The Sport Programs Department, through both the Intramural Sports and Sport Clubs programs, provides UW-Madison students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to experience competition as an individual or as a member of an organized group, to accept winning as well as losing and to respond to both with appropriate conduct and to develop a sense of sportsmanship and esprit de corps.
The most important aspect of a game is the human relationships that are created between people who play together and the people who officiate. Those who play for play's sake are the real winners because the prize is the play. Active participation by students, faculty, and staff as players and student officials is integral to the success of the Intramural Sports program.
The Sport Programs Staff reserves the right to move any team to a bracket more suited for their level of competition for playoffs. Factors considered when moving a team to a different level of competition include, but are not limited to, the following: 1) Previous season performance with same/similar players 2) Regular season win/loss record 3) Margin of victory in regular seasons games
The Sports Programs Staff shall make the final determination.
All individuals shall be permitted to participate in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Intramural Sports program in a manner consistent with their gender identity, regardless of any medical treatment. While sport programs are typically offered in gender-based divisions, Rec Well seeks to provide opportunities for all students to participate in its programs inclusive of gender identity. If an individual or team is unsure of which division would be most appropriate in which to participate, please contact the Assistant Director of Sport Programs to help determine which division would most appropriately fit the participation needs of the individual or team. All Intramural sports participants are subject to University of Wisconsin System and University of Wisconsin-Madison non-discrimination policies. -- Policy drafted by Gabe Javier, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, UW-Madison, 2016
Unified Sports is an inclusive sports program that unites Special Olympics athletes (individuals with intellectual disabilities) and partners (UW participants without intellectual disabilities) as teammates for training and competition.
Any eligible participant that identifies as female-identifying, regardless of their skill level, may participate in this league. Those identifying as men may not participate in any Women’s leagues unless no Men’s league is played.
The Sport Programs Department is primarily based out of the Natatorium, however, information can be acquired at any Rec Well facility.
imsports@recsports.wisc.edu
Sport Programs Office Phone: 608-262-825
Nat Office Phone: 608-262-3742
Weather Hotline: 608-262-4756, ext. #5
Intramural Sports hires and trains hundreds of student officials and scorekeepers each year. Officials are needed for all Intramural team sports. No experience is necessary! We will train you in the sport(s) you wish to work. We are seeking officials for flag football, soccer, basketball, lacrosse, ice hockey, volleyball, broomball and softball. Hired scorekeepers will work the sport of basketball only. With competitive pay and flexible weekly scheduling, our jobs are some of the best student employment opportunities on campus. For more information, visit us online at RecWell.
University Recreation & Wellbeing (Rec Well) offers a variety of programs for individual and group athletic activity. Programs involve strenuous physical activity and rigorous exertion, including, but not limited to, Intramural sports, personal training, aerobic dance and exercise, weight training, stationary bicycling and the use of various aerobic-conditioning machinery found at the Nicholas Recreation Center (The Nick), Camp Randall Sports Stadium (Shell), the Natatorium (Nat) and Nielsen Tennis Stadium. Rec Well offers a variety of classes for physical activity and instruction. In addition, staff is available at each location to assist people on an individual basis and answer questions.
Participants must understand that these activities are potentially hazardous and that fitness and athletic activities involve a risk of injury and even death. Risks include, but are not limited to heart attacks, muscle strains, pulls or tears, broken bones, shin splints, heat prostration, knee/lower back/foot injuries, and drowning, to name but a few. Participants must be in sufficient physical condition to accept a rigorous level of physical activity. Anyone with questions in this area is advised to contact their personal physician. Participants must also understand that the University does not provide blanket medical coverage to students, staff or visitors and the University strongly encourages participants to carry health insurance that provides comprehensive medical and emergency room coverage.
Participants must agree to abide by the instructions, rules and regulations for the specific activity as indicated by Rec Well. Furthermore, participants agree to be considerate of fellow athletes and to conduct themselves in a safe and responsible manner. Participants use the facilities voluntarily and are responsible for their own health and safety.
The Sport Programs staff has the right to prevent any participant from continued participation when the staff judges that continued participation may put the individual’s safety at risk.
The team captain is a vital link between the Sport Programs staff and the team. Only those students who have the ability to organize a group should be appointed to serve in this role.
The captain or designee is responsible for the following:
Note that the captain may designate a co-captain on their IMLeagues team page. Captains or co-captains are not required to attend every game.
Students enrolled at the University of Wisconsin – Madison who pay segregated fees, designated staff (academic & university) and faculty members are eligible for participation in the Intramural Sports program. Eligible students must purchase an Intramural Sports Pass (see Registration), tournament (when applicable), semester or year, in order to participate on an Intramural Sports team.
Beginning fall 2019, campus affiliates must purchase at least one month University Recreation & Wellbeing Membership and Intramural Sports Pass in order to participate. A campus affiliate is defined as designated UW - Madison faculty/staff, UW Hospital staff or emeritus/retired. Community members, alumni and students from other universities are not eligible to participate in Intramural Sports.
