University of Iowa Recreational Services employs four full-time staff members to oversee the Intramural Sports and Sport Club Programs. These four full-time staff members include an Associate Director, two Assistant Directors, and a Coordinator. Each Intramural Sport is overseen by one of the Assistant Directors, while official’s development is overseen by the Coordinator.

Sport Programs Supervisors are students that are employed part-time by the Sport Programs office and supervise Intramural Sports and Sport Club events. Sport Programs Lead Supervisors also assist with office paperwork and sport administration, in conjunction with the full-time staff.

The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, gender identity, or associational preferences. The university also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to university facilities. For additional information on nondiscrimination policies, contact the Director, Office of Institutional Equity, the University of Iowa, 202 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242-1316, 319-335-0705, oie-ui@uiowa.edu. 

If, at any point before, during, or after Intramural activities, a participant or spectator violates the aforementioned Non-Discrimination Policy, or uses discriminatory language or gestures towards another individual, the participant or spectator doing so can be ejected and subject to the ejection procedures as outlined in this document.

All communication with the Sport Programs staff should be appropriate and professional at all times. This includes written, verbal, and/or electronic communication. Failure to communicate with Sport Programs staff in an appropriate and professional manner may result in suspension from the Intramural Sports Program and may require a meeting with the Sport Programs staff.

If you are interested in being an Intramural Sports Official, all you have to do is follow the steps on the website (see link below), and work hard. You can officiate as many or as few sports as you would like, and no experience is necessary. You can still play Intramural Sports regardless of whether you are an official. To find out about upcoming meetings and officials trainings, check out the Becoming an Official webpage.

To foster a healthy recreational atmosphere where violence and poor behavior are not tolerated, participants and spectators are expected to always conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner. In cases of verbal abuse or other forms of conduct constituting harassment, whether directed at an official, staff member, another participant, or a spectator, the Sport Programs staff will take action to address and mitigate the unsportsmanlike behavior. Should the behavior continue, the Sport Programs staff may eject the offending participant or spectator from the game and suspend the participant or spectator from competition for a length of time determined by the Sport Programs Staff. Participant and spectator actions are subject to this standard before, during, and after the intramural event or contest.

If the level of sportsmanship and/or dangerous play in a game jeopardizes the safety and well-being of game participants or officials, a Sport Programs Staff member may terminate the game. In the event a Sport Programs Staff member terminates the game due to these reasons, the teams, team captains, and all players may be suspended from future Intramural Sports Program events.

Team members and team captains are also responsible for the behavior and sportsmanship of their team’s spectators. Sport Programs staff members have the authority to impose penalties against the team and/or team captain for improper behavior or poor sportsmanship of spectators. Unaffiliated spectators are also subject to ejection from the facility for inappropriate behavior, as determined by Recreational Services staff.

Officials in all officiated sports will complete team sportsmanship ratings for each team, each game. Sport Programs Administrative staff may adjust sportsmanship ratings after review of game circumstances including any additional information not observed by the game officials. Sportsmanship ratings will be viewable by teams on IMLeagues.com following the conclusion of the contest. Each team begins the game with a 2.5 rating and earns its way up to a 3 or a 4 or earns its way down to a 1 or a 2. Officials cannot give a rating of 2.5.

Rating categories are from 4-1, and guidelines for those ratings are:

• 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 went above and beyond to show respect for opponents and staff. If a team wins by Default or Forfeit, it will receive this rating.
• 3 = Above Average: Team members and fans were respectful of opponents and officials except for one or two minor incidents.
• 2 = Below Average: (Note: At least one of these examples must occur for a Below Average rating to be given) Team member(s) or spectator(s) were disrespectful of opponents and/or officials on multiple occasions. Captain showed little control of team member(s). An unsporting technical foul, unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, or unsporting yellow card was issued. A Sport Programs Supervisor had to step-in to address unsportsmanlike behavior. Any other behavior, including use of profane language, deemed unsportsmanlike or inappropriate by the Sport Programs Staff.
• 1 = Poor: (Note: At least one of these examples must occur for a Poor rating to be given) 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 unsporting yellow cards issued. Participant or spectator ejection for unsportsmanlike behavior. A Sport Programs Supervisor had to step-in on more than one occasion to address unsportsmanlike behavior among team members. Contest was discontinued by Sport Programs staff due to continued unsportsmanlike behavior. Multiple or severe instances of any other behavior, including use of profane language, deemed unsportsmanlike or inappropriate by the Sport Programs Staff.

