Eligibility

Team Managers are advised to check each team member's eligibility status prior to the start of each season. Any team using an ineligible player will forfeit all games in which the ineligible player participated. Forfeiture of more than one game precludes a team from entering or advancing through the playoffs.

A. Who is Eligible to Participate?

• Fort Lewis College Student, Faculty, and Staff Holding a valid FLC Picture ID

Note: Faculty and staff must purchase a Student Life Center Membership or pay for a day pass on the night your team competes to the Student Life Center to gain eligibility for indoor Intramural programs.

B. Identification Checks

• Only valid Fort Lewis College Picture Identification or Student Life Center Identification with a valid picture identification will be accepted before each contest in order to participate.
• Picture identification checks occur before every Intramural Sports contest.
• Failure to provide an acceptable form of identification will result in not being allowed to participate in Intramural Sports on that day.

C.  Team Rosters / Release Agreement

• The Team Roster / Release Agreement is the official roster for every Intramural Sports team.
• Team Managers may complete the Team Roster / Release Agreement at any point prior to their team’s first game or on-site at their first game.
• Team members must present the IM Staff or official the proper form of identification to be added to the roster.
• Failure to satisfactorily complete the Team Roster / Release Agreement will preclude an individual from participating.
• New team members must be added prior to their first post-season game.
• After each team's last regular-season game, no new team members may be added.

D. Special Eligibility Requirements

1. Divisions
The Divisions commonly offered by the Intramural Sports Program are:

• Men's
• Women's
• Co-Ed

An individual may participate in one division per sport. Exception, an individual may play in one men or women’s team and one co-ed team. If there is a schedule overlap the individual must select which game to participate in.

2. Levels of Participation

Intramural Sports provides competitive, recreational, and open levels of participation. The levels of play vary with each sport. All leagues play regular-season games and can qualify for playoffs. In our Basketball leagues divisions are split into 'Gold' and 'Silver' Level and, 'Bronze'. The 'Gold' division should be considered the competitive league.  The 'Bronze' division should be considered the recreational division.  The 'Silver' division falls in-between the 'Gold' and 'Bronze' divisions.

The Levels commonly offered by the Intramural Sports Program are:

• Competitive

This is the most competitive level of play. Teams are comprised of highly skilled, competitive individuals often with significant playing experience.

• Recreational

Teams participate at this level strictly for recreation. Player ability is not as important as the emphasis on having fun and socializing. Recreational leagues are excellent for social clubs or individuals learning a new sport.

• Open
• This league combines both the competitive and recreational teams.  This division is offered typically when there are not enough teams to divide the teams into a competitive and recreational division.

Team Manager's are responsible for ensuring their team members follow all eligibility requirements. Team Manager's are also advised to seek clarification on Special Eligibility Requirements, if necessary.

E. Multiple Team Participation

Intramural Sports participants are eligible to play in any number of sports, but may play on only one team per sport. Participants that have played for multiple teams within the same sport shall be suspended for a minimum of two games from the team which they appeared first In addition, both teams that the participant played on can have all games in which the ineligible participant played forfeited. Frequent offenders of this policy may face longer suspensions.

F. Highly Competitive Athletes

1. Active Intercollegiate Athletes

Active intercollegiate athletes are not eligible to participate in a sport or related sport* in which they intend to compete in at the varsity level for at least one academic semester (not including summer semester) after having last been active.

*Note: The Intramural Sports Program shall reserve the right to establish definitions for relations between intercollegiate sports and sports offered for intramural participation. The following intercollegiate sports have been deemed related to intramural sports:

Any one of the following criteria determines active intercollegiate status:

• Member of a varsity intercollegiate team
• Suited up for an intercollegiate contest
• Participated in an intercollegiate contest
• Practiced with an intercollegiate team after the last cut

If an active intercollegiate athlete’s season of competition is in the Fall semester, they are not eligible for Intramural Sports participation in their same sport or a related sport (see previous diagram) until the following Fall semester. If the season of competition is the Spring semester, they are ineligible for Intramural Sports participation in their same sport until the following Spring semester. Team Manager's are advised to seek clarification of this policy when they wish to have an intercollegiate athlete or red-shirt participate on their team.

2. Former Intercollegiate Athletes

• Former intercollegiate athletes who have exhausted all NCAA eligibility are eligible to participate in their same sport in the semester following their final season of NCAA eligibility.
• Former intercollegiate athletes from Fort Lewis College and/or other four-year institutions must participate (in their sport) at the highest level offered.
• For eligibility purposes, a participant is considered a former intercollegiate athlete  for a period of five years if he has met one of the requirements of active intercollegiate status above.
• A maximum of two individuals holding former intercollegiate status may participate on any given team in the sport in which they competed in at the intercollegiate level.

3. Club Sport Members and Red Shirts

• Members of Fort Lewis College Club Sport teams and Red Shirts may participate in the sport in which they compete but must participate (in their sport) at the highest level offered.
• A maximum of two individuals holding current Fort Lewis College Club Sport and/or Red Shirt status may participate on any given team in the sport in which they competed in at the sport club level.

4. Important Note on Highly Competitive Athletes

• In divisions where multiple levels of competition are offered, former intercollegiate athletes, red-shirts, and Fort Lewis College Club Sport members must play at the highest level offered.
• A maximum of two individuals holding former intercollegiate, red-shirt, and Fort Lewis College Club Sport status may participate for any given team on the field or court in the sport in which they competed in on the intercollegiate or club sport level.  Any number of highly competitive athletes may be on the roster.
• Special eligibility considerations regarding the number of former intercollegiate and current Fort Lewis College Club Sport athletes per team applies to sports with teams consisting of five players or more.
• Otherwise, the number of eligible players per team with special eligibility status is one (e.g., 3-on-3 Basketball or Doubles Volleyball).

Failure to abide by this policy will result in forfeiture of all games in which the illegal intercollegiate or Fort Lewis College Club Sport athletes participated.