Students must remain enrolled throughout the semester in order to remain eligible for Intramural Sports. Failure to maintain enrollment will result in immediate suspension of Intramural Sports eligibility.
Present scholarship athletes, walk-ons, persons classified as red shirts, or those working out with intercollegiate athletic teams are not eligible in their related sport until the August 1st after they have quit the team or their eligibility has expired. The walk-on or practice team player will be considered ineligible if they are participating/practicing with the team during their NCAA sanctioned semester.
Practice team players of varsity sports are eligible to participate in their like or similar sport. A maximum of (2) practice team players (regardless of gender), or any combination, are allowed per team roster.
Former collegiate varsity athletes may participate in their related sport once eligible, however they must participate in the competitive division (if offered, regardless of how long they have been removed from a varsity roster) and a limit of one player (regardless of gender) is allowed per team roster in all sports.
Current/former Olympic/US team and professional athletes are not eligible to participate in their related sport. An athlete will be deemed a "professional" if at any point they were given financial compensation for participating on a team in a professional or semiprofessional league. Examples include, but are not limited to: NFL, NFL Europe, AFL, CFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, WNBA, MLS, Pro Beach Volleyball circuit or PGA/Nationwide Tour. Olympic athletes are considered individuals who competed for their country in the Olympics or World Championships, but not the Olympic trials. Those that participate on USA team rosters but only compete in trials or friendlies are eligible. In order to protest the eligibility of a said "Professional/Olympic" athlete, the protesting team must provide the name of the individual in question and a copy of the Professional/Olympic team roster.
Sport Club athletes may participate in their related sports, however a limit of two (2) sport club members are allowed on an intramural sports team in the same or related sport. In individual/dual sports, only one (1) team club member is allowed per event. For the purpose of determining Intramural Sports eligibility in their related sport, Sport Club players are defined as individuals who have a signed membership consent form on the Wisconsin Involvement Network (WIN) or traveled to any sport club event to participate with said club regardless whether it is with an ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘C’ team. Sport Club members will retain their sport club status until the August 1st after they have quit the team or their eligibility has expired.
If a club division or bracket is offered in a sport, the club athlete roster limit does not apply. See Corresponding Sport table below for eligibility guidelines per sport.
| Club/Varsity Sport | Corresponding Intramural Sport |
|---|---|
| Soccer Teams | All Soccer and Futsal |
| Volleyball Teams | Indoor, Water and Sand Volleyball |
|
Club Baseball & Softball Teams |
Softball |
| Football Teams | Ultimate Frisbee, KanJam |
| Basketball Teams | All Flag Football |
| Ice Hockey Teams | Floor Hockey, Ice Hockey, Broomball |
| Tennis Teams | Singles/Doubles Tennis |
| Table Tennis | Table Tennis Tournament |
For special events (i.e., Golf) refer to the sport rules for specific eligibility rules polices.
The Sport Programs staff will assume responsibility for investigation of the eligibility of all participants, upon request. NOTE: Any individual the Sports Programs staff knows to be ineligible will not be allowed to participate.
Any team using an ineligible player shall forfeit all contests in which the ineligible player participated. If the violation occurs during a playoff or tournament game, the team will be eliminated from further competition.
Players are required to bring their WISCard to each activity and present it to the Sport Programs Supervisor at the game site prior to the game. Participants with activated IMLeagues accounts that contain a photo on Fusion are able to check in with the Sport Programs Supervisor using any government issued photo identification card. Participants who have not activated their IMLeagues account and do not have appropriate identification will not be allowed to sign into the game.
If a Sport Programs Supervisor determines that an individual is attempting to check-in with false identification in order to participate in an Intramural sports contest, the WISCard will be confiscated and that individual will not be allowed to play. The individual will be ejected and asked to show proper identification. If the individual refuses or fails to show proper identification or cooperate fully with the supervisor on site, the team will forfeit their game. If the individual with false identification has signed in and played in the game, the game will be forfeited by the team that individual participated with. If the Sport Programs Supervisor determines that the team captain was aware of the individual's use of improper identification, then that team may forfeit their game and be subject to removal from the league. False or misrepresentation with a UW ID card will not be tolerated as outlined in Chapter 17 & 18 of the UW System Student Code.
If the rightful owner of a confiscated ID wishes to retrieve their ID, the individual may pick up his/her ID at the Rec Well office inside the facility the identification was confiscated beginning at 9 a.m. the business day following said confiscation by paying a $20.00 confiscated ID fee. Identification cards that are confiscated at an outside facility can be claimed at the Natatorium. The rightful owner will be suspended from all Intramural sports play until he/she has met with the Sport Programs Administration Staff.
In order for an eligible student to participate in Intramural Sports activities, they must first purchase the Intramural Sports Pass. The Intramural Sports Pass can be purchased on IMLeagues in the following formats:
$45 Year Pass – Participants can purchase a year pass for $45 at the beginning of the fall semester through Thanksgiving. This pass gives participants all-access to Intramural Sports activities, events and programs for the fall, spring and summer semesters. Participants can register a team in as many sports as they would like to play each semester. An example of the offerings per semester are below.
