Laurier Athletics and Recreation - Brantford Campus

Department Note

The mission of the Athletics & Recreation Department is to establish an Intramural program for students to enjoy and participate in without restraint, which is free from harassment, discrimination and abusive behavior. This program will also promote healthy and active living in a safe and friendly student-oriented environment. 

In keeping with the Code of Conduct and Fair Play standards, all players, spectators and administrators are expected to abide by the following: 

• Respect the written rules of the game and the unwritten rules of sportsmanship
• Respect the officials and accept their judgement and decisions
• Respect your opponent
• Maintain self-control and dignity under all circumstances

By voluntarily participating in Laurier Brantford’s Campus Recreation/Intramural programs, all participants assume the risk of injury. Laurier Brantford does not accept responsibility for injury or loss incurred by any person participating in activities organized and administered by the Athletics & Recreation Department. 

All players must bring their current OneCard to each intramural game. Regular checks will occur to ensure each player is eligible to participate. If a player’s card is lost, then they must bring a piece of photo ID and proof that they are currently enrolled at Laurier Brantford. Remember, you may only play for 1 team in 1 level. 

Responsibilities of a Captain

As a captain in an intramural league, you have the following responsibilities owed to your team, the league, and administration:

• You must attend all captain’s meetings as scheduled by the Rec Program Student Leaders and the Recreation & Student Life Coordinator, collectively referred to as league administration
• Ensure that your team is informed of and has signed off on the team waiver provided at the captain’s meeting
• Submit rosters prior to the due date set by the Rec Program Student Leaders
• Ensure that your roster meets all requirements, as listed in the regulations section of this manual
• Ensure that you notify the Rec Program Student Leaders of any scheduling conflicts or roster issues that you may face with an upcoming game prior to the start of the season or at least seven days prior to the scheduled game
• Ensure that your team is informed of all regulations
• Promote a sense of fair play and equality within your team
• Be the voice of your team, only you are to bring forth complaints to league administration and participate in pregame duties such as coin tosses and meetings with referees
• In the event of your absence at a match appoint a vice captain to overtake your responsibilities on a temporary basis
• Fairly evaluate your opposing team and assign spirit points when necessary

Rights of a Captain

As a captain you have the following rights which you may use at any time during the league:

• Right to open communication with the league administration, utilizing the communication outline in the communication section of this manual.
• Right to fair play. Laurier Athletics and Recreation will do their best to ensure that teams are operating in a fair and equitable manner.
• Right to appeal disciplinary action, following the appropriate protocol.

Building a Team & Player Eligibility

Team rosters are a minimum of seven (7) players up to a maximum of ten (10) players. There are no more than three (3) extramural and/or varsity players allowed per team. Teams must include at least three (3) players of each gender on their roster and there must be at least two (2) players of each gender on the playing surface at all times. 

Only registered Laurier students with a valid student ID and are on the roster are eligible to participate in the Intramural program. For those playing in a joint league, only players with a valid student ID or YMCA membership and are on the roster are eligible to participate in the Intramural program. The following eligibility rules are to be respected: 

• Participants may only play for ONE team per league
• Teams may not have more than three (3) extramural and/or varsity athletes on their roster
• Only players on the roster with completed waivers are considered eligible players
• Players must sign in with the referee or Rec Program Student Leaders prior to the start of each game.
• Sign in involves presenting a valid student ID/YMCA membership to the referee or Rec Program Student Leaders. Only players who have signed in and have presented a valid student card/membership card will be recorded as ‘played’
• Leagues participants must be recorded as ‘played’ on the game sheet for a minimum of 3 regular season games to be eligible for playoffs.
   

Please refer to the Intramural Rule Directory for sport-specific rules. 

Communication

If you have any inquiries, requests or complaints please contact League Administration using the following contact information: 

Refunds

A request for refund must be submitted to the Rec Program Student Leaders by midnight of the registration deadline. Request for refunds must indicate the reason for withdrawal from the league, the order number, and payment method. No refunds will be processed after the first day of play. If a free agent is transferred to a team other than the free agent or finds their own team to play on, they shall not be eligible for a refund. Free Agent fees WILL NOT be transferable to team captains who have free agents placed on their team.

