Issue 45/23 15th November 2023
BAFRA Newsflash | |||
DISCIPLINARY UPDATE
Last week's Newsflash reported that Sandy Lever of Herriot-Watt Wolverines was disqualified from their game on 5th November for Targeting. However, the disqualification has been cancelled after the calling official reviewed footage of the incident. The procedure for doing this is in BAFA Regulation 5.2.4 and is intended for use in rare cases when you see a video of the incident and realise you got it wrong. If that is ever the case, simply email me with the details, a copy of the video (or where to find it) and details of what the video shows and how that differs from your original report.
Ben Griffiths – BAFA Disciplinary Officer
discipline@britishamericanfootball.org
DISCIPLINARY CASES
NAME | # | TEAM | CODE | Q | OFFENCE | SUSPENDED | |
New this week | |||||||
Ebrima Mendy | 4 | Essex Blades | FGT | 2 | With 1:59 remaining in the second quarter, Essex #4 was involved in a brief scuffle with an opponent. As they separated #4 took a swing at the head of the opponent and slapped the other player around the side of the head. | 19th November 2023 v QMBL Vipers | |
Haralambous Demetriou | 9 | Nottingham Gold | TGD | 4 | With 6:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, #9 led with his shoulder and made forcible contact to the head/neck area of a passer after the ball had been released. | 26th November 20223 v Loughborough Students | |
Abraham Mosley | 57 | Sheffield Hallam Warriors | TGC | 2 | Following a change of possession, at the end of the play, #57 was seen to target and make forcible contact with the crown of his helmet to the ball carrier who was stationary on the ground. | 19th November 2023 v Leicester Longhorns | |
Lorenzo Altobelli | 99 | Scotland U19 / Edinburgh Mavericks | FPF | 2 | With 6:50 remaining in the second quarter, #99 was seen to headbutt an opponent after an extra point. | 19th November 2023 v Aberdeen Bulls | |
Previous weeks | |||||||
GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS
HOME TEAM | REPORT | NEXT HOME GAME |
New this week | ||
Chichester Spitfires | Originally a 90-yard field with too short endzones, it was agreed with both teams to have an 80-yard field with 11-yard endzones and moved the cones. Hash marks were marked too wide, so the ball was always spotted closer to the middle. The home team was not involved in the painting of the field, they promised to rectify the field markings for their next home match. Viktor Janvari #63 | 21st January 2024 v Surrey Stingers |
Coventry University Jets | 100-yard field with seven-yard end zones marked in blue. Coaching boxes and team areas were marked to the 25-yard lines. No numbers or nine-yard marks. Both sets of hash marks were marked about 6' too close to the sidelines. Peter Parsons #321 | 10th December 2023 v Sheffield Hallam Warriors |
Durham Saints | Coach/player areas were not marked out fully. Posts were two-yards beyond the end line. Shawn Sombati #15 | 3rd December 2023 v Leeds Beckett Carnegie |
Exeter Demons | Field markings confusing due to the university agreeing to mark a 100-yard field, with no inbounds markings, over an artificial field with lots of other sports markings. The team did inbounds markings in narrow blue paint against faint and pink sidelines and major lines. Officials changed in a different building from where kit bags etc were subsequently locked. Francis Bevan #474 | 10th December 2023 v Bournemouth Bobcats |
Glasgow University Tigers | The game was played on a caged soccer field with no goals. Glasgow provided one set of goals which did not meet the required height or width. The game had to be played toward the one set of goals. Team and coaching areas were not marked out, but the team marked them with cones. Ian Sneddon #427 | 21st January 2024 v Heriot-Watt Wolverines |
Greenwich Mariners | 90-yard field, marked in blue with markings for other sports in yellow, white, and red. No numbers or nine-yard marks were present. The changing room for the officials is too small even for a crew of four and isn't lockable for storing gear. The gym changing area was used instead. Phil Clarke #262 | 21st January 2024 v Canterbury Chargers |
