Issue 45/24 29th November 2024
BAFRA Newsflash | |||
DISCIPLINARY CASES
NAME | # | TEAM | CODE | Q | OFFENCE | SUSPENDED | |
New this week | |||||||
David Egbowawa | 49 | Birmingham Lions | FPF | 3 | #49 was seen to kick an opponent who was on the ground. | 1st December 2024 v Portsmouth Destroyers | |
Ryan Bradley | 42 | Sussex Saxons | FPF | 4 | Kicked the head of an opponent who was prone on the ground. | 9th February 2025 v Oxford Brookes | |
Previous weeks | |||||||
Micah Adeolokun | 66 | ARU Rhinos | TUF | 3 | After the play was over, #66 was seen going into a group of opposing players, forcibly pushing and shoving a player. Several seconds later, as #66 was being seperated from the opposing players, in a clear seperate act, #66 used a tirade of foul and abusive language directed toward the opposing team. | 8th December 2024 v DMU Lions | |
Adam Eckhardt | 0 | Cardiff Cobras | TGC | 2 | With 7:52 remaining in the second quarter, Portsmouth snapped the ball without their QB expecting it. This allowed #0 to run to the QB almost unblocked where he lowered his helmet and made forcible contact with the helmet of the QB. This is being reported under TGC rather than TGB as there is some doubt as to whether the QB (who had essentially stopped playing) was deemed defenceless. At half time it was noted that Cardiff had not listed #0 on their roster, so we asked the HC who confirmed the name of the player, who had been listed under #90. | 1st December 2024 v Exeter Demons | |
Jake Steele | 79 | Solent Redhawks | FPF | 4 | Head-butted an opponent. | 26th January 2025 v RHUL Bears | |
Shadrach Athur | 74 | UWE Bullets | TUF | 4 | #74 committed two unsportsmanlike conduct fouls. The first was for shoving an opponent long after the play had ended. The second was for disparaging comments made towards an official. | 1st December 2024 v Loughborough Students | |
GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS
HOME TEAM | REPORT | NEXT HOME GAME |
New this week | ||
Bristol Barracuda | The crew were offered two changing rooms capable of housing three people comfortably. This made conducting the pre-game discussion a little cramped. The field markings (black) were sometimes difficult to see under the floodlights for this night game and were a little faint. Mark Schofield #557 | 6th December 2024 v Swansea Titans |
DMU Lions | The away team’s balls used as the provided balls would not retain legal pressure. Multiple chain crew substitutions, including one who was asked to leave after repeatedly providing advice to players. Joel Pearson #405 | 1st December 2024 v Cambridge Pythons |
Edinburgh Mavericks | Team area markings were missing, so they were marked with cones. Kenneth Glover #71 | 26th January 2025 v Aberdeen Bulls |
Greenwich Mariners | 90-yard field, with eight-yard end zones, marked faintly with blue lines; with other sports markings in yellow, white, and red. No numbers or limit lines and rugby markings approximated for nine-yard marks. The down box was broken, so the numbers “2” and “3” did not show when selected. Large shared changing room in the SU but not lockable. Graham Smith #149 | 8th December 2024 v Imperial Immortals |
Heriot-Watt Wolverines | Team area markings were missing, so they were marked with cones. Kenneth Glover #71 | 19th January 2025 v Glasgow University Tigers |
Leeds Beckett Carnegie | 80-yard field. No limit lines. No three-yard marks, nine-yard marks, or numbers. Several other sports markings were present in close proximity to the end zones. Team areas were missing but marked out using cones. Game balls required inflation prior to use. David Hewitt #607 | 1st December 2024 v Nottingham Gold |
Leicester Longhorns | The field was still marked to NFL specifications so cones on the end line were used to extend hash marks. Joel Pearson #405 | 1st December 2024 v Hull Sharks |
Loughborough Students | Extremely faint yard lines, hard to see under lights. No team areas were marked. The chain set required repair once. Brian Yates #29 | 1st December 2024 v UWE Bullets |
Manchester Tyrants | No team or coaching areas so they were marked with cones. There was a ten-minute delay to kickoff due to the late arrival of medical staff. John Roberts #145 | 8th December 2024 v LJMU Fury |
Northumbria Mustangs | Team areas were marked with cones. Other coloured lines on the field. The game was played in good spirits and a good advert for the game Gordon Galloway #7 | 1st December 2024 v Manchester Tyrants |
Nottingham Green | Field marked in red. The team areas were too close to the sideline. Jed Brookes-Lewis #395 | 8th December 2024 v Loughborough Students |
NTU Renegades | Field marked in red. The team areas were too close to the sideline. Jed Brookes-Lewis #395 | 8th December 2025 v Newcastle Raiders |
Oxford Brookes | 100-yard field marked in (mostly) blue. The lines are quite faint and became harder to see as it got darker. No marked coaching box or team areas, however, some rugby markings were used to approximate the position of the team areas. No limit lines. One member of the chain crew changed at half-time. Peter Parsons #321 | 9th February 2025 v Sussex Saxons |
