Issue 1/22 12th January 2022
BAFRA Newsflash | |||
BUCS FINAL
BUCS Playoffs start February 27th (all three tiers), Div 1 Quarter-Finals, March 6th and all three tiers semi-finals on March 13th.
Premier and Division 1 finals will be played on TUESDAY, March 22nd in Nottingham, Kick-off times are expected to be 4pm (Div 1) and 7.45pm (Prem). Division 2 finals will be the following Sunday, March 27th.
Normally we don't ask you to maintain blocks on Arbiter for mid-week dates, however, please update your blocks for Tuesday, March 22nd as the selection committee will be meeting shortly to decide the crew for the final and need to know who is available and who isn't, before making a selection.
Roger Goodgroves - Director of Operations
OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR AWARD
Nominations are now open for the Official of the Year award for the year just past (2021). Any member may nominate any other member for the award. The principal guidelines are listed below:
Nominations should be sent to me by 31st January and should include your reasons for nominating the individual. If you have any queries before making your nomination, please contact me. The successful nominee will receive their award at the awards dinner on the Saturday of the Convention.
Richard Moger – General Secretary
ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
This is an advance notice regarding the election to the BAFRA Limited Board of Directors which will take place at the AGM on Saturday 2nd April at the Convention.
Four posts are due for election this year:
In the case of all four posts, the present incumbents have indicated that they will be seeking re-election.
Formal notification and requests for nominations for all four posts will be circulated in mid-February in accordance with our Regulations. However, please consider if you would wish to stand for any of the four posts and feel free to contact me (or any other director) about what the posts entail so that you are in a position to make an informed decision when nominations open.
Richard Moger – General Secretary
TEAM CONTACT DETAILS
In a normal year, there are many changes in the contacts for BUCS teams as they are often students who graduate. Due to the break caused by COVID there have been many more changes this year without any of the normal transition.
Can I ask that members working games, and in particular the white hats, check the details held on Arbiter and advise Operations if they notice any omissions or errors. This will help future crews.
Roger Goodgroves - Director of Operations
DISCIPLINARY CASES
NAME | # | TEAM | CODE | Q | OFFENCE | SUSPENDED | |
Previous weeks | |||||||
Harry Elton-Dobbins | 72 | Birmingham Lions | FGT | 4 | During the play, #72 and his opponent wrestled each other to the ground, and continued shoving and striking each other after the play. Both players had to be restrained and pulled away by their teammates. | 22nd January 2022 v UEA Pirates | |
Bradley Carrigan | 7 | Bradford Bears | FPF | 2 | He was ejected for a flagrant personal foul, by grabbing the runner's helmet and pulling it so forcefully that the helmet came off and was thrown. | 23rd January 2022v Lancaster Bombers | |
Charles Kelly | 53 | Cambridge Pythons | FPF | 4 | After being blocked, and whilst on the floor, #53 kicked the player who had blocked him. | 30th January 2022 v Kent Falcons | |
Simen Schjolberg | 94 | LJMU Fury | FPF | 2 | After having his face mask grabbed by an opponent #94 retaliated by throwing a punch to the midsection of the player who had fouled him. | 23rd January 2022 v Sheffield Hallam Warriors | |
Kieran Bird | 67 | Nottingham Gold | TGT | 4 | With approximately 0:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, #67 was seen to tackle a player to the ground and with a second action lowered his head and delivered a blow to player with the crown of the helmet. | 23rd January 2022 v Durham Saints | |
Todun Sotan | 29 | Swansea Titans | FGT | 4 | During the play, #29 and his opponent wrestled each other to the ground, and continued shoving and striking each other after the play. Both players had to be restrained and pulled away by their teammates. | 30th January 2022 v UWE Bullets | |
Ahmed Mustafa | 70 | Swansea Titans | FGT | 4 | After the play, #70 was observed headbutting an opponent. | 30th January 2022 v UWE Bullets | |
GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS
HOME TEAM | REPORT | NEXT HOME GAME |
Outstanding items from previous weeks | ||
Birmingham Lions | The field is marked with black lines which make it difficult to see under floodlights. Brian Yates #29 | 22nd January 2022 v UEA Pirates |
Bournemouth Bobcats | 100-yard field. With 8:05 remaining in the third quarter, a serious injury for a Bournemouth player caused the game to stop for an hour and 15 mins. With agreement by both head coaches and referee the game proceeded. Chain crew changed at half time. Richard Madge #485 | 23rd January 2022 v Gloucestershire Gladiators |
Brunel Burners | Well marked 90-yard field in blue, with other sport markings in white. No limit lines, numbers, or nine-yard marks, and inbounds lines at NFL depth. Changing room small for a crew of five and not lockable. Tim Ockendon #481 | 23rd January 2022 v ARU Rhinos |
City Wolfpack | 90-yard field. NFL-width hash marks. Short yard line extensions were marked in metres but main lines in yards. End zones were only seven yards deep. Lee Wood #517 | 30th January 2022 v UEL Phoenix |
Derby Braves | With one minute left in the third quarter, two inches of snow obscured the lines despite repeated sweeping. The surface was also slippery so the game was abandoned on medical advice. Andrew Lovell #559 | 30th January 2022 v Sheffield Hallam Warriors |
Durham Saints | 100-yard field with no team or coaching areas marked but the teams respected the space the officials needed on both sidelines. The sideline yard line extensions are shorter than they should be and further than 1" from the sidelines. The crossbar of the posts are about two yards off the endline, which cannot be changed due to the proximity of the surrounding fence. Lee Taylor #183 | 30th January 2022 v Leeds Gryphons |
Edinburgh Napier Knights | Team areas were not marked to COVID regulations, but this was sorted prior to kick off. Gordon Galloway #7 | 23rd January 2022 v Edinburgh Napier Knights |
Edinburgh Predators | Game was called off by the home team at 11:18 on the morning of the game. Henry Richardson #25 | 30th January 2022 v Northumbria |
Essex Blades | One change of ball person. No numbers or nine-yard markings. Lee Wood #517 | 30th January 2022 v Imperial Immortals |
Exeter Demons | Faint and narrow field markings in black, this made the inbounds short yard line extensions difficult to see. Seven-yard end zones, but otherwise a nice artificial field on main campus. Francis Bevan #474 | 30th January 2022 v Southampton Stags |
Glasgow University Tigers | With just over eight minutes remaining in the first quarter, the Sunderland coach withdrew his team because his players were slipping on the field surface. Ian Sneddon #427 | 23rd January 2022 v Teesside Cougars |
Gloucester Gladiators | 80-yard field marked with NFL-width hash marks. Team areas not marked to COVID regulations. Kieran Smith #102 | Unknown |
Hertfordshire Hurricanes | 90-yard field. Markings are in yellow and are faded alongside other sports markings. Team Areas were not marked to the 10-yard line. On two occasions the game was stopped and the down replayed due to the ball hitting a dividing wire that runs above the field. The chain crew was changed in the second half, with the more experienced ball person taking on the role of down box operator. Richard Moger #472 | 23rd January 2022 v RHUL Bears |
Imperial Immortals | Well marked 90-yard field in white. No numbers, nine-yard marks, team area markings or limit lines and inbounds lines marked at incorrect depth (36 feet). Tim Ockendon #481 | 6th February 2022 v Essex Blades |
KCL Regents | Well marked 90-yard field with eight-yard end zones, in blue with other sport markings in yellow, white & red. No numbers but rugby markings approximated for nine-yard marks. Team area markings at pre-COVID distances. One stake had been completely broken and repaired by lashing another pole to it. Four members of the chain crew were replaced prior to the third quarter and a further three were replaced prior to the fourth quarter. Changing room was small for a crew of five and not lockable. Tim Ockendon #481 | 23rd January 2022 v Canterbury Phoenix |
Keele Crusaders | Lines were a bit faint due to the heavy condition of the field. Krister Halvorsen #77 | 13th February 2022 v DMU Lions |
