The Timberwolf Recreation Department offers a variety of intramural Sports for students. This is an awesome opportunity to students to have fun trying a new sport or continue playing a previously played sport. Intramurals include team, individual, or dual sport athletics.

• Team Registration
• Manager's Meetings
• Schedules
• Late Entry
• Eligibility
• Varsity Athletes
• Faculty and Staff
• Club Sport Athletes
• Policies
• Protests
• Disciplinary Action
• Sporting Behavior Ratings
• Spectator Policy
• Responsibility
• Pre-Season Games
• Awards
• Free Agent Notebook
• Forfeits
• Defaults
• Roster Limitations
• Participant Conduct
• Playoffs
• Playoff Meeting

Team Registration
Entry materials and fees must be turned in at the Service Desk by the entry due date to assure team entrance. Individuals who do not have a team may sign the “free agent” book located at the Service Desk. These players will be added to teams in need of extra players.

Manager's Meetings
Every intramural team sport must have a team manager present at the mandatory managers meeting at the Hach Student Life Center. Times and Dates will be announced when you turn in your entry form. Every team must have a representative present to assure team-playing status. Teams that do not have a manager present will be issued a loss to start the season.

Schedules
Managers may pick up schedules immediately after the managers meeting and at the Service Desk during regular office hours thereafter. All managers must attend the managers meeting before receiving their schedule.

Late Entry
A $5 service charge will be added to all entries returned after the entry deadline. Teams that return entries after the deadline will not be assured entry into the league. A waiting list will be formed for all late entries.

Eligibility
All students who are registered and pay Northwood University tuition for classes on the Midland campus are eligible for all intramural activities during that semester. Students who are in off-campus internships are also eligible to participate in all Timber Rec activities during that semester. One is ineligible if one does not meet all eligibility requirements, or has been suspended from intramural play.

Individuals may only play on one team per sport and are considered a legal member of the team on which he/she first plays. Therefore, participants who play for a second team are deemed illegal for that team. All games the illegal player competes in for the second team shall be forfeited. Individuals may play for one men's and one co-recreation team in a given sport.

Varsity Athletes
A varsity squad member is defined as a person who has practiced or competed with any intercollegiate team after the team has already played it’s first regular season game and may not participate intramurally in the respective parallel sport. A former varsity letter winner in a team sport may participate intramurally in that sport after meeting the following requirements: 1) He or she has sat out one entire academic year. 2) Teams are limited to one former varsity player (this rule may vary according to sport.)

A former varsity squad member who has not won a letter and is not currently working with the team may play in the respective parallel sport. Teams are limited to one former varsity player. Individual or dual sport varsity squad members must sit out for an academic year before being eligible to participate.

Individuals who try out for intercollegiate teams and remain with the team for 21 days or more are considered a member of the team and are ineligible for that academic year.

Faculty and Staff
A faculty or staff member is eligible to participate on a student team, but each team is limited to two faculty or staff members. An individual is considered faculty or staff member if issued a faculty/ staff ID card.

Club Sport Athletes
Any individual who has paid dues to a sports club, participated in extramural competition, or has practiced regularly at any time during the last year of that sports club for the academic year. Team sports club members will be eligible for participation in the sport of their specialty, but will be limited to two members per intramural team. Individual/ dual sport club members are eligible for their respective or parallel sport. “Doubles” teams are limited to one club member per team.

Policies
All policies have been established to provide the best conditions for most Northwood students, faculty and staff. It is the responsibility of every intramural participant to be familiar with these policies and adhere to them throughout competition. Managers will be held responsible for knowing and enforcing all policies and procedures.

Protests
Only team managers can file protests when a rule has been violated which affects the outcome of an event. The manager must, upon occurrence of a discrepancy, immediately inform the official that he or she wishes to put the game under protest.

A protest form must be filled out before the next live ball after the play in question. The manager must also file a written letter of protest by 5pm of the next business day. The letter must explain the protest, and the manager must return the letter to the Service Desk. An official’s judgment or interpretation of a player’s action does not constitute grounds for protest. Eligibility protests may be filed by anyone throughout the season.

Disciplinary Action
A player ejected from a game for any reason will be referred on a disciplinary action report by the officials of supervisors. Once on a report, that player must meet with the Intramural Sports Governing Board before being reinstated. Anyone ejected for fighting or striking an official will be automatically suspended for at least one game and must meet with the Intramural Coordinator before being reinstated. Players may be suspended up to one year for this offense.

