NAME

#

TEAM

OFFENCE

SUSPENDED

New this week

Calvin Clark

26

Kent Exiles

Contacting an Official

24th May 2026 v Colchester Gladiators and 7th June 2026 v London Olympians

Previous weeks

David Odutoolu-Oluwanya

11

Kent Exiles (U19)

Fighting and Contacting an Official

21st June 2026 v South London Renegades

Brandan King

52

Leigh Miners

Flagrant Unsportsmanlike Conduct

24th May 2026 v Rossendale Bucks

Darrion Banton-Wright

9

Manchester Titans U19

Two Unsportsmanlike Fouls

17th May 2026 v Highland Wildcats

James Simpson

74

Nottingham Caesars

Misconduct

30th May v Manchester Titans

George Hughes

11

Solent Seahawks

Fighting

17th May 2026 v Rushmoor Knights

Harrison Brown

51

Solent Seahawks

Fighting

17th May 2026 v Rushmoor Knights

Steven Godward

65

Yorkshire Rams

Fighting

17th May 2026 v Chester Romans

HOME TEAM

REPORT

NEXT HOME GAME

New this week

Birmingham Lions (U16)

One field marked with cones and pylons across the width of the 11v11 field. Changing rooms were spacious but were not lockable and didn't have a private toilet or shower.

Peter Parsons #321

Unknown

Chester Romans (U16)

Single 5v5 field played on an artificial surface, where 11vs11 markings were used for sidelines. Goal line and End line marked with pylons. The five-yard mark, 12-yard mark, and midfield line were marked using cones. No team areas were marked out, but could be approximated from other sport markings.

Andrew Swift #403

Unknown

Cornwall Monarchs

The changing room was far too small, only suitable for a maximum of three, and was quite dirty. A larger room was located and used, but this was as dirty as the original and had to be swept before being used. Blue markings were visible, and most lines were well marked.

Dave Moore #92

17th May 2026 v Plymouth Vanguard

Darlington Steam

100-yard field. No three-yard marks, nine-yard marks, or numbers. No limit lines. Team areas were missing. The lines were marked in white and were very faint; they will need re-marking before the next game. There were other sports markings on the field in close proximity to the endzones.

David Hewitt #607

21st June 2026 v Lincolnshire Bombers

East Kent Mavericks

90-yard artificial field marked in blue, with other sport markings in yellow and white. Team areas were marked between the 25-yard lines. No numbers or nine-yard marks. Rugby lines were approximately in the right place and were used instead. The officials' changing rooms were both well-appointed, but were not lockable. After the game, the male changing room had been taken by players of both teams, so the crew used the female changing area in shifts. Phil Clarke #262

7th June 2026 v Essex Tridents

East Kilbride Pirates

No limit lines. No numbers or nine-yard marks.

Henry Richardson #25

16th May 2026 v Coventry Phoenix

East Kilbride Pirates (U19)

No limit lines. No numbers or nine-yard marks.

Henry Richardson #25

19th July 2026 v Manchester Titans

East Kilbride Pirates (U16)

Coaches' Boxes were three feet from the sideline instead of three yards.

Shawn Sombati #15

Unknown

Hereford Stampede

The field has been extended from last season to accommodate a 90 yard field with 10 yard end zones. Ground staff mistakenly marked the playing area in 100 increments, rather than 90. Game was played following consultation with BAFA. Otherwise, it’s an excellently marked pitch on a somewhat undulating surface. Changing rooms are too small for a crew, but two are provided, no private toilet was available, nor was the clubhouse available meaning the teams locker rooms needed to be accessed, both by officials and general public.Stuart Tabberer #348

24th May 2026 v Bournemouth Bobcats

Humber Warharks

Field markings were not to full standards, but they were to a high standard. Some holes had to be filled with sand before the game started. The changing room was a disabled toilet with no coat hooks. There was a shower, but that would have then covered everyone and everything in the room. Richard McEwen #206