Teams receiving Below Average (2) and/or Poor (1) sportsmanship ratings:

• A team that receives a 2-rating for the first time will receive a notification/warning email from the Sport Programs staff.
• The captain of any team that receives a 1-rating will be required to meet with a Sport Programs Administrative staff representative before that team’s next game and will be suspended from participation in Intramural Sports until at least the time of the meeting.
• Any team that receives more than one sportsmanship rating of 1 in a season, or a team that receives a 1 and a 2, in any order and at any point in the season, will not be eligible to compete in the remainder of the season or playoffs.
• The captain of any team that receives two 2-ratings will be required to meet with a Sport Programs staff representative before that team’s next game, and the team will be put on Sportsmanship Probation. Any rating of 2 or 1 at any point thereafter will result in that team’s dismissal from the league or playoffs. The team captain will be suspended from participation in Intramural Sports until at least the time of the meeting. NOTE: See below for two 2-ratings in a one-or-two-day tournament.
• If a team receives its second 2-rating in its last contest of the season, the team captain will be required to meet with the Sport Programs Administrative staff.
• If a team receives a 1-rating in its last game of the season, all team members signed-in for that contest will be required to meet with the Sport Programs Administrative staff. All participants required to meet with the Sport Programs Administrative staff will be suspended from further participation until at least the time of the meeting.

Failure to meet with the Sport Programs staff in a timely manner may result in an extended suspension.

In league sports, teams must finish the regular season with a Sportsmanship Rating average (SR) of 2.5 or better to qualify for the playoffs. The 2.5 SR must be maintained throughout the playoffs to continue competing. During the playoffs, any team that receives a 1-rating will be eliminated from the playoffs, regardless of the outcome of that contest. If a team wins a playoff contest and is disqualified due to sportsmanship, the other team will advance, so long as that team’s SR is not below a 2.5 and that team did not receive a 1-rating in the contest.

In one-or-two-day officiated tournaments, any team that receives a 1-rating will be automatically disqualified from the tournament. Any team that receives two 2-ratings will be disqualified from the tournament. If a team wins a playoff contest and is disqualified due to sportsmanship, the other team will advance, so long as that team has not received a 1-rating or two 2-ratings.

In non-officiated sports, the Sport Programs staff will address poor sportsmanship on a case-by-case basis. The captain of a team exhibiting poor sportsmanship, as determined by the Sport Programs staff, will be subject to the same requirements as a team that receives a 2 or a 1-rating as stated above. Unsportsmanlike behavior may result in team removal from the league or tournament.

Any participant who is ejected from a game due to unsportsmanlike behavior must immediately leave the facility, and is required, along with the team captain, to meet with a Sport Programs staff representative. Unsportsmanlike conduct is a foul or offense in many sports that violates the sport's generally accepted rules of sportsmanship and participant conduct, including the use of profane language, whether directed at another individual or not. Any player(s) ejected for unsportsmanlike behavior for the first time will be suspended immediately from all Intramural Sports Program event(s). In addition, the ejected participant will be suspended for at least one game of the team for which the incident occurred. This suspension includes all Intramural Sports Program event(s) that occur between the time of the meeting and the time of that team’s next game. Subsequent ejections will result in greater sanctions. The team captain will also be ineligible to participate in all Intramural Sports Program event(s) until at least the time of the meeting with the Sport Programs staff, but the team captain may be declared eligible for other Intramural Sports Program events upon contacting the Sport Programs Administrative staff. Failure of either the ejected participant or the captain to meet with the Sport Programs staff in a timely manner may result in an extended suspension. Should the team captain be the ejected player, the Sport Programs Staff reserves the right to revoke captain’s privileges and require the team to designate a new team captain.

Any foul deemed flagrant by an official or Sport Programs staff member will result in an automatic ejection from the game for the player committing the flagrant foul. A flagrant foul is defined as a foul that is excessive, a non-sport related act, or committed with the intent to injure.

