BAFRA CONVENTION

My thanks to everyone who made last weekend such a great event. It was good to meet everyone again and to see so many people having such an enjoyable time.

Our Guest Speaker Bill LeMonnier has asked that I pass on his thanks to everyone for making him feel so welcome. As promised, he will shortly be passing on links to download video. It will be issued within the next few days via email to BAFRA Members.

Our next task is to review the many feedback forms I have received. It’s so important that we continue to evaluate our efforts and look at ways of improving what has now become a very popular annual event. Enjoy the forthcoming season.

Davie Parsons

president@bafra.org

CONVENTION BREAKOUT SESSION PRESENTATIONS

Some of the presentations from the breakout sessions at last weekends BAFRA Convention are now available on the website for members at the following location: http://www.bafra.org/members/training/convention2016/index.htm.

Colin Willox

webmaster@bafra.org

APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTOR

At the AGM held on 2^nd April 2016, Peter Parsons was elected to the Board of BAFRA Limited as Director without Portfolio #1. He is replacing Martin Cockerill who has stood down after a number of years of excellent service to give himself more time to concentrate on the BAFA duties.

I am sure that at the same time as welcoming Peter to his new responsibilities, all members will wish to join the Board in thanking Martin for his valuable contribution to the organisation over the years.

Paul Sutton

secretary@bafra.org

EXAM 2016

This is now available on the website and should be returned for marking by 5:00pm on 7^th May 2016. A couple of members have reported difficulties in downloading the exam, which is available in the member’s area of the website. If you are encountering such difficulties, please e-mail the Examination Committee on exam2016@bafra.org and copy in the webmaster, Colin Willox, on webmaster@bafra.org. This will both ensure you receive a copy of the exam and allow Colin to investigate any technical issues that may have arisen.

Paul Sutton

secretary@bafra.org

2016 RULE BOOKS

These have been posted to all qualified and associate members who were unable to attend last weekend’s Convention. If you have not received yours by Saturday 9^th April (or at least a note from Royal Mail that they have tried to deliver something that was too big for your letterbox!), please contact me.

Paul Sutton

secretary@bafra.org

NEW MEMBERS ON BAFRA SELECTION COMMITTEE

I am pleased to announce that the following officials have be chosen to serve on the BAFRA Selection Committee for a 3 year period:

• Roger Brown

• Aminul Hassan

I would also like to thank outgoing members, Ian Wainwright and David Knight for their valuable work on this committee.

Richard Vernon

operations@bafra.org

CHANGE TO ASSIGNING YOUTH TOURNAMENTS

As I mentioned at the Convention last week, officials will now be paid for working Youth Tournaments (this will currently be a full game fee for up to two officials). It is therefore appropriate that we change how officials are assigned to these events on Arbiter. From May onwards if officials are shown available on Arbiter they may be assigned to such a tournament. However if any official does not want to be considered for any 5 on 5 events then just let us know at operations@bafra.org and we will not assign you although you are showing available on Arbiter. We do hope all officials will be willing to work one or two such events during the year. Travel costs are currently not met for these events but discussions are ongoing to change this. Please note that almost ALL Youth Tournaments are played on Saturdays.

April Tournaments will continue to be assigned via messages in Newsflash and to local officials in areas where Tournaments are scheduled. Here are the planned April tournaments for which officials are still required. Officials will be paid for working these events.

Saturday 16^th April:

• Chorley

• Farnham

Saturday 23^rd April:

• Newquay

• Hamilton

• Sheffield

Saturday 30^th April:

• Birmingham

• Hertfordshire

• London Blitz

Richard Vernon

operations@bafra.org

LIST OF ALL-TIME MEMBERS OF BAFRA

As many of you will be aware, we have been compiling a list of the all-time membership of BAFRA and, as always, I would like to thank those who have contributed to this. However it have received a particular boost thanks to Mike Roberts who has unearthed a membership list, complete with membership numbers from 1987. As well as adding about thirty names to the existing list, the document has also provided a number of first names for people for whom we only had initials in the past. The updated document may be found in the member’s area of the website at: http://www.bafra.org/members/other/NumbersAllTime.pdf. If anyone has any further information to add to the list, please contact me.