7th June 2026 v Darlington Steam

Kent Exiles

90-yard field, which is a considerable walk from the changing room making it impractical to go back at half-time. Generally well marked but some short yard line extensions were present in the end zone. The field surface was incredibly uneven in places and footing was often uncertain. The crew was temporarily reduced to a crew of four due to an injury to the Umpire in the third quarter, who required patching up to stop a bleed. Oliver Maskell #221

28th June 2026 v Essex Tridents

Kent Exiles (U19)

90-yard field, which is a considerable walk from the changing room making it impractical to go back at half-time. Generally well marked but some short yard line extensions were present in the end zone. The field surface was incredibly uneven in places and footing was often uncertain. With 0:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, a South London Renegade suffered a serious back injury which required ambulance attendance. So the remaining game clock was reduced to 0:00 with agreement of both HCs.

Oliver Maskell #221

5th July 2026 v Rushmoor Knights

Leicester Panthers

A faintly-marked 90-yard field. Markings are in yellow with other sports markings in white. No 9-yard marks. Team areas marked with cones. Changing room large enough for a crew of 4 but no more, with a private shower but no private toilet. Officials’ assistants provided with less than ten minutes until kick-off. Food provided after the game for the crew. A minutes silence took place prior to the game.

Will Fazackerley #227

7th June 2026 v Black Country Steelers

London Blitz

Some areas of the field are sand rather than grass, so they were a little soft underfoot. The officials' assistants were provided very late, so the game kicked off five minutes late due to the time needed to complete the necessary briefings. There were multiple stoppages of more than five minutes during the game for player injuries. The crew initially utilised a large changing room before the game, and then moved to the smaller, new changing room, which was available to store kit at half time, and the end of the game. While the new space is both lockable and perfectly spacious for a crew of five, neither changing room had a private toilet or shower.

Peter Parsons #321

9th August 2026 v Wembley Stallions

NWFL 7s (Sheffield Hallam)

Field markings below full standards. Field marked in a combination of different colours, including red/orange. The fields had been marked with ten-yard endzones, however, prior to the officials' arrival, game management had concluded that the end line was too close to the playing enclosure fence, so they had shortened all four endzones to eight yards - utilising a different line for this purpose. There were no hash marks present on either field, so all snaps occurred from the centre of the field. There were no team areas or coaching boxes marked. A large changing room was provided for the two three-person crews to hold a pre-game conference. As it was a mixed-gender officiating crew, two smaller one-person changing rooms were utilised by the officials to dress in. During a charged team timeout, there was a brief delay when one official required further medical treatment.

Ben Griffiths #228

Unknown

Ouse Valley Eagles

Well-marked 100-yard field. No numbers or nine-yard marks. No limit lines.

Brian Yates #29

24th May 2026 v Norwich Devils

Sheffield Giants

Multiple issues. Changing rooms were small with no private area for a pregame conference. Home team area marked in cones, away team area not marked. Multiple lines on the field. American football markings were in very faint black, which couldn't be seen in the middle of the field, and markings for other sports were in very similar colours.

Andrew Lovell #559

21st June 2026 v Yorkshire Rams

Wakefield District Raiders

An exceptionally well-marked 90-yard grass field in white, with no other sports markings present. Game management were helpful in finding a new room when the crew requested a larger changing room (as the original one was only large enough for two people). The down box broke on one occasion, causing a short delay in the fourth quarter. All 3 game balls required minor inflation prior to kick off.

Ian Rogers #625

31st May 2026 v Doncaster Mustangs

Wembley Stallions

Well-marked 100-yard field. Three stoppages were required to repair the chains. No private toilet.

Lee Wood #517

17th May 2026 v Cambridgeshire Cats

Outstanding items from previous weeks

Berkshire Renegades

Well marked 100 yard field with painted team areas marked only to the 25 but were amended using cones. Goal posts were uncovered on arrival but were covered prior to kick off. Changing rooms are 2 small rooms at the back of the facilities that had no coat hooks or reasonable space even for 4 officials. We locked our bags in the cars and used the car park at half time.

