Issue 03/18 26th January 2018
BAFRA Newsflash | |||
BAFRA ANNUAL CONVENTION – SAT 7TH AND SUN 8TH APRIL 2018
Week 1 Update
It is good to see that we already have interest from members, and we will be able to update registration details as soon as Sean returns from holiday. Although (per below) we cannot take payment directly from game fees there is plenty of time to spread the cost , and we have returned to plentiful opportunity to officiate now that the College season is back into full swing. We will add more details regarding the Convention Programme, and events on the Saturday night as soon as they are finalised.
Guest Speaker
Details will be issued on a separate document shortly.
Location
The Convention will be held at Yarnfield Park Training & Conference Centre, Yarnfield Lane, Yarnfield, Staffordshire, ST15 0NL. Yarnfield Park is a leading Training and Conference centre in the heart of the UK. I would recommend that you look over the facility on their website where you can also find details of the location and directions: www.yarnfieldpark.com.
Registration
To register to attend the Convention, you need to send an email to Sean Welsh at convention@bafra.info Again we will be making up personalised Convention Packs, ID Badges, Presentation handouts, Programme of Events, Game Day Paperwork, etc. As such you do need to pre-register.
Accommodation
In our efforts to make the Convention more accessible to everyone, this year we have again negotiated excellent rates for accommodation which are detailed below. In addition, the BAFRA Board has also agreed to provide some funding to keep down the costs. The rates indicated are per room and include all discounts and a full breakfast.
Twin Room: £44.00 per night (So if you share with someone it will only cost you £22.00 per night)
Single Room: £44.00 per night
Remember, to take advantage of the above rates you must book your room with Sean at convention@bafra.info.
Important Information required
When you send your email to Sean please provide the following information:
Payment
Payment for Convention rooms are due by 23rd March and payment can be made electronically or by cheque.
By cheque; with full payment included, should be made payable to BAFRA Ltd and sent to Charles Young at 25 Daffodil Close Haslingden Rossendale BB4 6NG.
By electronic payment; please ensure your payment reference is your full name and BAFRA number e.g. “Roger Brown 469” and use the account number 10255350, sort code 16-16-11, BAFRA Ltd, RBS, Cheetham Hill, Manchester.
By electronic payment plan; It is appreciated that some people may wish to spread the cost and make multiple payments over the weeks leading up to 23rd March. Please use the same instructions as above. If you wish to make multiple payments, then you must make the payments electronically and not by cheque.
Please let us know how you wish to pay by including this information in your email to Sean Welsh at convention@bafra.info when you register.
Game Fees
Unfortunately, payment for the Convention cannot be taken from Game Fees. The administration work involved is far too time consuming and does not fit well with our electronic process of paying Games Fees by direct transfer to your bank account.
Friday Night
Again, last year many attendees stayed on the Friday night to save an early rise and travel on the Saturday morning. As such the above rates are available again for both the Friday and Saturday nights. As the event promises to be our biggest and best for a while I would recommend booking your room as early as possible. You can do this at the same time you register to attend.
Ian Sneddon & Susannah Taylor
Convention Delivery Team
DISCIPLINARY CASES
NAME | # | TEAM | CODE | Q | OFFENCE | SUSPENDED | |
New this week | |||||||
Dewayne Cameron | 1 | Durham Saints | TGT | 3 | On the last play of the 3rd quarter the Derby QB was tackled. As the tackle was being completed and the QB was going to ground, the player lowered his head and hit the QB helmet to helmet. | 28/01/18 v Leeds Beckett Carnegie | |
Jack Verling | 18 | Derby Braves | FGT | 4 | Towards the end of the game a Derby play was broken up. As the play was coming to its conclusion the player was seen to throw a number of punches at an opponent. | 28/01/18 v Stirling Clansmen | |
Previous weeks | |||||||
James Watson | 77 | Loughborough Students | TUF | 2 | With seconds left in the second quarter the player was flagged for an unsportsmanlike foul. He the left the field but on approaching the sideline was flagged for a second, separate unsportsmanlike foul. | 04/02/18 v Durham Saints | |
Samuel Calvert | 27 | Sheffield Hallam Warriors | FPF | 2 | Following a punt, there was a pile up of bodies. #27 grabbed a prone player on the floor by the facemask and pulled him along the ground from the pile. | 28/01/18 v Leeds Gryphons | |
GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS
HOME TEAM | REPORT | NEXT HOME GAME |
New this week | ||
Edge Hill Vikings | Goal Posts were not padded, however this was rectified prior to KO. Only 2 Balls were adequate as all others were worn, Bradford could not offer any better balls so we went with 2. The game was delayed by 40 minutes as the medical facilities were not met by rule as the Physio went to the wrong location. The game was abandoned at half time due to driving rain and a 1 degree temperature, therefore the referee deemed the conditions unplayable as the players and officials were freezing. Chris Jarvis #10 | 28/01/18 v Tarannau Aberystwyth |
