Issue 38/25 5th November 2025
BAFRA Newsflash | |||
QUALIFIED - JAMES HORNUNG
Congratulations to James Hornung on completing all the requirements to become Qualified.
Thanks to Roger Brown and everyone helping with James’s training.
James Ford-Bannister - Director of Training
DISCIPLINARY CASES
NAME | # | TEAM | OFFENCE | SUSPENDED |
New this week | ||||
Cole McFarlane | 12 | Brunel Burners | Flagrant Unsportsmanlike Conduct | 9th November 2025 v Exeter Demons |
GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS
HOME TEAM | REPORT | NEXT HOME GAME |
New this week | ||
Bournemouth University Bobcats | The field was well marked, with faint lines of previous location and markings for other sports. There were no markings for a team area, but players remained far back from the sideline throughout. Scott Castle #626 | 9th November 2025 v Bristol Barracuda |
Brunel Burners | The officials' changing room was a reasonable walk away from the field and was not private. Nor did it include functional showering facilities. A well-marked, 90-yard field with no numbers, nine-yard marks, or three-yard marks. The start of the game was delayed briefly due to a missing chain crew member. With 8:35 remaining in the fourth quarter, the crew moved to crew of four mechanics due to an injury to the Umpire. James Ford-Bannister #479 | 9th November 2025 v Exeter Demons |
Edinburgh Mavericks | 90-yard field, with no limit lines. Henry Richardson #25 | 16th November 2026 v Edinburgh Napier Knights |
KCL Regents | New Venue: Chiswick RFC. 80-yard field with 11-yard end zones marked with blue lines. Rugby posts were used, so the crossbars were too high. Hash marks are 18 yards from the sidelines (not 20 yards). No numbers. Changing rooms were built with three rugby officials in mind; they were lockable and included a private shower. The down box arrived late (in the first quarter), and the crew was able to manage until then. Graham Smith #149 | 7th Dec 2025 v Brighton Panthers |
Kent Exiles (U19) | A generally well-marked 90-yard field with shot yard-line extensions marked five yards into each end zone. No nine-yard marks, numbers, or three-yard marks. A scoreboard, catering, and fenced-off area were provided for fans. The officials’ changing room was lockable but without a private shower or toilet. It was also located a significant walk from the playing field. James Ford-Bannister #479 | Unknown |
Leeds Beckett | 80-yard field. No limit lines. Several other sports markings on the field, some in close proximity to the endzones. No team areas marked, but both teams used cones. The away team complained about the quality of the game balls, so they offered two of their own, which were acceptable to both teams. No nine-yard marks or numbers. David Hewitt #607 | 7th Dec 2025 v UWE Bullets |
Leicester Longhorns | The field was marked with NFL-width hash marks, so cones were used on the end lines to approximate the correct position. No team area markings on either sideline. Both teams normally play in Green, but Leicester wore Red jerseys instead (from Notts Caesars - which was mildly confusing). The game was suspended for 35 minutes in the third quarter due to a serious injury and the ambulance being on the field of play to treat the injury. Andrew Murrell #608 | 30th November 2025 v Sheffield Hallam Warriors |
Liverpool Raptors | Field markings below full standards. 90-yard field marked in yellow. No team areas or coaching areas marked. No numbers, no limit lines, and a couple of the main lines were crooked. Steven Hall #512 | 16th November 2025 v MMU Eagles |
Loughborough Students | Team marked not marked. Brian Yates #29 | 22nd November 2025 v Leeds Beckett |
MMU Eagles | Field markings were below full standards. The Football markings were marked in red on a green surface, and they were also very faint. They will need full re-marking (preferably in another colour) before the next game at this venue. There were numerous white field markings within four feet of an endzone line. There were no nine-yard marks or numbers. There were no limit lines or team area markings of any sort. During the week, it was determined that the teams intended to play in jerseys that did not contrast (Home in Navy Blue and the visiting Team in Purple). The Home team were advised of the rules (and the penalty) and were asked to change into White Jerseys. Upon arrival at the venue, the Home Team Head Coach was unaware of this conversation and of the rule change. In overcast conditions there was insufficient contrast, so the home team were penalised. The opening kick-off was delayed for approximately five minutes as the medical cover only drove through the entrance to the venue at the scheduled kick-off time and took some time to get to within view of the field. The change rooms were lockable but only by key-code. However, the code has not changed for some time. Ben Griffiths #228 | 23rd November 2025 v Lancashire Rams |