Game Forfeits

A team will be charged with a game forfeit when the minimum number of players fails to show up to play. Teams will have until 5 minutes after scheduled play time to find enough players. If after 5 minutes the defaulting team managed to find sufficient players, the captain can approach the captain of the opposing team with game official within the first 15 minutes of scheduled play time to ask if game can still continue. It is on the sole discretion of the captain of the non-defaulting team to choose whether or not to play and count it as a real game. See sport specific rules for details.

• One (1) default results in the team forfeiting the game.
• Two (2) defaults in a season results in the team being charged with a minus two in the standings.
• Three (3) defaults in a season results in elimination from the league.

League Standings

League standings will be made available through the Laurier Brantford Athletics Instagram page @laurierbrantfordgoldenhawks. 

Each sport will follow these point categories, unless otherwise stated: 

• Win – 3
• Tie – 2
• Loss – 1
• 0 – Default

Team Names, Logos and Uniforms

Teams wishing to make jerseys are welcome to do so provided they abide by the following regulations:

• Printing of the Golden Hawk Logo and any variations of the Golden Hawk must be done through an authorized vendor. Authorized vendors are The Laurier Bookstore, Hawk Shop, Traces & Big Kahuna Sport Company.
• All team jerseys must be approved by the league administrators. All artwork must be e-mailed to lbrecpromo@wlu.ca for approval prior to printing.
• Laurier Athletics and Recreation reserves the right to reject and/or modify any team name or uniform that does not comply with the preceding regulations. Laurier Athletics and Recreation will not be held responsible for any loss, monetary or otherwise, as a result of an alteration to a team name or uniform made by the department.

As a participant in intramurals you are presented with the opportunity to name your team and if so wished, design your own uniform. The following regulations govern all team names and logos that appear in any intramural league, including shirts that are worn by members to make all athletes wear the same colour for a game:

• No offensive language may be on any part of the uniform or team name. Offensive language includes but is not limited to: swearing, racist remarks, sexual remarks, or innuendos.
• Logos cannot have any offensive images, or sexually or racially suggestive images.
• If the team name has two interpretations, one being offensive in nature and the other not, the intention of the name will be deemed to be offensive in nature.
• In the event of a team name not fitting the above criteria, their name shall be changed to “Team (Captain’s Name)”. It is the team's responsibility to submit a new name within 72 hours of their team name being posted as the changed name, otherwise this default name shall remain as their team name for the remainder of the season.
• League administrator decisions on uniforms will be taken as final

Protective Equipment Policies

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

• All players of potential contact or collision sports are strongly encouraged to wear mouth protectors 
• Shin guards are required for all participants involved in Intramural outdoor and indoor soccer leagues 
• Because this equipment needs to be fitted to each individual and is of a personal nature, participants and officials are required 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 player’s team.

Code of Conduct

All Laurier students who participate in the Intramural program are bound by the University’s Code of Conduct. 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 a zero tolerance for any form of harassment, discrimination or abusive behaviour. 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

In keeping with the spirit of intramural play to be FUN and to actively promote fair play and enjoyment for all participants, a ranking 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. Game officials will rate each team based on the guidelines below: 

The Fair Play Rating System: 

• 5 – Outstanding team spirit and attitude: shakes hands with opponent at end of game, displays team cohesion and support of teammates, positive/constructive interaction with game officials & opponents, displays obvious enjoyment of the game regardless of the outcome and is not overly aggressive
• 4 – Very good team spirit and attitude; no conflict with officials or opponents, supports teammates, displays enjoyment of playing the game and is not overly aggressive
• 3 – Average team spirit and attitude; displays minimal conflict with officials or opponents
• 2 – Below average team spirit and attitude; displays conflict with others, questions officials judgment, displays bad attitude, aggressive play which interferes with the enjoyment of the game
• 1 – Little team spirit and poor attitude; rude comments to other players or officials, argumentative and aggressive
• 0 – No team spirit and very bad attitude; overly aggressive, very argumentative, ANY form of verbal abuse

3-Strike Policy: 

• 1st Strike (X) – League administrators send an e-mail to the team captain informing them that his/her team has received a strike against them. The team captain will also be warned that any subsequent strikes will result in game forfeiture. 
• 2nd Strike (X) – The second strike against a team warrants a meeting between the team captain and League Administrators. 
• 3rd Strike (X) – The third strike against a team results in automatic ejection from the league and a meeting with the Coordinator, Recreation & Student Life, to determine the appropriate discipline and future implications for the team.