$25 Year Pass – Participants can purchase a semester pass for $25 at the beginning of each semester. This is ideal for participants that will graduate at the end of the fall semester or for participants studying abroad one semester. Participants can register a team in as many sports as they would like to play in the semester the pass is purchased.
$10 Tournament Pass – Participants can purchase a tournament pass if they are only interested in participating in one (1) single elimination or one-day tournament. A freebie pass cannot be used for tournaments, participants must purchase a tournament pass or have a semester or year pass to participate in any tournament.
Summer Pass - Students enrolled in summer classes can participate in all Intramural Sports activities for $5. Participants not enrolled in summer classes (faculty, staff, graduating and returning students) must first purchase a Rec Well Summer membership in order to become eligible for Summer Intramural Sports. Once purchased, participants can purchase the Summer Pass for an additional $5.
Pass upgrades can be done on the IMLeagues website. If you wish to upgrade your pass and are having issues, email the Sport Programs office at imsports@recwell.wisc.edu and our office can help you with the process and make sure you get the right pass for your participation needs.
By utilizing an Intramural Sports Pass, the Sport Programs Department is able to shift the financial burden from one captain to all students on a team. Additionally, it allows the Sport Programs Department to keep team fees low for all participants while also giving the participants more opportunity to play for less. Visit RecWell to purchase an Intramural Sports Pass today.
| Fall Offerings | Spring Offerings |
|---|---|
| 5v5 Basketball | 5v5 Basketball |
| Ice Hockey | Ice Hockey |
| Soccer | Bubble Soccer |
| 7v7 Flag Football | 4v4 Flag Football |
| Volleyball | Futsal |
| Dodgeball | Volleyball |
| Lacrosse | Softball |
| Ultimate Frisbee | Ultimate Frisbee |
| Tennis | Racquetball |
| Table Tennis | Glow in the Dark Volleyball |
| Golf | Battleship |
| Sand Volleyball | Broomball |
| Badminton | Pond Hockey Tournament |
| Table Tennis | 11v11 Soccer Tournament |
| NCAA Bowl Pick Em | 3 point/free through shootout |
| NCAA Bracket Madness | |
| Winter Carnival Games |
*All offerings are subject to change based on facility availability, weather and demand.
In order to sign up a team, captains are required to complete the pre-registration and registration process. During the pre-registration process the team captain will create the team on IMLeagues, take the mandatory captain’s quiz and pass with 80% or higher and add required number of players to the team’s roster. During the registration period the captain will purchase their Intramural Sports Pass (if not already purchased) and move the team from the Waitlist to the desired division of play on IMLeagues. More detailed sign-up instructions can be found on the Rec Well website.
Registration will be taken based on the number of spots available in a given league. Any teams that register after a league is filled will be added to a Waitlist to be contacted if additional spots become available. If contacted, teams will be given information on how to complete the registration and scheduling process.
The Sport Programs staff reserves the right to alter an intramural team name if it is judged to be obscene, derogatory, and vulgar or offensive, contains profanity or is not within the spirit of good sportsmanship. Direct references to drugs, alcohol or overt sexual acts will not be tolerated. The team will not be entered officially until the name is suitable to the Sport Programs Staff.
Preseason tournaments are designed to give teams warm up games before the start of the regular season. They are also designed to give student officials game experience for training prior to the season as well. Teams entering the pre-season tournament should understand that the tournaments will be used for training purposes. Poor sportsmanship will not be tolerated. Games may be abbreviated on time or rules to accommodate training or schedule constraints.
Beginning fall 2019, tournament passes will only be refunded to players on teams that do not get scheduled based on league space or availability and do not wish to participate on any other teams/sports. Semester and Year passes will only be refunded in extreme circumstances in which the student can no longer participate in Intramural Sports. These cases must be approved by the Assistant Director of Sport Programs.
Specific divisions, days and times are scheduled on a first-come first-serve basis during registration. Teams are encouraged to register early to get into the division of their choice. Teams that fail to move their team from the Waitlist to a specific division during Registration period may be dropped from the league and are not entitled to a refund.
Players who have not played on any Intramural sports team in a given league and who are also eligible to play in that league may be added to a team roster at any time once the player purchases an Intramural Sports Pass. To be added to a roster, participants must activate their IMLeagues account through the Intramural Sports website. Through their IMLeagues account participants may add themselves to a team’s roster electronically. Players that have not purchased the Intramural Sports Pass will be prompted to do so to join a team. Additionally, new participants may bring their WISCard to the game site and sign in with the Sport Programs Supervisor.
To view team rosters, log into your IMLeagues account from the Intramural Sports webpage and click on your team's banner on the Homepage.
