BAFRA Newsflash

http://www.bafra.org

Issue: 33/14

21^st August 2014

2015 CONVENTION

Recently I have had quite a number of members contact me to find out the date of next year's Convention. Some need to book time of work or make family arrangements and others just want the date for their diary. As such I can confirm the Convention will be held on Saturday 28^th and Sunday 29^th March 2015

David Parsons

president@bafra.org

DISCIPLINARY UPDATE

BAFA has issued a second fixed penalty notice to Mr Andrew Tyler, Assistant Coach with London Olympians. Mr Tyler attended (as a spectator) the game between South Wales Warriors and London Olympians on 10^th August for which he was suspended. As a coach, he was subject to a "game day" suspension, which prohibits him from entering the playing enclosure (as defined in Rule 2-31-5), communicating in any way with anyone who is in the playing enclosure, or otherwise drawing the attention of anyone in the playing enclosure from two hours before kickoff until two hours after the game has finished. Spectators are by definition inside the playing enclosure.

In view of the fact that the paperwork sent to the Olympians did not make this clear, the Referee for the game wasn't fully aware of the correct procedure, and the Olympians accepted responsibility at the first opportunity, BAFA has decided not to impose a further penalty on Mr Tyler, but he will however need to serve the correct suspension, which (by the time you read this) will have been done on 17^th August. The Olympians have been warned to remember their responsibilities under the BAFA Disciplinary Code.

To clarify some misconceptions about suspensions:

Nobody who is suspended HAS to attend a game; they simply have to be marked as suspended on the roster for it to count.
Most suspensions are "playing" suspensions for people disqualified while playing. While suspended, they can be in the team area as long as they are not in uniform.
"Game day" suspensions are for non-players (e.g. coaches and sideline personnel). This means they can't be within sight and sound of the field (our interpretation of a playing enclosure when the field isn't enclosed) for 2 hours either side of the game.
Someone (normally the referee) needs to "witness" a suspension. They can do this by filling in the form at http://bit.ly/bafasusp. The exception to this is any long-running time-limited suspension (e.g. for months or years).

If anyone has any questions, please get in touch.

Jim Briggs

discipline@britishamericanfootball.org

NORTH WEST REGIONAL TRAINING EVENT – 3^RD SEPT

North West officials are holding a regional meeting on Wednesday 3rd September at 19:30. The meeting will be held at the Brinsop Inn, Westoughton, BL5 3NJ.

The event is aimed at officials of all levels and is open to all BAFRA officials, if you are in the area, feel free to come along. If you require any further information please contact me using my details on the BAFRA members area of the website.

Stuart Young

#33

RESULTS

Lincolnshire Bombers 33-32 Sandwell Steelers

Oxford Saints 34-20 Leicester Falcons

Shropshire Revolution 28-0 Peterborough Saxons

Glasgow Tigers 0-34 West Coast Trojans

Aberdeen Roughnecks 7-7 Dundee Hurricanes

Walney Terriers 20-41 Staffordshire Surge

Crewe Railroaders 12-29 Merseyside Nighthawks

Essex Spartans 26-28 Bury Saints

Kent Exiles 74-0 Ipswich Cardinals

Gloucester Centurions 14-32 Bristol Apache

Farnham Knights 72-6 Bournemouth Bobcats

Cornish Sharks 0-0 Swindon Storm

Sheffield Predators 8-9 Coventry Jets

Birmingham Bulls 48-0 Doncaster Mustangs

DISCIPLINARY CASES

NAME	#	TEAM	CODE	Q		OFFENCE	SUSPENDED
New this week
Nathan Jewkes	88	Merseyside Nighthawks	FUC	4	Following a legal block of an opponent to the ground, the player stood over the prone opponent, laughing and taunting him, and reblocking him to the ground. This action continued with at least two further taunts. The player was ejected for flagrant unsportsmanlike conduct in accordance with Rule 9.2.1.a.1		24/08/14 v Farnham Knights
Craig Hudson	35	Colchester Gladiators Junior			The player was involved in a blocking tussle away from the ball. They continued after the play was dead and then number 35 grabbed the face cage of the opponent and then threw a punch.		Unknown
Previous weeks
Josh Ashmore	10	Coventry Jets Junior	FUC	O		At the end of the game the player swore at an official.	Unknown
Gareth Evans	30	London Hornets	FGT	2		Punched an opponent twice.	Unknown
Nathan Russell	83	Hastings Conquerers	FGT	3		During a confrontation after a play had concluded, pushed his hand into an opponent s face and then headbutted him.	Unknown

GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS

HOME TEAM	REPORT	NEXT HOME GAME
New this week
Oxford Saints	Changing rooms not lockable. Field surface undulates in places. Peter Parsons #321	Unknown
Leeds Bobcats	The Bobcats play at West Leeds RUFC The field surface is excellent but the field is only 80 yards long and no 3yd marks. The changing room is inadequate for American Football officials, so the Bobcats vacated a room they were using to allow us to use. Tim Vickers #129	Unknown
Farnham Knights Junior	About 30 minutes before the scheduled kick off the Farnham Head Coach advised us that he was concerned that Colchester did not have sufficient players to comply with the competition requirements. Speaking with the Colchester Head Coach he advised that a car with 3 players had been involved in a traffic incident on the M25 and that left him with 21 players in uniform. It was agreed that the game should proceed, a report submitted and the league would then decide on the outcome. Julian Mallia #336	Unknown
Birmingham Bulls	Just prior to the game, one set of goal posts collapsed. With the agreement of both teams they played a no-posts game Brian Yates #29	Unknown
Outstanding items from previous weeks
Bristol Aztecs	Facility is excellent, however the football markings are in yellow amongst several other colours of markings for different sports. This makes is sometimes difficult to pick them out. Dean Wright #553	Playoffs?
Merseyside Nighthawks	No team areas marked due to constraints of field surface, although coaches were able to stand 6' outside sidelines, and players behind coaches. Only one goal post, so as teams wished to kick, all drives were towards the one set of posts Mike Cavanagh #465	24/08/14 v Farnham Knights

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: A's ball, 3rd and 8, on B's 32. QB A18's legal forward pass is intercepted on B's 9 by B23 who advances to A's 42 and fumbles. A76 recovers on A's 46 while grounded. B53 clips on B's 46 during B23's advance. Clock?

Ruling: The clock was stopped to award a first down to Team A. The fact that there was a change of team possession during the down has nothing to do with the clock. Team A will decline the penalty. A's ball, 1st and 10, on A's 46. The clock starts on the ready for play.

MECHANICS:

New this week

Game Situation: As team A are huddling before a PAT, the Linejudge on a 5 man crew notices that the Referee is rolling his hands above his head. What is the Referee trying to signal? How should the Linejudge respond?
Answer next issue...

Last week

Play: On a 7 man crew, when covering a goal line play near the Team A goal line, under what circumstances do the wing men have primary responsibility for the goal line?
Answer: The linejudge has primary responsibility for the Team A goal line from the 7 yard line and in. The Head Linesman has primary responsibility from the Team A 2 yard line and in. If you have responsibility for either team's goal line, immediately after the snap, move directly towards it to rule on the score or an accurate forward progress. (MM 13-5).

CALENDAR

Date	Event	Contact for details
2014
September 14^th (Sun)	BAFA Senior Finals
September 20^th (Sat)	BAFA Junior Final
September 28^th (Sun)	NFL @ Wembley (Miami v Oakland)
October 26^th (Sun)	NFL @ Wembley (Detroit v Atlanta)
November 1^st (Sat)	Xplosion 2014 – Birmingham v Hertfordshire
November 9^th (Sun)	NFL @ Wembley (Dallas v Jacksonville)
November 15^th (Sat)	BAFRA Board Meeting	secretary@bafra.org
March 28^th & 29^th	BAFRA Annual Convention	president@bafra.org

BAFRA Directors
President	David Parsons	president@bafra.org	General Secretary	Paul Sutton	secretary@bafra.org
Finance	Andrew Lovell	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	Martin Cockerill	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