BAFRA Newsflash

http://www.bafra.org

Issue: 27/16

7^th July 2016

CHAIN CREWS FOR NFL INTERNATIONAL SERIES GAMES AT WEMBLEY 2016

In previous years BAFRA has supplied officials for the Chain Crew for these games (eight officials at each game). I am pleased to report that we have been asked by the NFL to provide Chain Crews for all three games this year. The game details are as follows:

2^nd October at 1430 hours: Indianapolis Colts v Jacksonville Jaguars (Wembley Stadium)
23^rd October at 1430 hours: New York Giants v Los Angeles Rams (Twickenham Stadium)
30^th October at 1330 hours: Washington Redskins v Cincinnati Bengals (Wembley Stadium)

Please note the start times for each game. Also that accommodation arrangements near the stadium have yet to be confirmed.

Expressions of Interest to be part of the Chain Crews for these games are now invited from all eligible officials. All BAFRA members who have either never worked on a Wembley NFL Chain Crew, or have only done it on one occasion are welcome to apply. Please clearly state for which games you will be available. Note: Ideally we need to schedule officials for two games in a row to ensure crew continuity. The selection criteria is clearly explained in the members area of the BAFRA website and I would encourage all eligible officials to consider applying. However please be aware that we are always heavily over-subscribed.

If you require further information about any aspect of this important role please contact me directly for an informal discussion.

The closing date to inform me of your interest will be Friday 15^th July 2016. On submission of your Expression of Interest you will receive an acknowledgement from me. If you do not receive a reply then contact me to ensure your application has been received.

Richard Vernon

operations@bafra.org

ELITE TRAINING DAY

The next BAFRA Elite Training Day will be held at the Premier Inn, Glasgow (Argyle Street) on 30^th July 2016.

The clinic will start at 10:30 and finish around 16:30, refreshments and lunch will be provided. All Elite Panel members are expected to attend and all BAFRA members are welcome to attend. If you wish to attend, please register by emailing elite@bafra.org.

Ben Griffiths & Pete Thom

Elite@bafra.org

DISCIPLINARY CASES

NAME	#	TEAM	CODE	Q		OFFENCE	SUSPENDED
New this week
Martin Brown	1	Cambridgeshire Cats	TGT	3	Targeted a defenceless player away from the play leading with the helmet.		10/07/16 v Wembley Stallions
Jack Watson	51	Lancashire Wolverines	TUF	4	In the second quarter the player swore at an opponent and then later in the game he squared up to another opposing player and taunted the opposition sideline.		17/07/16 v Coventry Jets
Dan de Lucia	24	Sussex Thunder	FGT	4	Player was tackled and, as he was driven back, head-butted his tackler several times.		10/07/16 v Bury Saints
Christopher Hooley	74	London Blitz B	FGT	4	After the play was over, the player was seen throwing punches at an opponent.		10/07/16 v Essex Spartans
Jordan Aimakhu	52	London Warriors	FGT	1	Player kept on fighting for the ball after a fumble, ignoring 3 loud warnings from officials to stop and that the Warriors would have the ball. The opponent beneath him had stopped trying to contest, the player kept on wrestling and shoving them.		17/07/16 v Bristol Aztecs
Niall Scott-Grant	5	London Warriors	ASS	1	In an attempt to get to the dead ball pile, deliberately went through the game official making forcible contact with them.		17/07/16 v Bristol Aztecs & 07/08/16 v London Blitz
Previous weeks
Lee Lamb	98	Halton Spartans	FGT	4		In retaliation to taunt from opponent (see below), threw a punch.	24/07/16 v Leeds Bobcats
Kevin Gray	70	East Kilbride Pirates	FPF	3		After the play was over, the player head butted an opponent	10/07/16 v Coventry Jets

GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS

HOME TEAM	REPORT	NEXT HOME GAME
New this week
London Warriors	Field surface uneven, lots of cut grass left on field which sometimes partially obscured markings. No 9 yard marks or field numbers. Home team refused to allow visitors access to the indoor changing rooms, instead insisting that they used the marquee outside. Home team cheerleaders had to be removed from marquee before away team could use it also. 2 changes made to officials assistants. Phil Clarke #262	17/07/16 v Bristol Aztecs
Bristol Aztecs	Field is generally well marked out, but the limit lines are too close to the sidelines (approx 6 foot), and the coaching areas are only marked out to the 30 yard lines. Colin Edwards #76	Unknown
London Blitz Youth	Game played at University of Herts. 90 yard field with hashmarks continuing into each endzone for 5 yards, with a solid line across the field 5 yards inside the endzone. No coaching lines, team areas or limit lines. At 8:14 in the 2Q, East Kent requested moving to a running clock due to several player injuries and only having travelled with a small squad, which the Blitz agreed to. Andrew Murell #608	Unknown
London Blitz B	No numbers or nine yard marks. No marked coaching box or team area. No limit lines. Some lines feint and difficult to see if looking towards the sun. Peter Parsons #321	24/07/16 v Cambridgeshire Cats
Sussex Thunder	The field had two sets of hash marks: one correctly located and one being the temporary markings painted in the wrong place at last week's game. Also a couple of extra hash marks for good measure near one goal line. Pylons provided are not capable of standing up any more. Jim Briggs #31	10/07/16 v Bury Saints
Oxford Saints	The game was suspended with 1.35 left in 2nd Q following a player injury. Half time was called then and we played the remaining time after the break then going straight into 3^rd Brian Yates #29	17/07/16 v Torbay Trojans
Leeds Bobcats	Well marked field but only 80 yards in length.No 9 yard marks or limit lines. One member of the chain crew had to be changed at half time so he could drive an injured player to hospital who had a dislocated finger. Plaudits to both teams on playing a superb game of football. David Hewitt #607	10/07/16 v Walney Terriers
Outstanding items from previous weeks
South Wales Warriors	Field markings (especially the inbounds hash marks) were faint. No numbers or 9-yard marks. Amir Brooks #593	10/07/16 v London Blitz
Kent Exiles	Plaudits to the game day staff for remarking lines between games which had become faint in the heavy rain of the first game. Lee Wood #517	10/07/16 v Solent Thrashers
Solent Thrashers	Field markings were faint in comparison with some other sports' lines. Goals beyond end line by about a yard. Jim Briggs #31	17/07/16 v Sussex Thunder
Dundee Hurricanes	The balls presented by the home team did not have white stripes - the away team did not object or offer any alternate balls. Ian Sneddon #427	24/07/16 v Northumberland Lightening
Tamworth Phoenix	Game abandoned with 7 minutes remaining in the 4^th quarter due to lack of fit linemen for Coventry. Plaudits and thanks to the Coventry players who changed the referee's tyre after the game when a puncture was discovered. Jed Brookes-Lewis #395	07/08/16 v Merseyside Nighthawks
Essex Spartans	Changing rooms not lockable, no private shower/toilet. Numbers marked on field are too wide - although correctly placed with the top at 9 yards. Phil Clarke #262	10/07/16 v London Blitz B
Portsmouth Dreadnoughts	End zones are only 7 yards deep. Field markings were faint and became fainter after a mid-game shower. Field surface uneven with patches without grass. Jim Briggs #31	10/07/16 v Bournemouth Bobcats
Jurassic Coast Raptors	Field markings were generally good. Changing rooms not locked during game, the whole building was supposed to be locked but this did not seem to happen in the second half. Game was very chippy but controlled well by the crew David Knight #135	10/07/16 v Swindon Storm
Hastings Conquerors	Well marked 90-yard field although markings were quite faint. Inbounds lines not always 1-yard apart & numbers too large and at incorrect depth. Tim Ockendon #481	10/07/16 v East Kent Mavericks
Bournemouth Bobcats	The standing water meant one end line was incomplete and the game was played using only one goal Julian Mallia #336	07/08/16 v Maidstone Pumas
Bristol Apache	Field is generally well marked out, but the limit lines are too close to the sidelines (approx 6 foot), and the coaching areas are only marked out to the 30 yard lines. Colin Edwards #76	10/07/16 v Torbay Trojans
Birmingham Bulls	One set of goalposts were too wide: they were Gaelic football posts. Darryl Morton #493	31/07/16 v Ouse Valley Eagles
Lincolnshire Bombers	On arrival I was informed only 1 set of goal posts were available. So all offensive plays were played towards the goal. 4 different colours painted on field and the ones we use were in dark red and not that visible. 90 yard pitch only. Larry Rigby #269	17/07/16 v Humber Warhawks
Cornish Sharks	The field is generally well marked out, although the sideline yard marks were too short. The goals were soccer goals with long planks strapped to the uprights, and are therefore wider than regulation (24', rather than 18'6"), and the crossbar is lower than regulation (8' rather than 10'). Only one ball boy was provided by the home team, leading to the down box man acting as ball boy. With approximately 6 minutes remaining in the 2nd quarter, the game was suspended for 10 minutes to treat a suspected neck injury. He later requested to re-enter the game which the home team head coch initially disagreed with. After lengthy discussion between the head coaches and medical staff (which led to the half time interval lasting for more than 30 minutes), the registered paramedic who was providing medical cover cleared him to play. Amir Brooks #593	10/07/16 v Oxford Saints
Merseyside Nighthawks	Field markings in yellow - generally very good but not always level across field Mike Cavanagh 465	17/07/16 v Tamworth Phoenix