Leeds Beckett Carnegie | 80-yard field. No three-yard marks, nine-yard marks, or numbers. The midfield hash marks were marked at NFL width. No coaching boxes were marked but other sports markings were used to solve some of the issues. All three game balls were underinflated and required pumping up prior to the game. David Hewitt #607 | 30th January 2022 v Nottingham |
Leeds Gryphons | 80-yard field. No nine-yard marks or numbers. Team areas were not marked but this was rectified by the use of other sports markings and cones. The changing room was only large enough for three officials at best. There were two changes of ball persons during the game. David Hewitt #607 | 6th February 2022 v Durham Saints |
Leicester Longhorns | NFL-width hash marks. No team areas or nine-yard marks. Home team wearing three different jersey designs. Joel Pearson #405 | 23rd January 2022 v Warwick Wolves |
LJMU Fury | On arrival it was noted that the field markings were very faint, the venue offered to remark the pitch but did not actually have enough paint to do this and what they had was gloopy. The posts at one end of the field were about a yard behind the end line. There were markings for other sports and some hash marks from the previous pitch markings were almost as visible as the current ones. Lee Taylor #183 | 23rd January 2022 v Sheffield Hallam Warriors |
Newcastle Raiders | Team areas on both sidelines not marked to the ten-yard line as per COVID regulations, this was resolved before kick off. Gordon Galloway #7 | 30th January 2022 v Hull Sharks |
Northumbria Mustangs | Well marked field, some other sports markings Liam Wooton #478 | 23rd January 2022 v York Centurions |
Portsmouth Destroyers | 90-yard grass field, marked in blue. No three-yard marks, nine-yard marks, or numbers. Short yard line extensions considerably exceed 24"s. Markings are starting to fade in the middle of the field. No team or coaches areas marked so approximated with other field markings and cones. Home sideline is in close proximity to a soccer field so it limits available space. Single changing room was provided, so the female official used a lockable toilet to change. Away team played in a mixture of green uniforms that did not match, including tape marked bibs. One stake was already minorly damaged prior to the game but was easily repaired. One ball person was changed at half time. James Ford-Bannister #479 | 23rd January 2022 v Sussex Saxons |
Reading Knights | Kickoff delayed by ten minutes due to late arrival of the medic. Euan Paterson #165 | 30th January 2022 v Bristol Barracuda |
RHUL Bears | 100-yard field, with clear blue markings. Team areas were not marked out to the ten-yard lines, the three-yard marks were in the wrong position (the four-yard line) and other yard line extensions marks were slightly out of alignment. A member of the chain crew was changed at half time. Richard Moger #472 | 13th February 2022 v Sussex Saxons |
SGS Pride | No problems with field or markings - two changing rooms were supplied for crew - for which refundable deposits had to be paid to get keys. Goal posts for other sports needed to be moved back from the field perimeter in order for the field area to be deemed safe. Francis Bevan #474 | 23rd January 2022 v Exeter Demons |
Sheffield Hallam Warriors | 80-yard field. No three-yard, nine-yard marks, or numbers. No coaching boxes or players’ areas but used other sports lines. Two sets of midfield hash marks were present, unfortunately one set was NFL-width and the other was High School-width. Field markings were faint, making it very difficult to see hash markings under the flood lights. COVID markings marked using cones. Robin Boyd #191 | 12th December 2022 v Manchester Tyrants |
Sheffield Sabres | 90-yard field with ten-yard end zones. No team areas were marked although teams were disciplined in using other sports markings. No numbers or nine-yard marks. Markings were all in black but clearly contrasted with the field. Robin Boyd #191 | 13th February 2022 v Sheffield Hallam Warriors |
Southampton Stags | 90-yard field, the field markings are faint but visible. In the fourth quarter the Head Linesman injured himself and was replaced by the Centre Judge.. Viktor Janvari #63 | 6th February 2022 v Reading Knights |
Stirling Clansmen | Field markings were faded, and only eight pylons were provided, so markers were added behind the goals to assist with spotting the ball. Ian Sneddon #427 | 23rd January 2022 v Leeds Gryphons |