Scott Castle #626

17th May 2026 v Ouse Valley Eagles

Birmingham Bulls

A well-marked field. The locker room was a converted shipping container but is lockable. Jed Brookes-Lewis #395

21st June 2026 v Leigh Miners

Birmingham Lions (U19)

A well-marked field. The locker room was a converted shipping container but is lockable.

Jed Brookes-Lewis #395

31st May 2026 v Nottingham Caesars

Black Country Steelers

The officials’ changing room was not lockable, but it did have its own shower and adjacent toilets. 90-yard field with seven-yard endzones. Field markings were in blue and rather faint. Amir Brooks #593

31st May 2026 v Shropshire Revolution

Bristol Aztecs

100-yard field marked in blue with other markings in white. Two sets of hash marks. Team areas marked between the 25-yard lines.

Euan Paterson #165

13th June 2026 v Rushmoor Knights

Chester Romans

Field markings below full standards. 90 yd field well marked in dark blue. No limit lines, numbers, coaches areas or team areas were marked. The officials had to stop play for a few minutes in Q2 and in Q4 as the gameday medic just walked off the field of play. It transpires that the medic left for a comfort break on both occasions. Play was restarted when they returned. Several changes of Down Box Operator during the game. Late in the 4th quarter their was a stoppage of approx 25 minutes to deal with a serious injury Steve Hall #512

17th May 2026 v Yorkshire Rams

Chester Romans (U19)

Field markings below full standards. 90 yard field well marked in dark blue, no limit lines, no numbers, no team areas or coaching areas were marked.

Forfeit Reason:

Steve Hall #512

17th May 2026 v Nottingham Caesars

Clyde Valley Blackhawks

No limit lines, numbers, or nine-yard marks.

Henry Richardson #25

17th May 2026 v Sheffield Giants

Gateshead Senators

Both goals sat at a jaunty offset angle! The changing room was a committee room with no showers, no privacy, and was not lockable. The chain crew was changed in full at halftime.

Gordon Galloway #7

31st May 2026 v Darlington Steam

Ipswich Cardinals

Team areas and coaches box only marked to the 30-yard lines. The changing room was small but lockable and just fit four officials.

Lee Wood #517

17th May 2026 v Norwich Devils

Ipswich Cardinals (U19)

Team areas and coaches box only marked to the 30-yard lines. Some holes were found in the field and filled prior to kick off. The changing room was small but lockable and just fit four officials.

Lee Wood #517

17th May 2026 v Hertfordshire Cheetahs

Lancashire Buccaneers (U19)

No limit lines, number, or nine-yard marks. With 2:38 remaining in the third quarter, the Umpire had a fall and required treatment from the game day medical staff. The Umpire was removed from the game and transferred to a hospital with, what was later confirmed as, a broken clavicle. The crew continued as a crew of three. Later, with 3:21, remaining in the fourth quarter, one of the Lancashire players went down with a shoulder injury. Gameday medics decided that the player could not be moved and an ambulance was called for. The game was suspended at this point. After an hour's wait for an ambulance, with the score at 19:19, and both teams facing long bus journeys home, the Head Coaches in agreement with the Referee decided to end the match. Henry Richardson #25

17th May 2026 v East Kilbride Pirates

Leigh Miners

A 90-yard natural grass field, well-marked in blue with other sports markings in white. There were no numbers and the field was uneven with a slope towards the press box side of the field. The officials changing room was of a good size, suitable for the crew of six, although there was no private shower or toilet.

Ian Rogers #625

31st May 2026 v Birmingham Bulls

Lincolnshire Bombers

No private changing room was available. The referees’ room seated two and was used for storage, and other sports teams were also using the facility. The field surface was far from ideal, containing a number of mole-made divots, and rocks and bottlecaps had to be removed from the field. Joel Pearson #405

24th May 2026 v Humber Warhawks

London Blitz B

Changes to one ball person at half time. One member of the chain crew changed during the first quarter and again at half time. Some areas of the field were majority sand, and lines were faint in these areas. Field conditions and officials’ facilities improved compared to last season, though the new changing room is also the water point for teams.

