Issue 25/25 11th July 2025
BAFRA Newsflash | |||
DISCIPLINARY CASES
NAME | # | TEAM | CODE | Q | OFFENCE | SUSPENDED | |
New this week | |||||||
Zak Constance | HC | Wakefield District Raiders | MIS | 4 | Following the final play of the game, the Head Coach entered the field of play and verbally abused the Referee about perceived missed calls. | 20th July 2025 v Doncaster Mustangs and next competitive game thereafter * As this was a disqualification of a non-player, this is a whole game day suspension as opposed to just a playing suspension. Mr Constance may not be present at the game site in any capacity. | |
Previous weeks | |||||||
Daniel Collado | 52 | East Kent Mavericks | FUC | 4 | Verbally abused a match official after a play | 6th July 2025 v Colchester Gladiators & 20th July 2025 v London Olympians | |
Mark Carolan | 40 | Edinburgh Napier Knights (U19) | FGT | 3 | With 3:43 remaining in the third quarter, Edinburgh #75 was thrown to the ground by their helmet by #40 as the ball passed the pair of them. This act was penalised as a live ball personal foul. #75 retaliated by wrestling and clearly punching #40 on the ground with #40 retaliating in kind. The two players had to be separated by players from both teams and the officials. | 20th July 2025 v East Kilbride Pirates U19 | |
James Simpson | 74 | Nottingham Caesars | TUF | 3 | With 9:51 remaining in the third quarter, #74 was penalised for Unsportsmanlike Conduct, after the play had ended, for maintaining physical contact with and pushing an opponent well after the whistle had blown. Following the announcement of the penalty, #74 directed a derogatory comment towards the Referee, which resulted in a second penalty for Unsportsmanlike Conduct. At the conclusion of the game, the player returned to the playing enclosure, sought out the officials to confront them and prevented them from leaving the playing enclosure. This was a second act of Misconduct. | 20th July 2025 v Coventry Phoenix and next 4 competitive games thereafter | |
Kieran Hill | 50/97 | Rushmoor Knights (U19) | FGT | 3 | With 1:01 remaining in the third quarter, #97 continued to aggressively block a player who was clearly out of the play, which drew a penalty for unnecessary roughness. After the ball was dead, #97 continued to act aggressively towards the player, which led to players from both sides getting involved with each other. During this fracas, #97 threw several punches. Upon checking the roster, there was no #97 listed; however, the Head Coach confirmed the player's identity as the player listed as #50 on the roster. | 20th July 2025 v Solent Seahawks | |
Nathan Kwame Owusu-Ansa | 3 | South London Renegades | MIS | - | Used a belt to strike multiple players after a game | 20th July 2025 & all games until 24th September 2025 | |
GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS
HOME TEAM | REPORT | NEXT HOME GAME |
New this week | ||
Birmingham Bulls | The changing room was a portacabin with no bathroom or shower area. It was not lockable and required a man from the rugby club to carry in chairs and run a cable to get electricity for the lighting. A second room was provided because of the mixed sex nature of the crew. Keith Wickham #423 | Unknown |
Birmingham Lions (U16) | Single 5v5 field marked with the use of cones and other sports markings. Will Fazackerley #227 | Unknown |
Birmingham Lions (U19) | The changing room was a portacabin with no bathroom or shower area. It was not lockable and required a man from the rugby club to carry in chairs and run a cable to get electricity for the lighting. A second room was provided because of the mixed sex nature of the crew. There was an injury in the fourth quarter where a player had to be treated for a broken leg, and the game was suspended for 20 minutes. Keith Wickham #423 | 20th July 2025 v Nottingham Caesars |
Bristol Aztecs | 90-yard field marked with thin yellow lines that weren’t straight in places. No nine-yard marks or team areas. Euan Paterson #165 | 19th July 2025 v Rushmoor Knights |
Chester Romans | Team areas were absent but were marked with cones. 90-yard field missing three-yard marks, nine-yard marks, and numbers. Ian Rogers #625 | Unknown |
Chester Romans (U19) | Team areas were absent but were marked with cones. 90-yard field missing three-yard marks, nine-yard marks, and numbers. Two small changing rooms were provided that could fit two people in each for a crew of six. Following a play which drew an unnecessary roughness penalty, during the secon quarter, a photographer on the home team sideline was removed from the playing enclosure after he aggressively hurled abuse at members of the away team. Ian Rogers #625 | Unknown |
