Participants should participate with the understanding that injuries do occur & realize that taking part in the Intramural Program is completely voluntary. Therefore, Northern Michigan University is not responsible for injuries happening during play.
PARTICIPANTS SHOULD HAVE ADEQUATE HEALTH & ACCIDENT INSURANCE TO COVER ANY INJURY WHICH MAY OCCUR.
I.D.’S
Students must purchase a student recreation pass to be eligible to participate. You must show the Intramural staff your I.D. in order to participate. Faculty/Staff and Community Recreation members must purchase a recreation membership in order to participate in Intramural Sports. Community members must be 16 years of age.
MANAGER’S MEETING
The Intramural Manager’s Meeting will be done on-line. An e-mail, which is in place of the manager’s meeting, will be sent to the manager the morning following the deadline. It will be the manager’s responsibility to read the email and relay the information to the remainder of the team.
SCHEDULES
Your team schedule will be sent to the team manager the Friday after the deadline date. Play could begin as early as the following Monday. It is the responsibility of each of the team managers to check their e-mail on a regular basis for team schedules and updates. The Intramural Office will not call team managers to notify them of their team’s first game. It is the responsibility of the team manager to inform their team of the game dates and times.
FORFEITS
Teams are expected to begin play on time. A team has 10 minutes to arrive after the clock begins. If the team is more than 10 minutes late, a forfeit will be declared, and a $25.00 fee will be charged to the team manager’s student account. Teams who forfeit during the course of the regular season may not be eligible for tournament play. Teams who forfeit twice will be dropped from further competition and be charged a total of $50.00. You may call the Intramural Office at 227-1692 at least 48 hours prior to your game time in order to avoid the late fee. Make sure to leave your team name, game time, and league.
PROTESTS
All protests must be filed by the team manager at the time the question occurs.
Protests concerning rule interpretations will be settled at the game site by the officials, or the sport supervisor.
If a team manager believes the decisions rendered to be in error, he/she must notify the officials and supervisors that the contest will continue under protest.
A written protest and a $5.00 protest fee must be submitted to the Intramural Sports Coordinator by noon the following day. The fee will be returned if the protest is upheld.
A matter involving the official’s judgment is not subject to protest.
A protest concerning a player’s eligibility can be made before, during, or after a contest.
1. If an eligibility question is before or during a contest, the player and team captain will be notified and given the choice of whether or not the player will play.
2. If the player chooses to play and is found ineligible, the contest will be forfeited and that player suspended from further participation for that sport’s season.
3. If the player leaves the contest and is found to be ineligible, the contest may be subject to review by the Intramural Sports Coordinator.
4. A protest regarding the eligibility of players must be made before either team plays its next scheduled game.
5. Eligibility questions after a contest will be investigated by the Intramural Sports Program. Participants found ineligible will be penalized accordingly.
ELIGIBILITY
Varsity athletes are eligible to play Kickball. However, no more than one-half the number of players allowed on the field at one time shall be varsity athletes. For kickball, up to eleven (11) players participate at one time, so only five (5) varsity athletes may be on the field at any one time from each team.
EQUIPMENT
The referee shall inspect and approve all equipment. He/she shall not permit any player to wear equipment which in his/her judgment is dangerous to other players. Elbow, hand, finger, wrist or arm guard, cast, or brace made of any hard substance even though covered with soft padding shall always be declared illegal.
Shoes must be worn by all players. A multi-purpose shoe is recommended. No cleated shoes allowed. Basketball, tennis, and turf shoes are permitted.
Balls will be furnished by the Intramural Department. The game ball will not be used for pre-game warm-up. Each team manager will be held responsible for any of the above equipment damaged or not returned.
NO hard, unyielding equipment such as shoulder pads, head guards, casts, etc. may be worn.
All jewelry must be taken off or taped prior to game time.
The following shall be considered examples of illegal equipment, and cannot be worn:
1. Hats
2. Jewelry – e.g., rings, watches, necklaces, earrings, etc.
3. Face or spectacle guards, helmets or hard material
4. Knee, head, thigh, or hip pads containing sole leather
5. Cast of any type
6. Cleats
7. Players shall not have any foreign objects in their mouths
These rules will not be waived! If a player is wearing any illegal equipment, he/she will be unable to participate until this equipment is removed.
ACTIVITY AREA
Superior Dome
PLAYERS
• Teams must field at least eight (8) players and no more than eleven (11).
