Issue 3/26 7th February 2026
BAFRA Newsflash | |||
DISCIPLINARY CASES
NAME | # | TEAM | OFFENCE | SUSPENDED |
New this week | ||||
Josh Etomi-Ajero | 22 | Kingston Cougars | Flagrant Unsportsmanlike Conduct | 8th February 2026 v Brighton Panthers |
Ayo Da Silva | 55 | MMU Eagles | Two Unsportsmanlike Conduct Fouls | 15th February 2026 v Edge Hill Vikings |
Eduardo Reader | 1 | MMu Eagles | Two Unsportsmanlike Conduct Fouls | 15th February 2026 v Edge Hill Vikings |
Previous weeks | ||||
Louis Sharp | 5 | Chichester Spitfires | Flagrant Unsportsmanlike Conduct | 15th February 2026 v Royal Holloway Bears |
Kai Wilkinson | 12 | Surrey Stingers | Two Unsportsmanlike Conduct Fouls | 8th February 2026 v Reading Knights |
GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS
HOME TEAM | REPORT | NEXT HOME GAME |
New this week | ||
Brighton Panthers | Kick-off time moved to 13:00 due to field availability. This did not cause any issues relating to light. The goal posts are situated two to three yards behind the end line and are attached to the fences. Field markings were dark blue on green and were very faint throughout the field, leading to many places where it was almost impossible to find the short yard line extensions. The chain broke several times during the game, though it could be quickly repaired each time. Two changing rooms were provided, though each could only realistically hold three officials at a time. Daniel Clarke #311 | 8th February 2026 v Kingston Cougars |
Coventry University Jets | Hashmarks were marked too wide on the field. Therefore, reference cones were used behind each goal. No three-yard marks at either end and the changing rooms were not lockable. Small delay at one point to deal with a down box fault with the numbers. Krister Halvorsen #77 | 22nd February 2026 v DMU Lions |
Kent Falcons | Well-marked 90-yard field in red with other sport markings in yellow, blue, and white. Team areas marked with cones. Rugby lines used to approximate nine-yard marks. No numbers or limit lines. Three-yard markings marked at wrong depth. One stoppage to repair the chain. Changing rooms are tight, even for a crew of four, but two were provided to the crew (both lockable and with shower). James Ford-Bannister #479 | Unknown |
Hertfordshire Hurricanes | No Communication from gameday management. 90-yard field which had been remarked, but not the short yard-line extensions. Large changing room (no private toilet). Graham Smith #149 | Unknown |
Lancaster Bombers | As the referee was driving to the game, the home team HC contacted him to advise that the pitch had been marked to a 75-yard length. The referee advised that they could explore options on arrival. After looking over the field, as a crew, it became clear that there was no easy way to correct the error made by the university ground staff. The home team HC presented himself to the officials with two cans of spray paint, which would have been insufficient to create the necessary field markings. As the crew and the visiting team were already at the venue, a controlled scrimmage took place. Prior to the stated kickoff time, both HCs agreed to play under these conditions. As a result, the fixture was cancelled. Due to the delay in discovering we could still provide cover as a BAFRA crew, the scrimmage kicked off approximately 15 minutes late. Lee Taylor #183 | 22nd February 2026 v Keele Crusaders |
Leeds Beckett | Field markings below full standards. Faint yellow markings on an 80-yard field. No three-yard marks. No limit line or numbers. Coaching/Team areas not marked. Home team were late to come out for the coin toss, and officials' assistants were only provided just before KO. This caused a delay to the match KO time due to the need to brief the officials' assistants. As a result, the home team were penalised for delay of game on the KO. Steve Hall #512 | 22nd February 2026 v Loughbrough Students |
MMU Eagles | Field markings were well below full standards. The field markings were faint, with red lines on a green field. The team have been advised that the field should be re-marked. There were white field markings closer than four feet to an end zone line. There were no numbers or nine-yard marks. One set of hashmarks were in the correct position. For the other set, there was an approximate six-to-eight-inch gap between the hash marks and the start of the short yard line extensions. The inside end of the short yard line extensions were used when spotting the ball, as these appeared to be in the correct position. There were no limit lines or team area markings. Only six pylons were provided with three used for each endzone, for the fourth endzone pylon a cone was used. These cones were removed. Both teams turned up in similar shades of Blue. MMU refused to change jerseys therefore they were penalised accordingly. The game day medic drove into the venue approximately two minutes after the scheduled kick-off time. They insisted that the gate nearest the field be opened as they felt a 50-yard walk to the designated field access point was too far. A member of the public complained that the medics had parked their vehicle in a way so that all disabled parking bays at the venue were made unusable. During the two-minute warning in the first half, the game was paused when a player accidentally ran into the Referee’s knee. After receiving medical treatment, the Referee was able to continue. Ben Griffiths #228 | 15th February 2026 v Edge Hill Vikings |
Nottingham Gold | 90-yard field marked in dark blue, which was faded in areas. Other sports markings were present in the same and different colours, including double-marked goal lines. Three individual changing rooms provided with nowhere to pre-game, insufficient for a mixed gender crew of five. Jed Brookes-Lewis #395 | Unknown |