Oxford Lancers | The game was not played due to The Parks being closed due to Storm Bert. Peter Parsons #321 | 19th January 2025 v Brunel Burners |
QMBL Vipers | Team areas were marked with cones. Both teams played in grey, but a very dark grey and a very light grey caused no issues. The alternative jerseys would likely have been less distinctive, even though they'd have technically been different colours Ben Gadsby #564 | 1st December 2024 v City Wolfpack |
Sussex Saxons | Three-yard marks were marked at the two-yard line. End zones were approximately 11 yards deep. Chains kept breaking throughout the game. The whole chain crew was changed at half-time. Dean Wright #553 | 16th February 2025 v Surrey Stingers |
Swansea Titans | Sidelines, goal lines, and end lines have been re-marked in red and are noticeably clearer than in the previous game. The original black yard-line extensions were not redone and are fainter. 100-yard field with nine-yard endzones and NFL-width hash marks. No end line pylons were available to assist with spotting the ball. No three-yard marks, team areas, coaching areas, or limit lines. Due to a booking problem, the home team's medical cover was not present at the game. Thankfully, the visiting team's medic was a qualified sports therapist and was able to stand in as the game's medical cover. Amir Brooks #593 | 2nd February 2025 v Bristol Barracuda |
Outstanding items from previous weeks | ||
Bath Killer Bees | This game was played on a temporary field as Bath's usual field is being converted to artificial turg. The field was initially marked out as 100 yards with five-yard endzones - the endzones were subsequently extended to the five-yard lines (making the field 90 yards with ten-yard endzones). The field had NFL-width hash marks, so the end zone pylons were used to spot the ball when needed. The inbounds and sideline markings were unevenly spaced. No team areas were marked out. No three-yard marks. Amir Brooks #593 | 1st December 2024 v Bournemouth University Bobcats |
Birmingham Lions | The home team did not respond when asked for confirmation of game details. The lines were very faint. One stake on the chains was broken and held together by tape. Andrew Lovell #559 | 1st December 2024 v Portsmouth Destroyers |
Bournemouth University Bobcats | The team are playing on a new multi-use artificial field, so there are markings for other sports. This meant that the team areas were not painted, but this wasn’t a problem, as the use of white soccer markings substituted for the coaches box. Simon Ryan | 19th January 2025 v Swansea Titans |
Brunel Burners | 90-yard field with clear markings. No numbers or nine-yard marks. The coaching box and team areas were marked to the 15-yard lines. No limit lines. The changing room is a short walk from the field at the main pavilion and was not lockable. Pete Parsons #321 | 8th December 2024 v Reading Knights |
Canterbury Christ Church Chargers | 90-yard field with 8-yard end zones faintly marked in blue with other sport markings in white, red and yellow. No limit lines, numbers or 9-yard marks. Team areas incorrect size and coaching line at incorrect depth. Changing room not lockable or private. Tim Ockendon #481 | 1st December 2024 v Greenwich Mariners |
Cardiff Cobras | 90-yard artificial field marked in Yellow. Team area markings were missing but marked out using cones. The chain set has a new chain, but one post remains very bent. Stuart Tabberer #348 | 1st December 2024 v Exeter Demons |
Chichester Spitfires | 90-yard rugby field. End zones are short and not necessarily the same size. The team areas were marked to 12 yards instead of 12 feet. Changing rooms were neither private nor lockable, but the crew were able to leave bags at reception. Daniel Clarke #311 | 9th February 2025 v RHUL Bears |
City Wolfpack | 80-yard field with eight-yard end zones marked in pink with other sports markings in white. Main yard lines were approximately 5.5 yards apart. The short yard-line extensions at the sidelines and the hash marks were not a consistent distance apart. No team areas, limit lines, numbers, or nine-yard marks. The visiting team protested the field markings prior to kick off and with 9:07 remaining in the second quarter (with the score at 26-6) they refused to continue with the game citing player safety and injuries to their already small (24 players at KO) squad. Tim Ockendon #481 | 2nd February 2025 v Imperial Immortals |
Coventry University Jets | Markings are blue on green artificial turf. No nine-yard marks or numbers. One of the first three game balls provided was flat but a suitable replacement was found. Richard Whitby #136 | 2nd February 2025 v Sheffield Hallam Warriors |
Derby Braves | Three-yard marks marked every five yards on field. ARU conceded the game at the start of the fourth quarter due to having too few players. Andrew Lovell #559 | 8th December 2024 v Lincoln Colonials |
