As the fall semester continues to whirl by with increasing speed, the intramural football season has taken off. IM football is an opportunity for students to form teams with goals of bonding, having fun and pursuing the ever-sought-after blue shirt.

“IMs give you the chance to play with whatever friends you want to make a team with, and much of your competition is people you know,” said senior Gus Friedman, director of the IM sports committee.

This year, extra clinics on the rules and proper play were implemented and mandatory for new players to ensure that the season goes more smoothly.

“In past years the [first-year] teams were always pretty clueless as to what was and wasn’t allowed, and it tended to result in a lot of dangerous play and frustration on the part of the older players. It’s always frustrating playing against someone who doesn’t know the rules,” said Friedman.

Some students have remarked that they have noticed that girls can be more intense than guys about their passion for football.

“You [girls’ teams] always seem to get hurt,” said sophomore Thomas Barber.

Indeed, teams strategize methodically to win against opponents.

“We plan on dominating other teams with our combination of size and speed, and we have an amazing QB that’s going to allow us to utilize the pass game in addition to our run game,” said junior Yessica Palmer, who plays for the Switchblades.

Another essential element to winning in IM football is having a committed coach.

“Our coach is formerly of the [last year’s men’s winners] Thundercats, so he knows what it takes to win a championship,” said Palmer.

Although winning the tournament is an added bonus, there are many benefits to playing IM football.

“The best part of football is that you get to be competitive and it’s a good release from class,” said Palmer.

Playing in games is fun, but so is watching them.

“If you haven’t ever come out to see an IM football game, I bet you’d be pretty surprised at the level it’s played at here … it’s a lot more physical and taxing––for both guys and girls––than most flag football tends to be,” said Friedman.