Issue 40/25 20th November 2025
BAFRA Newsflash 💻 http://www.bafra.info @BAFRAOfficial @BAFRAOfficial @BAFRA_Official Before,before | |||
Issue 40/25 20th November 2025
BAFRA Newsflash 💻 http://www.bafra.info @BAFRAOfficial @BAFRAOfficial @BAFRA_Official Before,before | |||
LATEST BOARD MINUTES
The minutes from the latest Board Meeting can be found here:
https://www.bafra.info/members/minutes/eb20251108.pdf
Richard Moger – General Secretary
DISCIPLINARY CASES
NAME | # | TEAM | OFFENCE | SUSPENDED |
New this week | ||||
Stanley Ejike-Ume | 99 | Kingston Cougars | FGT | 30th November 2025 v UCL Emperors |
Previous weeks | ||||
Antonio Ward | AC | MMU Eagles | Misconduct | 23rd November 2025 v Lancashire Rams |
GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS
HOME TEAM | REPORT | NEXT HOME GAME |
New this week | ||
City Wolfpack | The markings were in dark blue and had been re-marked in places with spray paint of the same colour due to rain washing parts away before kickoff. 90-yard field. Lee Wood #517 | 7th December 2025 v QMBL Vipers |
DMU Lions | Well-marked 100-yard field in blue, although there were no pylons at the hash marks extended. Team areas were marked with cones. Kickoff was delayed by 55 minutes after the medics failed to arrive. The game went ahead after suitable medical cover was sourced. Dave Black #574 | 30th November 2025 v ARU Siege |
Durham Saints | 100-yard field faintly marked in white. There were other sports markings, with some the same colour. Lee Taylor #183 | 7th February 2026 v UWE Bullets |
Hertfordshire Hurricanes | A well-marked 90-yard field. Lines painted blue with other sports markings in other colours. Game day assistants were provided with less than ten minutes remaining before the scheduled kick off, and the entire chain crew was changed for the second half. There was a brief delay at the end of the third quarter whilst the floodlights were switched on. Large changing room, but no toilet. Will Fazackerley #227 | 7th December 2025 v UEA Pirates |
Kent Falcons | 90-yard artificial green field marked with red lines and other sport markings in blue, yellow, & white. Rugby markings were used to approximate the nine-yard marks. The team areas were marked with cones. One of the medics got called away without the crew’s knowledge to assist with a major injury on the rugby pitch, which led to a brief delay when the medic was required, as the person remaining was not actively watching the field for the crew’s signals. A member of the Kent sideline team ran to the ambulance to attract their attention after about 30 seconds had elapsed. Phil Clarke #262 | 23rd November 2025 v Brighton Panthers |
Kingston Cougars | Well-marked 100-yard field in white. Limit line only marked on the home team side of the field. Both team areas were marked out with cones, but the coaching and team area lines were marked with cones on the home team's sideline only. One set of posts had rotated through 90 degrees, and this was rectified by game management prior to kickoff. Good size well appointed changing room, but not private and not lockable. Tim Ockendon #481 | 7th December 2025 v UCL Emperors |
Liverpool Raptors | Team areas were absent. Pylons at the hashmarks-extended were absent. Otherwise, a well-marked 90-yard field. Paul Todd #289 | 8th February 2026 v Edge Hill Vikings |
Plymouth Blitz | Really well-marked 90-yard field. The crew were given the key to lock the changing rooms this week. Plymouth had to use senior team jerseys to avoid a clash (sorted during the week - they don't have a second kit) and there were some jerseys which were a different shade of green (known about and caused no issues). Dave Moore #92 | 30th November 2025 v Bath Killer Bees |
Portsmouth Destroyers | 90-yard field marked in pink on green. Coaching box and team areas marked with cones. Changing rooms were not lockable. Kickoff was delayed by 15 minutes due to the late arrival of the visiting team. Peter Parsons #321 | 1st February 2026 v Brunel Burners |
Sheffield Hallam Warriors | 90-yard field. No nine-yard marks or numbers. No team areas marked. All three game balls required inflation prior to use. David Hewitt #607 | 14th December 2025 v Derby Braves |
Southampton Stags | 90-yard field with blue markings and additional markings of differing colours. The balls presented to the crew were underinflated, and the three-yard marks were very faint. Scott Castle #626 | 7th December 2025 v Bornemouth Bobcats |
Stirling Clansmen | Field markings were faint, and lines were a faded purple. The chain crew were slow to react at times. Gordon Galloway #7 | 7th December 2025 v Edinburgh Napier Knights |