NTU Renegades | The field was marked in red on green. Team areas were absent. Pylons at the hash marks extended were missing. Dave Black #574 | 16th November 2025 v Newcastle Raiders |
Oxford Brookes | An excellently marked artificial field. Markings in light blue, readily visible. Officials' Assistants were not presented to the officials until minutes before kick off, and all home team representatives had abandoned the field for pre-game activities in the locker room. Stuart Tabberer #348 | 7th December 2025 v Birmingham Lions |
Portsmouth Destroyers | 90-yard field marked in pink, team areas marked with cones. The chain crew were woefully slow and caused significant disruption to the flow of the game. Oliver Maskell #221 | 16th November 2025 v Exeter Demons |
Plymouth Blitz | NFL-width hash marks. 90-yard field. Changing rooms were some distance away from the field and, although not locked, there was an attendant present. Dave Moore #92 | 16th November 2025 v Bournemouth University Bobcats |
RAF Mustangs | The crew was provided with two small changing rooms, suitable for four. As a result, the pregame was conducted in the public area. Mark Schofield #557 | Unknown |
Sheffield Sabres | The field was marked in black with other sports markings present. No marked team areas. Jed Brookes-Lewis #395 | 23rd November 2025 v Leicester Longhorns |
Outstanding items from previous weeks | ||
Bristol Barracuda | Field markings are in black and are faint. Euan Paterson #165 | 23rd November 2025 v Plymouth Blitz |
Brunel Burners | Changing facilities were a five-minute walk down the main road from the field. Both ball persons were replaced at half time. The chain crew were mostly unfamiliar with the sport, so they needed a lot of extra work to be managed. Andrew Murrell #608 | 9th November 2025 v Cardiff Cobras |
Edge Hill Vikings | Field markings below full standards. 90 yard grass field marked in dark blue. No team or coaching areas marked, no limit lines, and no numbers. Pitch started off ok, but started to cut up as the game went on. Steve Hall #512 | 23rd November 2025 v Liverpool Raptors |
Glasgow University Tigers | One stake was very short. Kenneth Glover #71 | 23rd November 2025 v Edinburgh University Mavericks |
Kingston Cougars | The changing room was not lockable, and they were a ~ten-minute walk to the 100-yard field marked in white. The goal post at one end was initially at a 45-degree angle, with one upright and half the crossbar in the endzone. However, several members of the home team were able to pivot it around so that it was correctly aligned. Both teams had forgotten to print any rosters, so both teams supplied a handwritten list of all players, coaches and other persons permitted to be in the team areas. The crew were originally advised that the medics were on their way but would not be there before the original kick-off time, so a delayed start with ten-minute quarters was planned. However, after 40 minutes, the medical company advised that the SU had not actually booked cover until after the offices closed on Friday evening, so they stated that no medic was allocated - both head coaches were advised that the game would not take place at all. Phil Clarke #262 | 16th November 2025 v Brighton Panthers |
Lancashire Rams | 100-yard field with faint blue markings alongside those of other sports. The field will need fully re-marking before the next game at this venue. The balls required inflation. Team areas were not marked. All members of the chain crew were attending their first American football game and required constant supervision. The ball person on the press box side was changed multiple times (four different assistants) without warning. The changing room was of a good size, but it was a four-minute walk from the field. Ian Rogers #625 | 9th November 2025 v EdgeHill Vikings |
Leeds Gryphons | 80-yard field. No nine-yard marks or numbers. No team areas, but the teams marked them out using cones. The changing room is too small for a crew of five. The down box pole was missing, so the operator had to hold it aloft. David Hewitt #607 | 30th November 2025 v NTU Renegades |
