Section 6: SPORTSMANSHIP AND CONDUCT
Sportsmanship is defined as conduct and attitude considered as befitting participants in sports, especially fair play, courtesy, striving spirit, and grace in losing. Sportsmanship includes positive and negative comments or actions toward opponents, intramural staff, and spectators. Team captains are responsible for the conduct of all team members and should maintain control of any associated personnel, including spectators, during games. The Intramural Office expects excellent conduct from its participants. To facilitate sportsmanship, a sportsmanship rating system shall be applied to all intramural activities.

SUSPENSION: The Intramural Office reserves the right to suspend any player(s) or teams from any intramural activity for behavior that is detrimental to the mission/purpose of the intramural program or Slippery Rock University.

SPORTSMANSHIP RATINGS: A 7-point scale will be used to find an average score for each game. If that game average is less than or equal to a 4 then the team will be removed from the league play until a meeting with the Coordinator and Graduate Assistant of Intramurals has been held. The Team Captain or representative must attend this meeting to be reinstated. Teams having a season average of below 5 will not be permitted to participate in the playoffs.

REVIEW/APPEAL OF SPORTSMANSHIP RATING: It is the captain’s right and responsibility to monitor his/her team’s Sportsmanship Rating after each contest. The game supervisors will be able to provide the captain with this information immediately after the contest. A team may appeal a rating by writing a letter containing all relevant information to the Intramural Sports Coordinator. This letter must be submitted to the Intramural Sports Office by 12:00 Noon the day following the contest in question. NO APPEALS WILL BE HEARD AFTER THAT TIME.

RATING CRITERIA:
7- Excellent sportsmanship. Team cooperates with officials, staff, and opposing team. All questions regarding calls are handled in a civil and appropriate manner by the team captain. Team fans are a positive influence on the game.
6- Good, positive communication with all ARC Staff. Team members verbally complain about some decisions made by the officials. No incidence of poor conduct.
5- Examples of poor conduct; one or two minor incidents and warning for inappropriate language. No unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.
4- Persistently questions call of officials; negative attitude; abrasive language and/or gestures directed toward teammates, opponents, Rec. Staff; exceeding initial warnings for inappropriate language. Team captain has minor control but is in control of him/herself. At least one unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
3- Multiple unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Team members, coach, and/or spectators clearly affiliated with the team persistently question the calls of the officials in an abusive manner; failure to cooperate with the officials; multiple use of inappropriate language. Any sport specific disqualification (i.e. 2 yellow cards in soccer or 2 technical fouls in basketball)
2- Any non-sport specific ejection i.e. 2 yellow cards in soccer or 2 technical fouls in basketball. Any threats or abusive action towards ARC Staff, opponents, and/or spectators. Damage or destruction of any campus recreation facility/property.
1- Fighting. Sexual harassment of any kind towards officials, opponents, and/or spectators. Playing with ineligible players and failure to cooperate with Rec Staff. Any participation of a player under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
0- Any team that is penalized due to unsportsmanlike conduct will automatically receive a 0 rating.
** The Intramural Office reserves the right to disqualify any team from league play if deemed appropriate.

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT: No player, coach or team shall:
A. Use foul or derogatory language, threaten and/or verbally abuse any other participant and/or Intramural employee before, during and/or after a game. This includes trash talk.
B. Participate in a game for which he/she is ineligible.
C. Argue or talk back to an official. Only the designated team captain may talk to the game official.
D. Intentionally strike, push, trip and/or flagrantly foul another player.
E. Mistreat the facility, equipment and/or supplies of Slippery Rock University.
F. Any team that receives 3 unsportsmanlike fouls during a single contest will forfeit that match. Repeated display of poor sportsmanship will result in the team being ruled ineligible, for participation for that sport season.

REFEREE’ S AUTHORITY: The referee has authority to rule-to-rule promptly, in the spirit of good sportsmanship on any situation not specifically covered in these rules. The referee’s decisions are final in all matters pertaining to the game.

TEAM NAMES AND UNIFORMS: The IM Office encourages teams to supply uniforms, but it is not mandatory. If necessary, the Intramural Office will provide reversible jerseys to distinguish between teams. The Slippery Rock University Intramural Office reserves the right to change any team name that is deemed inappropriate or offensive. Please use good judgment when selecting team names and uniforms.

PLAYER AND TEAM EJECTIONS: Any player(s) or teams removed/ejected from an intramural activity will be ineligible for further participation until they meet with the Intramural Coordinator. This meeting must occur within 24 hours of the incident. Failure to schedule and attend this meeting will result in possible disqualification from the league. The Intramural Coordinator or his designee will gather all facts from the incident and make a ruling. Any person/team that is ejected from an intramural activity is subject to a sanction ranging from probation to indefinite suspension. The Intramural Coordinator will determine length of suspension. Appeals will be heard by the Director of the Aebersold Recreation Center or his designee.

FIGHTING: Any player(s) or team involved in a fight will be suspended immediately from intramurals for the remainder of the season in which the incident occurred. Reinstatement for further participation in any intramural activity will be at the discretion of the Intramural Office.

VERBAL ABUSE: Any participant, who verbally abuses, physically threatens, and/or contacts another intramural participant or Intramural Staff, will be suspended for the remainder of that sports season.

Return to IM Handbook page.