The document outlines policies and guidelines for the Northeastern University intramural sports flag football program, including rules on team management, player eligibility, forfeits, and safety measures regarding jewelry. Important aspects include the rover rule to prevent forfeits, player conduct regulations, and procedures for scheduling and managing team rosters through the imleagues platform. Additionally, it provides details on gameplay rules, penalties, and the responsibilities of team captains.

1. Northeastern
University
Intramural
Sports
Online Managers Meeting
for Intramural Flag Football
on Carter Field

2. The Five
Most
Important
IM Policies
• A forfeit will be declared when a team cannot
field the required number of eligible players by
the designated game time.
 Only a team’s captain may confer with the
officials.
 All players must present their valid
Northeastern University issued Husky Card in
order to play.
 All roster management is done via the
IMLeagues platform.
 After the season’s schedule is published,
regular season games cannot be rescheduled
at a team’s request.

3. Roles
and
Duties of
Intramural
Team
Managers
 Be responsible for your actions and the
actions of all your teammates.
 Understand all the relevant intramural
policies and rules as found in the
Intramural Manager’s Handbook.
 Communicate all necessary policies and
rules to your teammates.
 Inform any ejected players that they
need to leave the facility and how they
can apply for reinstatement.

4. Rover Rule: Help Prevent Forfeits
• The Rover Rule has been implemented to help teams avoid forfeiting when they may be short the
required number of players.
• The Rover Rule allows teams to pick up any student that is already registered on IMLeagues, even
though they are already on another team’s roster (even in the same league) to participate in a
game when a team is short handed. This will allow teams to avoid having to forfeit so that more
games can be played as scheduled.
• A team may recruit up to three rover players onto their team immediately before or during a
game to avoid a forfeit.
• Rover players follow the same rules and eligibility requirements as other intramural participants:
they must be active Northeastern students, and they must be registered to an intramural team in
IMLeagues for the current semester in the same sport.
• Team captains MUST notify officials of rover player additions before they are allowed to compete
or check-in. Rover players may not be team captains.

5. Rover Rule: Help Prevent Forfeits
• This policy is not to be exploited by an individual or team for any purpose besides the avoidance
of forfeits. Teams cannot use the same rover players in more than two games a season.
• Teams or individuals attempting to exploit the Rover Rule for a competitive advantage beyond the
avoidance of forfeiting will be subject to suspension in accordance with the Intramural Sports
Code of Conduct.
• Rover players may only be added until the minimum number of total players to avoid a forfeit has
been met. No more than three rovers can be used at one time.
• Rover players cannot be used at any point during the playoffs.
• Rover players will remain on their original rosters for the duration of the season and cannot be
dropped from a roster to join another team.
• Team Captains will be responsible for all the actions of their players – including any participating
under the Rover Rule.

6. The
Negative
Impacts of
Forfeits
 Teams should always strive to attend their
matches and avoid forfeiting a game.
 When a team forfeits a game it negatively
impacts their forfeit bond and the team’s
place in the standings.
 Forfeits also negatively impact opposing
teams – taking away their chance to play
in a competitive match.
 Leagues that suffer too many forfeits can
lead to discouraging players from
participating - if they feel the other team
“won’t show up.”
 Please do your part to avoid causing
unnecessary forfeits. Create a full roster of
players eligible and available to participate
when leagues games will be scheduled.

7. Jewelry Policy
For your safety and that of your opponents, jewelry is not allowed to be worn by any participant
during Intramural Sport contests in which players may come into contact with one another such as
basketball, soccer, volleyball, flag football and others. For non-contact sports and events like cornhole, cricket,
softball, wiffleball, etc – the removal of jewelry is recommended but not required.
The Intramural Staff has the responsibility to disallow any participant from wearing any equipment, jewelry,
or apparel which in their judgment is dangerous or disadvantageous to other participants. This is a rule for
the safety of all participants, including the wearer of such apparel, and applies to any and all dangerous
equipment and jewelry.
For items that are medical or religious in nature, participants will have the option to remove the item of their
own volition, or to cover the item with the provided tape and/or wristband. Please note that the University
Recreation program cannot fully mitigate the risk of damage to any object that is worn during an intramural
sports contest including items which are taped or covered with a sweat band.
Participants wearing a prohibited item will be asked to step off of the playing surface until the item is
removed or appropriately covered. Players asked to step off will be able to return to play at the next stoppage
of play.

