Issue 6/25 19th February 2025
BAFRA Newsflash | |||
BAFRA ANNUAL CONVENTION - SAT 22ND AND SUN 23RD MARCH 2025
It is great to report that we have reached the 100 mark again, with current registrations standing at 102 (as of Tuesday 18th February). As usual, we will advise the names of those attending separately, in order that you can check that we have received/actioned your registration application. For those already registered, please remember that, if you still have to finalise payment, you need to do so by Friday 21st February to secure BAFRA rates. If you haven’t already registered, then you need to act fast if you require accommodation and want to secure our preferred rates. You can still register after Friday 21st February, but we cannot guarantee preferred rates. We are fully aware that not everyone requires accommodation. Accommodation information is still included below for anyone who wishes to apply before the deadline. Thanks to everyone who has already registered.
Please see below for (hopefully) all you need to know about the location, accommodation packages (if required), and how to register.
Accommodation
The BAFRA Board have put together a fantastic accommodation package. We endeavour to make the Convention as accessible as possible from a financial perspective. As such, I’m sure you will agree the rates and overall package is very attractive. There is no charge for BAFRA members to attend the Convention, with lunch and the evening meal on Saturday provided at no additional cost to our members. All you need to pay for is the accommodation
Location
The Convention will be held at Yarnfield Park Training & Conference Centre, Yarnfield Lane, Yarnfield, Staffordshire, ST15 0NL. Yarnfield Park is a leading Training and Conference centre in the heart of the UK. I would recommend that you look over the facility on their website where you can find details of the location and directions: https://www.yarnfieldpark.com.
Registration
You can now register to attend the Convention at the following link and book accommodation if required: https://forms.office.com/e/vRuGyBCGEe.
Given our high attendance figures, administering the registration process and processing accommodation payments can be time-consuming. As such, we request that you register and make your room payments as early as possible.
Accommodation
As mentioned above, we have again negotiated excellent accommodation rates for BAFRA Members, which are detailed below. The rates indicated are per room, per night and include all discounts and a full breakfast.
Payment
Payment for Convention rooms is due by Friday 21st February. Payment can be made either electronically or by cheque.
Cheques should be for the full amount, made payable to BAFRA Ltd and sent to:
Stuart Tabberer
30 Clover Ground
Bristol
BS9 4UH
If paying electronically, please ensure your payment reference is your full name and BAFRA number e.g. “Stuart Tabberer 348”:
Account Number: 10255350
Sort Code: Bank: 16-16-11
Account Name: BAFRA LTD.
It is appreciated that some people may wish to spread the cost and make multiple payments over the weeks leading up to 21st February. Please use the same instructions as above. If you wish to make multiple payments, then you must make the payments electronically and not by cheque.
Unfortunately, payment for the Convention cannot be taken from Game Fees. The administration work involved is far too time-consuming and does not fit well with our electronic process of paying Game Fees by direct transfer to your bank account.
Friday Night
Most members who attend the convention arrive on Friday night to save an early rise and travel on Saturday morning. As such the above rates are available for both the Friday and Saturday nights. We would recommend booking your room as early as possible.
Finally, if you have any questions or queries about the convention, please drop an email to convention@bafra.info and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Ian Sneddon - Convention Delivery Team
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF BAFRA LTD
The Annual General Meeting of BAFRA Limited will be held during the Convention at 5 pm on Saturday 22nd March 2025. It is open to all members. A full agenda will be circulated to members nearer the time.
Part of the AGM is to decide on the BAFRA Charity for 2025. Any BAFRA member can nominate a charity, if you wish to do so, please complete the nomination form I sent out electronically.
In addition, the election of directors for the Company will take place at the AGM. Four posts are due for election this year:
In the case of three of the posts, Director of Operations, Director of Recruitment, and Director without Portfolio #2 the present incumbent has indicated that they will be seeking re-election.
As of 17:00 on Tuesday 18th February, the following nominations for these posts have been received:
Director of Finance:
- Mark Schofield #557 – Proposed by Emma Harris #236. Seconded by Ian Smith #624.
Director of Operations:
- Ollie Maskell #221 – Proposed by James Ford-Bannister #479. Seconded by Henry Richardson #25.
Director of Recruitment:
- Emma Harris #236 – Proposed by Graham Smith #149. Seconded by Henry Richardson #25.
- Susannah Taylor #335 - Proposed by Paul Sutton #312. Seconded by Nathan Coates #72.
Director without Portfolio #2:
- Steve Tonkinson #99 – Proposed by David Parsons #425. Seconded by Graham Coleman #177.
I will provide a further list next week.
These positions are open to all qualified members and nomination forms have been circulated to all qualified members. If you have not received this please contact me.
The Directors encourage all qualified members to consider applying for one of the above four positions. If you are considering standing and would like more information about what is involved, please contact me or, if you prefer, another director for more details.
Richard Moger - BAFRA General Secretary
REPORTING SERVED SUSPENSIONS
After last week’s Newsflash reporting a change in the suspension served webform, the webform is not currently functioning. In the interim, if you have a person serving a suspension, please report it via the BAFRA Game Management form. I shall contact the Referees all affected games this coming weekend directly.
