Students playing soccer

Policies

Learn the rules before you play the game! Rec Sports participants must follow the policies outlined below. 

General Guidelines

Contents of this Page

Advisory Council

The purpose of the Rec Sports Advisory Council is to serve as an advisory group for Rec Sports and the Department of Campus Recreation. The Council assists in the development, management and review of Rec Sports programs and policies.
The Council will meet at once each quarter and will also conduct emergency meetings as needed.

Gym Lockers and Equipment

Lockers and locks may be checked out from the Equipment Room in the ARC. In addition, a limited amount of equipment such as basketballs and volleyballs may be checked out for daily use at the ARC Equipment Room.

Inclement Weather

On days when the weather is questionable, Rec Sports games may be cancelled. If so, an announcement will be posted in the Fusion Play app. If there is no announcement, games will be played as scheduled.

Bloodborne Pathogens

To reduce the risk of exposure to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), any Rec Sports participant involved in a contact sport with a bleeding wound or blood-stained clothing will be removed from the competition. Injured participants may return to competition with the approval of the sport supervisor or official once the wound has been treated and/or the blood-stained clothing removed. Employees of the Rec Sports Office are not equipped/trained to treat such wounds; therefore, it is the responsibility of the participant to secure proper treatment.

Insurance and Medical Clearance

The Rec Sports Office does NOT provide insurance for individuals participating in the program. All participants are encouraged to have health insurance coverage in place before participating in the program.

It is the responsibility of all Rec Sports participants to ascertain whether their own health conditions make it advisable to participate in a particular sport. The university cannot assume this responsibility.

Photo Disclaimer

The Department of Campus Recreation may from time to time photograph or videotape program participants and recreational users of department facilities and use these photographs or videotapes in its promotional materials. Unless informed otherwise at the time a participant registers for a Campus Recreation program, the department will presume that consent to be photographed or videotaped has been given by facility and program users.

Refunds

There will be no refunds of Rec Sports ONE passes, all sales are FINAL. Below is our policy regarding campus closures:

Campus Closure Policy: If the university cancels academic classes (closes campus), we will likely cancel all recreational programming and close certain facilities, etc. Efforts will be made to reschedule canceled classes/activities once campus re-opens. No refunds or prorations for a membership or cancelled classes/activities will be issued.

Team Names

Rec Sports has the right, at our discretion, to change team names that are deemed inappropriate.

Conduct and Sportsmanship

Conduct Policies

  1. One of the objectives of the Rec Sports program is promoting good sporting behavior. Sporting behavior is defined as behavioral tendencies of a person who can take loss or defeat without complaint, or victory without gloating, and who treats all opponents with fairness, generosity, courtesy, and respect.
  2. If a Rec Sports participant is ejected from a game for unsporting behavior, the individual shall be ineligible for further competition in ALL Rec sports activities until they meet with the Coordinator of Rec Sports. It is the participant's responsibility to contact the coordinator and arrange a meeting time. If a player participates in any sport before speaking with the coordinator or serving their suspension, the game they participate in will be an automatic forfeit. It is the responsibility of the captain to know if their player is eligible. 
    • Updated Ejection Policy
      • Any player that gets ejected from a game for conduct/behavior issues will automatically be disqualified from playoffs for that team. Players will also lose their playoff eligibility for a team if they accumulate the equivalent of 3 cautions/warnings/unsportsmanlike penalties due to conduct/behavior issues throughout the season.
        • For example, three conduct-related yellow cards in soccer, three technical fouls in basketball, three unsportsmanlike penalties in Flag Football. Should a team have more than one player ejected throughout the season, that team automatically becomes disqualified for playoffs.
    • Unsporting behavior may include, but is not limited to, the following:
      • The obstruction or disruption of the normal functioning of a Rec Sports activity.
      • The use of abusive, insulting, or demeaning language which provokes ill will, baits, or which incites an opponent, spectator, or Intramural Sports employee.
      • Physically threatening, pushing or taunting a participant, spectator or Intramural employee.
      • Repeatedly arguing with an official.
      • Fighting (initiation or retaliation). Fighting includes physically striking, kicking, etc., or attempting to strike, kick, etc., a participant, spectator or Rec Sports employee.
    • Note: Any participant involved in a fight will automatically receive at least a one-game suspension from Rec Sports and may be referred to Office of Student Services and Judicial Affairs (OSSJA). In addition, the team involved will be put on probation for that season. While on probation, should the team or any individual on the team be involved in another serious altercation, the team will be dropped from further play in that sport.
    • Game suspensions must be served with regard to actual games played.
    • When a player is ejected from a contest for unsporting behavior, the team captain must provide the official with the ejected player's name and the player must leave the playing site (out of sight and sound) within two minutes. If this does not occur, the game will default. The player or captain will receive an ejection card from the supervisor in charge.
  3. It is the responsibility of the team captain to control the conduct of their team members, coaches and any spectators.
  4. The use of alcohol and/or drugs at a Rec Sports activity or participating in a Rec Sports activity under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not permitted and is against university policy. Violator(s) will be removed from play and may be suspected from playing in the future.
  5. In addition to Rec Sports rules and regulations, Rec Sports participants and spectators will be held responsible for their personal behavior as outlined in the Student Relations Code of Conduct. The university is committed to creating and maintaining a community in which all persons who participate in university programs and activities can work together in an atmosphere free of all forms of harassment, exploitation, or intimidation including sexual behavior.
  6. Procedures for misconduct:
    • Upon receiving notification of alleged misconduct by a Rec Sports participant, the Coordinator of Rec Sports will be notified and given details of the incident. Serious allegations of misconduct may also be referred to the Rec Sports Advisory Council and/or OSSJA.
    • The details of the incident may be gathered from the following people:
      • The parties directly involved
      • The officials (if any) working the activity
      • The Supervisor in charge at the time the incident occurred
      • Teammates of the people directly involved
      • Spectators who witnessed the incident
  7. After reviewing the evidence involved, the Coordinator of Rec Sports will determine the outcome of the incident. Personal and written notification will then be given to the parties involved.
  8. Decisions may be appealed to the Rec Sports Advisory Council.
  9. Any unauthorized illegal, or misuse of an ID card will result in a minimum of a quarter suspension from the Rec Sports program.
    • Any forms of identity fraud will be suspended from the Rec Sports program.