SGS Pride | A four-team event played as a series of structured, controlled scrimmages at opposite ends of the field, with each team scrimmaging against each of the other teams. Peter Parsons #321 | 16th November 2025 v Brunel Burners |
Sussex Saxons | 90-yard field with other sports markings present. 12-yard end zones were shortened to ten yards as the existing end line was close to the boundary fence. Hash marks were very faint, no nine-yard marks, or coaches' boxes. The chain set broke multiple times. One member of the chain crew changed at half time. The chain crew were slow and disinterested despite a thorough briefing. Three game balls were presented all under pressure and are starting to show their age. Jon Ireland #508 | 22nd February 2025 v Reading Knights |
Swansea Titans | The field was initially marked out as 100 yards with five-yard end zones. The goal lines were brought out five yards to make the field 90 yards with ten-yard end zones. There were no team areas. The home team provided three game balls in good condition but badly under-inflated and so needed inflation before the game (thankfully, these were provided shortly upon arrival at the venue). The officials' changing rooms were excellent - they are of a very good size (probably sufficient for a crew of eight, although there was a lot of sports kit stored in there which isn't usually the case), clean, had a private toilet & two private showers, contain lockers, and are lockable with a university staff members stationed in an adjacent office throughout the game. Two stoppages were made during the game to repair the chain set. With 2:17 remaining in the fourth quarter, the away team's head coach informed us that due to injuries sustained by his team, they no longer had sufficient offensive linemen to complete the game safely. It was agreed with all parties to shorten the remainder of the fourth quarter to 0:00 under rule 3-2-2-a. Amir Brooks #593 | 1st February 2026 v Tarannau Aberystwyth |
UWE Bullets 2 | The field had been re-marked in white for this season, but this clashes in several places with rugby markings. Euan Paterson #165 | 22nd February 2026 v Bath Spa Bulldogs |
PLAY OF THE WEEK: | |
New this week | Play: 1st & 10 at the A-20. Team A comes to the line and gets set for longer than one second. While A49 is in motion toward the sideline, A22 takes a step forward without committing a false start. The ball is then snapped. QB A12 runs forward for 5 yards and is tackled
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Last week | Play: Team A, lead by three points. Team A’s ball, 4th & 10 at the A-30 with 0:11 seconds remaining in the game. From a shotgun formation, A12 receives the snap, retreats back toward their own goal line, and moves out of the tackle box. At the snap, each Team A lineman blatantly holds the Team B player in front of them, preventing the defensive linemen from immediately rushing the passer. When rushers approach A12, they throw the ball high so that it lands beyond the line of scrimmage and out of bounds. When the pass hits the ground, the game clock reads 0:00. Multiple officials have thrown multiple flags for holding fouls by multiple Team A linemen.
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MECHANICS: | |
New this week | Game Situation: One minute has passed after the try following a Team A touchdown. Team A are in position to kick off at their own 35 yard line. The Team B players are grouped in a huddle on the field near their sideline receiving information from their coach who is in the coaching box. The head coach of the receiving team has been warned about tardiness on a previous kick-off. How should the officials resolve this situation?
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Last week | Game Situation: Early in the game Team A make a late substitution and Team B starts to make matching substitutions.The Referee instructs the Umpire to move towards the ball and prohibit Team A from snapping the ball so Team B can complete it’s substitutions. Team A quickly snap the ball. This is the first time this has happened in the game. Answer: If Team A snaps the ball in a situation where they have been asked not to (e.g. while Team B are being allowed to make matching substitutions), for a first offence shut down the play and issue a warning. Penalise Team A for Delay of Game on the second or subsequent instance. (M3.4.1.e). |
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. |