Beginning fall 2019, participants will no longer be confided to one single gendered team and one Co-Rec team. Participants may play on one team in each division offered. For example, a female-identifying participant may play on one Women's A team, one Women's B team, one Co-Rec A team and one Co-Rec B team. Participants may not play on multiple teams in the same league (ex: a participant may not play on multiple Co-Rec B teams). Please refer to page 12 for the reschedule policy
Once an individual has checked in for a team with the Sport Programs Supervisor, he/she may not play for another team in that league for the remainder of the season (exception - see roster changes). A player found to be playing on two teams in violation of this policy in the same league will be suspended from all Intramural sports play. This participant will receive instructions via email regarding reinstatement.
A player may be dropped from a roster one time only, during the regular season so long as they have only signed-in to participate in one game with the team from which they are looking to be dropped. Signing in as a Nomad (see Nomad Rule below) does not count as participation on a roster unless the player declares for the roster on site or in the Sport Programs office. Once the playoffs begin, a player may no longer be dropped from a roster to play on another roster. The player who wishes to be dropped from a team must email the Sport Programs office at imsports@recwell.wisc.edu. This must be done by 12:00 pm (Noon) the last day of the regular season for that sport. Once a player has followed the proper drop procedures, he/she is eligible to join one other team for the remainder of the activity. A player may only be dropped from a roster one time per sport per semester.
The purpose of the Nomad Rule is to help teams avoid defaults, and the fee, when possible. This policy is not to be exploited by an individual for any competitive purpose. Anyone found to be abusing the Nomad Rule may lose the ability to participate in Intramural sports in the future.
If a team does not have the minimum amount of players needed to participate, they may secure a nomad. Nomads must operate under the following:
For example, Abby is the captain of a CoRec B soccer team that plays on Wednesday nights at 7:30pm. At 1pm on the day of her second regular season game, two of her teammates forget that they have a test from 6:45 – 7:45pm, one is sick, and another just does not feel like playing tonight. Since Abby has missed the 12pm default deadline, her team will receive a $25 default fee for not having the minimum four (4) players needed to play.
Abby’s coworker Lauren plays on a different CoRec B team on Wednesday’s at 6:30pm. While at work they are discussing Abby’s situation for her IM soccer game and Lauren offers to play. Under the Nomad Rule, Lauren may participate on Abby’s team as a nomad because Abby’s team will be below the minimum needed amount in soccer.
The Intramural Sports program facilitates free agency through the IMLeagues website. If you are interested in playing a sport or activity, but don’t have a team to join, you can register as a free agent for that sport. During registration you can include information about your playing background and available times to play. Free agents do not have to purchase an Intramural Sports pass until they are invited to join a team.
If captains need players, they can recruit free agents by inviting them to their team through IMLeagues. If there are enough free agents to form a team, the Sport Programs office will attempt to connect the interested players and form a team. Free agents are also encouraged to go to the game site of the interested sport on the night they are available during the first few weeks of the season to increase their chances of being picked up by a captain in need. Once a free agent signs in for a team, they are considered a rostered player and are no longer a free agent.
Free agents can participate as Nomads as long as they have purchased a Semester or Year Pass. Free agents will remain free agents under the Nomad Rule until they declare for a roster, either on site or in the Sport Programs office. See the Nomad Rule above for more details.
| Monday - Thursday | 4:30 pm - 12:00 am |
| Friday | 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm |
| Sunday | 12:30 pm - 12:00 am |
These times are subject to change. Sport Programs reserves the right, due to facility or time constraints, to reduce the number of teams involved in post-season play, or change the format of the tournament.
Team signups for league play will be instantly scheduled during the Registration period online. This means you choose the day and time you play every week when you register except the summer session. Instant scheduling is conducted online on a first-come first-serve basis. If you wish to change a day or time after you register, it may not be available. Your team may have to move to another division or league if the division does not have enough teams.
To view schedules and standings log onto your IMLeagues account from the Intramural Sports webpage and click on your team's banner on the Homepage.
Leagues that have a play by date set up allow students to schedule their own game times during the week. The Sport Programs staff will schedule students an opponent each week during the season. The opponents will then contact each other and find a time to schedule their match. Once the match is played, players go onto IMLeagues and report their scores and sportsmanship ratings before a given deadline. If an opponent becomes unresponsive to match requests, please contact our office at imsports@recwell.wisc.edu so we can assist with communication.
Please check the sport page and individual sport rules on IMLeagues as venues, times, and format of play vary and are subject to change.
Regular season games will not be rescheduled. The Sport Programs Administrative Staff will attempt to reschedule IM playoff conflicts due to other IM sports playoff activities and academic conflicts (class, lab or exam) that result in a team not having the minimum number required to start the game. Due to time, facility, and other sport activity restraints, not all requests will be honored. Intramural Sport championship games will be rescheduled on a case by case basis. Teams wishing to request a game be rescheduled must email the Intramural Sports account at imsports@recwell.wisc.edu by noon the business day prior to the game with proper documentation for justifying a reschedule. For Sunday and Monday games, this email must be submitted by noon the Friday before the game. Requests submitted after the deadline or without adequate documentation of conflict will not be accepted. Adequate documentation for academic conflicts includes the class number for a class or lab meeting or a copy of the course syllabus listing exam times for an exam. Adequate documentation for other IM sport activities will consist of listing the exact sport, team name, and league of the conflicting game. Please look ahead in your brackets to see potential conflicts in later rounds. The Sport Programs Department may make exceptions to this policy in cases where brackets are not posted until after the reschedule deadline.