Participation Rules

Participation Policies

  1. In team sports, teams registered in a single gender league may use players of a different gender. However, should the player(s) of a different gender create disparity in the level of competition, the Rec Sports Office reserves the right to review each case individually and rule accordingly.
  2. In individual and dual sports where single gender leagues are offered, individuals may compete in the league designated for the different gender until such time that the competitiveness of the activity is adversely affected.
  3. All CoRec team and dual sports must have an equal number of genders unless specified otherwise in the rules of the sport concerned. Sports with unequal numbers will have to meet certain ratios to be eligible to compete. 
  4. Individuals are now able to represent more than one team in the same sport. This is referred to as the Multiple Team Rule. However, individuals must  compete in 2 different leagues within that same sport (Ex: for CoRec Soccer, players may compete on 1 Competitive team and 1 Recreational team, but not 2 competitive teams)
  5. All specialty leagues/divisions (e.g., Grad/Staff/Faculty leagues, Vet divisions) are restricted in who can participate, including the number of experienced players allowed.  
  6. A player is considered a member of a team if their name appears on the roster. Once a player plays for a team, they are committed to that team and may not switch to another team (unless given permission due to extenuating circumstances).
  7. No additional players can be added to the roster after their last league game has been played and before playoffs.
  8. Teams are strongly urged to enter into the proper level of competition. Should a team obviously be playing out of their competitive level, the Rec Sports Office will immediately counsel that team and has the right, at their discretion, to move a team up to the next class level for playoffs.
  9. In CoRec, if a individual would like to switch genders during the middle of a season, they would meet with the Rec Sports Coordinator to discuss changes. Otherwise, individuals are not allowed to switch genders during a game, every other game, ect. If individuals are claiming to switch their gender identity solely to get around gender ratio requirements, they may be suspended from Rec Sports. Impersonation of or disrespect towards the LGBTQIA+ community will not be tolerated.  

Rec Sports Staff Participation

Awareness has been raised by concerned participants in the Rec Sports program of potential bias by its staff members. Issues surrounding this perception range from staff officiating and participating in tournaments to improper sportsmanship scores given to staff teams. There have also been additional comments from participants about calls made by officials that benefit staff teams.

While the department strongly believes in the value of employees participating in its programs, the negative perception in the Rec Sports program is an issue that must be addressed. Because there are many benefits of staff participation that we would not want to deter from, we propose the following new practices for staff participation with the goal of mitigating future perceptions of bias in Rec Sports.