The University of Iowa Violence Policy prohibits fighting during athletic contests and other recreational events. Any student participating in a Recreational Services event who strikes, or attempts to strike, an official, supervisor, spectator, or another participant or joins a fight in progress will be automatically suspended from all Recreational Services activities from the time of the incident for at least six months and may also be subject to criminal charges filed by University Police. In addition, Recreational Services will forward all complaints of fighting to the Office of Student Accountability, who is authorized to recommend sanctions up to and including suspension or dismissal from the University.

Intramural Officials are trained to respond to questions asked by participants in a professional, mature manner. While participating in Intramural Sports, keep in mind that the officials are students, often officiating a given sport for the first time; in many cases, most of the comments they hear from participants are negative. With this in mind, if you are attempting to ask a question of an official, the best way for it to not be perceived as negative is to calmly address the official and ask your question in a positive, non-condescending way. Examples:

• Bad – “How is that a foul?”
• Good – “Can you please tell me what you saw on that play so I can try to avoid doing it again?”

• Bad – “Are you kidding me?!?”
• Good – “Can you please explain to me what I did wrong there?”

If you continue to have concerns with a specific official or situation, please do not hesitate to speak to an on-site supervisor or contact the Sport Programs Administrative staff to share your opinions professionally and constructively. We value constructive feedback that we can use to help make our officials better.

Participants can share with the Sport Programs Administrative staff their thoughts on the performance of their contest’s officials. As mentioned previously, the Intramural Sports Program values constructive feedback regarding how our officials can develop. Inappropriate or unconstructive comments will be disregarded. To share your thoughts, suggestions, or compliments, please complete our Officials Feedback Form.

1. Intramural Sports participants are expected to form their own teams.
2. Team names must be appropriate. If a team name is deemed inappropriate by the Sport Programs Administrative staff, it will be changed to the captain’s name without notice. If a team wishes to submit a new, appropriate team name, different than the captain’s name, it must be submitted no less than 24 hours prior to the start of contests for that sport’s season or tournament.
3. If an individual wants to play on an Intramural team and cannot find enough other players to form a team, that individual can list themself as a Free Agent on IMLeagues.com. Additionally, players can join the Iowa Intramural Sports Free Agent group on Facebook to connect with other Free Agents looking for a team, or to connect with team captains that need more players. The Sport Programs Administrative staff will send out information about joining teams, to help facilitate the creation of teams among free agent participants.

Each team captain is responsible for verification of team member eligibility as provided in these rules. Whenever a specific case is reported, an investigation will be made to determine whether the person in question is eligible. Recreational Services reserves the right to check eligibility of any players or teams at any time. Any team using ineligible players will forfeit all games in which the ineligible player(s) participated or checked-in with the intent to participate. If an ineligible player is discovered during bracket play, the most recent game in which the ineligible player participated will be declared a forfeit and the offended team will advance. Any ineligible participants will be suspended from further participation in Intramural Sports for an amount of time to be determined by the Sport Programs Administrative staff.

Participation in Intramural Sports is a privilege. If, at any time, the Sport Programs Administrative staff feels this privilege is being abused, eligibility can be revoked subject to reinstatement requirements set forth by the Sport Programs staff.

1. Current University of Iowa students (enrolled in classes for the current semester), faculty, staff, affiliates, alumni, students not enrolled for the current semester, and spouses/domestic partners of eligible participants, with Recreational Services memberships, are eligible for participation in the Intramural Sports Program with the appropriate Intramural Sports Membership. More information on Intramural Sports Memberships can be found in the next section of this document. (NOTE: Summer eligibility may differ from what is outlined above. Please check each summer sport’s IMLeagues page for summer eligibility information).

• Affiliates of the University of Iowa are staff who have affiliate status at the University of Iowa verified through the University Directory.
• Students not enrolled are defined as students that were enrolled in the previous semester, are not enrolled in the current semester, and plan to be enrolled in the next semester.
• Alumni are defined as individuals that have graduated from the University of Iowa. To receive Alumni status for Recreational Services and be eligible for Intramural Sports participation, Alumni must purchase an Alumni Recreational Services Membership. More information on Alumni Recreational Services Memberships can be found here.