Note: The following are not considered reschedule conflicts: Packers football games, Badger sporting events, registered student organization meetings, and/or study groups. Sport Programs reserves the right to reschedule for 'major campus events' only.
In leagues that consist of a three week regular season or more, a team must have a .500 record or better and have a 4.0 or above average sportsmanship rating to make the playoffs. All playoff teams must have less than (2) forfeits/cancellations/defaults or any combination of the above to qualify for the playoffs. Any team not given the opportunity to play 50% or more of their regularly scheduled games (ex. games cancelled due to rain, etc. not including forfeits/no shows/defaults/cancellations) will be placed into the playoffs.
All regular season game results and sportsmanship ratings become final at 12:00 pm the day following the end of the regular season. It is the captain’s responsibility to ensure that all information is correct prior to that deadline. All qualifying teams in each league will have the opportunity to select their position in the playoff bracket which is trueseeded. Teams will be ranked by their winning percentage with the tiebreaker being accumulated sportsmanship points. Further ties will be broken randomly by the league coordinator. Information regarding your team’s draft time can be found on your team’s IMLeagues homepage. Qualifying teams that fail to select their spot in the draft prior to its conclusion will be randomly assigned an open spot by the League Coordinator. Before selecting a spot on the playoff bracket teams are encouraged to look ahead at potential dates and times to avoid potential conflicts.
Playoff games will only be defaulted if a reschedule is not possible. If a team has limited playing availability, the team is encouraged to withdraw from playoffs BEFORE the playoff bracket draft to avoid scheduling conflicts and a potential default fee. Default fees will not be charged to teams that inform the Sport Programs Office of the desire to default by 12:00pm the day of the playoff game. Teams playing in multiple sport playoff brackets are encouraged to inform the Sport Programs Office of potential conflicts as soon as possible for rescheduling options. If a conflict exists between a team’s playoff game in one sport and a regular season game in another sport, a reschedule will not be granted and the team is encouraged to default their regular season game
All participants are required to wear appropriate attire for the event. For all sports, shirts/jerseys, shorts/pants and shoes covering the top and bottom of the foot must be worn at all times. Flip-flops and sandals will not be allowed. Combat boots, five-fingered shoes (Vibrams), and metal cleats of any kind are strictly prohibited. Knee braces are permitted with approved protective covers (neoprene protective covers). The only exception is for sand volleyball and any water sports, where participants may be bare foot or play without shirts. Hard casts, hard knots, hard brimmed hats and other apparel or equipment that may be a harm to others is strictly prohibited. It is up to the discretion of the Sport Programs supervisor on site to determine the potential risk of any item not listed.
Participants who choose to wear jewelry during Intramural Sports activities do so at their own risk. The Sport Programs staff reserves the right to remove a participant from play if they deem the jewelry to be unsafe to themselves or others. The safety of a piece of jewelry may depend on the sport or activity being played. If a participant is concerned with the safety of a piece of jewelry, they should contact the Sport Programs office for pre-approval of the jewelry.
Matching colored team shirts will be required in all variations of basketball, flag football, soccer, ultimate frisbee, floor hockey, broomball, and dodgeball. Teams will have the opportunity to select a team color during the registration process of the sport. The team is required to have all players wear the same shade of color to every game. Any player not wearing their team’s jersey color will not be allowed to play. The sport of soccer requires each goalie to have a different color shirt than his/her teammates and opponents and the team is not allowed to sport the color yellow due to the colors of the officials.
Sport Programs recognizes that there are cases in which T-shirt colors will not match exactly. We are striving to ensure that participants are able to play while maintaining the integrity of the game. The Sport Programs Supervisor has the discretion to allow a participant to play when their T-shirt shade is close to the same color as their teammates, but does not exactly match their teammates. This does mean that a team could potentially be able to use a shirt one week but not the next. Teams will be reminded that they must always bring their alternate jersey to ensure their ability to play.
EXCEPTIONS
Ice Hockey participants must wear light or dark jerseys as outlined in the Ice Hockey team rules.
Basketball participants must wear permanently numbered jerseys as outlined in all variations of Basketball rules. Teams with dark colored jerseys will be required
The Sport Programs Department does not recognize coaches in any activity. All participants on a team’s bench must be on the roster. Any signed in participant may instruct/coach their team. However, this participant will not be granted any specific privileges normally allowed to coaches in a given sport.
Sport Programs understands that there are cases where players may be competing in a game at one site and be running late to a game at another site. Teams that have no players present will not be given a grace period and will default at game time. If at least one player shows up but a team does not have the minimum number of players to start a contest, the game start may be delayed for 10 minutes in order for the participant(s) to arrive. The game clock will not start until the minimum number of players needed for each team to start the game is present. The team that arrived on time will win the coin toss to receive choice of side or options.
