Code Of Conduct

All Laurier students who participate in the Intramural program are bound by the University’s Code of Conduct (see the Undergraduate calendar) and the Athletic Facilities Fair Play Code.

Specific to the Intramural program, participants are expected to treat teammates, opponents and officials with respect and dignity as specified in the FAIR PLAY guidelines and the Intramural philosophy of fun for all.

There is zero tolerance for any form of harassment, discrimination or abusive behaviour.

The Fair Play Code is posted in the AC gym, pool and the Stadium gym facilities. Sanctions will be applied for non-compliance with the Code. By virtue of participating in any form in a WLU Intramural activity, all participants are bound by and agree to abide by the Student Code of Conduct and Fair Play policy.

Fair Play Code

In keeping with the spirit of intramural play to be fun and actively promote fair play and enjoyment for all participants, a strike system has been put in place to reward those teams who are most sportsmanlike in their demeanor, overt attitude toward game officials, opponents and teammates, and uphold the Code of Conduct.

The fair play system is based on a three strike philosophy:

1st Strike (X) – Referee in chief sends an e-mail to the team captain informing them that his/her team has received a strike against them. On the first strike, half of the fair play bond is forfeited.

2nd Strike (X) – The second strike against a team warrants a meeting between the team captain, the Intramural Coordinators and Referee-in-Chief accompanied by a forfeiture of the second half of the team’s bond money. The seriousness of the team’s situation will be discussed at the meeting and emphasis will be placed on the fact that another strike will result in automatic ejection from the league.

3rd Strike (X) – The third strike against a team results in automatic ejection from the league, loss of all remaining bond money and a meeting with the Program Coordinator, Intramural Coordinators, and Referee in Chief. The Spirit of Competition committee may also be called upon to determine the appropriate discipline and future implications for the team.

Fair Play Code- How Assessed:
Game officials are to rate each of the teams based on the guidelines below:

( X ) Strike – A strike is issued at the discretion of the game official if any of the following situations occur involving one or several team members:

• Racial Prejudice
• Abuse of an official, teammate or the opposition (verbal or physical)
• Continuous aggressive, physical play against an opposing team
• Overall poor sportsmanship (ie swearing, rude comments, constant arguments)
• Any Fighting or actions that reflect an intent to instigate a fight or inflict physical harm on another, will result in automatic suspension of players involved, until a full review by the Spirit of Competition Committee has been completed. See disciplinary actions section.

A fair play score between 1and 15 is assessed by the referee/opposing team captains for all games. If this score falls at or below 5 a fair play strike is issued.

Eligibility Policies

All full-time or part-time undergraduate, graduate students with valid One cards, Alumni, Faculty, staff with current Athletic memberships and are on the roster, are eligible to participate in the Intramural program. The following eligibility rules are to be respected:

• Participants may play for ONE team per sport
• Participants may play in ONE division within the same sport during a season
• Anyone on a current varsity team roster or who had used their current year of CIS eligibility (according to CIS rules) is ineligible for Intramural competition in their sport.
• NOTE: Varsity soccer players are ineligible to play Intramural indoor soccer
• League participants must have played a minimum of 2 regular season games to be eligible for post season play. See sport specific rules.

Defaults

A team is charged with a default when the minimum number of players fails to show up to play. You MUST know and apply the default limits for your sport(s). See your sport specific house rules.

• Two (2) defaults in a season results in the loss of the remaining half of the bond and elimination of a team from the league;

• One (1) default results in the loss of half of any bond money paid, and the team is charged with a minus two in the standings.

Protective Equipment Policy

For the safety and protection of all participants, the following policies will be enforced:

HELMETS AND FACEMASKS or HELMETS, EYE SHIELDS AND MOUTHGUARDS must be worn and properly fastened for:
• hockey games (participants and officials)
• ball hockey

All players of contact and collision sports are strongly encouraged to wear MOUTH GUARDS.

SHIN GUARDS are required for all participants involved in competitive Intramural soccer and indoor soccer leagues.