2. In league sports, once a player joins one team in a league, that player may join other teams in that league using the IMLeagues Nomad feature but may only play for the subsequent teams during the regular season. Once playoffs begin, each player is restricted to only one team per league. The team for which a player may be on for the playoffs is the first team that they joined in that league. Players may only be on one team in each league for singles or doubles sports. If the team a player joined first is not the team on which the participant wants to play for the playoffs, the participant must contact the Sport Programs office at intramural-sports@uiowa.edu to request a switch. This cannot be done once a participant has checked into a contest for the team whose roster they joined first in that league.
3. The Intramural Sports Program holds the equality and inclusion of its participants in the highest regard. Every participant has the right to an unbiased and fair opportunity to play. The Intramural Sports Program encourages all eligible people to participate in Intramural Sports based on their expressed gender identities. Participants may indicate their gender identities on IMLeagues when first registering. Should a participant’s gender identity change at any point after initial registration, the participant should contact the Sport Programs Administrative staff to update the participant’s status on IMLeagues. In situations in which individuals do not identify with a particular category used for intramural activities, the Sport Programs Administrative staff will provide direction and options on a case-by-case basis. Should a participant not feel comfortable contacting the Sport Programs Administrative staff directly, that participant may contact the university’s Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at (319) 335-3555 or ddei-contact@uiowa.edu.
4. Current members of intercollegiate squads are not permitted to take part in the intramural sport/event or related intramural sport/event to that in which they are currently participating at the intercollegiate level. The members of an intercollegiate team shall be determined by Athletic Department staff and Sport Programs staff. An individual on an intercollegiate roster is considered to be on that team for the duration of the academic school year, fall to spring. The following are considered related sports for former/current intercollegiate players:

5. No more than two players on an Intramural team roster may be a coach of an intercollegiate team, a practice squad member of an intercollegiate team, a former member of an intercollegiate team, or a member or coach of a University of Iowa sport club in a related sport. Sport club members or coaches will be determined by the Sport Programs staff, or by any public information regarding that sport club. A sport club member/coach is considered a member of that sport club for an entire academic year, fall to spring, regardless of when they may stop involvement with the club. The following are considered related sports for sport clubs:

6. Any individual who would be ineligible for intercollegiate competition because of professional status will be ineligible from participation in Intramural Sports in that related sport for a period of three years following the end of professional participation. The Sport Programs staff reserves the right to determine when professional participation ends.

All players participating in any Intramural Sports event must be on the team roster and will be required to check-in with the Sport Programs staff prior to participation. To check-in, participants must have a photo available through IMLeagues, or must provide a University of Iowa or government-issued photo ID. Anyone discovered to be participating without checking-in with the Sport Programs staff will be asked to check-in before continuing to participate. If that person is not on the team roster, they must be added to the team roster before continuing to participate. If it is discovered that they are ineligible, that contest will be forfeit.

Anyone on the roster that participates while suspended or participates on a team without being listed as eligible will be considered an ineligible participant for that contest. The contest will be forfeit by the team playing with an ineligible participant. Additionally, the individual that participates illegally is required to meet with a Sport Programs staff representative and will be suspended for at least one additional contest. If the occurrence is in the team’s last scheduled contest, the participant will be required to notify the Sport Programs staff of the next sport they intend to play.

Any team found using a player that is playing under a false name or ID, or a team that has a player that has checked-in, or attempted to check-in, under a false name or ID with the intent to play illegally, will forfeit that contest. In the case of an improper ID being used, the player using an improper ID and the player providing the ID to be used illegally will be suspended for at least two weeks and must meet with the Sport Programs Administrative staff, and the person providing the ID will be charged the forfeit fine. In the case of a false name being used, the person that attempted to check-in using a false name will be suspended for at least two weeks and must meet with the Sport Programs Administrative staff and will be charged the forfeit fine. If that person cannot be identified, the team captain will be charged the forfeit fine. Subsequent offenses will lead to additional sanctions. The team captain may also be suspended and may have to attend the meeting at the discretion of the Sport Programs Administrative staff. Use of a fictitious ID is a serious misdemeanor in the State of Iowa.