END ZONE

PLAY OF THE WEEK:

New this week

Play: With 4 seconds remaining in the game and the score tied, A35 throws a legal forward pass that is intercepted by B22. As B22 is running with the ball, B99 commits a flagrant personal foul at the A45. B22 is downed at the A30, time expires during the play. Ruling?
Ruling?

Last week

Play: 4th and 5 at the Team B 22 yard line. Team A line up to kick a field goal. After the snap, B90 rushes past the offensive line and towards the holder. B90 kicks the ball out of the possession of holder A12 as he is holding it in place for the kick. There is a scramble for the ball, and eventually the ball is blown dead with A12 in possesion at the Team B 29 yard line. Ruling?

Ruling: A player may not kick a ball being held in place by an opponent for a place kick (9-4-4). Illegal kick by B90. The penalty is 10 yards from the basic spot, which will be the previous spot (10-2-2-d-1-a). Team A are awarded a 1st down at the Team B 12 yard line.

MECHANICS:

New this week

Game Situation: 4th and 7 from Team A’s 15-yard line near the end of the 1st quarter. Team A line up to punt facing a very strong headwind with punter A8 standing on the Team A goal line. The long snap is wayward and the ball rolls into the end zone where it stops. B55 is moving to recover the ball when A8 holds B55 in the end zone. B98 muffs the ball causing it to roll across the end line. Time expires in the 1st quarter during the down. A8 is guilty of holding. As the hold occurred in the end zone, should the officials should regard enforcement of the penalty as 'obvious'?
Answer next issue...

Last week

Play: True or False: the Umpire should give a tipped ball signal (S11) when the kicked ball is partially blocked at the line of scrimmage?
Answer: False. The Umpire should give the ball tipped (S11) signal only if the kick is touched (but not forced touched) by Team B BEYOND the neutral zone (MM 10-8-d-2).

CALENDAR

Date	Event	Contact for details
2016
July 23^rd (Sat)	BAFRA Board Meeting	secretary@bafra.org
July 30^th (Sat)	BAFRA Elite Training Day	elite@bafra.org
August 27^th (Sat)	Britbowl
19^th November (Sat)	BAFRA Board Meeting	secretary@bafra.org

BAFRA Directors
President	David Parsons	president@bafra.org	General Secretary	Paul Sutton	secretary@bafra.org
Finance	Charlie Dean Young	finance@bafra.org	Operations	Richard Vernon	operations@bafra.org
Recruitment	James Meredith	recruitment@bafra.org	Training	Pete Thom	training@bafra.org
Director without Portfolio #1	Peter Parsons	dwp1@bafra.org	Director without Portfolio #2	Steve Tonkinson	dwp2@bafra.org

The opinions expressed in this Newsflash are those of the contributors, and not necessarily of BAFRA or its Directors.

All Incident Reports to be submitted via www.bafra.org.

Deadline for articles submitted by email (newsflash@bafra.org) is midnight Tuesday.

Editor: Dean Wright - Email: newsflash@bafra.org