Ben Gadsby #564

31st May 2026 v Portsmouth Dreadnoughts

London Warriors (NWFL)

Late change of venue due to double booking at the team's normal venue. Every effort had been made to ensure the game went ahead, but the 90-yard field was incorrectly marked with five-yard lines and short yard line extensions unevenly spaced (and occasionally double marked). With consultation with BAFA and both teams, it was agreed that it was suitable for play and the crew would be more reliant on the (correct length) chain than would ordinarily be the case.

The field was marked in white, with rugby markings in white as well. Team areas marked with cones and no limit lines, numbers, or nine-yard marks. Sideline number markers were also missing.

The facility is nice, but the changing room was suitable for only three officials and was not locked during the game. However, water was provided in the locker room. There was one temporary change of ball person in the second half due to their dog requiring a walk, and also one change to the chain crew.

James Ford-Bannister #479

18th July 2026 v Manchester Titans

Manchester Titans

The game kicked off 10 minutes late to allow sufficient time between the end of the previous game. Field markings below full standards. The field was marked in black, as this was the second game on this field on the same day, the field markings were starting to fade and will need fully remarking before the next game at this venue. There were a number of issues with the field markings. The Football markings were in black, and there were markings for other sports in Dark Blue and White, these were close to the markings for Football and sometimes caused confusion. The small sided soccer markings were sown in the field, and one of these markings came away during warm-ups which created a trip-hazard. This was identified and fixed before the scheduled kick-off time. There were no limit lines. There were no shower or washing facilities available for the officials. There was one disabled toilets to which the officials had access.

Ben Griffiths #228

20th June 2026 v East Kilbride Pirates

Manchester Titans (NWFL)

The crew used the media room as changing facilities. The crew were given a key to lock the room prior to kickoff. No private toilets or showers.

Lee Taylor #183

20th June 2026 v Teesside Steelers

Merseyside Nighthawks

100-yd turf field. There were no numbers, nine yard marks, limit lines or team area markings.Two of the three game balls lost pressure during the game. The changing room had no private shower or toilet facilities.

Ian Rogers #625

7th June 2026 v East Kilbride Pirates

Norwich Devils

No numbers or nine-yard marks.

Brian Yates #29

14th June 2026 v Berkshire Renegades

Nottingham Caesars

Field markings in blue and faint. Other sports markings in blue, white, and yellow made spotting the ball difficult at times. No team areas marked. No numbers or nine-yard marks. The changing rooms were three small rooms with no private toilet facilities. The game was suspended for 15 minutes with 1:52 remaining in the game due to an injury to a Nottingham player.

Brian Yates #29

30th May 2026 v Manchester Titans

Nottingham Caesars (U19)

90-yard field. Changing rooms were lockable

Krister Halvorsen #77

14th June 2026 v Sheffield Giants

Rushmoor Knights

100-yard field, which appears to be very well marked, but, when you stand in line with the hash marks, you can see they get a bit wavy up the field. Team Areas only marked to the 25-yard lines. Balls were presented under-inflated. Several changes to the gameday assistants at half time. The changing room was only just big enough for a crew of five, but no private toilet and others are bound to get soaked if the shower is used. Goals are extensions on a soccer goal and are therefore too wide. With three minutes remaining in the third quarter, a Wembley player suffered a serious injury and the game was suspended for 50 minutes whilst an ambulance attended. Oliver Maskell #221

17th May 2026 v London Blitz

Rushmoor Knights (U19)

100-yard field, which appears to be very well marked, but, when you stand in line with the hash marks, you can see they get a bit wavy up the field. Team Areas only marked to the 25-yard lines. Balls were presented under-inflated. Several changes to the gameday assistants at half time. The changing room was only just big enough for a crew of five, but no private toilet and others are bound to get soaked if the shower is used. Rushmoor U19s always have a good crowd at their fixtures, and the atmosphere is good but more needs to be done to ensure spectators are kept a safe distance from the field, and distinguished from the team area.

