Intramural Guidelines No Joke

Harvard boasts a nation's-best 41 varsity sports teams and makes sure to include that fact in as many recruiting and admissions publications as possible. But for those students who didn’t quite make the cut (or don’t really care for 6 a.m. lifting sessions) but still enjoy a little competition, intramurals offer the perfect venue.

But before anyone takes to the field/court/track/pool for their house or dorm, it may be helpful to know some of the basic guidelines–and surprisingly enough, there are a lot of them, all included in the Intramural Athletics Rule Book.

Here are just a few…

• Points are awarded differently depending on the classification of the sport. For example, “major” fall sports include flag football, A-league volleyball, and ultimate frisbee, while B-league volleyball and team tennis are considered “minor.” First place in a major sport wins 100 points, while first place in a minor sport wins 75.

• Not only does a team obviously lose in case of its forfeit, but five penalty points are also automatically deducted from its overall score.

• Any undergrad training or competing in nationals or the Olympics (and their junior equivalents) is ineligible, regardless of whether or not he or she is a varsity athlete.

• If a team captain can’t control his/her team or its rowdy fans, a new captain can be appointed by the official.

• The “Flash to Bang Method” is the official determinant of a weather delay. (Yes, the one you learned in elementary school. Count the number of seconds after the flash of lightning until you hear the thunder. Anything under 30 seconds warrants a delay or cancellation.)

These and other guidelines, along with rules for each sport, can be found here.