Surrey Stingers | On arrival at the ground we were told by the staff there that the pitch was not narked and in any event the groundsman had declared it as waterlogged. Keith Wickham #423 | 6th February 2022 v Sussex Saxons |
Swansea Titans | Officials had to use a public changing room, although lockers were available to store bags. Field markings were present but faded. The sideline and inbounds yard line extensions were too short by rule. With 2:40 remaining in the third quarter, the game was suspended for approximately ten minutes to treat an injured official. The remainder of the game was officiated with a crew of four. Amir Brooks #593 | 30th January 2022 v UWE Bullets |
UCLan Rams | 100-yard field with no numbers, nine-yard marks, or team areas marked out. Kickoff was delayed by 15 mins due to previous use of the venue. Both teams warmed up on alternative fields but the away side were slow to migrate to the main field and did not have a roster for the officials upon arrival. Andrew Swift #403 | 23rd January 2022 v Edge Hill Vikings |
UEA Pirates | Football markings in white, other game markings in blue. Team areas are marked to pre-COVID size. Changing room was not lockable and small for a crew of five. Lee Wood #517 | 6th February 2022 v Birmingham Lions |
UWE Bullets | Two soccer referee changing rooms were provided, which means having a good pregame is challenging. Keith Wickham #423 | 23rd January 2022 v Cardiff Cobras |
UWE Pellets | One ball person was changed at half time. Amir Brooks #593 | 6th February 2022 v Bath Spa Bulldogs |
Winchester Silverbacks | Played at Southampton Stags. 90-yard field, the field markings are faint but visible. Viktor Janvari #63 | 30th January 2022 v Oxford Lancers |
York Centurions | Game did not go ahead due to the ground staff saying the pitch was waterlogged. This was emailed to the Referee after the crew had set off, this was not seen until the Referee had arrived at the venue and the rest of the crew were in transit. Chris Jarvis #10 | 13th February 2022 v Edinburgh Predators |
PLAY OF THE WEEK: | |
New this week | Play: 1st & 10 at the A-30 yard line. Team A run a sweep play. Linebacker B55 is moving towards the ball carrier when he blocks offensive lineman A68 in the back at the A-35. B55 tackles the ball carrier at the A-32.
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Last week | Play: The game is being played with a Video Judge. After a 1st down run that brings up 2nd & 5 for Team A at the A-45, Team A do not make any substitutions but Team B send in a player to replace defensive Lineman B97. B97 immediately acknowledges he is being replaced and begins slowly jogging to the Team B side line. Team A hurry up to the line in an attempt to catch Team B with 12 players on the field. B97 realises he needs to get off the field in a hurry, just before the snap B97 is approximately 1 yard from the side line, he then leaps to get out of bounds. At the snap B97 is airborne outside the side line but has not yet touched the ground out of bounds. Team A throw a forward pass that is intercepted and returned for a Touchdown by Team B.
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MECHANICS: | |
New this week | Game Situation: In the event that an official throws a flag for a foul, and that flag falls in the wrong location, how should the official act to ensure the flag is moved to the right place?
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Last week | Game Situation: If there is no visible game clock, when is it mandatory for the on-field timekeeper to relay the game clock via the crew radios? Answer: Every time the game clock stops in the last two minutes of each half it is mandatory for the on field timekeeper to relay the time remaining if there is no visible game clock. This information should be relayed to the Head Coach of each team and the on-field captain of each team (M25.3.1.d.ii) (3-3-8-c). |
Date | Event | Contact for details |
2nd - 3rd April (Sat-Sun) | BAFRA Convention | |
BAFRA Directors | |||||
President | David Parsons | General Secretary | Richard Moger | ||
Finance | Stuart Tabberer | Operations | Roger Goodgroves | ||
Recruitment | Susannah Taylor | Training | James Ford-Bannister | ||
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. |