Warwick Wolves | Chain crew provided 2 minutes before kickoff. Plaudits to both teams for a disciplined game played in harsh conditions. Jed Brookes-Lewis #395 | 04/02/18 v NTU Renegades |
Outstanding items from previous weeks | ||
Newcastle Raiders | Groundsmen were on hand to assist with clearing the 4G surface of frost which formed in shaded sections of the field. sections that were clear were faded yellow and very hard to see with the low sunlight. Daniel Johnston #347 | 04/02/18 v Teesside Cougars |
Canterbury Chargers | Well marked 90-yard field marked in blue with other sport markings in white & yellow. No limit lines, numbers or 9-yard marks. 8-yard end zones and coaching line at incorrect depth. Game balls provided were all significantly under-inflated and game management could not rectify the issue so the officials rectified it on their behalf. Chain set had been repaired multiple times to the point where one of the stakes is barely fit for purpose, but only one relatively short delay during the game. Well appointed changing room but not lockable. | 28/01/18 v UEA Pirates |
UCLan Rams | At 11.00 on the day of the game Lee Taylor informed the crew and Operations that the game had been called off, he discovered this on Facebook. The team had not informed Bafra or responded to the Referee Confirmation email during the week. Chris Jarvis #10 | 04/02/18 v Sheffield Sabres |
Bristol Barracuda | 100 yard field well marked except for lack of 9 marks and team areas. Down box tied to soccer corner flag due to missing base pole Euan Paterson #165 | 11/02/18 v Bath Spa Bulldogs |
Durham Saints | Well marked 100 yard field with other sports markings, gooseneck goal posts are 2 yards off the end line with the base of the posts being outside the playing enclosure, the uprights are about a yard inside the perimeter fence. Old rugby post holes are inside each endzone, these are covered by a metal plate, extra turf is usually available to cover these, but this couldn’t be sourced for the game, these were filled in with green bibs. | 04/02/18 v Loughborough Students |
NTU Renegades | The game was delayed 30 minutes due to the late arrival of the medical crew. After consultation with both head coaches, it was agreed to reduce the quarters to 10 minutes. Murray Gibson #268 | 11/02/18 v Nottingham University |
Sheffield Sabres | 80 yard field with blue markings, posts fell over before the start of the game but were repaired before kick off. Ian Wainwright #567 | 11/02/18 v Leeds Gryphons |
Swansea Titans | The field had been fully marked out. However, persistent Welsh weather (i.e. rain) left these lines very faint. Amir Brooks #593 | 11/02/18 v Hertfordshire Hurricanes |
Huddersfield Hawks | Upon arrival coin toss was conducted away from the field as Huddersfield were not certain that we could stay later than 4:30pm due to complications with venue management. Chain crew and ball persons were not available at the scheduled kick off time, medical cover was also not present. Huddersfield had assumed it had been arranged through the Student Union however this was not the case. Despite Huddersfield’s best efforts to try and arrange medical cover and after waiting an hour the game was abandoned at the agreement of both Head Coaches Kevin Stanton #157 | 11/02/18 v Northampton Nemesis |
Chester Legion | The field had been marked in metres as an 80 metre field. Five metre lines were not present (though ten metre lines were). The hashmarks continued through the endzone, and in some places were unevenly spaced. Changing facilities are very distant from the field, so officials are advised to arrive dressed for the game. Paul Todd #289 | 28/01/18 v Bangor MudDogs |
Lancaster Bombers | 80 yard pitch. No limit line . Field numbers too small Henry Richardson #25 | 11/02/18 v UWS Pyros |
Leicester Longhorns | Field is well marked apart from the hashmarks which are NFL style. | 28/01/18 v Warwick Wolves |
Kingston Cougars | Field is a very long way from the changing rooms. Down box was very short. Cones were used in place of lines for the coaching and players boxes. Dean Wright #553 | 04/02/18 v Reading Knights |
UEL Phoenix | Field markings in a faint blue, hard to see. Hash marks in the wrong place with one side almost down the middle of the pitch. Some main yard lines at a very poor angle John Griffin #598 | 04/02/18 v ARU Rhinos |
Liverpool Raptors | All markings were faint before the game started and were difficult to see by the end of the game. Game was suspended with approximately 8 minutes remaining in the first quarter for a serious injury. Game resumed with quarters reduced to 8 minutes with the agreement of both head coaches. John Roberts #145 | 04/02/18 v Chester Legion |
City Wolfpack | This game was the second of double header and kicked off at 13:30. Due to sunset at 15:58, both coaches were informed that under rule 3.2.1e we would be playing 10 minute quarters. The game was completed just before 16:00. Field markings in a faint blue, hard to see. Hash marks in the wrong place with one side almost down the middle of the pitch. Some main yard lines at a very poor angle. A Bucs player wore 06 and have been informed to change this shirt as it is illegal. John Griffin #598 | 18/02/18 v Chichester Spitfires |
