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Washington University in St. Louis

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IM Sports FAQ
Who is eligible to participate in intramurals?
  • Any student, undergraduate, graduate, or professional that is currently enrolled and pays the Health & Wellness fee.
  • Faculty or Staff that have a month or longer membership to Sumers Recreation Center.
  • Spouses/partners and alumni who have a month or longer membership to Sumers Recreation Center.
How are Intramural Sports different from club sports or varsity athletics?
Intramural sports are different in several ways, the main being that intramurals are for all students or Sumers Rec Center members, and are played internally against other students.
 
     TIME COMMITMENT
    IMs do not have formal practices, you sign up for one game a week in the season sports or for a weekend tournament.
     COST
    IMs are free except for the forfeit deposit, which is refunded if the team does not forfeit during the season.
     EXPERIENCE LEVEL
    There is a division for all to participate rather trying a sport for the first time or continuing a sport you have played and love.
 
What are game days and times?
Intramural games that have seasons are typically scheduled and played on campus once a week. Most sports include a three or four week regular season game schedule and will have availability between the following times:
 
    Saturdays-Sundays: 12:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
    Mondays-Thursdays: 3:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Most one-day tournaments are held on Saturday or Sunday since they usually last more than one hour. Tournaments will provide a general timeframe such as a tennis doubles tournament from 1:00-4:00 p.m. on a Sunday.
 
Do teams get to pick when they play? What are scheduling restrictions?
Teams are given the opportunity to pick the day and time they play in one of two ways:
  1. Selecting the scheduling restrictions when the team captain creates the team. This allows captains to block out a specific number of time slots that their team is unavailable to play in. This allows a team to play on different days and times each week, especially useful when blocking off times for exams or religious observances. Regular season games will be scheduled around those preferences whenever possible. Playoff games cannot be scheduled around time preferences.
  2. Signing up for a specific time block that designates the day and time a team will play each week. These time blocks have two times on a single day, ex. Mondays 4/4:45pm, the team needs to be available to play at both times.
*Playoffs do not adhere to specific time blocks as teams from different leagues/divisions will play one another. Every effort is made to find a time that works for both teams using scheduling restrictions but it is not always possible.
 
How do I register for sport leagues, games or activities?
All registration is on DSE. A team captain will create a team, select the day/times their team can play, and pay the forfeit deposit by the registration deadline.
  • For individual sports or activities, the individual participant is considered the captain.     
  • Each member of the team must create their own DSE account.
  • To create a team click the sport or event you are interested in to view all the leagues and divisions. Once you select the league/divison you can "Register Your Team" by entering your team name and adding your teammates by their email.
  • If you have a group of friends to play with already, create a team. If you don't have a team, join as a free agent, and now teams can view your profile and contact you if they need more players.
  • When creating the team you will automatically be the captain unless you designate someone else. Captains will be required to select a team name and inviting players by their email or drafting free agents.
What do I need to participate in intramural sports?
All participants must have a WashU ID card or Sumers Recreation membership card to check-in for all Intramural contests. Participants must also have a DSE account. If a participant is not yet on a roster, you may be added on-site as long as the first two requirements are met.
 
What if I am not a student and do not have a Washu email, but I do have a Sumers Rec Center membership?
Contact the RecSports office at intramurals@wustl.edu
 
If I don't have a team, can I still sign-up to play?
Yes, you can sign up as a free agent if you do not have a team. Once you register as a free agent, teams can request to add you to their team. When there are enough free agents a team can be formed from just free agents. If you are not drafted initially, you are able to join any team throughout the entire regular season.
 
How do I sign-up as a free agent?
 The tutorial includes how to register as a free agent. Download the tutorial to view it. 

How do I add people to my team's roster?
Team captains can invite members to their team by clicking the "+Add by Email" button on the team roster page. Any invited members must accept the invitation, create their own DSE account to join to your team. If a potential teammate is already a member of DSE, search for their email, and invite them.

If a potential teammate hasn't become a member of DSE yet, they will be sent an invite from the same function. 

If a teammate has a DSE account they can be added on-site before their first game.
 
I have never played a sport or am not very experienced, is there a less competitive atmosphere I can just play for fun?
Yes! Most sports and activities have different divisions: Competitive and Just for Fun. The Just for Fun division is for all skill levels and is a more relaxed, less competitive atmosphere. You can only play in one division for each league.
 
What do you get if you win?
Teams that win their playoffs or individuals that win their tournaments, regardless of division will get championship T-shirts if they have played in at least one game. Along with T-shirts for all that participated, your picture will be included on the Wall of Champions on the Level 3 concourse in the Sumers Recreation Center.
 
What is a forfeit deposit?
A forfeit deposit is the only cost associated with intramurals and is used as a deterrent against teams not showing up for their scheduled games. Intramurals is all about participation and respect for each other's busy schedules.
 
A deposit of $50 will be made before the season begins for all sports or games played against an opponent. If a team does not forfeit during their season the deposit will be returned in full. Teams that forfeit will have $25 of the deposit deducted for each game that team forfeits. After two forfeits the team will be removed from the schedule and none of the deposit refunded. One day tournaments or events are only a $15 deposit. If a game is missed the entire deposit will not be forfeited.

A team can concede if they are not able to make a scheduled game.

A deposit is made on each team's main page on DSE. The deposit is typically made by the captain, but if it is made by another team member all you need to do is contact the RecSports office to notify them of what team is being paid for. 

If you cannot pay the deposit contact intramurals@wustl.edu and arrangements will be made to remove financial barriers to participating in intramural sports.

Can I be an Intramural referee or student staff member?
Yes! Student employees are a vital part of intramurals. The referees, scorekeepers, program assistants and supervisors that are in charge of running on-site activities are students.
 
There is no experience necessary to be a referee, only a general understanding of the specific sport and a willingness to learn. Anyone interested should compete an application..

Basketball, Soccer, Flag Football, Volleyball, and Softball are the sports that we are always looking for students to referee. You may be a referee and also be a participant on an IM team. Referees, program assistants, and supervisors have rolling applications, so apply at any time!
 
How do I know when my team will play?
After a captain completes the team availability through scheduling restrictions or signs up for a specific time block, a schedule will be released on DSE that everyone can see.  DSE will be used for all scheduling except for E-Sports.
 
How often will my team play?
Each team in a sport with a season will be scheduled for one game a week, for 3-4 weeks. Occasionally a team will have a BYE for a week depending on number of teams.
Concedes are offered to team captains for an extra game and would count as any other game on your schedule. Some teams want to play more than once a week, while others only want to play one time a week.

1-2 day tournaments are played until a champion is declared.
 
Does the team captain have to be at every game?
No, the captain does not have to be at every game. Someone will be designated as the acting captain as long as the player minimum is in attendance.
 
What is the difference between a default and a forfeit?
A default or concede, is when you are unable to make a scheduled game and let the RecSports office know by 2pm the day of a weekday game, or by 8:00 a.m. the day of a weekend game.

You can email or call in your concede. A team that concedes will receive a 0-1 loss on their record but will not be penalized against their deposit.
A forfeit is when a team does not have the minimum number of players checked-in to play by the scheduled game time and the requirements for a concede are not met. $25 will be deducted from the deposit, the team will received a 0-1 loss on their record and a 2 on their sportsmanship for that game.