisor. This protest will be turned in to the intramural office by the supervisor on the first day following the protested game. Protests will be ruled on by the recreational sports coordinator.

The Recreational Sports office cannot accept individual requests from teams or individuals to reschedule contests. However, emergency cases will be considered on an individual basis at the discretion of the recreational sports coordinator. Requests for rescheduled games must be submitted to the recreational sports coordinator at least 48 hours in advance of the time the contest is supposed to be played.

Team sports cancelled due to inclement weather or other reasons beyond the control of game officials or the Recreational Sports office, will be made up if possible. Individual sports will be ruled on separately by the recreational sports coordinator. Cancelled games will not count for or against a team. It will simply stand as ‘no game’ if less than one half of it has been played. If one half or more of the game has been played (or the time specified in the rules) the game will stand as a final score, and will count as a game played.

If there is a question regarding the weather and game cancellations team captains and players may call563-387-2115 between 1 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. on weekdays to find out if the scheduled game will be played. After 4:30, cancellations will be posted by both the recreational sports office in the Union.