Nottingham Green | 90-yard field marked in dark blue, which was faded in areas. Other sports markings were present in the same and different colours, including double-marked goal lines. Three individual changing rooms provided with nowhere to pre-game, insufficient for a mixed gender crew of five. Emma Harris #236 | Unknown |
NTU Renegades | No numbers or nine-yard marks. Lines red on grass. Inbounds markings disappeared as the game progressed. Brian Yates #29 | Unknown |
Oxford Brookes | Game cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice. Will Fazackerley #227 | 15th February 2026 v Hertfordshire Hurricanes |
Portsmouth Destroyers | The field markings were pink and very faint. They had been repainted on Thursday, but the weather had seen most of the remarking washed away by game time. Keith Wickham #423 | Unknown |
SGS Pride | Excellent field. Changing rooms were a good size for a crew of six and lockable. Good game day experience for the officials. Dave Moore #92 | Unknown |
Solent Redhawks | 100-yard field with faint lines and other markings present. Scott Castle #626 | 22nd February 2026 v Chichester Spitfires |
Southampton Stags | Slight delay in starting the game whilst waiting for team paperwork to arrive from the away team. 90-yard field clearly marked with other colour lines used. Scott Castle #626 | 15th February 2026 v Bath Killer Bees |
Stirling Clansmen | No limit lines. Henry Richardson #25 | Unknown |
Warwick Wolves | Hashmarks were marked too wide on the field, so reference cones were used behind each goal. No three-yard marks at either end. Changing rooms were not lockable. Krister Halvorsen #77 | 8th February 2026 v Newcastle Raiders |
Outstanding items from previous weeks | ||
ARU Siege | The changing rooms were not lockable, and had no private toilet. Lee Wood #517 | 22nd February 2026 v Cambridge Pythons |
Birmingham University Lions | With 10:04 remaining in the first quarter, the game was suspended for 40 minutes to deal with a serious injury that required an ambulance. The inbounds markings are in a very faint black paint that was practically impossible to see. Game Management were required to source pylons to assist the umpire in spotting the ball. Stuart Tabberer #348 | 15th February 2026 v Oxford Lancers |
Bournemouth University Bobcats | The field has recently been repainted. Old lines were slightly faint. Scott Castle #626 | 8th February v Southampton Stags |
Cardiff Cobras | 90-yard field. The markings had been repainted in yellow since the previous home game, but these are already faint. Euan Paterson #165 | 15th February 2026 v Exeter Demons |
Chichester Spitfires | Chichester were charged with a delay of game penalty as they couldn’t present a chain crew before the scheduled kick off time. The game kicked off 15 minutes late once a crew were found and briefed. A poorly marked 90-yard field with NFL-width hash marks. Inbounds markings were painted 1.5 metres long and were not straight. One end zone was only five yards deep, so, with the agreement of both head coaches, the game was played with one goal mechanics. The field will require re-marking before the next game. All three game balls were presented well below legal pressure. Officials changed in public changing rooms and had to leave bags behind the sports centre front desk as the changing room was not lockable. Players from both teams used the toilets in the changing room, interrupting the pre-game and half-time crew discussions. Jon Ireland #508 | 15th February 2026 v Royal Holloway Bears |
Derby Braves | Sideline short yard-line extensions continued into both end zones. Three-yard marks were repeated every five yards down the length of the field. During the fourth quarter, play was suspended for 50 minutes to treat an injured player. Andrew Lovell #559 | 15th February 2026 v Sheffield Hallam Warriors |
DMU Lions | No coaching boxes, so rugby lines were used as approximations. Joel Pearson #405 | 8th February 2026 v Lincoln Colonials |
Essex Blades | Although clearly marked, the inbounds markings were not always a yard apart. Team areas marked with cones. Complete change of the chain crew at half time. Balls provided by the home team were not up to standard, so the away team’s balls were used. Brian Yates #29 | 22nd February 2026 v City WolfPack |
Exeter Demons | One of the footballs was changed at half time. The five-yard markings were faint. 90-yard field. Good-sized changing rooms. Richard Madge #485 | 8th February 2026 v Portsmouth Destroyers |
KCL Regents | 100-yard field. The field surface was soft and muddy at the start of the game. It churned up throughout the game, making the markings increasingly difficult to see. The home team's team area was marked to the 25-yard lines and had no coaching box line. There was no marked visiting team area at all. The limit lines on the home sideline were too close (6ft). They were further away (12ft) on the visiting team sideline, still too close, and were completely missing behind either end zone. One goal post needed spinning prior to the game to be positioned correctly. The changing rooms were not lockable and were approximately a ten-minute walk from the field. Prior to the game, while the medical cover had arrived in time for the scheduled kickoff, they were unable to get their vehicle to the field due to the soft nature of the surface. After discussion with game management and the home head coach, the medical cover's equipment was transported to the field using one of the ground staff's buggies. Arranging and organising this delayed the kickoff by 33 minutes, and the game kicked off at 1:33, five minutes before the cutoff time for shortening to ten-minute quarters under Rule [3-2-1-g]. Peter Parsons #321 | 8th February 2026 v UCL Emperors |