Team rosters for league sports may be updated throughout any sport’s season and all of playoffs. Team captains can add or drop players through IMLeagues and are encouraged to do so well in advance of their game times. Roster additions can only be done on IMLeagues. Participants cannot be dropped from a team roster if that would take the team below the minimum player requirement, and the team has already selected a division. In addition, players cannot be dropped from a team roster if a participant has already checked-in for a contest for that team.

To participate in Intramural Sports, a student, faculty, staff, alumnus, student not enrolled, or affiliate may need to purchase an Intramural Sports Membership. Membership requirements are listed on each sport’s IMLeagues home page. Available Intramural Sports Membership pass options are:

• 2023-2024 Fall and Spring Semester Membership- $45: The 2023-2024 Intramural Sports Fall and Spring Membership allows you to play every sport in the 2023-2024 school year, except the Intramural Golf Tournament. Purchasing the Fall and Spring Membership saves you $5 versus purchasing Fall Semester and Spring Semester Memberships separately.

• Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 Semester Membership - $25: The Intramural Sports Fall 2023 or Spring 2024 Semester Membership allows you to play every sport in the fall 2023 or spring 2024 semester, respectively. (Exception: The Intramural Sports Golf Tournament is not included in the Spring 2024 Semester Membership).

• 2023-2024 Tournament Pass - $10: The One Day Tournament Pass allows you to play in a single day tournament. The One Day Tournament Pass can only be used for one team in one tournament. If you wish to play singles and doubles for the same sport (i.e. Billiards) you must purchase a One-Semester or Two-Semester Intramural Sports Membership.

• Single Game Pass- $7: The Single Game Pass is for substitutes on a team to play in one contest, but not pay for a full semester membership and must be purchased the day of the contest. If you are subbing one time for a team that is short players, purchase this pass. If you end up being needed for additional contests for that team, you can upgrade to a full semester or full year pass.

Intramural Sports Memberships are non-refundable. Situations involving extenuating circumstances beyond the member’s control will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Sport Programs will provide numbered pinnies for each contest in which color differentiation needs to be made (Flag Football, Soccer, Futsal, Basketball). However, a team may still provide their own T-shirts to wear during their contests. If a team chooses to do this, all team members must be wearing the same color and each T-shirt must have a unique number permanently on the T-shirt. The graphics and wording on team shirts must be appropriate. If not, pinnies will be required to be worn by that team. Shirts must always be worn underneath the pinnies.

The well-being of Intramural participants is of the utmost concern to the Intramural Sports Program. When an individual is identified by the Sport Programs Staff as having signs/symptoms of a head injury, that person will be removed from Intramural activities. Participants may return to play only after providing a return to play notice to the Sport Programs Administrative staff or the Recreational Services Risk Manager. Return to play notices must be written by a licensed medical provider as defined by Iowa Code 280.13c.

• Men’s/Open – No gender restriction. Teams only need to meet the minimum number of required players.
• Women’s – Teams must be comprised entirely of individuals who identify as women.
• Co-Rec – Teams must be comprised of a minimum number of male-identifying and female-identifying individuals.
• Unified – Leagues made of teams comprising Special Olympics Athletes and traditional Intramural Sports participants, called “Partners”.

To determine playoff qualification, and seeding order, the Sport Programs Staff will use the following guidelines in order:

1. Win/loss record will determine final regular season standings. Please see individual sport IMLeagues page to determine the number of teams that qualify from each division.
2. In the case of a tie between two or more teams that all played each other, head-to-head record against all tied teams will be the first tiebreaker.
3. If a head-to-head match-up did not occur between all tied teams, points earned will be the first tiebreaker criteria.
   • A win in a game played, or a game won by forfeit or default, will be worth two points.
   • A loss in a game played will be worth zero points.
   • Defaulting a game will be worth negative one point.
   • Forfeiting a game will be worth negative two points.
4. Should the points earned of the teams be tied, in Flag Football, Indoor Soccer, Basketball, Futsal, and Softball, scoring differential in all regular season games will be used. In Volleyball, game record differential will be the tiebreaker for two or more tied teams that did not all have a head-to-head matchup with the other tied teams. For example, a Basketball team that has won 2 games by 10 points and lost 1 game by 5 points would have a scoring differential total of +15. If a team wins (or loses) by forfeit or default, that team will get credit for winning (or losing) by the following amounts in each sport:
   • Flag Football 14-0
   • Volleyball (Indoor and Sand) 2-0
   • Indoor Soccer 2-0
   • Basketball 20-0
   • Softball 5-0
   • Futsal 5-0
   • The point differential for tournament sports will be stated in that sport’s rules document.
5. Should the teams have the same point differential, points against will be the tiebreaker.
6. Should the points against of the teams be tied, Sportsmanship Rating average (SR) will be used as the next tiebreaker criteria.
7. If teams are still tied after all tiebreakers have been exhausted, a random draw will be held to determine the tiebreak.
8. Once one team has been broken from the tie, the tiebreaker process will start over.
9. In sports with the sportsmanship rating system, teams must have an SR of 2.5 or better to qualify for, and to maintain their position in the playoffs. Any team with an SR worse than 2.5 will not qualify for playoffs, despite what its regular season record might be. If a team wins a playoff contest and is disqualified due to sportsmanship, the other team will advance, so long as that team’s SR is not below a 2.5 and that team did not receive a 1-rating in the contest.

Leagues that have sixteen or more teams will be split into A and B brackets for playoffs. Qualification for each bracket will be based on the qualification criteria above. Brackets that have eight or more teams will select their playoff spots via playoff draw. Information on each playoff draw will be sent to participating teams as the regular season concludes.

1. Doubles rosters must be finalized before play begins. Teams can have up to three participants on their IMLeagues roster. Once a contest begins, the same two players must play the entirety of that contest.
2. For sports using a play-by format, it is the responsibility of each participant to check the schedule or tournament bracket posted on IMLeagues.com, then contact and play the next opponent before the deadline stated by the Intramural Sports Administrative Staff. Both participants are responsible for seeing that the result of a completed match is submitted on IMLeagues before the match deadline. Failure to report scores will result in a double forfeit for that match. Falsifying scores will be considered a forfeit.

On various Friday nights throughout the fall and spring semesters, the Intramural Sports Program will host Friday Night Series events. Intramural Memberships are not required to participate in Friday Night Series events, and participants/teams can register until 11:59 p.m. the day before the event for sports that require pre-registration. Some Friday Night Series will not be competition based but will be available to drop-in and have a good time. See each event’s page on IMLeagues for specific details.

• October 7 – Basketball Night
• December 9 – Canoe Battleship
• February 16 – Archery Tag
• March 1 - Dodgeball
• April 19 - Kickball

Scrimmage Nights provide an opportunity to play a designated sport one night, without having to commit to an entire season of games. You can play one night for that sport, all the nights, or anywhere in-between. You can register in advance, or on-site when you arrive to the facility. If you register in advance and your plans change and you cannot make it, no worries. Just don't show up. These games will have a laid back, social atmosphere, and will serve as an avenue for people to try new sports, get connected with other people at Iowa that like the same sport, etc. You can bring your friends, or just bring yourself, as registration is done individually. Teams, game length, and other details will be determined on-site. There is no cost to register for an Intramural Sports Scrimmage Night.

Intramural Champion T-shirts will be awarded to the championship teams in all leagues. Only people on the team roster will be awarded championship T-shirts. The maximum number of shirts one team can receive for a sport is two times the number of players permitted on the field/court at one time with a maximum of 15 (Ex. Men’s/Open and Women’s Flag Football allows seven players on the field at one time, so the maximum number of shirts would be 14; 7x2=14). If a player is on the team roster but was unable to play on championship night and receive a T-shirt, that player must bring a photo ID to the Sport Programs Office to pick-up a T-shirt. Individuals listed as Nomads on a team roster are not eligible to receive Intramural Champion T-shirts.

Teams/Individuals not ready to play within ten minutes of the scheduled contest time shall forfeit. Sport Programs Supervisors shall declare the contest a forfeit and award a win to the team/individual that is on-hand and ready to play. Sport Programs Supervisors have the discretion to amend the 10-minute forfeit time rule in the event of unforeseen circumstances. “Ready to play” means that a team/individual must be at the playing area with at least the minimum number of players needed to start a contest. The contest will begin once both teams have the minimum number of players needed to start, so long as the scheduled start time of the contest has been reached. Teams/individuals that postpone a contest or agree to forfeiture without consulting the Sport Programs staff are both liable to the penalty of a forfeit. If a team/individual has registered for a sport in which schedules will be made on-site at a designated time, the Forfeit Fine does not apply.