• Teams must field equal numbers of each sex. In the case of an odd number of players, the odd player can be male or female.
• If fielding 11 players, one player must play the position of catcher.
• Each team shall have one captain who must ensure that:
o All team players present shall kick, but do not have to field.
o All team players must kick in the written scorebook order.
o Only the captain may dispute calls with the referee.
• All Varsity Athletes must wear arm band provided throughout the length of the game.
LENGTH OF GAME
All games will be limited to five (5) full innings or sixty (60) minutes, whichever comes first.
THE GAME
Pitching/Catching
• No bouncies. A pitch that is higher than one foot at the plate (from the bottom of the ball) will be called a ball.
• The pitcher must stay behind the pitching strip until the ball is kicked, or it will be called a ball.
• No player may field in front of the pitcher except the catcher, and no player may cross the 1st-3rd base diagonal until the ball is kicked, or it will result in a ball.
• The catcher must remain behind the base and kicker until the ball is kicked, or it will be called a ball.
• The strike zone is one foot to both sides and one foot high to the bottom of the ball. Anything outside the strike zone is a ball.
• Balls must be pitched by hand.
Kicking
• All kicks must be made by foot or leg, below the knee.
• All kicks must occur at or behind home plate. The kicker can step on home plate to kick.
• Bunting is allowed.
Running
• Runners must stay within the base line. Fielders must stay out of the base line or the runner will be called safe.
• No leading off or stealing is allowed. A runner may advance once the ball is kicked. If the runner is off base when the ball is kicked, they will be called out.
• Any runner hit in the head or neck will automatically advance to the base they were running towards. If the runner intentionally uses the head or neck they will be called out.
• Tag-ups. After a kicked ball is caught, runners must tag their originating base before running to the next base.
• All ties will go to the runner. Runners may overrun first base.
• Only one base on an overthrow into foul territory. A runner may not run beyond the next base after the base they were originally running toward when the ball was thrown.
Strikes
• Three (3) strikes is an out.
• A strike is
o A pitch within the strike zone that is not kicked.
o An attempted kick missed by the kicker inside or outside of the strike zone.
Balls
• A count of four (4) balls advances the runner to first base.
• A ball is
o A pitch outside the strike zone where a kick is not attempted.
o An illegal bouncy.
o Any fielder or pitcher advancing on home plate before the ball is kicked.
o Any catcher crossing home plate before the kicker or failing to field behind the kicker.
Fouls
• A count of four (4) fouls is an out.
• A foul is
o A kick landing out of bounds.
o A kick landing in bounds, but traveling out of bounds on its own at any time before reaching first or third base.
o A kick in front of home plate.
o A ball kicked or touched more than once in foul territory or stopped by the kicker in foul territory.
o A kicked ball in flight touched by a fielder in foul territory and not caught.
o A kick made above the knee.
Outs
• A count of three (3) outs by a team completes the team’s half of the inning.
• An out is
o A count of three (3) strikes or four (4) fouls.
o A runner touched by the ball or who touches the ball at any time while not on base while the ball is in play.
o Any kicked ball (fair or foul) that is caught.
o A ball tag on a base to which a runner is forced to run.
o A runner off of his/her base when the ball is kicked.
o A runner physically assisted by a base coach during play.
Ball in Play
• Once the pitcher has the ball in control and on the mound, the play ends.
• If a runner intentionally touches or stops the ball, the play ends and the runner is out.
• Interference is when any non fielder, runner, or non permanent object touches the ball. Any time there is interference, play automatically ends and runners proceed to the base to which they were headed.
Ghost Men are not allowed!
Re-entry and Substitutions
• In cases of injury or illness, a time-out may be requested for participant removal and replacement with a substitute of the same sex. If the participant later returns to play, the participant must be inserted in the same fielding and kicking order position previously held.
• If a player is ejected, injured, or becomes ill and cannot continue, the lineup will continue in the same formation, less the removed player.
• The pitcher may only be replaced on the mound once per inning, unless injury forces a substitution.
• Runners may only be substituted by a runner of the same sex once the initial runner successfully makes it to or beyond first base.
ALCOHOL/TOBACCO POLICY
ABSOLUTELY NO DRINKING is allowed before playing in Intramural Sports Activities! If an official, for any reason, suspects that a player has been drinking prior to playing, that player will not be allowed to participate in the game. If anyone is found using tobacco products or drinking he/she will be asked to leave the building and will be indefinitely suspended pending a meeting with the Intramural Sports Coordinator.