Benefits of Staff Participation

  • Enables the staff to better understand the goals of our organization and the outcomes of participation
  • Promotes staff cohesion, social and bonding opportunities
  • Provides opportunities in support of multiple dimensions of wellness
  • If students participate and are “off the clock” and an emergency or critical situation arises, they can provide extra support to manage the situation
  • Enables staff to act as role models for those we are encouraging to take part in our programs
  • If we were to prevent staff from participating in Rec Sports, it could negatively affect our ability to employ quality staff members who are passionate about Rec Sports.
  • The student employees pay campus-based fees and therefore should be allowed to participate in student programs

To mitigate any future perceptive issue of bias, we are proposing the following best practices:

  • Staff must continue to play in the appropriate league for their skill level
  • When at all possible, officials will not be scheduled to work games in the league they are participating. (e.g., an official participating in the Open Competitive league for soccer would not be scheduled to officiate games for that league)

ICA & Sport Club Athletes 

  • Sport Club members competing in the same Intramural Sport are limited to two players on a roster. There are current clubs that play in the following Intramural Sports – Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, and Volleyball. Previous Intramural Executive Board rulings have ruled in favor of hockey, baseball and fast pitch playing Intramural Sports because even though the Intramural Sport is similar, the rules and game play are much different.
  • This is one or two per roster, not out on the playing field. The reason being Sport Clubs have access to funding, facilities, equipment and training that other teams do not have.
  • A team roster may have no former college NCAA Division 1 or 2 varsity athlete who has participated in that related sport within the last academic school year. There are no restrictions on the number of former collegiate athletes on the roster if they had played previous to the year time frame
  • The year starts after their last game played. Other additional items: Students that are dismissed from a team before the start of the season are eligible if it is based on lack of aptitude and they provide written documentation from a coach.
  • Coaches are treated the same as above for their respective sport. If they have been out of the sport for year, they have full eligibility.
  • A professional athlete within the past seven (7) years will be ineligible for all related sports. Professional athletes must have signed a contract to be considered professional.

Fairplay

The UC Davis Rec Sports FairPlay Program

The purpose of the FairPlay program is to ensure that all Rec Sports participants have the opportunity for a positive experience. Teams in Rec Sports should not have to contend with ‘trash talking’, excessive rough play or other forms of unsportsmanlike conduct.

Every team’s average sportsmanship rating will be monitored. If your team’s sportsmanship average is below 3, you/your team will not be able to participate in the playoffs for that season. Your team must also maintain a 3 average or higher throughout the playoffs to remain eligible. Please see links below for sport specific guidelines.

How a FairPlay Score is assessed for Your Team

At the end of every game, the Rec Sports officials will give a sportsmanship score for each team. Sportsmanship scores are based on a scale that ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 being extremely poor sportsmanship and 5 being very good sportsmanship. When your team walks onto the field/court or jumps into the pool, you begin with a sportsmanship score of 5 and you can work your way up or down based upon your conduct.

Forfeits, Protests and Rescheduling

Forfeiture

  1. A forfeit constitutes:
    • Nonappearance
    • Late appearance (not ready to play five minutes past scheduled game time)
    • Less than the required number of players at game time
    • Cancellation of the contest with less than 24 business hours notice to the Rec Sports Office (by Friday at 5pm for games on Saturday or Sunday). Email: recsports@campusrec.ucdavis.edu
    • Use of an ineligible player (using is defined as a player checking into the game)
  2. Any player/team responsible for a forfeit will be assessed a $20 fine. When a team forfeits, it is the captain's responsibility to pay the fine. Players in singles or team captains in doubles will be responsible for payment of the fine. All fines must be paid through the My Recreation Store. All fines not paid by a set deadline will result in the suspension of the team captain from all Rec Sports activity until payment is made (the team will also be ineligible for playoffs).
  3. A team or individual (in singles competition) may withdraw from playoffs that follow league play by notifying the Rec Sports Office 24 business hours in advance of a scheduled contest.  (by Friday at 5pm for games on Saturday or Sunday). Failure to do so will result in a $20 forfeit fine.
  4. A single forfeit will not necessarily eliminate a team or individual from further competition or from being considered for playoffs. However, should the team or individual desire to play out the remaining schedule, the team captain or individual has 5 business days to notify the Rec Sports Office of desire to continue in the division, protest the forfeit, correct the team roster or drop from further play. Should the team incur a second forfeit (same or different reason), another forfeit fine will be assessed and the team may be dropped from further play.
  5. A second forfeit may eliminate a team from further competition or from being considered for playoffs, and a second $20 fine will be assessed.
  6. Teams not ready to play within five minutes of the scheduled game time will lose by forfeit. The Supervisor shall declare the contest forfeited to the team that is on hand and "ready to play." "Ready to play" means that a team must be at the playing area signed in with proper jerseys on and with the minimum required number of players that comprise a team in the sport concerned.
  7. Forfeit fines for individual or dual play may be waived upon presentation of a written doctor's note for injury or illness.
  8. Teams or individuals that agree to a postponement without securing the consent of the Rec Sports Office are both liable to the penalty of forfeiture.
  9. Any team that uses an ineligible player, or uses a player who participates under an assumed name, shall forfeit all contest(s) in which the ineligible player participated (participating is defined as checking into the game). Ineligible player(s) may be disqualified from further competition in that sport.
  10. A $40 fee will be assessed should a captain decide to drop their team from league play after the close of online registration. Any unauthorized or misuse of an ID will result in a minimum of a quarter suspension from the Rec Sports program.
  11. Any team using "experienced players" where none are allowed or any team using too many "experienced players" where there is a stipulated limit, shall forfeit all contest(s) in which the eligible player(s) participated (participating is defined as checking into the game). Ineligible player(s) may be disqualified from further competition in that sport.
  12. Students who have not paid their registration fees to the university are considered ineligible. In the instance that an individual pays their registration fees, but is still considered ineligible according to Fusion IM, that participant has one week from the forfeited game to present proof of payment to the Rec Sports Office and reverse the forfeit.