Durham Saints | No limit lines. No three-yard marks. The team areas were missing but marked out using cones. Some lines were faint in places and were difficult to see once the floodlights came on. There were several other sports markings in close proximity to the endzones. The game balls required inflation prior to use. David Hewitt #607 | 8th February 2025 v Leeds Beckett Carnegie |
Edinburgh Napier Knights | Field surface was very soft underfoot, but a very well marked out field. Gordon Galloway #7 | 2nd February 2025 v Glasgow Tigers |
Exeter Demons | 90-yard field with seven-yard end zones. Field lines in red with yard line extensions in blue. No numbers or nine-yard marks. Team areas marked with cones on one sideline only. Car parking is now chargeable (£1) via PaybyPhone app. Euan Paterson #165 | 8th December 2024 v Portsmouth Destroyers |
Glasgow University Tigers | On arrival, the five-yard lines and hash marks were missing and short yard-line extensions were marked at roughly two-yard intervals. The kickoff was delayed by 57 minutes whilst the team re-marked the pitch and sourced a chain for the chains (as they had originally used a rope). No team areas were marked. Short yard-line extensions lines and multiple other lines were not straight. Commendation to both teams for working together to get the field legal to play. Kenneth Glover #71 | 1st December 2024 v Edinburgh Mavericks |
Hull Sharks | No limit lines. No team areas but marked out with cones. No three-yard marks, nine-yard marks, or numbers. There were several other sports markings on the field, some in close proximity to the end zones. NFL-width hash marks. One game ball needed inflating prior to the game. David Hewitt #607 | 19th January 2025 v Leicester Longhorns |
Kingston Cougars | Well-marked 100-yard field in white. The limit lines are only marked on the home team's side of the field. Team areas were marked out with cones but coaching and team area lines were marked with cones on the home team’s sideline only. Kick-off was delayed by 20 minutes due to the late arrival of medical cover. The changing room was well-appointed but not lockable. Tim Ockendon #481 | 19th January 2024 v Canterbury Christ Church Chargers |
Lancaster Bombers | 80-yard field marked in blue, with other sports markings in different colours. The coaches and players boxes were too close to the sideline but both teams were well disciplined and gave the crew plenty of room. A poppy was marked at midfield for Remembrance Sunday. The balls that were handed to the officials before the game required significant inflation. Lee Taylor #183 | 26th January 2024 v Staffordshire Stallions |
Leeds Gryphons | 80-yard field. No three-yard marks, nine-yard marks, or numbers. Several other sports markings were present in close proximity to the end zones. Team areas were missing but marked out using cones. All three game balls were actually overinflated and required adjusting prior to use. David Hewitt #607 | 9th February 2025 v NTU Renegades |
Liverpool Raptors | A well-marked 90-yard field. With 5:17 remaining in the third quarter, the game was delayed for 16 minutes due to an injury to Liverpool #63. Steve Hall #512 | 1st December 2024 v Leeds Gryphons |
LJMU Fury | Field markings below full standards. No nine-yard marks or numbers. No limit lines, team areas or coaching boxes. Several of the main lines were crooked. two small cchanging rooms supplied for 4 officials, seperate area used for pre game and halftime discussions. Steve Hall #512 | 2nd February 2025 v Northumbria Mustangs |
MMU Eagles | Team and coaching areas were only marked with cones. Two endline pylons were missing and replaced with cones. John Roberts #145 | 1st December 2024 v LJMU Fury |
Newcastle Raiders | No limit lines. No nine-yard marks or numbers. There were several other sports markings on the field including some in close proximity to the end zones. David Hewitt #607 | 1st December 2024 v Warwick Wolves |
Nottingham Gold | Coaching boxes less than six feet from the sidelines and the team areas were less than 12 feet from the sidelines. Goal line and sidelines were double marked and all yard lines double marked in a different colours. After three requests for a chain crew, they were available for briefing less than five minutes before kick-off. Richard Whitby #136 | 7th December 2024 v Loughborough Students |
Portsmouth Destroyers | 90-yard field, which has been repainted in a new pink colour. The team and coaching areas were still missing, but the quality of the overall markings was much improved from the last game. Oliver Maskell #221 | 2nd February 2025 v SGS Pride |
Plymouth Blitz | The pitch was marked with NFL-width hash marks, so cones were used to mark the correct width. Numbers marked on the field on the major yard lines were incorrect and were five yards out of sync. Sideline markers were used to mark the correct yard lines. Changing rooms were very small for officials. Dave Moore #92 | 26th January 2025 v Gloucestershire Gladiators |
