Eligibility

Responsibility for Eligibility

The Intramural Sports Program assumes the responsibility for the eligibility of students participating ONLY when called to its attention or when obvious infractions are noticed by the intramural staff or officials.

Organization captains will be responsible for checking the eligibility of their own players. Each participant is responsible for his/her eligibility. If a team captain has a question concerning the eligibility status of a player on his/her team, the Intramural Director is available to assist in determining this status.

Since participating in the Intramural Sports Program is totally voluntary, neither the university nor Intramural Sports will accept responsibility for injuries sustained while participating in scheduled intramural contests or in the general recreation program. The field or court supervisors should be notified in the case of an injury and an accident report should be filled out.

Who is Eligible

Eligibility rules exist for the protection of each team and player in order to fulfill the general and specific objectives of the various intramural sports activities.

1. All undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in the university and faculty/staff, shall be eligible to participate in Intramural sports.
2. A player shall not be permitted to play with more than one intramural team in the same sport, or to transfer from one intramural team to another after his/her name appears on a roster of a scheduled game. The exception to this rule involves a team forfeiting its first game or a team dropped from the league without having played a game. In these instances, players may transfer to another team as long as it is done prior to the roster addition deadline. Players who play under an assumed name, or whose names are not on the official team roster, are ineligible to participate and a forfeit will be assessed.
3. Regarding a player participating on more than one team, the following guidelines will designate the player’s ineligibility:
   1. At the time a player is suspected of playing on more than one team, the on-duty supervisor will ask for identification from the player.
   2. The supervisor will cross-check the involved rosters and determine if the player’s name appears on both team rosters.
   3. If the player’s name appears on both rosters and he/she has participated in previous games for both teams, the player will be informed at the time about a possible eligibility problem.
   4. If a player has participated for two teams, the team the player first participated on according to the roster and scheduled game will retain the playing rights of that particular player. The second time the player will be suspended from further play on both teams for the remainder of the season.
   5. After the supervisor has checked the rosters of both teams, an incident report will be filed. If a game has been delayed due to the suspected ineligibility of one player, both captains will be informed of the supervisor’s findings. The team involved will be warned that the game could result in a forfeiture due to the use of an illegal player. The final decision will be made the following day by the intramural coordinator.
4. Players that have participated in semi-professional leagues are considered professional. This rule is designed with the intention of preventing intramural sports domination by players who have received experienced coaching and intensive practice. It is made in the best interest of all intramural participants.
5. Varsity Athletes: Any student practicing with (officially or unofficially), playing for or listed on the team roster after the first competition at a four-year or a two-year institution will be considered a varsity athlete. This includes red shirts and walk-ons who are admitted to Southern Arkansas University under NCAA guidelines. Any student who tried out for a varsity sport and was cut or dropped from the team before the first regular season varsity game WILL be eligible to participate in the related intramural sport. Varsity athletes are ineligible to participate in the related intramural sport as which they receive varsity status. Varsity athletes are eligible to participate in un-related intramural sports. Varsity athletes are INELIGIBLE to participate in the related intramural sport for 365 days from his/her removal from the official University roster.

   Related Sport List

   • Varsity Sport Intramural Related Sport
   • Baseball/Softball Softball
   • Basketball Basketball (in any form)
   • Football Flag Football (in any form)
   • Volleyball Volleyball
6. ID Policy: In order to ensure that only eligible members participate in intramural activities, ALL participants must bring their Southern Arkansas University ID to all activities. Any person who alters or intentionally mutilates a University ID card, or who allows another to use his/her ID card will be subject to university disciplinary action. Fraudulent acts-any individual or team who uses an illegal player during any time will forfeit-all contests which the ineligible individual participated, regardless of the outcome. Some examples of fraudulent acts include, but are not limited to: misrepresentation of the score, playing whole ineligible or suspended, participating under an assumed name, playing on more than one team, violating any eligibility rules. The offending individual, team captain and/or representative must meet with the Intramural Director for disciplinary actions and reinstatement.
7.  No more than two former varsity players may be on the same roster. No Exceptions

 Consequences of Ineligibility

1. A team using an ineligible player will forfeit all games in which the ineligible player participated, and the ineligible player will be banned from further competition in that sport for the remainder of the sport season. During tournament play, a team using an ineligible player must forfeit that game and will be excluded from further tournament play.
2. Any player using an assumed name shall be banned from that sport and related sports for a period of one year or more from the date the offense was committed.