As equipment needs to be fitted to each individual and is of a personal nature, participants and referees are expected to supply their own equipment.

Failure to comply with the above-stated policies during Intramural play will result in removal of the player from the game and could result in a technical or bench penalty against the offending team.

Misrepresentation

A misrepresentation occurs when a team knowingly or not uses an ineligible player in an Intramural game. Eligibility is determined according to the rules outlined in the section on Eligibility Policies.

Any player who is not covered by these regulations or who has not received special permission from the Programs Coordinator (eg. in the case of hockey goalies) is deemed ineligible for Intramural play.

There are individual and team sanctions for misrepresentations as determined by the Recreation Coordinator. The minimum is game forfeiture.

Protests

Protests Of Games

A system is in place to allow for teams to protest games. Protests should not be taken personally. If a Captain wishes to protest a game, he or she may lodge a protest only if a misapplication of the rules occurs. Only the team captain, as outlines through registration, may protest a game. The game official makes a note on the score card/sheet in the comments section and informs the Intramural Coordinators:

a) All protests must be made in writing to the Intramural Coordinators or Programs Coordinator within 24 hours of the contest. Protests musts be lodged and signed by the team captain as indicated through the registration process.

b) All final Protest rulings will be communicated by the Programs Coordinator and will be considered final.

Ineligibility (See Eligibility Policies)

General eligibility rules are addressed in the Eligibility Policies section above. Students ineligible to participate in Intramurals fall into one of the following categories:
•players under suspension from Intramural play.

•Graduate or part-time students who are not taking at least one half-course during the semester of play.

• Players from teams who have been knocked out of the play-offs cannot join another team from the same unit that remains in play.

•Players from teams removed for recording two defaults during the regular season of team sports may join another team from the same unit.

Discipline

While the basic premise of Intramurals is to Play for the Sake of Playing and For Fun, unfortunately individuals sometimes get carried away or inadvertently break the rules. All Laurier students involved in Intramurals should be aware of and abide by the Laurier Student Code of Conduct published in the Undergraduate calendar. In addition, the Intramural program has a Spirit of Competition to hear cases where special circumstances need to be addressed. More support is being given to the game officials with sanctions being clear and more sport specific. Certain types of infractions, considered of a more serious nature and that contravene the University Student Code of Conduct, may be brought to the Student Services Committee at the discretion of the Programs Coordinator (An example would be the physical attack of a game official).

For less serious offences, the Spirit of Competition Committee will investigate the details and circumstances surrounding the event and determine by simple majority vote if a further penalty in the form of further suspensions is warranted. The Program Coordinator has the authority to automatically suspend players or teams.

Composition Of The Spirit of Competition Committee
The Spirit of Competition Committee shall be composed of two Intramural participants, two Intramural Coordinators, and an unbiased Referee-In-Chief from a different sport. The Programs Coordinator is an ex officio member of the Committee. One of the Intramural Coordinators will be Chair of the Committee. As Chair, this individual will only vote in the case of a tie. All meetings are open to the public during discussion. Voting of the Committee shall be by simple majority and conducted in private. Members of the committee will be ineligible to vote in the instance where they are deemed to have a conflict of interest regarding the decision.

Notice of Meetings
It is the Chair's responsibility to notify all members of the Committee of meetings. It is the responsibility of the Team Captains to notify the individuals involved and their team members of the meeting. The RIC is responsible for notifying the relevant officials of the meeting.

Appeal Process
All appeals must be submitted in writing to the Program Coordinator within 24 hours of the hearing and accompanied by a $50.00 administrative fee. Appeals of sub-committee decisions will be accepted only on procedural grounds. An Appeals Committee will then be formed with the Associate Director and a committee of students. The Appeals Committee will have ultimate authority on such appeals, including but not limited to: disallowing the appeal, varying the penalty imposed, acquitting the individual, or scheduling another hearing. If the team or individual wins the appeal, the administrative fee will be returned in full.