Leeds Beckett Carnegie | 80 yard field. No 3 yard marks. Sideline hashes were absent and game management were once again asked to sort the problem before the next game. Team areas were also absent and had to be marked with cones. David Hewitt #607 | 28/01/18 v Durham Saints |
Imperial Immortals | Well marked 90-yard field except for end lines which were very faint. Inbounds lines at incorrect depth. No limit lines, numbers or 9-yard marks and team areas marked out with cones. Changing rooms good but not locked during game. | 04/02/18 v Kent Falcons |
UCL Emperors | As previously noted, the site is not available until 1pm so officials will need to come pre-changed and prepared for minimal pregame. Struggled to find a chain crew and ball persons, so game actually kicked off 15 minutes late at 2pm with 10 minute quarters due to sunset at 4pm. Down box operator had to be changed following several complaints regarding his behaviour and lack of neutrality. Field is generally very well marked, apart from team areas stop at the 30 yard line. Brighton play in black jerseys with purple numbers which are not as distinctive as they could be. The access issue will remain for the rest of the season, so future officials should be prepared for this. Andrew Murrell #608 | 04/02/18 v Chichester Spitfires |
Coventry Uni Jets | Field marked in dark red with narrow hashes. No team areas. Jed Brookes-Lewis #395 | 04/02/18 v Lincoln Colonials |
Bangor Muddogs | The field at Burnage Rugby Club was well marked, however due to the wet weather and flood lights in use for the late kick off they were difficult to see. In order for the game to proceed we set up low level training cones at regular intervals on each sideline. Kevin Stanton #157 | 04/02/18 v Edge Hill Vikings |
Hallam Warriors | 80 yard field, marked in dark red, various other sports marked in other colours on same field. No three yard mark, no nine yard marks, no limit lines or team areas. Changing room not lockable | 04/02/18 v LJM Fury |
MMU Eagles | The majority of the field was marked in faint blue, with some field lines marked in bright white. The field will need remarking before the next game at this venue. No numbers or nine yard marks. Team areas and coaching line not marked. The down marker and stakes were only approximately 3 feet high and had to be taped to other poles to raise them to a sufficient height. The stakes and down maker were provide 60 minutes provided to the scheduled kick-off, the actual chain was not provided until after the scheduled kick-off time. The final two officials assistants were only provided after the scheduled kick-off time. The home team did not provide a roster until after the scheduled kick off time. The home team were assessed a game management delay of game penalty. Two of the chain crew did not re-appear for the start of the second, the home team were assessed second game management delay of game penalty. In the third quarter, midway through a visiting team drive, the down-box operator decided he no longer wanted to be a member of the chain crew and wanted to return to his own sideline and become a coach. The home team were assessed third game management delay of game penalty No towels were provided for the ball persons despite the rain. Ben Griffiths #228 | 25/02/18 v Huddersfield Hawks |
LJM Fury | Field quite well marked but done in faint yellow paint which was difficult to see in sunlight and almost invisible when wet and under floodlights. Otherwise, good. Stuart Young #33 | 28/01/18 v UCL Rams |
Staffordshire Stallions | Kickoff was delayed for around 30 minutes due to the late arrival of medical cover. The field was very well marked. Paul Todd #289 | 04/02/18 v Leicester Longhorns |
PLAY OF THE WEEK: | |
New this week | Play: Team A's ball, they are going for a try on the Team B 3 yard line. A80 is the snapper. A80 is also positioned on the end of the line of scrimmage. All other linemen, five of whom are numbered 50-79, are to A80's left (swinging gate). A80 snaps the ball to quarterback A18, who throws a legal forward pass back to A80, who catches the ball in B's end zone. |
Last week | Play: Team A's ball, 2nd and 6, on the Team B 40 yard line. A80 muffs the legal forward pass up in the air on the Team B 28 yard line. B23 intercepts the ball and runs to the Team A 40 yard line where he fumbles the ball. B56 falls on the ball on the Team A 38 yard line. During B23's run, QB A18 was blocked below the waist at midfield. |
MECHANICS: | |
New this week | Game Situation: Mid-way through the 2nd quarter and during a timeout, the Head Linesman notices that the head coach of the team on his sideline is standing 5 yards on the field talking to his players. The coaches on the other side of the field are remaining in their coaching area during the timeout. |
Last week | Game Situation: What is the “Silent Wind” and when should a Referee be using it? |
Date | Event | Contact for details |
2018 | ||
February 17th (Sat) | BAFRA Board Meeting | |
May 12th (Sat) | BAFRA Board Meeting | |
July 21st (Sat) | BAFRA Board Meeting | |
November 17th (Sat) | BAFRA Board Meeting |
BAFRA Directors | |||||
President | David Parsons | General Secretary | Paul Sutton | ||
Finance | Roger Brown | Operations | Richard Vernon | ||
Recruitment | Lee Taylor | Training | Pete Thom | ||
Director without Portfolio #1 | Peter Parsons | Director without Portfolio #2 | Steve Tonkinson | ||
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.info. Deadline for articles submitted by email (newsflash@bafra.info) is midnight Tuesday. |