Cornwall Monarchs | Generally well-marked field with blue markings. No nine-yard marks, and the assistants were provided quite late with just enough time to brief them. The changing rooms were very small and could accommodate a maximum of three officials. Dave Moore #92 | Unknown |
Doncaster Mustangs | The changing room was too small for a crew of six and was not lockable. A larger changing room was offered after the crew had changed. The 90-yard field had no numbers or limit lines, with the three-yard mark marked at two yards at both ends. The chains had to be repaired on three occasions. Dave Black #574 | 20th July 2025 v Wakefield District Raiders |
East Kent Mavericks | 90-yard field with several sports markings. American Football lines were marked in blue - these were faint. The game was suspended in the third quarter (14:49 remaining) for 30 mins at 14:34 due to severe weather - lightning. Graham Smith #149 | Unknown |
East Kilbride Pirates | No numbers or nine-yard marks. No limit lines. Henry Richardson #25 | 20th July 2025 v Manchester Titans |
East Kilbride Pirates (U19) | No numbers or nine-yard marks. No limit lines. Henry Richardson #25 | 20th July 2025 v Edinburgh Napier Knights |
Gateshead Senators | 90-yard field recently remarked in white. Not all the lines were straight but this could also be due to the slightly undulating nature of the pitch. The goals at both ends were still slightly skewed, but it was the same at both ends. Following the game, but before the score had been declared final, the visiting head coach came onto the field to complain vociferously at the Referee and Head Linesman about perceived missed calls. Lee Taylor #183 | Unknown |
Hereford Stampede | This was a very short field. Although marked for 90 yards, the short yard-line extensions were closer together than normal, although a formal measurement was not done. Mark Schofield #557 | Unknown |
Leicester Panthers | Field markings were very faint and will need remarking for the playoffs. No nine-yard marks or coaching boxes, but rugby markings were used as an approximation. Both teams played in dark jerseys that were just about contrastable. It was observed that the home team had multiple players wearing the same shirt numbers, and they were asked to change to another number. At halftime, an away team player had a medical emergency, and it was subsequently agreed by both head coaches to shorten the remaining quarters to zero minutes. Joel Pearson #405 | Unknown |
London Olympians | 90-yard field with markings into the end zone due to originally being marked as 100 yards with five-yard end zones. Markings were in dark blue and were faint but usable. Team areas were marked with cones, and rugby markings were used to approximate the nine-yard marks. Game stopped to repair the chain on one occasion. There was a delay of just over 30 minutes due to a knee injury to a Kent Exiles player that required transportation to the hospital by private car. The officials' original changing room was not lockable, but a nearby room was available and lockable. Neither featured a private shower or toilet. James Ford-Bannister #479 | 20th July 2025 v East Kent Mavericks |
London Warriors | The field (including team areas) has been re-marked (in blue except where a line from another sport is used e.g. midfield) since the previous game and the lines were easy to see. No numbers or nine-yard marks. The officials changing is a public changing room shared with the University gym and is a significant walk from the field. Peter Parsons #321 | Unknown |
London Warriors (U19) | The game was forfeited by the home team as they were unable to meet the Competition Regulation minimum for players on the sideline under Regulation 4.4. Peter Parsons #321 | Unknown |
Manchester Titans (NWFL) | The game was played on a 90-yard field at the National Speedway Stadium. One change of ball person at halftime. Two injuries were sustained in separate incidents to Manchester players in the first quarter. This necessitated delays of over five minutes for treatment to be administered. The second incident incurred a 45-minute delay at the end of the first quarter whilst awaiting an externally sourced ambulance to attend the venue. Krister Halvorsen #77 | Unknown |