Leicester Longhorns | No coaching boxes and field marked to NFL specifications. Multiple chain crew substitutes at halftime. The away team had two players in an alternate jersey design, one of which had the same number as another player (which was rectified prior to kickoff). Joel Pearson #405 | 8th February 2026 v Derby Braves |
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 |
LJMU Fury | 90-yard field marked in yellow with no numbers, nine-yard marks, limit lines, or team areas. The lines had been painted the morning of the fixture before a previous game at the venue. These gradually grew fainter over the course of the game. Andrew Swift #403 | 22nd February 2026 v Salford Storm |
KCL Regents | 80-yard field marked in blue with other sport markings in white. No limit lines, numbers, or nine-yard marks. Team areas were marked out with cones. Two of the game balls provided were significantly under-inflated. The field surface was initially soft and rapidly became muddy, making inbounds markings difficult to locate. The changing room was small, with no private toilet and it was not locked during the game. The game was suspended for 24 minutes with 9:19 remaining in the fourth quarter to allow treatment to an injured player. Tim Ockendon #481 | 8th February 2026 v UCL Emperors |
Lancashire Rams | There were no pylons to place on the hash marks. The resourceful back judge managed to find an individual small orange cone; however there was only one of those, so the game was played without three reference points. The chain crew were extremely poor. Stuart Young #33 | Unknown |
Loughborough Students | 90-yard field. No nine-yard marks or numbers. Team areas were missing. David Hewitt #607 | 15th February 2026 v Durham Saints |
Manchester Tyrants | Field markings below full standards. Lines in Navy Blue, which were harder to see in the floodlights. No three-yard marks or nine-yard marks. Officials' assistants were not ready 30 minutes before kick off. Richard McEwen #206 | 8th February 2026 v Lancashire Rams |
Northumbria Mustangs | No team areas or limit lines. Jerseys not of contrasting colours. Kenneth Glover #71 | 8th February 2026 v Leeds Gryphons |
Oxford Lancers | Game postponed on Friday due to weather. Peter Parsons #321 | 8th February 2026 v Oxford Brookes Panthers |
Plymouth Blitz | Well-marked 90-yard field. The changing rooms were not staffed or locked, and were some distance away from the field. The chains broke twice, one time needing some time to fix. Both teams had blue jerseys, but the shades were different enough for the officials to be able to discern the difference during play. Balls were supplied very late and had to be checked on the field. Dave Moore #92 | 15th February 2026 v Bristol Barracuda |
Reading Knights | 100-yard grass field marked in white. Changing rooms were not lockable. Euan Paterson #165 | 8th February 2026 v Surrey Stinger |
RHUL Bears | Arrived on site to find the field flooded. The Groundskeeper refused use of the field, and the game was abandoned. Scott Castle #626 | 8th February 2026 v Sussex Saxons |
Sheffield Sabres | Team areas were absent but marked with cones. Otherwise, a well-marked 90-yard field. Paul Todd #289 | 8th February 2026 v Sheffield Hallam Warriors |
Surrey Stingers | Well marked 90-yard field in a good condition despite heavy rainfall in the days leading up to the game. Lockable private changing room provided a short walk from the field. Jon Ireland #508 | 22nd February 2026 v RHUL Bears |
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 2026 v Reading Knights |
UCL Emperors | 80-yard grass field marked in blue. The lines had become increasingly faint or nearly missing in places, and the surface is quite muddy. No nine-yard marks or numbers. Team areas were missing, but the ends were marked with cones. One changing room was allocated, and the floor was wet from cleaning. The crew decided to store kit in cars and leave the door open for it to dry out during the game. Toilet facilities were shared usage, but both the changing room and other facilities were a short walk from the field. Phil Clarke #262 | Unknown |
UEA Pirates | The game was suspended for 45 minutes due to an injury to a UEA player. Brian Yates #29 | 8th February 2026 v Hertfordshire Hurricanes |
UWE Bullets | The field has been re-marked in white for this season, but was already faint in places - clashing with white rugby markings. The field will need fully re-marking before the next game at this venue. Euan Paterson #165 | 14th February 2026 v Nottingham Gold |
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: Team A Kick Off from their own 35 yard line. Immediately after the kick B99 blocks the kicker at the A-36. B-88 subsequently catches the ball at the B-10 and advances to the B-25 where he is tackled.
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Last week | Play: A12 throws a forward pass intended for A89. During the pass, defensive end B88 is flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. The pass to A89 is complete for a 10-yard gain to the A-30 where A88 is tackled.
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MECHANICS: | |
New this week | Game Situation: Name the 6 categories of Defensive Pass Interference.
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Last week | There was no Mechanics Question of the Week last week due to a technical error. |
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. |