8. Player Eligibility
 All registered students are eligible to play
 Undergraduate, graduate, part-time and law
students are all eligible.
 Unless otherwise noted, alumni and faculty/staff
cannot participate in intramural sports.
 Players may only play on one team per
league per sport per season:
 One open and one co-rec team per season.
 There may be multiple seasons in each semester.
 Club Sport Rules:
 Only three club sport players may be on a single
team roster for the related sport.
All registrations and roster
management is done through
the IMLeagues platform.
 Ex-Varsity Athletes:
 Are required to sit out a year (of any related sport) and each team can
only have one such student on their roster

9. Roster
Additions
 All roster additions must be done online via the
IMLeagues platform.
 May be completed at any time – including up
until the start of a game!
 Managers can drop players by emailing
nuintramurals@gmail.com
 Please note that you may not drop a player
who has already played a game for your
team.
 Players must complete a short online quiz prior
to being eligible to play.
 All rosters are found online on IMLeagues.

10. The
Captain’s
Rule
 Only the captain may clarify calls with the
officials.
 If players or other team members have
questions, issues or concerns they need to
direct them through the Captain to the
officials.
 Each Captain may respectfully question rule
interpretations, but not judgment calls.
 Judgement calls are at the sole discretion of
the presiding match officials.
 Players who are not the Captain, and who
argue with the officials, will receive an
unsportsmanlike penalty.

11. The Intramural Manager’s
Handbook
 Can be found online on the University
Recreation website and on IMLeagues.
 Managers must know all relevant policies and
communicate them to their team.
 Especially important are the policies
regarding sportsmanship expectations and
ejections.
 Note that 3 unsportsmanlike penalties will end
a contest in forfeit.
 Fighting/taunting or specific violations of the code of conduct will
also result in a forfeit.

12. Team
Name
Policy
 It is the responsibility of the team manager to
submit an appropriate team name at the time of
registration.
 A student panel will review questionably
inappropriate team names, where majority will
rule regarding if the team name will be removed.
 The team name will be changed until the captain
resubmits a new team name that is deemed
appropriate.
 The full Team Name policy can be found on page
# 3 of the Intramural Manager’s Handbook.

13. The
Regular
Season
 The number of regular season games will
vary by sport due to facility availability and
the number of registered teams.
 For most sports, team managers will be able
to select their schedule preferences for the
season. Whenever possible the IM
administration will try - but cannot guarantee
- to accommodate these preferences.
 Team managers should email the Intramural
Sports office with all other scheduling
requests prior to the close of registration.
 After the schedule is published regular
season games will not be rescheduled by
team request.

14. Defaulting an IM Game
 After the schedule is published regular season games
will not be rescheduled by team request.
 However, teams that know that they cannot attend a
scheduled contest can submit a Default online.
 Defaults count as a loss but there is no penalty to the
team’s forfeit bond.
 Defaults must be submitted the day prior to a
scheduled contest. This allows us time to contact the
opposing team.
 The link to the online Default Form will be in your
registration email.
Also online at:
https://forms.gle/rrP5WAghExv
YRQm3A

15. Playoffs
 At the conclusion of each intramural sports
season a single elimination playoff
tournament will be held.
 The number of teams taken into the playoffs
will be determined by facility availability and
the number of registered teams in each
league.
 Playoff Tie-Breaker Procedures:
If two teams are tied in the standings the
following will be used to determine who will
advance:
 Sportsmanship
 Forfeited games
 Defaulted games
 Head-to-head record
 Point differential
 If there is still a tie, which ever team
registered first will advance.

16. Forfeits
 All teams in league play and some special
events must pay a $20 forfeit bond via the
provided link at the conclusion of registration.
 Teams will lose $10 for every forfeit.
 A team that forfeits will be removed from the
league and loss their entire bond.
 Unused bonds will be refunded 2-3 weeks
after the conclusion of the season.
 A forfeit will be declared when a team cannot
field the required number of eligible players
by the designated game time.
 It is recommended that teams show up 15
minutes before game time to avoid a forfeit.

17. Intramural
Code of
Conduct
All participants in the Intramural Sports program
must adhere to the Intramural Sports Code of
Conduct.
Including the following policies:
 3 unsportsmanlike penalties on one team in a
game will result in the termination of the game
as a forfeit against that team.
 Ejected players must leave the facility within
five minutes or their team will forfeit the match.
 Players who have been ejected must meet
with an administrator of the intramural sports
program before they may participate in further
intramural competitions.