Any team that forfeits one time will automatically be charged a Forfeit Fine, assessed to the team captain’s U-Bill, as listed on IMLeagues (exception: Improper Use of ID or Using a False Name, see Team Rosters and ID Requirements section of this document). The amount of the Forfeit Fine will be $25.00 for non-officiated sports/events, and $50.00 for officiated sports/events. A second forfeit by the same team, including forfeits assessed for using ineligible players, will result in removal from the league. If the team captain does not have an active U-Bill, that person will be suspended from Recreational Services facilities and programs until the fine is paid.

Teams/individuals may avoid a forfeit by defaulting the contest. To default, the team captain must complete the Default Form by 2:00 p.m. the day of the game, unless otherwise stated on that sport’s IMLeagues webpage, in the sport rules, or communicated by the Sport Programs staff to the team captain.

A team’s first default will allow the team/individual to continue in league play and avoid the Forfeit Fine. Any subsequent defaults in league play would result in a $25.00 fine per subsequent default. If a team withdraws after schedules have been made, it is subject to that sport’s Forfeit Fine.

Recreational Services is willing to cooperate by allowing an occasional reschedule. Due to limited playing facilities, postponements must be arranged by the Sport Programs Administrative staff and agreed upon by both captains. If arrangements have not been confirmed by the Sport Programs Administrative staff, the game will be played at its originally scheduled day and time. Requesting a reschedule should be the last resort for a team that has a conflict. Other solutions include adding more players to your unlimited team roster. Reschedule requests can be made by completing the Reschedule Request Form.

If there is inclement weather and Intramural Sports are scheduled, check the Intramural Sports website for cancellation information. The Sport Programs Staff will also attempt to notify participants scheduled to play that night.

You can also sign-up for Intramural Sports notifications through the Recreational Services app.

In the case of lightning within 8 miles of the game site during outdoor sports, play will be suspended. Play may not resume until there have been zero lightning strikes within 8 miles for 30 minutes. Determinations on lightning strikes will be made by Sport Programs Staff on-site using lightning detection software. Lightning detected by the system does not need to be visible to participants or staff.

If a team feels an official has misinterpreted a rule, the team captain (or the acting captain if the team captain is not present) must lodge a protest at the time of the ruling. The team must call a time-out at the time of the ruling and inform the official that it wishes to protest a misapplication or misinterpretation of a rule. The game will be stopped to obtain a ruling from the Sport Programs Supervisor. Failure to call time-out and obtain an immediate ruling from the Sport Programs Supervisor at the time of the ruling in question will void any future right to protest. If the official’s ruling stands, the protesting team will be charged the time-out. If the official’s ruling is changed, the team is not charged a time-out. No protest concerning official’s judgment will be considered. If the protesting team still feels the ruling is incorrect, it must then tell the Sport Programs Supervisor it wishes to submit a formal protest. The Sport Programs Supervisor will complete a Protest Form and send it to the Sport Programs Administrative staff for review. If a team wishes to protest and does not have any time-outs remaining, they are subject to penalty as stated in that sport’s rules should the original call stand.

If a player is found to be ineligible during tournament play, the team with the ineligible player will be eliminated from the tournament. If possible due to facility constraints, all impacted games will be made up/replayed from the point of the protest moving forward.

During tournament play when a team or player feels another team or player is ineligible to participate, the protesting team must notify the on-site Sport Programs Supervisor or contact the Sport Programs Administrative staff by NOON the next business day. If no definite information can be found deeming the player(s) in question to be ineligible, that/those player(s) will be considered eligible. Failure to follow the specified time constraints can void the rights of the protesting team to advance.

At the written request of any Intramural participant, an appeal of any specific incident, decision, or regulation regarding the Intramural Sports Program may be made to the Associate Director of Sport Programs. Written requests to review a specific incident or regulation can be emailed to: thomas-schorer@uiowa.edu. The deadline to appeal a ruling is 24 hours from the time in which the ruling decision is communicated to the participant by the Sport Programs Administrative staff.