NAME

#

TEAM

CODE

Q

OFFENCE

SUSPENDED

New this week

Jamal Ennis-Melhado

52

Edge Hill Vikings

FGT

3

After the play was over the player was seen to throw punches at LJM #5

24/01/16 v Bangor Muddogs

Mark Martin

5

LJM Fury

FGT

3

Player was seen to throw punches at Edge Hill #52 after the play was over

06/12/15 v Bangor Muddogs

Kevin Gray

57

UWS Pyros

FUC

2

Player verbally abused and threatened an opponent.

06/12/15 v Teeside Cougars

Thomas Lachendro

98

Glasgow Tigers

TGT

3

During a punt return #98 launched himself into an opponent, contacting the opponent on the helmet with the crown of his own helmet.

24/01/16 v Sunderland Spartans

Seyed Daniel Hajsadr

66

Northumbria Mustangs

FPF

4

After the play was over, #66 walked past an opponent who was lying on the ground, & kicked him.

06/12/15 v Newcastle Raiders

Previous weeks – none

HOME TEAM

REPORT

NEXT HOME GAME

New this week

Bradford Bears

90 yard field. Field markings faint due to heavy rain. No 9 yard marks, 3 yard marks or limit lines. Hash marks in the centre of the field were incomplete. Field surface was extremely wet and boggy due to 24 hours of heavy rain leading up to the game. This meant that the 2^nd half was played in ankle deep mud. Plaudits to both sets of players for playing in atrocious weather with good humour and sportsmanship.

David Hewitt #607

17/01/16 v York Centurions

NTU Renegades

The start was delayed by 45 minutes waiting for the medical cover to arrive so quarters were reduced to 10 minutes. With less than 5 minutes to play in the third quarter, there was a 50 minute delay to treat an injured player, on the first play after resuming the game there was another serious injury where a second ambulance was called. It was clear that the game would not re-start before sunset so with the agreement of both coaches the game was abandoned.

Pete Thom #200

07/02/16 v Staffordshire Stallions

Brighton Tsunami

Changing room supplied was too small (only big enough for 2 people) requested a bigger changing room. Team said that the facilities manager had refused changing the rooms, however someone from the university supplied as with a second room of identical size, crew changed in separate rooms and then moved into one for pregame. One game ball rejected for being under inflated, team corrected. No chain crew supplied when requested and no attempt to get a chain crew together. Coach removed players from his team to provide a chain crew. New chain crew member supplied at HT, so headline and ref stayed on field at HT to brief new chain crew member. Person rejected as was injured and could not even jog. Further replacement supplied, who had little interest in doing the chains and he then had to be also briefed. No team areas marked, marked out in small cones, no 3 yard marks. Field markings are blue.

David Knight #135

06/12/15 v Kent Falcons

Durham Saints

Prior to the game, Stirling were asked if they could change their white fade jerseys, due to the design, the numbers on the jerseys are difficult to see. The game was played without goal posts. With 8.56 remaining in the game, there was a lengthy delay as a Durham player had a severe injury, after 30 minutes, there were a few discussions taking place and Durham decided to call the game. Plaudits to Stirling for the assistance they provided when the player was down injured.

Liam Wooton #478

31/01/16 v Derby Braves

LSBU Spartans

Game kicked of at 13;40 and was reduced to 10 minute quarters, field marking disappeared fast as was 2nd game on field, crew persevered and it was a very hard fought game.

Larry Rigby #269

31/01/16 v City Sentinels

City Sentinels

80 yard pitch, very muddy, lying water in places

Larry Rigby #269

14/02/16 v LSBU Spartans

Portsmouth Destroyers

Field markings in yellow, otherwise markings in white. Field is 90 yards with line 5 yards in one of the ends zones with side line hash marks. Field surface extremely muddy in places.

CK Nam #586

31/01/16 v BNU Buccaneers

KCL Regents

80-yard field marked in red with rugby markings in white. Main lines found to be >5 yards apart so the chains were definitive. Inbounds lines unevenly spaced and missing in places. No team area markings but partially marked out with cones. KO delayed by 10 minutes due to late arrival of medical cover.

Tim Ockendon #481

31/01/16 v Surrey Stingers

Reading Knights

Changes made to both ball persons and chain crew. Changing rooms, although being very new, are quite small and are not lockable.

Pete Parsons #321

06/12/15 v Solent Redhawks

Edge Hill Vikings

No coaches or player boxes marked. Pitch was marked in yellow paint which on a grass field deteriorated as the game went on.