The following are not considered forfeits:

  1. A default also occurs when a team is reduced below the minimum number required for play after the contest is in progress (can be due to injury or ejections).
  2. If a team notifies the Rec Sports office 24 business hours in advance of the game time (by Friday at 5pm for games on Saturday or Sunday). that they will not be available for the game, the contest will not be considered a forfeit if the opponents can be notified of the default. Less than 24 business hours notice to the Rec Sports office will be considered a forfeit and a $20 fine will be assessed.

Protests

The only grounds for a protest will be for the use of an ineligible player or a misinterpretation of a rule by an official. No protest concerning the official's judgment during the contest will be accepted. Teams lose the right to protest a rule interpretation if the captain's quiz is not completed. Teams also lose the right to appeal a forfeit fee.

Rule Interpretation Protest Procedure
  1. Protest of rules interpretation must be verbally registered with the official and/or supervisor at the time the incident occurs. The game will be stopped. The team captains and officials and/or supervisors will separate themselves from the other participants and determine the correct ruling.
  2. If either captain believes the ruling to be in error, the captain will notify the official and/or supervisor that the game is under formal protest. At that time, the protesting captain will notify the Supervisor and the Supervisor will fill out the Protest Form.
  3. The staff members of the Rec Sports Office will rule on all written protests. All decisions are final.
  4. No protest can be made on a previous play once the game resumes.
Player Eligibility Protest Procedure
  1. Inform the official and/or supervisor at the time the incident occurs (or as soon as the player is discovered), identifying the participant(s) in question.
  2. At this time, the protesting captain will notify the Supervisor, who will then fill out the Protest form. The protest must include the following information:
    • Name of the ineligible player(s).
    • Team(s) for which ineligible player played.
  3. During the playoffs, player eligibility must be protested prior to the game or as soon as the ineligible player(s) checks into the game.
  4. The staff members of the Rec Sports Office will rule on all written protests. All decisions are final.

Rescheduling

To reschedule a game, a team/individual must contact the Rec Sports Office to do so. The team/individual desiring the change must see to it that the following steps are completed by 5 p.m. one business day in advance of the originally scheduled game time (by Friday for games on Saturday or Sunday).

  1. The team/individual desiring the change must check with the Rec Sports Office on the availability of alternate game times. The availability of alternate game times is subject to the availability of facilities and staff.
  2. Our office will contact the opponent regarding the reschedule and will present them with the available days and times. The opponent is not obligated to change the playing date or time.
  3. If a change is agreed upon, both teams or individuals must confirm the change with the Rec Sports Office prior to the deadline. If both teams do not confirm the change, the game must be played as it was originally scheduled.
  4. If a mutually rescheduled date and time cannot be arranged and the team requesting the reschedule cannot play their original game day and time, a default will be given to the team originally requesting the reschedule, provided that the team notifies the Rec Sports Office of this situation at least 24 business hours in advance of the originally scheduled game time. The contest will default and a loss will be recorded for the team requesting the reschedule. No fine will be charged.