If a team does not have the minimum number of players signed in at the end of the 10 minute grace period, the official or supervisor will declare the contest a DEFAULT and will cause the following to take place:
Default charges are designed to stabilize our leagues, reduce the number of forfeits by holding team captains accountable for committing to participate in our program and recuperate wasted staffing funds used during defaulted contests. A person undertaking the role of team captain is assuming responsibility for that team and agrees to pay the default fee if the team defaults a contest. The captain will be notified of the charge and how to complete payment via email following the contest.
If charges are not paid by the end of the semester, an academic hold will placed on a participant's UW account. This hold will not be removed until said charge is paid in full. Additionally, a hold will be placed on the captain’s IMLeagues account, which will prevent them from signing into any IM Sports activity or registering any future teams until the fee is paid.
Sport Programs recognizes that there are extenuating circumstances which may arise that can cause a team to not have enough players to play a contest. These circumstances include, but are not limited to, accidents, family emergencies and other unforeseen incidents. Work and class conflicts/tests are not considered extenuating circumstances. Captains must appeal any charges within 48 hours of their email notification by e-mailing the Sport Programs Administrative Staff and listing the reason for said appeal. Evidence should be provided at the request. Appeals may take 1-2 days to be reviewed and captains will be notified of the decision once it is made.
Teams wishing to cancel a game must have their team captain or co-captain email the Sport Programs Administrative Staff at imsports@recwell.wisc.edu by 12 pm the day of the contest with their name, team name, league of play and which game they intend to cancel in order to avoid a fee. Phone cancellations will no longer be accepted. Once the cancellation has been granted, the request cannot be overturned. Cancellations made after 12 pm the day of the contest will result in the team being charged the $25 default fee. A cancellation will count as a loss and will not be rescheduled. A team is permitted one (1) cancellation during the regular season. Special events may utilize alternative cancellation policies; those policies, if different, will be explained within the rules of that specific event/tournament.
Every effort will be made to announce decisions to cancel outdoor games by 3:00 pm on weekdays and 12:00 pm on Sunday. The decision may also be determined at game time by the Sport Programs staff on duty. Teams may call the Intramural Sports Weather Hotline (262-4756) and choose the Sport Programs Cancellation menu option #4 for cancellation information. Regular season games cancelled due to inclement weather will not be rescheduled and both teams will receive 5 sportsmanship points. Playoff games cancelled due to inclement weather will be rescheduled as soon as possible.
If inclement weather arises during play the Sport Programs Lightning Policy will be followed. If thunder is heard within 30 seconds of seeing cloud to ground lightning, games will be postponed. All participants must leave the playing area and seek shelter. Games will resume 30 minutes after the last sighting of cloud to ground lightning.
University Recreation & Wellbeing outdoor facilities will need to be closed when weather renders field conditions unplayable. During this time, we ask that all participants cooperate with University Recreation & Wellbeing by following the posted signs and play on closed fields. Damage that is done to the activity space impacts not only your team but the entire Intramural Sports program, Sport Clubs program and the campus community. One hour of playing in the mud can ruin an entire field for 2-3 years. Please help us to preserve the limited amount of outdoor space that is available to us for our programs.
Only protests based on questions of player eligibility and rule interpretation will be accepted. Protests which challenge the accuracy of a judgment call made by the officials or Sport Programs Supervisors will not be accepted.
The team captain or designee must make any protest involving rule interpretation to the Sport Programs Supervisor at the time the incident in question occurs. The team captain or designee should make a verbal protest which must include the word “protest” to the game official. The team must call a time out. Teams with no time outs remaining may call a time out to request a protest. The official will then announce to both team captains that a protest has been made and beckon the Sport Programs Supervisor. This must happen immediately after the incident in question. If play has continued, the team can no longer protest the related call. The Sport Programs Supervisor will rule on the protest and play will continue. If the protest is granted, the team will not be charged the time out. If the protest is denied, the team will be charge with a time out. If the team does not have a time out remaining, they will be subject to the sport specific delay of game penalty. If the team does not agree with the supervisor’s ruling, they may file a formal protest with the supervisor on site.
Any team protesting eligibility must provide the player(s) in question's full name. During the regular season, any team found to be using an ineligible player will forfeit all games in which that individual played and be subject to removal from the league. All regular season protests must be filed before the final record deadline. During playoffs, if an eligibility protest is found valid, the protesting team advances with all previous rounds remaining the same. During the playoffs, any team protesting the eligibility of a player must do so by noon of the next business day to allow the Sport Programs Staff adequate time to determine the validity of the protest. If their next playoff game is that same day, the protest must be turned in immediately following the protested game. Teams may be randomly screened for ineligible players by the Sport Programs staff without a protest being filed. In cases where a team chooses to protest the eligibility of a player participating in a championship game, the protest must be made before the conclusion of the game. In such cases, T-shirts will not be awarded until the protest has been ruled on and resolved.