We should have known it was not going to be the best of days when on route to do a pitch inspection prior to the game the referee slipped and fell over in what was already a marsh at the back of the endzone, I am sure there was someone duck hunting back there during the game.

Plaudits should be given to coaches, players and staff from both teams for managing to arrange the fixture as a 10:30 kickoff and to accommodate the officials covering a later fixture at a different venue on the same day. Then kickoff was delayed by 50 minutes as the medical coverage had broken down and did not arrive until late, a member of the LJM coaching staff stepped up to cover so the game could start within the 60 minute time limit allowed by rule. I must also thank the rest of the BAFRA crew who turned out to officiate the game in the absolute worst conditions I have ever taken the field in.

Lee Taylor #183

31/01/16 v Keele Crusaders

Coventry Jets

80 yard field marked in red on a rugby pitch, no team areas formally marked but adapted other markings instead.

Richard Whitby #136

24/01/16 v Leicester Longhorns

Outstanding items from previous weeks

Brunel Burners

The main lines on the field were marked in blue, with the hash marks at the sideline marked in red. There were no hashmarks in the middle of the field, nor were there any numbers or nine-yard marks. The team areas were marked to the 23-yard line in each direction. The officials assistants were provided very late and there were multiple changes made to the chain crew. Initially, only two useable footballs were provided. The goal posts were 1 yard behind the end line. Changing rooms were not lockable.

Pete Parsons #321

24/01/16 v Portsmouth Destroyers

Northumbria Mustangs

Game K.O delayed 25 minutes to allow arrival of approved medical cover which had gone to the wrong venue. No 9 Yard marks, NFL style hash marks, 8 yard end zones.

Ian Cubitt #457

06/12/15 v Newcastle Raiders

Manchester Tyrants

Game kicked off 42 minutes late due to lack of medical cover. 90 yard field. No nine yard marks. 3 yard mark actually at 3 and a half yards.

Dan Holt #371

06/12/15 v York Centurions

Solent Redhawks

Crossbars on the goals are not on the endline - slightly overhang into the endzone. Field markings are yellow and become invisible when the sun reflects at a certain angle, but are visible under normal circumstances. Game management should be applauded for ensuring the availability of chain crew and ball boys prior to the game. Chain crew all first time crew members and were excellent.

David Knight #135

24/01/16 v Surrey Stingers

Sussex Saxons

Game started 5 minutes late because we were again awaiting for the team to provide chain crew and ball boys. Field well marked but was very muddy by the end of the game and lines began to disappear. Both teams conducted themselves very professionally and are a credit to the league - just wish we could get these game management provide the assistance issues sorted

David Knight #135

07/02/16 v Brighton Tsunami

Kingston Cougars

Well marked field missing 3 yard marks and with numbers at incorrect depth. Team areas marked with cones. Goals had been blown perpendicular to the end line by strong winds. Plaudits to game management for their simple and effective solution. Balls supplied were all under inflated. Problems with rectifying this and supplying officials' assistants lead to the KO being delayed by 10 minutes.

Tim Ockendon #481

13/12/15 v Imperial Immortals

Worcester Royals

Changing rooms very dirty with no lights. Field excellently marked.

Jed Brookes-Lewis #395

06/12/15 v NTU Renegades

Sheffield Sabres

Field of play 80 yards - no formal team areas marked but other marking utilised.

Richard Whitby #133

13/12/15 v UCH Sharks

Leicester Longhorns

NFL hash marks, no team areas, no nine yard marks.

Pete Thom #200

22/11/15 v Lincoln Colonials

LJM Fury

Lines are painted in yellow. Three-yard mark is on the two yard line. Team areas were marked with cones.

Aminul Hassan #534

13/12/15 v Liverpool Raptors

Gloucester Gladiators

Gloucester changed the venue on Friday due to their normal pitch being waterlogged. The changing room for teams and officials was locked and the person with the key never showed. Therefore, the officials changed in the toilets at the ASDA across the road. Start of game delayed 40 minutes due to late arrival of Bournemouth. The field was 80 yards long, marked in red with no hashmarks on the sidelines. However full credit to Gloucester for getting the field looking as good as it did with the time they had.