Rushmoor Knights (U16) | Two well-marked 53-yard fields in white with ten-yard end zones and other sport markings in white. No mid-line and five-yard lines marked only at the sidelines. No team area markings, but other sport markings helped keep coaches and substitutes well out of the way. No down boxes or operators provided, so the Referee/Linesman used bean bags. A good-sized lockable changing room, missing a private toilet. Tim Ockendon #481 | Unknown |
Shropshire Revolution | Lines for other sports didn't contrast. There were multiple delays to fill divots from other sports. Andrew Lovell #559 | Unknown |
Solent Thrashers | The field markings were very faint, with numerous other sports lines used of differing colours. Scott Castle #626 | 20th July 2025 v South Wales Warriors |
Teesside Steelers | Field markings below full standards. 90-yard grass field marked in white, though there were no nine-yard marks or numbers. No three-yard marks and the short yard-line extensions were too far apart. Team areas were marked with cones on request. Both teams wore blue jerseys but with more than sufficient contrast to easily identify each team. On arrival, one small changing room large enough for just two officials was available, however, after discussions with game management, the crew were relocated to an unused team changing room. Although, this room did have various pieces of stored equipment present. Ian Rogers #625 | Unknown |
Outstanding items from previous weeks | ||
Chorley Buccaneers (U19) | Well-marked 100-yard field. No team areas marked. All three game balls required inflation prior to use. David Hewitt #607 | 20th July 2025 v Manchester Titans |
Coventry Phoenix | Plenty of water and a selection of Samosas were provided for the officials. Keith Wickham #423 | 20th July 2025 v Nottingham Caesars |
Hertfordshire Cheetahs | The game kicked off 30 minutes later than scheduled to ensure officials had their mandatory break between games. Andrew Murrell #608 | 10th August 2025 v Rushmoor Knights |
Ipswich Cardinals | Well-marked 100-yard field all in white. Numbers are small. The officials' changing room, whilst lockable, was small and compact. Any crew larger than four would struggle to fit. The private toilet/shower both now have doors fitted. Graham Smith #149 | 20th July 2025 v Norwich Devils |
Lancashire Buccaneers | Filed markings below full standards. Well-marked 100-yard field. Field marked in dark blue, other sports markings present. No numbers or limit lines. Team areas were marked with cones. Steve Hall #512 | 20th July 2025 v Lincolnshire Bombers |
London Blitz | One post was crooked. The changing room was lockable but had no private shower or toilet. One area of the field had puddles of standing water, but by the end of the first half the water had gone. Overnight, there was a marquee erected which was ~14 feet from the sideline, the supports were covered with pads and ran from about the 40-yard line to the five-yard line at one end of the field. Lee Wood #517 | 20th July 2025 v London Warriors |
London Blitz (U19) | 100-yard grass field with ten-yard end zones marked in white. The field surface was sandy in places but was reasonably level throughout. Field markings had been re-marked with spray paint, leading to some crooked lines and the inbounds markings are unevenly spaced. No limit lines or team area markings on the away sideline. The numbers were the incorrect size. The goals were too wide, and one was slightly out of alignment. The usual changing room was not available, but an alternative was found, which was spacious and lockable but with no facilities. Tim Ockendon #481 | 20th July 2025 v London Warriors |
London Warriors (NWFL) | Multiple sports markings. Missing team areas and limit lines. Lines were a very faint blue (on green surface). Short yard-line extensions were invisible from a range of three yards away, and visible when closer only if a) the angle of the sun was right or b) you noticed that the texture of the turf was slightly different in "painted" areas. The low visibility of markings delayed the spotting of the ball to the point of interfering with attempts to run a no huddle offence. Game kicked off five minutes late due to the late arrival of the medic. Second half kicked off ten minutes late due to changes to all five officials assistants. With around nine mins left in the second quarter, the crew size dropped to three due to a non-contact injury to the line judge, with the umpire moving to that position. Ben Gadsby #564 | 26th July 2025 v Birmingham Lions |