Worcester Royals | No changing rooms were provided for the Crew, who changed in the clubhouse bar pre-game. Post game, the crew changed in a changing room taken by UWE, as members of the public were now in the Clubhouse bar. The crew were mostly dressed by the time the away team returned to the Clubhouse. One of the home team's balls was of composite construction and was swapped out for a ball provided by the away team. The away team also provided a person for chain crew duties. 80-yard field, marked in yellow with white Rugby markings, which sometimes clashed. Mark Schofield #557 | 30th November 2025 v Gloucestershire Gladiators |
Outstanding items from previous weeks | ||
ARU Siege | The game was suspended for ten minutes in the first half to deal with an injured player. With 0.02 remaining in the fourth quarter, the game was declared final at the agreement of both head coaches due to a serious injury to a DMU player needing medical attention. Lee Wood #517 | 25th January 2026 v Coventry University Jets |
Bath Killer Bees | An excellent black lined pitch. The try line was marked at the two-yard line. Keith Wickham #423 | 23rd November 2025 v Bournemouth University Bobcats |
Birmingham Lions | Birmingham informed the crew that there would be a brief dance team display between the first and second quarters. The field was cleared, but then there was a delay before the dancers were introduced and the routine begun. As such, there was a delay of nine minutes between the end of the first quarter and the start of the second. Keith Wickham #423 | 23rd November 2025 v UEA Pirates |
Bournemouth University Bobcats | Prior to the game, the chains were an inch and a half short of the ten-yard measurement. The team were able to replace the chains to provide the correct measurement before kickoff. The field markings had additional lines of different colours for other sports. There were faint lines where the field was previously painted. There was also a 15-minute stoppage due to an injury in the fourth quarter. Scott Castle #626 | 25th January 2026 v Plymouth Blitz |
Brighton Panthers | Ball persons were changed twice during the game, and the chain crew had two changes at halftime. Lines were slightly difficult to see as they were dark on rubber crumb. Dean Wright #553 | 1st February 2026 v KCL Regents |
Brunel Burners | The field was located a five-minute walk down the main road from the changing facilities. The crew was able to secure a larger changing room with a shower, compared to the normal officials' room. The game balls supplied were below the legal pressure. Field markings were visible but are starting to fade due to rain and general churning of the field, so would ideally be remarked before the next home game. Andrew Murrell #608 | 15th February 2026 v SGS Pride |
Bristol Barracuda | Field markings are in black and are faint. Euan Paterson #165 | 23rd November 2025 v Plymouth Blitz |
Cambridge Pythons | Due to an injured player from the first game needing medical treatment on the sideline and waiting for a county ambulance, the kickoff was delayed. Once the field was clear, quarters were reduced to eight minutes each due to remaining daylight. Lee Wood #517 | 23rd November 2025 v ARU Siege |
Cardiff Cobras | A well-marked artificial field. Yellow markings on Green. No team areas marked. The Changing Rooms were not private and were used by other sports officials. Stuart Tabberer #348 | 30th November 2025 v Brunel Burners |
Derby Braves | The field was marked in blue, with short yard-line extensions extending five yards into the end zone. Changing facilities were good and adjacent to the field - spacious and all equipped with lockers for officials' use during the game. Emma Harris #236 | 23rd November 2025 v Nottingham Green |
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. The field started ok, but it 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 |
Heriot-Watt Wolverines | No team areas painted. Marked with cones. Michael Prentice #393 | 23rd November 2025 v Aberdeen Bulls |
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 |
Keele Crusaders | Medics arrived five minutes late. Andrew Lovell #559 | 8th February 2026 v Staffordshire Stallions |
Lancashire Rams | 100-yard field with faint blue markings alongside those of other sports. The field will need to be fully re-marked before the next game at this venue. The balls required inflation. Team areas were not marked. Two members of the chain crew did not continue into the second half, causing a short delay whilst replacements were sourced and briefed. The changing room was of a good size, but it was a four-minute walk from the field. Ian Rogers #625 | 30th November 2025 v Liverpool Raptors |