Oliver Maskell #221

17th May 2026 v Solent Seahawks

Shropshire Revolution

Multiple issues. Field still has many divets; down box operator changed 3 times in game; field is marked for multiple sports all marked in white; no team / coaches box for visiting team Andrew Lovell #559

28th June 2026 v Staffordshire Surge

Solent Seahawks (U19)

The changing rooms given to the officials were too small to fit six officials, as other changing rooms were not available on the day. Field markings shared with other sports markings. The team areas were only marked to the 25-yard lines. All game balls were below legal pressure and required inflation. The game had to be paused to find the medic who had wandered off the field to sit in their car. Crew informed at half time that the venue would be closing in 30 minutes. It was agreed with both head coaches and the venue staff that the third quarter would be shortened to eight minutes and the fourth quarter would be a running clock to get the game completed. Venue staff kindly agreed to stay later to facilitate the changes.

Jon Ireland #508

21st June 2026 v Rushmoor Knights

Solent Thrashers

A few minor stoppages for injuries. The regular chain crew at Southampton are the best in Britain.

Dean Wright #553

28th June 2026 v Hereford Stampede

Solent Thrashers (NWFL)

100 yard field re-painted with other sports lines used in conjunction with the field. Brief pause to replace ball person near the end of the game.

Scott Castle #626

6th June 2026 v London Warriors

Somerset Wyverns

The changing rooms were a meeting room, as the referee's room was too small and unusable. This meeting room was not secure and players were able to walk through it to get to the changing rooms. The game was suspended for approximately 25 mins, in the first quarter, to deal with a serious injury to a player.

Dave Moore #92

24th May 2026 v Swindon Storm

South Wales Warriors

Faint yellow markings that had not been remarked since game one. At times the hash marks were inconsistent lengths on either sideline and in the middle. Several wavy lines. No 9 yard marks. No team area line. Officials Changing Room is improved from previous seasons with an astroturf floor. Chairs provided. Limited privacy as external French doors clear glass with no curtain. No immediate wash facilities, but separate shower facilities in adjacent stand could be made available but they were reserved for female players. Stadium microphone provided, which had spotty reception. A brief delay occurred due to an injury to an official, so the game was completed with the reaming four officials.

Stuart Tabberer #348

17th May 2026 v Solent Thrashers

Swindon Storm

Team areas marked to the 25-yard lines. Changing rooms were not lockable.

Euan Paterson #165

14th June 2026 v Somerset Wyverns

Teesside Steelers (NWFL)

100-yd turf field with extremely faint markings, particularly the hash marks. No nine-yard marks, team or coaching boxes marked. No limit lines. There was a short stoppage in the first half whilst the chains were repaired.

Ian Rogers #625

16th May 2026 v London Warriors

PLAY OF THE WEEK:

Play of the Week will return when the exam period is concluded.

MECHANICS:

Play of the Week will return when the exam period is concluded.

Date

Event

Contact for details

2026

16th May (Sat)

BAFRA Board Meeting (online)

secretary@bafra.info

11th July (Sat)

BAFRA Board Meeting (online)

secretary@bafra.info

7th November (Sat)

BAFRA Board Meeting (in Person)

secretary@bafra.info

2027

3rd April (Sat)

BAFRA Ltd. AGM

secretary@bafra.info

3rd-4th April (Sat-Sun)

BAFRA Convention

training@bafra.info

BAFRA Directors

President

David Parsons

president@bafra.info

General Secretary

Richard Moger

secretary@bafra.info

Finance

Mark Schofield

finance@bafra.info

Operations

Oliver Maskell

operations@bafra.info

Recruitment

Emma Harris

recruitment@bafra.info

Training

James Ford-Bannister

training@bafra.info

Director without Portfolio #1

Peter Parsons

dwp1@bafra.info

Director without Portfolio #2

Steve Tonkinson

dwp2@bafra.info

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.