KCL Regents | Game hosted at University of Greenwich, Avery Hill Campus - original kick-off time was 10:00 but was pushed back to 10:20 at the request of both teams due to problems gaining access to the field to practice. The game was paused in order to observe the national two-minute silence at 11:00. 90-yard field, marked in blue with markings for other sports in yellow, white, and red. No numbers or nine-yard marks were present. The changing room for the officials is too small even for a crew of four and isn't lockable for storing gear. The gym changing area was used instead. Phil Clarke #262 | 10th December 2023 v UEA Pirates |
Manchester Tyrants | The field was marked faintly in dark blue, which was difficult to see at Kick-Off. The field will need remarking, preferably in a lighter colour, for the next game at this venue. There were no number or nine-yard marks. The inbounds lines appeared to be wider than NCAA/IFAF markings but narrower than NFHS markings. There were no team areas marked at all. Ben Griffiths #228 | 26th November 2023 v UH Sharks |
Nottingham Gold | Field markings in red and faded. Other sports markings were located very close to the football markings. Team areas were too close to the sidelines. Jed Brookes-Lewis #395 | 10th December 2023 v Newcastle Raiders |
Nottingham Green | Field markings in red and faded. Other sports markings were located very close to the football markings. Team areas were too close to the sidelines. Jed Brookes-Lewis #395 | 3rd December 2023 v Lincoln Colonials |
Portsmouth Destroyers | 90-yard field marked in "coral" coloured markings, although all lines were very skinny and short yard-line extensions were too short. The changing room was not lockable and also not private. There were several injury stoppages of around five to ten minutes during the game. Oliver Maskell #221 | 21st January 2024 v SGS Pride |
RHUL Bears | The field was marked in blue with three-yard marks marked at the four-yard line. There were no nine-yard marks or numbers. Balls were worn and changed out for new balls at the end of the first quarter at the request of Oxford (who provided the new balls) and with the agreement of RHUL. Changing facilities were the usual public gym changing rooms at the sports centre, a short walk away from the field. Prior to the game, a one-minute silence was observed. James Ford-Bannister #479 | 10th December 2023 v Reading Knights |
Scotland U19 | No team areas, these were marked with cones. Kenneth Glover #71 | Unknown |
Stirling Clansmen | No limit lines. Team areas were marked with cones. Henry Richardson #25 | 21st January 2024 v Glasgow University Tigers |
Swansea Titans | The field markings were very faint and hard to see. There were no team areas marked. Keith Wickham #423 | 3rd December 2023 v Tarannau Aberystwyth |
UEA Pirates | UEA play in dark blue and Essex arrived with black shirts. To avoid any colour clash the home team swapped to wearing white jerseys. Brian Yates #29 | 3rd December 2023 v QMBL Vipers |
Warwick Wolves | 100-yard field with seven-yard end zones marked in blue. Coaching boxes and team areas were marked to the 25-yard lines. No numbers or nine-yard marks. Both sets of hash marks were marked about 6' too close to the sidelines. During the game, two of the game balls were lost after being kicked over the fence furthest from the changing rooms and into the greenery. Peter Parsons #321 | 26th November 2023 v NTU Renegades |
Worcester Royals | The field markings were blue on green. Changing rooms spacious enough for a crew of five and a singular rugby referee. One member of Chain Crew changed on the third play of the game. Krister Halvorsen #77 | 19th November 2023 v Gloucester Gladiators |
York Centurions | Field was marked out as 100 IFAF yards. Team areas were absent but the teams kept to their correct areas with discipline. The changing room was realistically only big enough for three people. David Hewitt #607 | 19th November 2023 v Sheffield Sabres |
York St. John Jaguars | 90-yard field. No team areas were marked out but teams showed good discipline. One of the game balls required inflation prior to use. The field markings were in red and were quite faint in places. Hash marks were of NFL width. Sheffield didn't have all of their jerseys until the scheduled kick-off time so kick-off was delayed by five minutes whilst several players got the correct jersey on and the roster was subsequently completed. David Hewitt #607 | 21st January 2024 v Northumbria Mustangs |
Outstanding items from previous weeks | ||
Bangor Muddogs | A well-marked 90-yard field with no team areas. Officials changing rooms were very small. The crew of four were split into two rooms. With 9:56 remaining in the fourth quarter, the time remaining was reduced to 0:00 by mutual agreement of both Head coaches due to the number of injuries to the Bangor Squad. Steve Hall #512 | 19th November 2023 v UCLan Rams |