18. Review:
The Five Most
Important IM
Policies
• A forfeit will be declared when a team cannot
field the required number of eligible players by
the designated game time.
 Only a team’s captain may confer with the
officials.
 All players must present their valid
Northeastern University issued Husky Card in
order to play.
 All roster management is done via the
IMLeagues platform.
 After the season’s schedule is published
regular season games will not be rescheduled
at a team’s request.

19. Intramural Flag
Football - Sport
Specific Rules
& Information

20. All Games Will Be Played on Carter Field/Bubble and Cabot Center

21. General
Rules
 Minimum of 6 players to avoid a forfeit (7v7 Flag Football)
 Minimum of 5 players to avoid a forfeit (6v6 Flag Football)
 Minimum of 4 players to avoid a forfeit (5v5 Flag Football)
 Minimum of 3 players to avoid a forfeit (4v4 Flag Football)
 Each game will consist of two 20-minute halves
 Mercy Rule:
 If a team is up by 30 points in the second half the game
will stop immediately.
 If a team is up by 19 points with less than 2 minutes in
the game the game will stop immediately.

22. Required Player
Equipment
 All players must be dressed
appropriately
 Athletic shorts and sweatpants are
allowed, but there must be no pockets of
any kind.
 Pockets with zippers will NOT be
allowed.

23. General
Play
 A coin toss will be used at the beginning of the game
 The winner has the choice of offense, defense, or
side; or they can defer their choice to the second
half
 At the beginning of each half and after each score or
punt, the ball will be placed on the offense’s 20 yd line
 First downs will only be gained at the 40 yd line
 On third down, the offense may elect to punt, which
will give the opposing team the ball at their own 20 yd
line
 Touchdowns are worth 6 points
 Following each touchdown, the scoring team may
attempt a try for 1 point from the 3 yd line or 2
points from the near 20 yd line

24. The Clock
 Each game consists of two 20-minute halves
 The clock will run continuously in the first half,
stopping only on timeouts or at the referee’s
discretion
 In the second half, the clock will stop at the
one-minute warning.
 After the one-minute warning, the clock will stop
on all out of bounds, incomplete passes,
touchdowns, turnovers, first downs, penalties,
and timeouts.
 Each team is allocated two timeouts per half
 They do not carry over

25. Blocking
 Blocking is similar to setting a pick in
basketball
 The blocker must keep their hands behind the
back or at the side
 The blocker must get to the spot before the
defensive player
 Once the blocker has attained position, the
defensive player must avoid contact
 The defense may not run through the offensive
blocker
 Lead blocking is not allowed

26. Penalties
 Flag Guarding – No player in possession of the ball may
use their upper body or the ball to block a defender’s
reach for their flags
 Diving – Diving for flags or yardage is illegal and will
result in a penalty
 Players may dive to catch or swat a thrown ball, but
if contact is initiated, a penalty will be called
 This is a non-contact league
 Any player initiating contact will be called for a
penalty
 If a live ball penalty is committed by both teams during
the same play, the penalties will offset, and the down
will be replayed
 If a penalty is committed on the defense on a scoring
play for the offense, the offense may elect to enforce
the penalty on the try or the succeeding spot

27. Penalty
Enforcement
 All 10-yard penalties will be enforced as 4 steps
 All 5-yard penalties will be enforced as 2 steps
 For live ball fouls during a loose ball play, the
basic spot of enforcement will be the previous
spot
 For live ball fouls during a running play, the
basic spot of enforcement will be the end of
the run
 Fouls will be enforced from the spot of the foul
only when the foul is behind the basic spot,
and it is committed by the offense
 Fouls that are simultaneously with the snap
will be enforced from the previous spot

28. Unsportsmanlike
Conduct
 If a player receives 2 UC’s during a game, he or she
will be ejected
 If one team accumulates 3 UC’s during a game, that
team will lose by forfeit regardless of the score
 A UC will be issued for the following:
 Any verbal or non-verbal disrespect shown
towards the officials
 Spiking the ball
 Any excessive contact deemed unnecessary by
the officials
 Taunting or elaborate celebrations
 Players will be ejected immediately for tackling an
opponent

29. The
Captain’s
Rule
 Only the captain may clarify calls with the
officials
 If the team has questions or issues, they
need to direct them through the Captain
to the officials
 Captain may question rule
interpretations but not judgment calls
 Players who are not the Captain who
argue or question the officials will receive
an unsportsmanlike penalty

30. Shorts for
Sale at
Squash
Busters
Players may purchase pocket-less shorts at the
SquashBusters 3rd
Floor desk for $5 if they do not
have their own.

31. Now Take the Quiz!
Thank you for your interest in the Intramural Sports
program – have a great season!