DISCIPLINARY CASES

GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS

JOHN NASH - FUNERAL

As you maybe aware John Nash sadly passed away in the early hours of Tuesday 1st August 2006.

I have been in contact with John's wife Luarina, who has asked me to contact as many of John's Football friends and team mates over his playing career with Enfield Bullets, Chiltern Cheetahs and London Mets.

Laurina would like to invite as many people that know John to attend his funeral, next Thursday 19th August at Harwood Park Crematorium, Stevenage, Herts, SG2 8XT @ 5 pm. Please note that in John's memory of colourful clothing, Laurina has asked that we do not wear suits or Black tie. Football game shirts (Bullets, Mets & Cheetahs) the preferred option as a mark of respect. Also Family flowers only, with donations being collected for a local Children funds.

Please pass this message onto anyone else that knew John.

Please could you let me know as soon as possible if you are able to attend John's funeral so that I can let Luarina know of numbers attending.

Please do not hesitate to contact me (email gilesstevenson@aol.com or phone 01494 728371, mobile 07766 747047) if you require further information or wish to pass on your condolences to Luarina and family.

Regards

Giles Stevenson

PHIL AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSIPS

Please join me in congratulating Phil Cottier for being selected to officiate at the World Flag Championships in Cologne - well done, Phil.

RULES AND REGULATIONS

The BAFA rules, in summary, say that the chains should be run outside the sideline opposite the press box, and that home management are responsible for providing at least five people for the chain crew and ball boys (Rules 1-2-7 and 13-3-1). However, at a BAFL meeting the teams passed a resolution saying the chains should be run on the home team's sideline and that the away team must provide one person as ball boy.

While BAFRA understands the wishes of the teams and tries to accommodate them where possible, because the BAFA Rules Committee has not approved the amendments they are not binding on any BAFRA crew. In particular, since much of the BAFRA Manual of Football Officiating relates our mechanics to the location of the press box and chains, swapping sides could have a negative effect on the performance of a crew. As such, if a dispute arises, the BAFA rules will take priority and those provide for penalties against the home team for failure to provide the necessary personnel.

Another point of confusion has been about whether there is a requirement to call a timeout to introduce a player into the game who was not available at the pre-game card check. Such a rule was introduced several years ago to deal with a problem that has largely been removed by Central Registration. The current position is that as long as a player appears on the team roster provided to the BAFRA crew before the game, no timeout need be charged to a team. The officials, if requested by either team, will report to the league any concerns about the eligibility of a player entering the game that cannot be resolved at the game. The BAFA Disciplinary Code (in Article 2) covers this situation.

We also are aware that some teams are not including on the roster form, ALL coaching staff and other persons who they wish to be within the team area. At some point in the future, I suspect BAFA will crack down on this, so this is a gentle reminder for teams to put their house in order.

Jim Briggs
RULES@bafra.org

SUMMARY OF EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING

The BAFRA Executive Board met on 8th July. Among the items covered were the following.

1. Roger Stangroom was appointed as Deputy General Secretary.
2. Feedback on this year's convention was overwhelmingly positive. We plan to do something similar next year and Davie and Charlie have already started planning.
3. We reviewed our procedures for handling feedback from teams. We've had a poor response to coaches cards this season and will encourage teams to submit more.
4. Davie was complimented on his pilot scheme for distributing coaches cards to officials. This will now become a permanent mechanism. Assessment reports will be sent out the same way.
5. Charlie has taken over responsibility for the flag football working party, and also for setting up a child protection policy. Davie is taking over responsibility for health and safety and risk assessment.
6. Jim reported on changes to the BAFA registration process. It should only require minor changes to our existing processes, at least in the short term.
7. Our financial position is as expected.
8. Membership fees for 2006-2007 were agreed. Full members will pay £40 (£35 before 1st November). Other fees remain unchanged.
9. Regulations covering payment of expenses to directors and officers were agreed.
10. Roger reported on upgrades to the website and mailing lists.
11. We agreed to issue polo shirts to qualified members who had not received the "20th anniversary" shirt.
12. Russell Newton, Martin Cockerill and Chris Jarvis were confirmed as new Training Support Officers (in addition to Keith Alldritt). A number of other appointments were made or proposed as deputies to the directors and officers.

For full details see the minutes which are available in the Members area of the website.

NFL REFEREES BECOME FASHIONABLE

NFL officials will be getting a new uniform this coming season. Here's some stuff about it. The new "regular" knickers are delayed, and the season will start with the old knickers. They are not seen here.

FYI, the black shorts worn in some pictures are used for training camps and scrimmages only. They will not be worn during games.

http://images.nfl.com/video/homepage/2005/0803-4.ram

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2538936

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/football/nfl/08/03/bc.fbn.referees.fashion.ap/index.html

Einar Bolstad
Norwegian NFLE official

YOUTH FOOTBALL

I am setting up a committee to look at how BAFRA can help Youth Football from Flag to Junior Kitted. I am in communication with a couple of people who are doing flag football now, and I am interested in receiving feedback on how we can train club officials, and encourage people to join BAFRA.

Anybody with any ideas please contact me via email.

Charlie Dean-Young
finance@bafra.org

JUST A THOUGHT

Just a couple of thoughts which might be worth sharing...

1. I've just been reading last week's rules question about the illegal pass thrown from behind the neutral zone after the ball had crossed the neutral zone. Given that particular situation, where a run had developed before the backward pass, even if it was legal (which obviously it isn't,) it would be practically impossible for the offense to execute it without infringing a few other forward pass rules... unless everyone had decided to stand still!! A quick mental run through when you've got the time might demonstrate just how impossible!
2. Just got Flagdown through the letterbox. Can I add something to Jim's point 4 on page 8? For those of us who don't find theoretical learning easy, I find the best time to read the rule book, mechanics manual or other training material is as soon after a game as you can when that little incident you weren't quite sure about is still fresh in your mind.

There is one exception to that. The article 'Great Dead Ball Officials' (hope I've got the title right) on the website ought to be mandatory reading just BEFORE every game no matter how many times you've read it before!!

Tim Vickers
BAFRA #129

THE JOHN SLAVIN TROPHY

With only a few weeks to the end of the season, competition for the John Slavin Trophy is hotting up. The complete set of scores for BAFL teams in the field audit is as follows:

Scores are up to week 13 of the season.

FOUL ON A TRY

Play: Team A is attempting a two-point try. B1 intercepts in his end zone and advances the ball to Team A's 40-yard line, where he is hit and fumbles. A2 picks up the ball and runs it into Team B's end zone. During A2's run, A3 is flagged for clipping at Team B's 10-yard line.
What is the ruling?

Ruling: After Team B gains possession, all distance penalties for strictly live-ball fouls are declined by rule. Furthermore, all scores by the fouling team are cancelled. Team A will kick off from its own 35-yard line (8-3-4a, b).

Reprinted with written permission from Referee magazine.
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