Manchester Titans | This fixture was cancelled around 22:00 on Saturday, 21-06-25, due to Newcastle Vikings forfeiting the game. Ian Rogers #625 | 9th August 2025 v Coventry Phoenix |
Newcastle Vikings | 90-yard field. No three-yard marks, nine-yard marks, or numbers. Field markings were faint, particularly the inbounds markings. Ian Rogers #625 | 10th August 2025 v Nottingham Caesars |
Oxford Saints | A small changing room was provided for a crew of five, making for a cramped pregame. Mark Schofield #557 | 20th July 2025 v Ouse Valley Eagles |
Portsmouth Dreadnoughts | 90-yard field mostly marked with pink lines, which were very difficult to see at times and from certain angles. No numbers or nine-yard marks (rugby markings were used to approximate them). No coaching box line marked. Team areas were marked with cones. Changing rooms were not locked during the game. The start of the game was delayed by 30 minutes due to the late arrival of both the visiting team and the Referee as a result of a full closure of the A3. Peter Parsons #321 | 20th July 2025 v Sussex Thunder |
Sandwell Steelers | The game kicked off 15 minutes late due to the late finish of the preceding junior game, then another five minutes after the non-appearance of the chain crew and ball persons. Multiple chain crew changes. The field is missing nine-yard marks and has the smallest possible legal end zones. Joel Pearson #405 | 20th July 2025 v Northants Knights |
Somerset Wyverns | 100-yard field. The officials changed in the conference room, which was neither private nor lockable, but was better than the soccer/rugby officials' changing room next door. Euan Paterson #165 | 20th July 2025 v Bournemouth Bobcats |
South London Renegades (U19) | Changing rooms not locked during the game, though were in a relatively secure area. The goalposts had reverted back to the rugby posts and caused no issues. Daniel Clarke #311 | 20th July 2025 v Ipswich Cardinals |
Yorkshire Academy Assassins (U19) | The field was marked with cones, as were the team areas. Dave Black #574 | 19th July 2025 (Tournament) |
Yorkshire Rams | 90-yard field marked in blue, which was difficult to see in places prior to kickoff. This was made worse by a sharp downpour right at the start of the game, which washed away most of the inbounds markings. The changing room provided for the officials contained a fair amount of rugby training materials, which had to be moved to create space to get changed. Following the game the crew noted that the showers were out of action Lee Taylor #183 | 20th July 2025 v Sheffield Giants |
PLAY OF THE WEEK: | |
New this week | Play: 2nd & 8 at Team’s B 40-yard line. 1:56 remains in the second quarter. A66 snaps the ball high to quarterback A10 who has to jump to control the snap. Whilst still airborne at Team B’s 45-yard line, A10 pitches the ball forwards to A88 who has run across the front of A10. A88 runs wide to the right and runs out of bounds at Team B’s 30-yard line. During A88’s run, B24 blocks A73 below the waist 6 yards beyond the neutral zone. What is the next down and distance? What is the game clock status?
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Last week | Play: 4th and 30 at the A-20. A65 punts the ball, the ball bounces at the A-49 yard line, where B89 attempts to recover the ball with a knee on the ground, B89 muffs the ball. Thinking B89 has secured possession the Back Judge blows his Whistle to declare the ball dead. Immediately after the whistle is sounded, A72 recovers the ball while prone at the A-48.
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MECHANICS: | |
New this week | Game Situation: After a forward pass has been thrown, how much time should the umpire spend continuing to observe the action in the vicinity of the line of scrimmage before turning to assist deep and wing officials with the pass?
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Last week | Game Situation: On an 8-man crew, what should the Line Judge do on a measurement? Answer: The Line Judge should move quickly to a position on the appropriate yard line to indicate where the Linesman should place the clip in order to make an accurate measurement (i.e. in a precise north-south line with the ball). There is no need for the Line Judge to put his foot on the chain. (M18.8 & M18.11). |
Date | Event | Contact for details |
2025 | ||
BAFRA Directors | |||||
President | David Parsons | General Secretary | Richard Moger | ||
Finance | Mark Schofield | Operations | Oliver Maskell | ||
Recruitment | Emma Harris | 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. |