RHUL Bears | No three-yard marks for try attempts. Team areas marked out with cones. No dedicated changing room, so the crew changed in public changing rooms in sports centre. There was a brief stoppage in the third quarter as a drone was observed in the proximity of the playing area, which was reported to game day management who asked the operator to ground it, which they did. Andrew Murrell #608 | 26th January 2025 v Solent Redhawks |
Sheffield Hallam Warriors | Posts are set a yard back from the marked end line. The changing room was too small for a crew of five. The home team had a few jerseys of an old design, predominantly burgundy rather than predominantly black, due to their new kit not arriving in time. Joel Pearson #405 | 8th December 2024 v Hull Sharks |
Solent Redhawks | 100-yard field, mostly marked in yellow apart from the midfield line (white) and the majority of the ten-yard lines (dark colour). Team areas were marked between the 25-yard lines. Peter Parsons #321 | 2nd February 2025 v Oxford Brookes |
Southampton Stags | 90-yard field, remarked to a very good quality. All three game balls required further inflation. Game was suspended for ten minutes in the fourth quarter on the advice from the medic who was looking after a few injured players and required further help from another medic on site. Oliver Maskell (221 | 1st December 2024 v Swansea Titans |
Tarannau Aberystwyth | Kick-off was delayed for one hour due to the Away team forgetting some Jerseys. As such, quarters were reduced to ten minutes due to light concerns. However, the away team were able to provide two of the three game balls. Kieran Smith #102 | 16th February 2025 v Plymouth Blitz |
UCLan Rams | The game started ten minutes later than the scheduled kickoff time. This was because the field was not ready for play due to pre-match ceremonies overrunning. Game balls were only made available to the officials five minutes before the scheduled kickoff time and were found to be under-inflated. The pump supplied to inflate the balls to the correct pressure was broken and a new pump had to be sought. Officials assistants were not made available until after the scheduled kickoff time. Field markings were below the required standard with no numbers, limit lines, team areas, or coaching areas marked. The lines were dark blue and became difficult to see as the day got darker, this was not helped by the fact that the lines were faint and required remarking. Steve Hall #512 | 8th December 2024 v Northumbria Mustangs |
UCL Emperors | Short-yard line extensions were small and only completed shortly before kick-off. The field surface is devoid of grass in places. The balls provided were fairly old and dirty. Changing rooms have no working light or toilet, but are lockable. Lee Wood #517 | 26th January 2025 v UEA Pirates |
UEA Pirates | Prior to the game, the crew were advised that UCL had not confirmed with UEA that their coaching staff met the league requirements of having at least one level 2 qualified coach. This was confirmed following a phone call with Tonye. This negated the insurance for the game and following discussions with the UEA committee, it was determined that the game must not go ahead and was abandoned prior to kickoff. Brian Yates #29 | 1st December 2024 v KCL Regents |
UWE Bullets | No Limit Lines. Two small changing rooms were provided, so the crew was split up - but the rooms were lockable and had showers. Oliver Maskell #221 | 7th December 2024 v Durham Saints |
Warwick Wolves | Changing rooms were not lockable. Field marking were in a dark colour and slightly offset from other sports markings. Kieran Smith #102 | 2nd February 2025 v Leeds Gryphons |
PLAY OF THE WEEK: | |
New this 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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Last week | Play: 3 seconds remain in the 2nd Quarter it is 1st and 10 at the B-40. Team A are attempting to score before the half is over. QB A12 drops back to pass and is sacked at the B-49. After making the tackle, line backer B55 makes an offensive gesture towards the Team A sideline. Time expired during the down.
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MECHANICS: | |
New this week | Game Situation: Ball relay. On a 4 man crew the wing official will almost always be covering a dead ball spot near the sidelines. How should the Referee and Umpire work together to ensure that a ball is brought quickly into the new inbounds spot.
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Last week | Game Situation: On a 6C crew, where should the Centre Judge stand on a field goal attempt? Answer: The Centre Judge should be in position about one yard behind the goal post nearest the press box. They are responsible for ruling whether the ball passes inside their upright. |
Date | Event | Contact for details |
2025 | ||
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. |
