INTRAMURAL SPORTS: HOW ALL THIS WORKS

Looking to continue your athletic career at Florida State?  Intramural Sports may be the answer.  We've got nearly 50 sports and events each year in which you can battle to become an FSU All-Campus Champion.  So how can you get involved?  Well, here are some tips to help you Get in the Game with Intramural Sports.
Team Sports | Free Agents | Team Practices | Individual Sports | Special Events
Team Sports
If you're used to playing the traditional team sports, then try an Intramural Sports league.  We set up leagues for men's, women's, and co-rec (ladies & fellas) teams of all different skill levels in a variety of sports.

Forming a Team
The easiest way to get involved in team sports is to form a team on your own.  You and a couple friends, perhaps the hall of your dorm or the neighbors in your apartment complex.  Student organizations such as fraternities and sororities as well as other campus groups often put together teams.  Ask at your organization at its next group meeting.  To find out how many players you'll need for a complete team, browse through the sport's rules, available online.

How to Register
Once you've got a squad together, you'll need to register. The key here is to REGISTER EARLY!  So, when you do register?  Well, each sport has its own registration period.  To find out when that is for each sport, check our Sports Planner for each semester.  The Sports Planner is available online and in the IM Sports Office approximately 2 months prior to each semester, so you'll have plenty of time to plan for upcoming sports.
You'll register for most sports online via the Intramural Sports web site. If online registration is not available, then simply stop by 136 Tully Gym, in the building next door to the Leach Center, to register.  We advise attempting to register on the FIRST DAY of the registration period.  Just one person for your team will need to sign-up. 

Registration Options
Team sport registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.  In general, leagues are set-up so that each team plays once each week at the same time and on the same day for four straight weeks with a three-week playoff tournament following the regular season.  We'll offer different leagues on different days and at different times.  For example, our advanced men's league times may be Sundays at 9, Sundays at 10, Mondays at 8, Tuesdays at 9, and Thursdays at 10.  You'd then select one of these times for your team.  Teams can only register for one time period in a sport.  Have an idea of when your team will be available to play when you come in to register so that you can be flexible in case the time you had wanted is already full when you arrive.  Like getting a good class time, our popular days and times fill VERY QUICKLY, so the earlier your team registers, the better.  Registration starts at 12 Noon on the first day of the entry period.

Mandatory Captains Meetings
Once you've registered a team, you or a teammate MUST attend the mandatory captains meeting for the sport.  Someone must be designated the team captain.  The date, time, and place of the captains meeting is listed on the Sports Planner and displayed during registration at the Intramural Sports web site.  Even if you're an expert in the sport, you or a teammate still MUST make the meeting.  If you're not at the meeting, we'll DROP your team from the league immediately.  It's mandatory, so make it there.  The captains meeting typically takes about 45 minutes and covers the sport's rules, eligibility requirements for your players, and other IM policies and procedures.

Regular Season Schedules & Team Rosters
Regular season schedules for the majority of teams are available online the day following the captains meeting.  Simply print it out and you'll have who you play throughout the season.  On the night of your game your team members should arrive at least 15 minutes early to sign-in at the game site.  An FSUCard is required for all participants.  We'll form your team roster from those players who sign-in at the game site.  You can add players at any time.  So new players can join for the 2nd week of the season, or the 3rd and so on.  Players can only play on ONE team at a time and once a player has joined a team he/she can NOT switch to another team without coming by the IM Sports Office to ask for a transfer.  Play each game and behave yourself (we have team sportsmanship requirements) and you'll advance to the playoffs.  There is another meeting for team captains to select their playoff position.  More about the playoff structure, sportmanship, and other sport requirements will be discussed at the captains meeting prior to the season.  More specific information is also available online in the Intramural Handbook.

Team Sport Free Agents
OK, so all this stuff about registering a team is great, but what if you don't know enough people to form a team on your own?  Well, for most of our major team sports, we will put together free agent lists.  To register as a free agent for a sport, sign up in the IM Free Agents group at facebook.com. The IM Free Agent facebook group is advertised to existing teams so they might call you and ask you to join their team.  If that doesn't happen, then we'll put together teams of all free agents to compete in our leagues.  We put together these teams at a free agent meeting, so when you sign-up be sure to find out when and where that free agent meeting will be.  At the free agent meeting, you'll be able to meet your teammates, establish practice times, etc.

Team Practices
Since you're forming your own teams, you also coordinate your own practices.  Practice as much or as little as you want, but Intramural Sports does NOT schedule times for teams to practice.  Outdoor field space is available on a first-come, first-served basis at both the Main Campus Fields and the Rec SportsPlex. Scheduled activities limit practice space after 6:00 pm on most nights at both facilities. Daytime practice space is available, based on facility hours. Visit the IM facilities page for hours and directions to our outdoor facilities. Indoor facility space is even tougher to come by. Tully Gym is available only for scheduled Campus Recreation activities.  So if you're looking for space to practice an indoor sport, you'll need to try the Leach Center.

Individual/Dual Sports
If sports for one or for you and a partner are what you're looking for, then try an one of our individual or dual sports tournaments.  Singles and doubles tournaments are available in numerous racquet sports, billiards, and sport skills challenges.

How to Register & Getting Your Schedule
Registering for individual and dual sports takes place online and in our office.  When a fee is involved, registration in the Intramural Sports Office is required.  Otherwise, you'll be able to enter your registration information on our web site to sign-up.  The Sports Planner will indicate when online registration is available for a particular sport.  Typically, when online registration is available you will be required to register that way; no registrations will be taken in our office in that case.  Therefore, check the Sports Planner for online registration information.  After you've registered online, you'll receive a confirmation screen with details about the event including when to look for schedules and what you might be required to bring (a can of balls, for example).  Tournament brackets are posted online following the registration period, so be sure to check back to see when your first match will be.  Simply arrive at the match site, sign-in with your FSUCard, and play.  Most tournaments are single-elimination.

Special Events and Meets
Intramural Sports hosts several special events and meets that happen just once each academic year.  To make sure you don't miss our annual swimming and wrestling meets, be sure to check the Sports Planner for the event dates.

How to Register
Registration varies for each meet.  For swimming, no preregistration is necessary.  Participants simply sign-up at the meet.  Wrestling registration is available online prior to the event.  Other events, such as the SLC Game Series, offer preregistration online and on-site registration on the day of the event. Fees and registration methods are listed on the Sports Planner to help you plan for the event. Partcipation follows the traditional event format for each sport.  Specific details regarding each event is typically available 2 months prior to the event.

Still Have Questions?
No problem.  Simply stop by the Intramural Sports Office in 136 Tully Gym any weekday and speak to our friendly office staff.  Or, you can call our office at 850-644-2430.  Finally, you can also send us an email.  Jump to the Email Us page to send one right from the web site.