Issue 28/25 1st August 2025
BAFRA Newsflash | |||
BOWL GAMES
The Selection Committee will be meeting in early August to select the crews for the three bowl games being played this year.
All three games are being played Butts Park Arena, Coventry.
Saturday 6th September
12pm - U19 Bowl - 9v9
5pm - NWFL Bowl - 9v9
Sunday 7th September
1pm - BritBowl - 11v11
Please ensure your availability is correct in Assignr for these dates by Friday 1st August. Please add any special considerations for selection (position or game preference) to your Assignr notes, or email Operations. However, indicated preferences will not give priority over other officials, it will simply help the Selection Committee in making a decision.
Ollie Maskell - Director of Operations
DISCIPLINARY CASES
NAME | # | TEAM | OFFENCE | SUSPENDED |
Previous weeks | ||||
Joshua Aderemi | 56 | London Blitz | Flagrant Unsportsmanlike Conduct | 10th August 2025 v Cambridgeshire Cats |
James Simpson | 74 | Nottingham Caesars | Two Unsportsmanlike Conduct Fouls | 10th August 2025 v Newcastle Vikings and next 3 competitive games thereafter |
Nathan Kwame Owusu-Ansa | 3 | South London Renegades | Misconduct | All games until 24th September 2025 |
GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS
HOME TEAM | REPORT | NEXT HOME GAME |
New this week | ||
Berkshire Renegades | The ground was a temporary replacement for the team's usual ground, the field was wider than it should have been Keith Wickham #423 | Unknown |
Coventry Phoenix (U16) | For a 5v5 tournament, the facility was excellent. The artificial field was well marked and only missing the 12-yard markings. Refreshments provided by game day management for officials were very good, as usual. The day before the tournament, the crew were informed that Leicester had forfeited their games, and therefore only two games were played on the day. The kick-off for the second game was brought forward by 30 minutes at the agreement of both teams. Emma Harris #236 | Unknown |
Hereford Stampede | A tight 90-yard field with seven-yard end zones. The field surface undulated in one-third. The changing room was not lockable. Euan Paterson #165 | 17th August 2025 v Somerset Wyverns |
Humber Warhawks | No limit lines. No nine-yard marks or numbers. The coaches’ box lines were too close to the sidelines. All three game balls wouldn't hold pressure, so the home team had to provide three more. The changing room was poor with no shower facilities. David Hewitt #607 | Unknown |
Leicester Panthers | The field was marked in yellow with other sports markings present. No team areas. Jed Brookes-Lewis #395 | 17th August 2025 v Birmingham Bulls |
London Olympians | 90-yard field with ten-yard end zones marked faintly in blue with other sport markings in white and yellow. Field markings extended five yards into each end zone. No numbers or limit lines. Rugby markings were approximated for coaching lines and nine-yard marks. Team area lines were marked with cones, but only on one side. The second half kickoff was delayed due to the absence of the chain crew. A replacement crew were trained and worked the first series of the second half before the original crew returned. Two changing rooms were provided, the smaller of which had all the facilities, and the larger of which was lockable. Tim Ockendon #481 | 3rd August 2025 v East Kent Mavericks |
London Warriors (NWFL) | The officials' changing room was a public changing room shared with the University gym and was a significant walk from the field. Peter Parsons #321 | 16th August 2025 v Solent Thrashers |
Manchester Titans | No team areas or coaches' boxes marked. No three-yard marks. Otherwise, a very well-marked 100-yard field. The changing room was not lockable. John Roberts #145 | 9th August 2025 v Coventry Phoenix |
Oxford Saints | Well-marked 100-yard field with mainly blue lines. Coaching boxes and team areas were marked with yard markers and cones. No limit lines. Peter Parsons #321 | 17th August 2025 v Berkshire Renegades |
Scunthorpe Alphas | 90-yard grass field, which was well marked. Both end zones were seven yards deep, and the team areas were marked between the 25-yard lines. Prior to kick-off, padding was applied to the metal stanchions of an athletics throwing net positioned at one end of the field as a precaution. The officials' changing room was a disabled toilet which was not lockable. Ian Rogers #625 | 3rd August 2025 v Glasgow Tigers |
Sheffield Giants (U16) | Both fields were marked with cones, with several different sports markings across both fields. Only one changing room was available, which was being used by the players. When officials did get access, there was no means of securing personal kit. With 0:07 remaining in the game between Manchester and Sheffield, play was ended following a head injury to a Sheffield player. With both medics attending to the player, the game between Lancashire and Chester was delayed for approximately ten minutes. Dave Black #574 | Unknown |
Solent Thrashers | Played at Wide Lane (University of Southampton) rather than the usual venue of Test Park. 90-yard field marked to a very high standard. The kick-off was delayed by eight minutes as the booked medic did not arrive. A Solent player presented themselves as a suitable replacement and removed themselves from their kit. In the second quarter, the replacement medic arrived. The game was suspended briefly whilst they took over, and the Solent player returned to the game. Oliver Maskell #221 | 3rd August 2025 v Wembley Stallions |
Swindon Storm (U16) | Well-marked 5v5 field with a dashed five-yard line and hash to indicate 12-yard mark. A few holes were identified and filled before the game Darren Urben #438 | Unknown |
Outstanding items from previous weeks | ||
Bristol Aztecs | The lines are marked to suit the rugby club landlord and are not very wide or always straight. Keith Wickham #423 | 9th August 2025 v London Warriors |
Cambridgeshire Cats | Team areas marked between the 25-yard lines. Brian Yates #29 | 10th August 2025 v London Blitz |
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 |
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 |
Yorkshire Academy Assassins (U19) | The field was marked with cones, as were the team areas. Dave Black #574 | 19th July 2025 (Tournament) |
PLAY OF THE WEEK: | |
New this week | Play: There are 5 seconds left in the game, the score is 49-0 to Team B. It is 1st and Goal at the B-3 yard line. Quarterback A12 receives the snap and pitches the ball to Running Back A30 who runs to the B-1 where defender B98 tackles A30 by grabbing and twisting A30’s facemask. Time expired during the play. Ruling? |
Last week | Play: The game is being played with a Video Judge. 1st and 10 at Midfield, there are 1:30 seconds left in the game. The clock is not running, the score is tied. Team A attempt a pass play and it is intercepted by B38 at the B-29. B38 returns the ball to A’s end zone for a Touchdown. After the play the video judge reviews the pay and sees clear evidence of a false start prior to the snap.
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MECHANICS: | |
New this week | Game Situation: Team A, 4th and 30 at Midfield. Team A line up with two receivers on either side of the formation. Team B line up with 3 defensive linemen, all other defensive players are lined up near the line to gain. On a 7 man crew which official will key on the widest player on the press-box side of the formation at the snap?
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Last week | Game Situation: On a 5 man crew, what fouls should be recorded (in writing) by which officials? What details of the fouls should be recorded? Answer: (M5.12.1) All officials should record all the fouls they call, all fouls that involve a disqualification and all Unsportsmanlike fouls. (M5.12.2) On a 5 man crew the Line Judge should record all fouls called by all members of the crew. The following details of fouls should be recorded:
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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. |