Mike LeFevre #341

06/12/15 v Bath Spa Bulldogs

Westminster Dragons

The crew was not notified of a change of venue. Four of the 5 crew arrived at the venue in good time to find that nobody was there. We contacted Operations and were able to discover the actual venue, East London Rugby Club, which is the likely future location of Westminster's home games. The Referee was being forced to travel to the game by rail replacement bus. He was unable to travel to the new venue in any kind of reasonable time, and the game was officiated by a crew of 4. The game kicked off an hour late after the crew made their way to the new venue. The field currently in use at East London RFC is not either of the three rugby pitches. (Crews should still change in the rugby club changing area.) It is a re-purposed soccer field located behind the five-a-side cage. It is 80 yards with soccer goalposts, which were appropriately padded. It was marked on the morning of the game to a creditably high standard. No team areas, and one sideline was slightly uneven. One of the end zones was considerably larger than the other, although both were of legal size. Both head coaches agreed to play all downs in the direction of the larger end zone and to play without field goals. The home team provided only two footballs. Chain crew extremely slow. The Westminster head coach told us that the team will be significantly revising its game management procedures before its next home game.

Alan Dobson #308

24/01/16 v LSBU Spartans

Derby Braves

Only 1 set of goals, one way mechanics used. Neither team objected.

Ian Wainwright #567

06/12/15 v Durham Saints

UEL Titans

Hash marks not straight down the field but 1 yard apart. One end zone 2 yards bigger than the other yet with both head coaches agreement, we played the game as normal and not one way. There were no uprights on the goals, as soccer goals were used; both had good padding. Therefore no field goals were taken. Chain crew left at half time but adequate time before second half began to prepare new crew. Chains broke on 3 occasions.

John Griffin #598

06/12/15 v LSBU Spartans

Nottingham Outlaws

No goalpost at either end.

Ian Wainwright #567

05/12/15 v Staffordshire Stallions

Southampton Stags

Game started late as crew arrived later than expected from a previous game in a double header. Goals are attached to a fence approximately 2 yards behind the endline. Game played under floodlights as a 3:30 KO and on punts and KOs the ball disappears into the darkness before returning to the flood lit area. Field is covered in rubber crumb so much so the lines have to be cleared to see them. Game played in a good spirit by both teams and the game winning TD that broke the tie was scored with 12 seconds left in the game.

David Knight #135

06/12/15 v Brunel Burners

Hertfordshire Hurricanes

Team areas marked with coloured cones, No numbers or 9 yard marks, two wires across the field 10 foot off the ground.

Pete Thom #200

06/12/15 v Imperial Immortals

PLAY OF THE WEEK:

New this week

Play: 4th and 10 at the Team A 40 yard line. Team A line up to punt, A23 is in illegal motion at the snap. A4's punt is blocked behind the line of scrimmage and never crosses the line of scrimmage, A4 then recovers the ball and advances is beyond the line of scrimmage to the Team A 42 yard line, where he punts the ball. The ball is then muffed by B20 at the Team B 20 yard line and recovered by A23 at the Team B 25 yard line. Ruling?
Ruling?

Last week

Play: A's ball, 2nd and 10, on A's 20. QB A15 scrambles to A's 21 and is beyond the line of scrimmage where he throws a pass to A83. B43 pushes A83 out of the way at A's 45, intercepts and runs to A's 10 where he fumbles. B43 recovers while grounded on A's 5.

Ruling: A15 throws an illegal forward pass when he throws a pass from beyond the neutral zone. Pass interference is applicable only during a down in which there is a legal forward pass (7-3-9-d). A defensive player may legally push an opponent in an attempt to reach a loose ball, therefore there is no foul for pass interference. Team B have committed no fouls and keep the ball after the turnover, 1st and goal, on team A's 5 yard line.

MECHANICS:

New this week

Game Situation: Team A run a sweep to the left of their line. The Linejudge is positioned on the wing to the right of the line of scrimmage, he flags right tackle A75 for holding. When reporting the foul to the Referee the Umpire points out that the hold probably didn't effect the play, and that by rules interpretation shouldn't be a foul. How should the crew resolve this situation?
Answer next issue...

Last week

Play: Which official is responsible for informing coaches of the exact time when the two minute warning is called?
Answer: M-20-2. The Referee must ensure that the captain and Head Coach of each team have been informed of exactly how much time remains in the half, not just that it is the two-minute warning.

Date

Event

Contact for details

2015

December 5^th (Sat)

Opal Series Final

2016

February 16^th (Sat)

BAFRA Board Meeting

secretary@bafra.org

April 2^nd and 3^rd

BAFRA Annual Convention & AGM

president@bafra.org

May 7^th (Sat)

BAFRA Board Meeting

secretary@bafra.org

July 23^rd (Sat)

BAFRA Board Meeting

secretary@bafra.org

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

Chalies Dean Young

finance@bafra.org

Operations

Richard Vernon

operations@bafra.org

Recruitment

Kevin Stanton

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.