Paul Sutton

secretary@bafra.org

DISCIPLINARY UPDATE

On 9^th August last year, Tom Atkinson, #35 of Walney Terriers was disqualified for targeting. The case has been in my pending tray while we awaited high quality video but that has not been forthcoming. Based on the poor quality video, the disqualification was nevertheless withdrawn by the officials. Mr Atkinson can continue playing and is not suspended for the first game of this season.

A BAFA Appeal Committee has granted parole to Martin Punter of Edinburgh Wolves. Mr Punter was suspended for 5 years in 2012 for serious misconduct but the Committee received evidence of his remorse and positive feedback from those who have dealt with him in another sport over the last couple of years. His return to American football is being managed in conjunction with his club and BAFA will receive regular reports. His parole may be terminated at any time if its conditions are violated.

This is my last disciplinary update. I'm retiring from the role of BAFA Disciplinary Officer on 9^th April to be able to devote more time to other projects, particularly IAFOA. David Knight has been appointed by the BAFA Board to take over from me on an interim basis.

Being the Disciplinary Officer is often a thankless task, and over the years I've been called a selection of names and been the target of some abuse. However, it is surprising how often people thank me for the work, and it is particularly rewarding to be thanked for when appropriate disciplinary action has turned around an individual's career or a club's fortunes.

On a personal note, I'd like to thank all the many people who have served over the years on both the Disciplinary Team (who administer the system) and the Disciplinary Panel (who hear the cases) for their work and support during my time as BDO. It's reassuring to know that the spirit of the sport is in good hands. I would particularly like to thank Darryl Morton, who has served on the Disciplinary Team with me the longest, and who is also standing down now. Phil Clarke is moving from the Panel to the Team to cover that vacancy.

Jim Briggs

discipline@britishamericanfootball.org

THE BAFA SAPPHIRE SERIES (WOMEN'S TACKLE FOOTBALL) FINAL SERIES 16^TH APRIL

The Sapphire Series now reaches its final set of tournaments on Saturday 16^th April, at Birmingham (7 v 7) Chester and Norwich. Can I begin by thanking everyone who worked one of these tournaments.

We now need a just a few more officials to come forward for all of these tournaments. Details are contained below. The support of BAFRA officials during this series has been a valuable contribution to the development of BAFA's women's football programme.

The Sapphire Series is the national championship for women’s contact football. The series, which runs from February to April sees teams compete across a number of tournaments in the standard 5 v 5 format and now for the first time, the new BAFA 7 v 7 format. The 7 v 7 format will be used for the five Division 1 teams playing for the Sapphire National Championship; The nine Division 2 teams will compete at 5 v 5 format for the Div 2 North and South conference titles. The series runs with tournament-style game days at which 4 -5 teams will be present. There will be 4 tournament dates with 3 regional based tournaments taking part on each of these, so a total of 12 tournament events. Teams play two games each per day and tournaments are expected to last around three to three and a half hours. Officials can expect to officiate 2-3 games, each lasting between 45-60 minutes.

Dates, formats, times and venues for the tournaments are as follows:

16^th April:

Birmingham (7 v 7), Metchley Park

Chester (5 v 5) Chester Romans

Norwich (5 v 5) Iceni Spears

We have put all these events onto Arbiter but seek officials to contact us about their availability ASAP. Officials will be paid a full game fee for all of these assignments directly through BAFA/BAFRA.

Richard Vernon

operations@bafra.org

QUALIFIED

Congratulations to Shaun Blake on completing all of the requirements necessary to become Qualified. Thanks to Peter Parsons and all those who are helping with Shaun‘s training.

Pete Thom

training@bafra.or

DISCIPLINARY CASES

GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS

END ZONE

Play of the week will return after the BAFRA exam period.

CALENDAR