Birmingham Lions | Black markings on green turf. As the evening progressed, it became more and more difficult to see any markings at all, especially the inbounds lines. The home team area was marked with cones but the away team area was unmarked. No nine-yard marks or numbers. The down box snapped following a collision with a player. Brian Yates #29 | 9th December 2023 v UWE Bullets |
Brighton Panthers | 100-yard artificial field with dark blue football marks. Viktor Janvari #63 | 3rd December 2023 v OBU Panthers |
Brunel Burners | Field was marked with NFL-width hash marks and the team area areas extended to the 15-yard lines. Otherwise, the field was well-marked, particularly considering the recent wet conditions. Andrew Murrell #608 | 10th December 2023 v Hertfordshire Hurricanes |
Cardiff Cobras | Field markings are in yellow and can be quite difficult to see depending on the angle of the sun. The swan-neck goalposts are situated some five yards behind each end line - due to this distance, padding is not required (an exception to rule [1-2-5-e]). The chain set is in a poor state of repair. Amir Brooks #593 | 19th November v UWE Bullets |
City Wolfpack | 15 yards of short yard-line extensions at the sideline and hash marks had to be repainted. Field marked in red paint. Several holes were filled before kick off. Changing rooms were not lockable. Changing rooms are not in the East London RC but next door in Memorial Field. Graham Smith #149 | 26th November 2023 v Canterbury Christ Church Chargers |
Essex Blades | No team area markings. NFL-width hash marks. Alisha Darkins #573 | 19th November 2023 v QMBL Vipers |
Imperial Immortals | 90-yard field with no numbers or nine-yard marks. No marked coaching boxes or team areas. No limit lines. Three-yard marks marked were at the 1.5-yard line. The short yard-line extensions at the sidelines were less than 24 inches long, touched the sidelines and, in some places extended beyond the sideline. The ball person on the visiting team's sideline was changed at half-time. The changing rooms were not lockable during the game. Peter Parsons #321 | 19th November 2023 v Canterbury Chargers |
Kent Falcons | Field has multiple sports markings with American Football markings in various colours. Changing rooms were not large enough for the whole crew, but two were provided (lockable, private shower). With 8:29 remaining in the third quarter, the floodlights failed and it was too dark to resume without them. Play resumed following a 73-minute delay while an electrician resolved the issue Ben Gadsby #564 | 26th November 2023 v UEA Pirates |
Lancaster Bombers | 80-yard field with no limit lines. The field had been originally marked out as 90 yards but had to be reduced to 80 to accommodate the end zones so the hash marks continued into the end zones. The game was suspended for ten minutes in the second quarter due to a head injury to a Lancaster player. After being assessed by medical personnel he did not return to the game. Tim Vickers #129 | 21st January 2024 v Keele Crusaders |
Leeds Beckett Carnegie | 80-yard field. No three-yard marks, nine-yard marks, or numbers. Team areas were missing but the use of other sports lines plus cones solved any problems. David Hewitt #607 | 19th November 2023 v Newcastle Raiders |
Loughborough Students | Team areas missing but other sports markings were approximately where they should be, so these were used as a guide. Brian Yates #29 | 26th November 2023 v Nottingham Gold |
MMU Eagles | On arrival, there was one set of short-yard line extensions - located in the centre of the field. The home team were able to obtain paint to rectify this before the scheduled kickoff time. The field is marked as 80 yards in red. Team areas were absent. Paul Todd #289 | 19th November 2023 v LJMU Fury |
Newcastle Raiders | Lines were painted red with other non-football lines in other colours. No coaches or team areas were marked out. Changing room shared with officials from another sports game being played. The game was suspended in the second quarter with 0:52 remaining, due to an injury of an official. Both coaches agreed to start the halftime interval and then resume the second quarter after the break. The third-quarter kickoff took place immediately after the end of the second quarter. A big thank you to both team's medical personnel for the care given to the injured official. Shawn Sombati #15 | 26th November v Durham Saints |
