Issue 9/25 20th March 2025
BAFRA Newsflash | |||
2025 BAFRA ANNUAL EXAM
The 2025 BAFRA exam will be available from 18:00 on Saturday 22nd March following the AGM. The exam will be available to all BAFRA members in the exam area of the BAFRA website.
The exam period closes 5 weeks later on Saturday 26th April 2025. Please read through all the other important information on the first two pages of the exam paper.
A reminder that Qualified members (including affiliates with protected qualified status) must sit the exam or automatically lose their qualified status. All other members are encouraged to sit the exam for their own development.
For any queries during the exam period please reach out to exam2025@bafra.info.
Stuart Young – Chair, BAFRA Exam Committee
DISCIPLINARY UPDATE
Last week's Newsflash reported that Eddie Burlock of the Sussex Saxons was disqualified from their game on 2nd March for Targeting. However, the disqualification was cancelled after the calling official reviewed the 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 | |||||||
Kai Campbell- Hamilton | 8 | Oxford Brookes | TUF | 4 | #8 committed two Unsportsmanlike Conduct Fouls, both in the fourth quarter. The first was for verbally insulting and taunting an opponent, causing a reaction. The second was for taunting an opponent after they had been tackled by leaving the players' area and physically mocking them. | 30th March 2025 v Plymouth Blitz | |
Joseph Taiwo | 30 | QMBL Vipers | ASS | 2 | With 2:30 remaining in the second quarter, #30 punched an opponent after being blocked to the ground and whilst on the ground. Away from the original incident, #30 contacted the SJ, whilst being restrained by a teammate. | Mr Taiwo is suspended from the next two Competitive games that he is registered to play in | |
GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS
HOME TEAM | REPORT | NEXT HOME GAME |
New this week | ||
Army Jackals | Well-marked 100-yard field in blue with no marked team areas. The team provided a play-by-play commentator. The two changing rooms provided were tight for a crew of eight. The balls required inflation to legal pressure. The chains broke once. James Ford-Bannister #479 | Unknown |
Birmingham Bulls | First game at the new venue of Erdington Rugby Club. The changing room was a little on the small side, it can fit in four at a squeeze by using extra chairs found outside rooms. No coat hooks and the toilet is located in the changing room itself (opposite the changing room bench), so privacy could be an issue. After the game, the club provided hot food to opposition players and officials, which was well received. Krister Halvorsen #77 | Unknown |
Bournemouth University Bobcats | A well-marked field in dark paint, with similar colour markings close to but outside the sidelines. The field had clearly been re-marked recently, which was appreciated. The crew was also afforded a larger locker room that was more than suitable for eight officials. No marked team areas, but yellow markings were used as approximations. No nine-yard marks or numbers, but it was generally an excellently marked field. James Ford-Bannister #479 | Unknown |
Darlington Steam | Due to the home team having to change the venue at the last moment, the field was very uneven in places, but plaudits must go to home team management for marking the field in the time given to them. The changing room was too small for a crew of four, the officials had to change in the home team’s changing room when it was vacated by the players. Gordon Galloway #7 | Unknown |
Derby Braves | Inbounds markings continued into endzones. Team areas were marked with cones. The game was suspended for 1h 20m due to an injury to an Edge Hill player. Brian Yates #29 | Unknown |
Edinburgh Napier Knights | A well-marked field. Coaching areas were marked properly. The grass surface had the remnants of car tyre marks but any gouges had been filled in prior to kickoff. The game was played in good spirits by both teams and was a great advert for college football. Gordon Galloway #7 | 19th March 2025 v Edinburgh Mavericks |
Edinburgh Napier Knights | Kickoff was delayed by 45 minutes due to a floodlight malfunction. 49 seconds were played before the lights went out for a second time, causing a further 15-minute delay. After repair, it was agreed with the Head Coaches to reduce the quarters to ten minutes. Gordon Galloway #7 | Unknown |
Nottingham Gold | The field was marked in red, but the markings were clearly visible. The team areas were too close to the sideline. Jed Brookes-Lewis #395 | Unknown |
OBU Panthers | A 90-yard field marked in blue with numbers, but not at nine yards. Team areas were marked with cones. Kickoff was delayed by 15 minutes due to an issue with the visiting team's coach. Padding was missing from the posts but was resolved around the new kickoff time with a final result of a 20-minute delay to kickoff. The changing rooms were public and ample for space but not lockable (although lockers were available.) James Ford-Bannister #479 | Unknown |
Plymouth Blitz | Game played at Central Park. The changing rooms were a long distance from the field. The field markings were very faint, particularly the inbounds hash marks which made spotting the ball tricky. Amir Brooks #593 | Unknown |
Scunthorpe Alphas | A well marked 90-yard field. Team areas were incorrectly marked between the 25-yard lines. Dave Black #574 | Unknown |
Sheffield Giants | Team areas were absent but were marked with cones. Pylons at the hash-marks extended were absent. After halftime, there was a delay in the officials' assistants being made available. Paul Todd #289 | Unknown |
Sheffield Sabres | The game was switched to York due to Sheffield's home venue already being booked. Every credit to York on managing to get a 100-yard field marked out at short notice. The changing room was large enough for the crew, although it did not lock and was quite a walk from the pitch. Lee Taylor #183 | Unknown |
UWE Bullets | Lines were a little faint and became more challenging to see as darkness fell. Team areas were marked between the 25-yard lines. Two changing rooms, neither big enough for a full crew, so the crew used both. Peter Parsons #321 | Unknown |
Warwick Wolves | The lines were very faint but a well-marked field. Brian Yates #29 | Unknown |
Outstanding items from previous weeks | ||
Sheffield Sabres | Team areas were absent. Pylons at the hash marks extended were absent. Otherwise, a well-marked 90-yard field. Paul Todd #289 | 16th March 2025 v York Centurions |
PLAY OF THE WEEK: | |
New this week | Play: Team A, 4th and 10 at the B-25, the game clock is running. Team A line up to attempt a field goal, holder A13 places a piece of tape on the ground near where he is kneeling to mark the spot where he will place the ball after it is snapped. The Field Goal is Good.
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Last week | Play: It is 4th and Goal at the B-5 yard line. Quarterback A12 receives the snap and runs to the B-2 where is hit and looses possession of the ball. A83 picks up the ball at the B-3 and runs into the endzone where he celebrates and makes a rude gesture to an opponent.
On fourth down, before a change of team possession, when a Team A fumble is recovered by a Team A player other than the fumbler, the ball is dead. As the recovery is behind the spot of the fumble, the ball is returned to the spot of the recovery. As this is short of the line to gain - the ball belongs to Team B. A83 is penalised for Unsportsmanlike Conduct from that Spot. |
MECHANICS: | |
New this week | Game Situation: When should the uncatchable pass signal (S17) be used?
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Last week | Game Situation: Upon arrival at the game site, there are no goal posts available. Both Coaches agree to play the game. The game kicks off and the Visiting Team fall behind and are trailing 27-0 at the end of the first quarter. During the interval, the Visiting Team Head Coach informs the Referee that he no longer wishes to play the game without goal posts as he feels that his team is at an unfair disadvantage and wishes for the game to be abandoned. Answer: As both Head Coaches have agreed to play the game (and the game has kicked off), the Visiting Team’s Head Coach’s decision to start is irrevocable and the game cannot be abandoned on these grounds. If the Visiting Team is no longer willing the continue the game the game cannot they must forfeit the game. |
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. |