Formal protests will be handled as follows:
A guest may enter a Recreational Sports facility to watch an Intramural Sports event when accompanied by a valid UW-Madison student or faculty/staff member with paid Rec Well Membership fees. This guest must show proper identification upon entering and complete the spectator pass list. The guest and sponsor must both be present and sign the spectator pass list. This pass only allows the guest access to the designated area where the event is taking place.
A child (anyone under the age of 18 years old) may be allowed as a spectator under the supervision of a non-participating adult. The child is restricted to the area where the event is held and must remain with the adult at all times. Example: An intramural participant may not bring their daughter with them to a basketball game and sit on the sidelines and watch while they play in the game.
The champions of each league will receive champion T-shirts (a minimum of three teams are needed to comprise a league). Teams will receive T-shirts for a maximum of twice the number of participants that make a full team on the field/court/etc. (i.e. The maximum number of players on the field for Ultimate Frisbee is 7, therefore the maximum number of championship shirts awarded is 14).
While efforts are made to ensure champions receive the proper sized T-shirt, we cannot guarantee accommodation of all champions’ sizes. Random shirt sizes will be given to the team captain to distribute to players not present at the championship.
Each semester the Intramural Sports program recognizes outstanding participation with the Dr. Walter Wittich Family Fund, aka the Intramural Sports Scholarship. This scholarship, which can total up to $400 a semester, can be used to cover whatever school expenses a student wishes. Any student who has participated in Intramural Sports during the semester of the award are eligible to apply, but higher consideration goes to individuals who demonstrate they have gone above and beyond in the following areas:
Participants interested in the scholarship can apply online during the application period at the end of each semester. Information about application deadline and requirements will be posted to IMLeagues and emailed to participants.
Dr. Wittich established this scholarship in 1998 in memory of his grandfather, George Wittich, and his father, Walter J. Wittich, whom both gave life-long professional support to the development and organization of recreation/Intramural sports programs in Wisconsin and elsewhere.
Sport Programs expects all participants and spectators to conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner. Unsportsmanlike conduct or other inappropriate behavior occurring in Rec Well indoor or outdoor facilities before, during, or after intramural events will not be tolerated. Teams will be held accountable for the actions of their players (both participating and non-participating) and their fans. Officials and the Sport Programs staff have the authority to impose and enforce penalties on teams, players and/or fans that have committed offenses. Penalties for post-game, playoff, and tournament play violations may be carried over into subsequent games and/or sport seasons.
All teams will begin each game with a 4.0 sportsmanship rating. By showing good sportsmanship throughout the game, teams can earn a 5.0. If a team doesn’t show any good sportsmanship, but doesn’t show any bad sportsmanship either, they will remain at a 4.0 for that game. If sportsmanship problems arise during the game, teams will lose more points from their sportsmanship rating.
Following each game, officials and/or supervisors evaluate team behavior and issue sportsmanship ratings to all teams. Captains may view their sportsmanship rating online on IMLeagues immediately following their game. Questions regarding a particular sportsmanship rating should be directed to the to the Sport Programs administrative staff by emailing imsports@recwell.wisc.edu. In order to be eligible for the playoffs, a team must have a minimum average sportsmanship rating of 4.0. During playoffs and tournaments, teams must maintain an overall sportsmanship rating of 4.0 (this includes ratings earned during regular season games). A team whose sportsmanship rating falls below 4.0 during playoffs and tournament play must contact and meet with the Sport Programs administrative staff to determine whether or not the team will advance.
| The use of any and all Rec Well Facilities and Programs is a privilege. The privilege to use any or all Rec Well Facilities and Programs can be removed from any one and used in conjunction with any penalty below. Breakdown of sportsmanship ratings are as follows: | |
|---|---|
| 5 | Respect shown to the game and staff by participants and spectators at all times. Participants speak to staff members appropriately in all situations. Games defaulted by noon the day of the game. Games defaulted on site with no sportsmanship issues by team. |
| 4 | Participants display disagreement/frustration with decisions of staff/officials. Questioning of judgement/rules interpretation not presented in a respectful manner. Minor incidents of unsportsmanlike behavior towards opponents, spectators or staff. Examples include, but are not limited to, trash talk, cursing in any manner, publicly questioning an official's abilities, mocking the skill level of an opponent. |
| 3 | Repeated question of judgement/officiating abilities. Sportsmanship related Unsportsmanlike conduct penalties (i.e. yellow card in soccer, technical foul in basketball, etc.) Ejections(s) prior to the contest for illegal use of an ID. |
| 2 | Multiple unsportsmanlike (multiple participants) or spectator's harassment of the officials/opposing team. |
| 1 | Any ejection other than ejection prior to the contest for illegal use of an ID. |
| 0 | Fighting or contest ended due to extenuating conduct circumstances: Includes threatening an employee. If involved in a fight your team could be removed from the league for the remainder of the season. |
The Sport Programs staff reserves the right to remove any individual, team or spectator who interrupts the flow of a game in any manner. Players do not have to accumulate the required number of infractions to be ejected. Players may be ejected before, during or after any contest and ejections can be made by any official on the contest or any Sport Programs Supervisor or professional/administrative staff. The jurisdiction of the Intramural Sports staff begins when the participant/spectator enters the visual confines of the field/court and ends when the involved persons leave the facility in which the contest is being held and the visual confines of the playing area. Any ejected player(s) must leave the playing area and Rec Well facility immediately and be completely out of visual confines of the facility. If the player refuses to leave within a reasonable time, the game will be defaulted. Captains must assist Sport Programs staff with retrieving the ejected participant's identification. Ejected players are ineligible to participate in all Intramural Sports activities until they meet with the Sport Programs administrative staff and serve any subsequent suspension.