OBU Panthers | This was the second game of a doubleheader with a published kickoff time of 15:30 at a second venue. There were roadworks and road closures and some of the crew were delayed as the 30-40 journey took 75 minutes. Proper pre-game preparation was curtailed and the game did not kick off until after 18:00. The venue had artificial lights and both teams wanted to play a full game so the game was not shortened. Julian Mallia #336 | 26th November 2023 v Surrey Stingers |
Oxford Lancers | The limit lines were marked with timber posts and rope. However, this was set at a constant distance from the sideline and end line. As a result, this meant that there was very limited space for the team areas and there were a couple of occasions where the chain crew were knocked over because they had players behind them preventing them from backing away from the sideline. With 5:05 remaining in the fourth quarter, a spectator had to removed from the area around the field as he was causing a disruption to the game. There was a 10 minute suspension to deal with this. Julian Mallia #336 | 26th November 2023 v Hertfordshire Hurricanes |
QMBL Vipers | A well-marked 90-yard field in blue with other sports markings in white. No limit lines, numbers, or nine-yard marks. Team areas are marked with cones. Good size lockable changing room but no private shower or toilet. Multiple changes of chain crew and ball persons at half time. Tim Ockendon #481 | 10th December 2023 v Kent Falcons |
Sheffield Sabres | Game was delayed until 12:30 due to the late running of the preceding soccer fixture. Field markings in black - alongside the same coloured lines for the lacrosse field. No team areas were marked. The crew were provided with two changing rooms (that were lockable) - between them, there was enough seating for three officials. Krister Halvorsen #77 | 10th December 2023 v Sunderland Spartans |
Southampton Stags | Hash marks were repainted to correct the issue from last week. Oliver Maskell #221 | 26th November 2023 v Bath Killer Bees |
Surrey Stingers | 90-yard field with dark blue markings (not very visible) and narrower pitch than standard but, whilst legal, there would have been enough space to have a correct width field. Facility administrators didn't want to give the crew the officials’ changing rooms, as they said the team hadn't requested them. After the team intervened, the crew received a lockable changing room. Viktor Janvari #63 | 3rd December 2023 v Solent Redhawks |
Tarannau Aberystwyth | The home team were unable to provide a medic so this was provided by the visiting team by prior arrangement before the game. One of the game balls presented by the home team before the game was of a poor standard and kept deflating, so a third ball was provided by the visiting team. The chain crew was changed at half-time. Amir Brooks #593 | 26th November 2023 v Bath Spa Bulldogs |
PLAY OF THE WEEK: | |
New this week | Play: It is 4th and 10 at Midfield. Team A line up in a Scrimmage Kick Formation. The Ends are numbered 23 and 34. The Offensive Line is numbers (from left to right, 50, 62, 5, 71, 79), the Punter is wearing number 7 and the three personal procters/up-backs are number 47, 33 & 39. Number 5 is the long snapper. Shortly before the snap A47 moves to a position under centre, pauses for a second and then receives the snap. He throws a forward pass to A23 at the B-30 where A23 catches the ball and is immediately tackled. There is 10:00 remaining in the second quarter.
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Last week | Play: A play ends inbounds with 1:03 left in the 4th quarter and the game clock continues to run. Five seconds later, an official sees an injured player and stops the clock.
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MECHANICS: | |
New this week | Game Situation: On a 8 man crew, which officials should escort the team captains into the centre of the field for the coin toss?
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Last week | Game Situation: On a crew of 5, what should each official do during a timeout? Answer:
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Date | Event | Contact for details |
BAFRA Directors | |||||
President | David Parsons | General Secretary | Richard Moger | ||
Finance | Stuart Tabberer | Operations | Oliver Maskell | ||
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. |
