BAFRA Newsflash

http://www.bafra.org

Issue: 22/16

3rd June 2016


DIRECTOR OF RECRUITMENT


James Meredith has kindly offered his services to fill this vacant role up to the 2017 AGM, although has made it clear that he does not wish to continue beyond that date. The Board thank James for volunteering his services and look forward to the experience he is able to bring to the role. John Griffin will continue in his role of Deputy Director.


As this post will be open for election next April, anyone considering the role may wish to take the opportunity of putting themselves forward to do some work with the recruitment team to get an understanding of what is involved before formally submitting themselves for election. Should you wish to do this, please let me know.


Paul Sutton

secretary@bafra.org


DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS


I am on leave for a week commencing Monday 6th June. Contact Operations@bafra.org if you require any assistance. Tim Ockendon and Henry Richardson will deal during my absence


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 30th 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


BAFRA ELITE PROGRAMME (BEP)


Now that the Annual Examination is complete the process of selecting the 21 members of the BEP can commence. Should you wish to be considered then you must apply in writing to the Director of Operations at operations@bafra.org. Applications will be accepted immediately and the closing date is Friday 4th June 2016.


Applications will only be considered from Qualified BAFRA members who meet specific criteria. Full details of the criteria can be found in the Elite Programme Policy in Section 7 of the Members Handbook. An Elite Training Day is already planned for 29th May with others to be confirmed shortly.


Also, as part of the criteria includes your rating on the Selection Spreadsheet, which must be 80% or above, I would also recommend you read the Scheduling and Selection Policy which can be found in Section 6 of the Members Handbook. If you wish to know your current rating on the Selection Spreadsheet before making your decision on whether or not to apply, please send an email to operations@bafra.org and I will come back to you very quickly with a detailed breakdown of your scores.


If it is your intention to apply then I would recommend that you read the document in full. If you are considering applying and would like an informal discussion please contact either me or Ben Griffiths who is the BEP Co-ordinator.


Richard Vernon

operations@bafra.org


DISCIPLINARY CASES


NAME

#

TEAM

CODE

Q

OFFENCE

SUSPENDED

New this week – none








Previous weeks

Richard Leir

92

Merseyside Nighthawks

TUF

3

Player verbally taunted an opponent, then later shoved an opponent clearly after the ball was dead.

05/06/16 v Coventry Jets

Liam Berndt

0

West Coast Trojans

TGT

4

Player struck the opposing QB helmet to helmet, just after he had thrown a pass.

05/06/16 v Gateshead Senators

Jack Watson

51

Lancashire Wolverines

FPF

1

Player kicked a prone opponent studs first.

05/06/16 v East Kilbride Pirates

Steven Clements

77

Essex Spartans

FGT

4

Player grasped the facemask of and threw punches at an opponent.

05/06/16 v Cambridgeshire Cats




GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS


HOME TEAM

REPORT

NEXT HOME GAME

New this week – none




Outstanding items from previous weeks

Humber Warhawks

Limit Lines at 12', no 9yd marks or numbers.

Chris Jarvis 10

26/06/16 v Lincolnshire Bombers

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

Coventry Jets

No numbers or 9-yard marks. No limit lines. Goal posts less than 30ft in height. Hash marks shorter than 24in in length. Coaching and team area lines were marked further from the field than specified in the rules. The officials changing room was not available on arrival having also been allocated to a womens' soccer team.

Pete Parsons 321

12/06/16 v Sheffield Predators

Yorkshire Rams

There was a metal cover for the long jump pit approximately 4 feet out of bounds behind one endzone - this had been appropriately padded by game management prior to kick-off.

Ben Griffiths 228

12/06/16 v Clyde Valley Blackhawks

Chester Romans

Red lines used to mark the field. There were also lines for other sports which were in white.

Aminul Hassan 534

05/06/16 v Halton Spartans

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

05/06/16 v London Warriors

Portsmouth Dreadnoughts

The game was played at Portsmouth's new venue at Havant Rugby Club. Although this match was played on an outer pitch, later in the season they will be playing on the 1st XV pitch. Each end zone was only 7 yards deep. Not all hash marks were the same distance apart. No limit lines. Some bare patches of earth on the field. One of the ball boys was very good but the other was poor.

Jim Briggs 31

19/06/16 v East Kent Mavericks

Merseyside Nighthawks

Game started 30 minutes late due to the lack of medical cover. Lines are painted in yellow and not all short yard-line extensions lined-up correctly.

Aminul Hassan 534

05/06/16 v Coventry Jets

London Warriors

90-yard grass field, although surface was uneven with patches of bare earth interspersed with large tufts of uncut grass. No numbers, 9-yard marks or limit lines and team areas marked out with cones. Two of the game balls provided were under-inflated and all were well worn. Away team were offered the option to provide game balls in better condition but declined. Away team changing rooms were a tent compared with the home team changing indoors. Prior to the officials taking the field there were reports of altercations between players interfering with opponent's practices by entering their half of the field.

Tim Ockendon 481

03/07/16 v London Olympians

Jurassic Coast Raptors

This was the first game ever for the chain crew but despite this they performed very well. It is hoped that they will come on during future games as they are going to do all their home games.

Julian Mallia 336

26/06/16 v Cornish Sharks

Berkshire Renegades

During the forth quarter, the medical provision was not met due to the paramedic at the game being taken away to treat a delivery van driver. The game was delayed for 20 minutes while appropriate treatment and an ambulance arrived before the game was able to be restarted.

Richard Moger #472

12/06/16 v Hastings Conquerors

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

Hastings Conquerors

Kickoff delayed due to balls being sourced and brought up to standard. No access to officials changing rooms at half time. Had to wait 20 minutes after end of game to gain access to changing facilities.