Sporting Behavior Ratings
All teams will be rated by sports officials, supervisors, or both at the conclusion of each contest on “sporting behavior” displayed before, during, and after each game. The rating scale is as follows: 4- Excellent, 3- No problem with the team, 2- Occasional problems, 1- Unreasonable comments or conduct, 0- Abusive conduct (language, fighting, protesting). Any team receiving a 0 or 1 rating will receive notice from the Intramural office indicating that the team will automatically be dropped from competition if an unacceptable rating is received again.

Spectator Policy
The role of spectators is to provide support and encouragement which will be beneficial to the participants and the IM Sports Program. Spectators must remain in their designated areas and may not enter the playing areas. Spectators violating these guidelines or exhibiting unsportsmanlike conduct will be asked to leave the playing facility and their teams may be assessed additional penalties.

Responsibility
Players are responsible for their own eligibility. Team managers are also responsible for the eligibility of their players.

Pre-Season Games
Pre-season games will be available for teams after a paid entry is reserved from a respective team. Team managers may schedule one pre-season game per sport. Pre-season games will be played as if a regular season game. Results will not count against a team’s record unless a forfeit occurs. Rules governing forfeits will be enforced, including exclusion from play-off competition. Pre-season games are scheduled on a first come, first serve basis. Teams are not guaranteed a pre-season game. The Service Desk will reschedule as many games as possible that have been canceled because of inclement weather or poor field conditions. Games will not be rescheduled for social functions.

Awards
Timber Rec will award All-Campus T-shirts for all activities in which champions are determined. Participation is the reward of all intramural participants.

Free Agent Notebook
For individuals in search of a team to play on as well as managers who need extra players, a list is located at the Service Desk and is available for all sports. Individual players are welcome to attend the managers meeting in order to attempt to join a team.

Forfeits
Any team forfeiting a contest must file a “Notice of Re-entry” at the Service Desk by 5 pm of the next business day. Failure to file this notice will result in the team being dropped from further competition. Notice must be filed in person by the team manager.

Teams forfeiting a game will not be eligible for post-season play. Any team forfeiting two games will be automatically dropped from competition. Any individual or team may be charged with a forfeit or loss by default for unsportsmanlike conduct. If neither individual or team shows for a game, both will be charged with a loss by forfeit.

Defaults
A team unable to attend a game may default their contest if this is done 24 hours in advance of the scheduled game time. Sunday games must be defaulted by Friday at 6 pm. A default will result in a loss by the defaulting team, and will have no effect on playoff eligibility.

Roster Limitations
All sport participants must be registered with the IM department.

Teams may pick up players throughout the regular season if they have not already played for another team. Rosters are frozen after regular season pay. Roster limitations are as follows:

• Flag Football (14)
• Whiffle Ball (14)
• 4 on 4 Volleyball (8)
• Floor Hockey (10)
• 5 on 5 Basketball (10)
• Soccer (12)
• Badminton (2)

*Special Event roster limits may vary

To be eligible for the playoffs, a player must have played at least one regular season game for that team.

Every team member must present a valid Northwood ID card to the game official before the game begins. Acceptable valid Northwood ID’s are student ID cards or faculty/staff ID cards only. Lack of proper ID will prohibit the player from participating.

Individuals may be added to the roster at game time. To delete players, managers must make deletions in person at the Service Desk.

Participant Conduct
Vulgar, obscene, abusive, derogatory and demeaning comments, and gestures are not consistent with the environment IM sports desire. Such comments and behavior create a hostile environment, generate ill-will, place unnecessary pressure on participants, and contribute to a negative recreational experience. Therefore, such actions will not be tolerated in IM sports. Violators will face suspension or expulsion from the program. Serious incidents or repeat abuses will be subject to sanctions under the Student Code of Conduct.

Playoffs
The regular season of all competitive leagues will be followed by a single elimination playoff tournament. All sports teams that have a .500 record or better will automatically qualify for the playoffs provided that they have not forfeited any games. This may vary depending on how many teams are signed up for the sport.

Playoff Meeting
At the conclusion of the season for each team sport, there will be a meeting to determine playoff position for those teams who have qualified for the post-season tournament. Playoff positions will be determined by the teams’ regular season record. Teams that finished undefeated will select first, followed by teams with one loss and finally the teams with two losses will select last. This is a mandatory meeting. If a team representative is not at the meeting, that team will be randomly placed in the playoff bracket.

Managers are required to contact the IM coordinator to confirm records and playoff status following the completion of the regular season. If a team is left out of playoff competition due to the manager not confirming their record and the playoff schedule is already published, that team will not be eligible to participate in the playoffs.

No playoff games will be rescheduled, teams must play when scheduled. Timber Rec has the right to revise this procedure if inclement weather or facility scheduling conflicts make the season longer than planned, limiting playoff playing time. Revisions can also include those based on the number of teams entered in a sport.