Infractions & Penalties

The following infractions and their penalties are standardized to ensure fairness and equity between all intramural leagues: 

• Failure to attend a captains meeting
  • Captains meetings are mandatory for all team captains and free agents. If the captain cannot make it, they can appoint someone else to attend. Failure to attend a meeting will result in forfeiture of the first game.
• Failure to have adequate number of eligible players
  • A team showing up to an intramural venue with an inadequate number of athletes to play their chosen sport shall forfeit the match and be subject
    • One Violation – Forfeiture of game
    • Second Violation – Forfeiture of current game and following game
    • Third Violation – Eligibility for playoffs removed
    • Fourth Violation – Removal from league
• Playing of an ineligible player
  • If a team plays a player who is not on the set roster, the game is forfeited.
• Failure to submit roster on time
  • The Rec Program Student Leaders shall set a date in which rosters must be submitted by. Rosters submitted past midnight of the set date will result in forfeiture of first game.
• Inappropriate uniform
  • Failure to comply with the Team Uniform and Logos Policy will result in forfeiture of first game.
• Abuse of Officials
  • Officials are an integral part of ensuring that games operate fairly and in compliance of the individual team rules. Abusive language, gestures, statements, or consistent questioning are all punishable offenses and shall be dealt in the following manner:
    • Warning issued to team
    • Forfeiture of match the abuse occurred in
    • 3 game suspension for the player involved
• Excessive offensive language
  • Teams are to limit instances of swearing within the course of a game. Any offensive language is punishable in the course of a game. Offensive language directed at a player will result from ejection from the match.
• Player acting as an instigator
  • Any instance of a player attempting to start or escalate a situation with another team member, official, or spectator shall be ejected from the current match and incur a one game suspension. The team may face further sanctions for repeat offenses by team members as decided upon by the Rec Program Coordinator.
• Players involved in a physical fight
  • Players involved in a physical fight, defined by the throwing of punches, kicking, kneeing, head butting, or any other action not deemed to be within the context of the game, shall be ejected from the current match and suspended for three (3) games. A second offense shall see the player removed from the league.
• Evidence of drug/alcohol consumption at an intramural venue
  • Team dressing rooms and intramural venues are inspected for condition post game. Evidence of consumption of alcohol, chewing tobacco and other tobacco products, and illegal drugs at an intramural venue shall result in the team being responsible for all fines incurred by the Department of Athletics and Recreation. Additionally, the team shall be removed permanently from the league they are competing in.
• Player under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
  • A player deemed to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs based upon actions, smell, admission, or witness shall not be permitted to play within the game they are attending.
    • If the omission of this player from the game will result in the team not meeting eligibility requirements, the game shall still be played, however the ineligible team shall incur a loss regardless of the result.
  • If more than one individual is under the influence, the players deemed to be under the influence shall be suspended for the following 2 games.
• Excess litter or garbage left at playing location
  • The leaving of excessive garbage items such as water bottles, athletic tape and other related items at the area of play is not permitted. Teams should leave the game area the exact way it was found when the first teams arrived for the night. Excess garbage will result in the repayment of any additional custodial costs incurred by the Department of Athletics and Recreation.
• Fair Play Score
  • Teams who receive their second Fair Play rating of less than 3 will be put on probation. While on probation, if a team receives a rating of less than 3 they will be eliminated from the league and playoffs. Captains will be required to meet with League administration to explain their team’s conduct.
• League Administration Interpretation and Enforcement
  • League Administration, defined collectively as the Rec Program Coordinators and Coordinator of Fitness & Lifestyle Programs, have the ability to alter and enforce further penalties on all Infractions and Penalties.

Appealing Decisions

As a participant in Laurier Recreation Intramurals, you have the right to appeal any decision set forth by the Officials or Rec Program Student Leaders. An appeal of a decision must be filed with the Rec Program Student Leaders no later than 48 hours from being informed of the decision. Notice of appeal can be submitted through email, phone, or in person. The decision made by the Rec Program Student Leaders in collaboration with the Coordinator, Recreation & Student Life, will be considered final and binding. Within 24 hours of the decision, you will be informed of the result of the appeal. No further action may be taken post appeal.