Repeated unsportsmanlike issues will be monitored by the Sport Programs staff and participants demonstrating a pattern of unsportsmanlike behavior are subject to suspension from all Intramural Sports activities, regardless of ejection status.
Any participant ejected from an Intramural Sports activity must e-mail the Coordinator of Sport Programs and schedule an appointment to seek reinstatement. The participant will not be permitted to play in any Intramural Sports activity until this meeting takes place. Suspensions from Intramural Sports that may result from meeting with the Coordinator of Sport Programs must be served in a succession of dates.
To regain eligibility, the ejected person must complete each of the following:
Below are guidelines the Coordinators of Sport Programs will use when determining appropriate suspension lengths for an ejected student. These guidelines are suggestions only; suspension lengths could be longer or shorter depending on the severity of the offense and the remorse and reflection the student exhibits regarding their behavior before, during and after their reinstatement meeting.
| Ejection Category | Definition | 1st Offence | Repeated Offence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Procedural | ID ejections, tied flag belts, illegal equipment, red cards, etc. | 1 week & 1 contest | 3 weeks & 3 contests |
| Conduct | Any ejection that was caused by the player's inappropriate conduct, including but not limited to trash talk, disrespectful conduct towards staff and opponents, etc. | 1 week & 1 contest | 3 weeks & 3 contests |
| Contact | Any ejection that was caused by the player's physical contact with another player, including but not limited to flagrant fouls, tackling, slide tackling, etc. | 2 weeks & 2 contests | 4 weeks & 4 contests |
| Fighting | Any ejection caused by aggressive physical contact with players or any statements threatening physical contact. During a confrontation, if an individual attempts to strike another individual, contact is irrelevant. | Semester | One year |
Each ejection carries the possibility of access removal from Rec Well facilities for the duration of the suspension.
Note: Any conduct or contact towards a Rec Well employee or equipment/facilities that warrants an ejection will be considered a more severe infraction and may require an increased suspension.
Decisions on participant suspensions made by the Coordinator of Sport Programs may be appealed to the Assistant Director of Sport Programs within one business day of the suspension. Appeals will take 1-2 weeks to be heard. During the appeals process the individual(s) involved will not be allowed to participate until a final decision has been determined. In cases involving a suspension of longer than 30 days, appeals may not be filed until one-half of the suspension has been served.
Appeals on participant suspensions will only be heard for the following reasons:
Fighting will result in immediate ejection of an individual and/or team plus suspension for a minimum of one semester from all Intramural participation and/or privileges to all Rec Well facilities. A report may be filed with the Dean of Students Office.
Fighting is defined as, but not limited to any attempt to strike, punch or kick by using a fist, hands, arms, legs or feet regardless of whether contact or any combative or violent contact outside the scope of the sport is made.
Physical contact with an Official or Supervisor will result in immediate ejection of individual and/or team plus suspension for a minimum of one calendar year from all Intramural participation. A report may be filed with the University Police and the Dean of Students Office on behalf of the staff member or they may choose to pursue their own legal recourse.
Verbally abusing or threatening an opponent, official or supervisor will result in immediate ejection of individual and/or team for that contest. A report may be filed with University Police and the Dean of Students Office.
Profane language or obscene gestures directed toward teammates, opponents, officials, and/or supervisors will result in immediate ejection of individual and/or team from that contest.
Teams and individuals understood or suspected to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol (i.e. alcohol on breath) will not be allowed to participate in any Intramural Sports activity. Any individual found participating while under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be immediately ejected from the contest. Any incident involving drugs and alcohol will be reported to the Dean of Students office.
During each contest Intramural Sports officials are monitored and evaluated by Sport Programs Supervisors and Staff. These evaluations are used as a basis for improving job performance. Participants wishing to provide specific feedback about the official’s performance should email the Sport Programs Administrative Staff at imsports@recwell.wisc.edu. These comments should be with the intent to help improve the quality of the officiating in our program and in no way have an effect on the official's employment status or future regular season assignments.
The Sport Programs administrative staff reserves the right to revise these policies and procedures at any time and will make decisions regarding any items that are not specifically addressed above.