Ben Griffiths - BAFA Disciplinary Officer
discipline@britishamericanfootball.org
DISCIPLINARY CASES
NAME | # | TEAM | CODE | Q | OFFENCE | SUSPENDED | |
New this week | |||||||
Michael Abera | 6 | UWE Bullets | TGC | 3 | During a free kick play, number 6, targeted and made forcible contact with the Crown of the Helmet. The present indicators of targeting were, a launch, leading with the helmet and lowering the head before attacking by initiating forcible contact with the crown of the helmet. | Unknown, expected to be UWE’s first round playoff game | |
Previous weeks | |||||||
Jedd Fadhley | - | Bristol Barracudas | BGD | - | Bringing the Game into Disrepute by unethically attempting to gain access to other team’s playbooks and training film. | 23rd February v KCL Regents *This is a playing suspension, therefore Mr Fadhley may be present in the team area, they may just not play in the game. | |
Noah Sims | 4 | Nottingham Green | FGT | 2 | With 4:25 remaining in the second quarter, player exchanged multiple punches with an opponent, resulting in a brawl that drew in personnel from both sidelines. | 23rd February 2024 v Sheffield Hallam Warriors | |
Samuel Vernon | 31 | Sheffield Hallam Warriors | FGT | 2 | With 4:25 remaining in the second quarter, player exchanged multiple punches with an opponent, resulting in a brawl that drew in personnel from both sidelines. | 23rd February 2024 v Nottingham Green | |
GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS
HOME TEAM | REPORT | NEXT HOME GAME |
New this week | ||
Chichester Spitfires | The 90-yard field was marked in blue with two end zones of slightly different sizes, both less than seven yards deep. To make the end zones legal in size, the goal line was moved five yards up at both ends, leaving an 80-yard field. Both sets of inbound lines were marked at about 45' from each sideline and the markings were significantly longer than 24". There were no coaching boxes, team areas, or limit lines marked. There were no numbers or nine-yard marks, so the 15m marks from the rugby pitch markings were used to approximate instead. The home team areas were marked with cones, but the visiting team areas were not marked. There were multiple stoppages to repair the chains during the game. Peter Parsons #321 | Unknown |
Derby Braves | Due to the field being shortened to 90 yards, to accommodate the correct size of end zones, there are still visible inbounds markings in both end zones. These are marked in black but the rest of the field has been re-marked in blue, so those are a different colour and are distinguishable between the two. With the score 20-0 in Derby’s favour, the Head Coaches mutually agreed to reduce the remaining time in all quarters to 0:00 due to DMU player number.. Krister Halvorsen #77 | 2nd March 2025 v Cambridge Pythons |
Kingston Cougars | It was a very long walk from the changing room to the field which was very muddy at one end. Keith Wickham #423 | 2nd March 2025 v Sussex Saxons |
Lancaster Bombers | 90-yard field marked in blue. Other sports were present, marked in white, which did not run parallel to the AF markings. Team areas were marked too close to the sideline. Lee Taylor #183 | 2nd March 2025 v York Centurions |
Loughborough Students | No private changing was available due to a multitude of other sports events taking place, so the crew changed in a public changing room. Lines are quite faint at this point in the season. Stoppage of approximately 20 minutes due to serious injury requiring an ambulance. After the ambulance left it was determined that between both sidelines the minimum standards for medical cover were still met. Joel Pearson #405 | Unknown |
Nottingham Gold | Team areas on the home team side too close to the sideline. Brian Yates #29 | Unknown |
QMBL Vipers | QMBL played their home game at Greenwich's field. The down box is at the same poor standard that it has been at for multiple years now. The assistants provided by QMBL were of poor standard and five chain crew members were used within the first half alone. The field markings are faint and it is hard to see the inbounds markings at times. Daniel Clarke #311 | Unknown |
Sheffield Sabres | Pylons at the hash-marks extended were absent. Team areas were marked with cones. Otherwise, a well-marked 90-yard field. Paul Todd #289 | 2nd March 2024 v Sunderland Spartans |
Sussex Saxons | Some halftime changes of officials' assistants. Some of the lines on the field are very faded. Dean Wright #553 | Unknown |
Tarannau Aberystwyth | The home team were unable to provide three balls of an acceptable standard. The game balls were provided by the visiting team. Amir Brooks #593 | Unknown |
PLAY OF THE WEEK: | |
New this week | Play: 4th and 5 at Team A's 25-yard line with 1:30 remaining in the first half. A44 takes a handoff and runs to Team A's 29-yard line where he is hit and fumbles the ball. A88 recovers the ball at the A-27 yard and runs towards Team B's Goal Line. At Team B's 3-yard line A88 begins a feet-first slide. A88's hand touches the ground with the ball at Team B's 2-yard line, his leg touches the ground with the ball at Team B's 1-yard line and his slide takes him across Team B's goal line.
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Last 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.
When A47 steps in under centre Team A are no longer in a Scrimmage Kick Formation, therefore the numbering exceptions no longer apply and they must have 5 players wearing 50 to 79 on the line if the ball is snapped while A47 is under centre (2-16-10-a, 7-1-4-a-3). |
MECHANICS: | |
New this week | Game Situation: Which official is responsible for informing coaches of the exact time when the two minute warning is called?
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Last week | Game Situation: Prior to kick-off; on a 5 man crew which official is responsible for briefing the medical personnel on what signals are to be used to summon them onto the field. Answer: The Back Judge (M8.2.10.c) |
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. |