Leeds Beckett | 80-yard field. No limit lines. Several other sports markings were on the field, some in close proximity to the endzones. No team areas marked, but both teams used cones. The away team didn't like the quality of the game balls provided, so they provided 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 |
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 |
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 |
Loughborough Students | Team marked not marked. Brian Yates #29 | 22nd November 2025 v Leeds Beckett |
Manchester Tyrants | Field markings below full standards. 100-yard field marked in dark blue. Lines and hash marks became difficult to see as the evening got darker and the floodlights came on. No coaches or team areas were marked. No limit lines or numbers. Steve Hall #512 | 30th November 2025 v MMU Eagles |
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 4 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 according to rule. The opening kick-off was delayed approximately 5 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 |
Northumbria Mustangs | No numbers or nine-yard marks. Henry Richardson #25 | 23rd November 2025 v Newcastle Raiders |
Nottingham Gold | The field was marked in blue lines, which could be hard to see at times. Team areas were too close to the sidelines. Various changes to the chain crew during the game. UWE had no one to act as a ball person, as per the BUCS National Premier regulations exemption. The home team supplied both ball persons. Brian Yates #29 | 30th November 2025 v Sheffield Sabres |
Nottingham Green | The field was marked in blue lines, which could be hard to see at times. Team areas were too close to the sidelines, but teams and coaches were kept well back. The away team’s balls were used as those supplied by the home team were well-worn. Brian Yates #29 | 30th November 2025 v Leeds Beckett |
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 |
Oxford Lancers | 90-yard field with cones used for coaches and players box. The changing room was a long walk from the field. Darren Urben #438 | 30th November 2025 v UEA Pirates |
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 |
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 were below legal pressure and were starting to show their age. Jon Ireland #508 | 22nd February 2026 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: 3rd and 5 at the B-40. Team A lines up in formation and are set for longer than a second. A85 is lined up on the line of scrimmage and goes in motion. He stops his motion and is still in a position on the line. Less than one second after A85 comes to a stop, the ball is snapped. Quarterback A12 takes the ball and runs for a 10-yard gain to the B-30.
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Last week | Play: 4th & 18 at the A-32. Team A punts the ball and, in an attempt to catch the kick, returner B85 muffs the ball at the B-15. A32 recovers the ball at the B-20 where he advances across the Goal Line. While in the Endzone A32 celebrates by performing a mid-air somersault. The Line Judge throws his flag for this act by A32 for Unsportsmanlike Conduct.
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MECHANICS: | |
New this week | Game Situation: When should the Referee give a preliminary signal following a penalty? What should the other officials be doing while the Referee is giving a preliminary signal?
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Last week | Game Situation: 1st and 10 at Midfield. Wide Receiver A87 catches a pass in the open field and is running towards Team B’s endzone. Prior to crossing the goal line, at the B-5, A87 celebrates by clenching his fist and pointing it to the sky, and he shouts “Touchdown”. The nearest Team B defender is at the B-20 yard line, and the gesture by A87 is not directed at anyone. A87 then runs across the goal line. Answer: There is no foul on the play, and the score stands. Celebrating prior to a score is not a foul in itself. It only becomes a foul if the player commits one of the specifically prohibited acts in [9-2-1-a]. An act that isn’t on the list is probably legal, so be tolerant of it, unless you believe it is abusive, threatening or obscene, provokes ill will, or demeans the game {M3.5.1.e}. |
Date | Event | Contact for details |
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. |