Phil Hume #52

19/06/16 v Maidstone Pumas

Birmingham Bulls

One goal is regulation, the other is a Gaelic football goal.

Brian Yates #29

19/06/16 v Sandwell Steelers

Essex Spartans

Well-marked 90 yard field missing only limit lines and with numbers slightly too big. Good size changing room but with no private toilet or shower and not lockable. One officials' assistant changed in the first half due to inability to remain neutral.

Tim Ockendon #481

05/06/16 v Cambridgeshire Cats

Sussex Thunder

The game kicked off 15 minutes late. The medical cover was delayed by heavy traffic heading into Brighton.

Jim Briggs #31

03/07/16 v Hertfordshire Chetahs

Swindon Storm

Width was greater than 160ft. Several lines were crooked and the short yard line extensions went over one sideline. The inbound hash marks were 59ft from one sideline and 61ft from the other.

Euan Paterson #165

05/06/16 v Bristol Apache

Solent Thrashers

Crossbar and uprights 1 yard inside end line.

Julian Mallia #336

12/06/16 v Bury Saints

Bournemouth Bobcats

The game kicked-off 30mins late due to traffic congestion. Despite away team and officials allowing for this and leaving home earlier, the New Forest and roads to Bournemouth were very busy due to the fantastic weather this weekend. Hastings Head Coach requested a running clock in the second half.

Siman Ryan #408

19/06/16 v Berkshire Renegades

East Kent Mavericks

Well-marked 90 yard 4G field in blue with other sport markings in white and yellow. No limit lines, numbers or 9-yard marks and coaching line too close to sideline. Changing facilities not lockable and officials were given the staff bathroom to change in as the away team complained about their changing room so were moved to the one normally given to the officials. Ball person changed in 2nd quarter as they were more interested in talking to spectators about 20 yards away from the sideline, replacement ball person drove off at halftime and took the game ball with them; so a third replacement ball person was supplied along with a new game ball.

Phil Clarke #262

12/06/16 v Bournemouth Bobcats

Maidstone Pumas

Goals are soccer goals with metal poles on top so crossbar too low and too wide. Lines have been repainted but some wonky. Coaches lines too close to pitch. No numbers but marks about 8-9 yards from sideline

Ellis Bowyer #502

05/06/16 v Portsmouth Dreadnoughts

Carlisle Sentinels

The posts were about 2 yards behind the back line at each end of the field apart from this it was a well marked pitch. The officials changing room may be a little small for a crew of 5 if all wanted to change at the same time

Lee Taylor #183

12/06/16 v Newcastle Vikings

Glasgow Tigers

Team areas were marked out incorrectly as coach's box and player area were too close to sideline. Some sideline hash marks did not match inbounds lines.

Shawn Sombati #15

12/06/16 v Aberdeen Roughnecks

London Blitz B

The game did not take place as the field was marked for rugby with no football markings whatsoever.

Pete Thom #200

05/06/16 v Ipswich Cardinals

Manchester Titans

Following the agreement of both coaches, prior to the game the quarters were reduced to 12 minutes. This was because of a lack of available ineligible linemen for Gateshead. The field was very sandy in places. The field markings were in blue and there were other white non-football lines.

Aminul Hassan #534

12/06/16 v West Coast Trojans

Oxford Saints

Nine yard marks were marked near the hashmarks. No numbers on the field. Changing room was too small for a five man crew and not enough seats for all officials.

Mike LeFevre #341

03/07/16 v Bristol Apache


END ZONE


PLAY OF THE WEEK:


New this week

Play: 1st and 10 from Team A’s 6 yard line. QB A8, standing in his end zone throws a forward pass which is muffed by A2 at Team A's 4 yard line and then caught by A99 at Team A's 8 yard line. A99 advances the ball to Team A's 18 yard line where he is tackled. Prior to the pass, A65 had advanced 6 yards downfield. Ruling? (This was Q94 on this year's BAFRA exam).
Ruling?

Last week

Play: On a try at Team B's 3 yard line, A19’s pass is intercepted by B99 in Team B’s end zone. B99 fumbles the ball while still in the end zone where B68 bats the ball across the end line. Ruling? (This was Q34 on this year's BAFRA exam).


Ruling: In extra periods or during a try, fouls after a change of team possession have a special enforcement procedure. Penalties against either team after a change of possession are declined by rule (exception: flagrant or dead ball personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conduct fouls and live-ball fouls treated as dead ball fouls are enforced on the succeeding play). The penalty for B68's illegal bat in the end zone is declined by rule (10-2-7). The try is no good. The philosophy here is that a Try is a one-off opportunity for Team A to score an extra point(s) after a Touchdown. Once Team A give the ball up through a turnover, they have missed their chance, and subsequent fouls by Team B shouldn't give them an opportunity to try again.


MECHANICS:


New this week

Game Situation: Team A line up with 4 receivers, 2 wide each side and two in the slots. How should a 5 man crew use key systems to ensure that the best coverage of the receivers at the snap?
Answer next issue...

Last week

Play: On which side of the field should a referee on a 4 man crew position himself before a scrimmage kick play? How does his position need to varied between a 4 and a 5 man crew?
Answer: On a 4 man crew the referee should take up a position deeper and wider than the kicker on the linejudge's side of the field. On a 5 man crew the referee should do this only on field goal attempts where the linejudge is behind the goal posts. When the linejudge remains on the line of scrimmage the referee should adjust his position based on the kicker's foot (M-9-7-b-2 & M-9-8-b-2).


CALENDAR

Date

Event

Contact for details

2016

July 23rd (Sat)

BAFRA Board Meeting

secretary@bafra.org

July 30th (Sat)

BAFRA Elite Training Day

elite@bafra.org

August 27th (Sat)

Britbowl


19th 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