BAFRA Newsflash 39/06

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ISSUE 39/06	2 October 2006

DISCIPLINARY CASES

NAME	#	TEAM	CODE	Q	OFFENCE	SUSPENDED
1 October
NONE

GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS

HOME TEAM	REPORT	NEXT HOME GAME
1 October
Edinburgh Wolves	Coaching box line greater than 6 feet from the sideline. No team area line marked. No limit lines. Field marked for a 100 yard pitch but we found a large scorch mark and some debris from a burnt out motor vehicle on the 5 yard line. The home side management had made arrangements with the local council to remove the vehicle and clean up the area. Unfortunately the vehicle had been removed but the field had not been cleared of the remaining debris. We moved the endline to the 10 yard line and the goal line to the 20yrd line and repositioned the pylons appropriately. This reduced the field down to an 80 yard pitch with 2 ten yard endzones. Home team management then covered the scorch and remaining debris with the padding for the goalpost at that end of the pitch and we played the whole game with the Offence always driving toward the opposite "Good" goal. Basically we played the game as if there was only one set of goalposts. Both teams were informed of this before kickoff, gave their agreement and the game was played with no further problems. I did not mark Edinburgh down for these problems on the field audit as the remains of a burnt out vehicle on the 5 yard line a few days before a game is not the sort of problem team management could easily foresee. Also I felt that they had taken reasonable steps to rectify the situation. I am also open to any suggestions anyone might have as to any other course of action with might have been taken.	tba

2006 RENEWAL

Renewal forms went out last weekend and should now be with you - those who have requested badges will also find them enclosed. Anyone who does not receive one by the weekend should contact me confirming their membership status and postal address.

ALL forms and cheques are to be returned to me, even if you are paying by a Team cheque for a game which you have had made payable to BAFRA. It is vital that the Renewal Form be returned with the cheque - last year Charlie had several cheques but did not know who they were for. Failure to do this could result in your renewal being delayed.

All renewals RECEIVED by the end of October will be at the discounted rate of £35 - otherwise the fee is £40. At the end of the year anyone who has not renewed will be assumed not to be renewing and will no longer be assigned games, have access to the website or receive Newsflash.

Roger Stangroom
secretary@bafra.org

VAMPIRE SUPREME

A little bird, or was it a bat, has told me that Alan Ward (BAFRA #330) has made the Cambridge Evening News having made his 500th donation of blood platelets. He received an engraved crystal decanter from the National Blood Service.

Well done, Alan - an example to us all.

JOHN SLAVIN TROPHY

Cambridgeshire Cats are the winners of the inaugural John Slavin Trophy, presented by BAFRA to a team that shows commitment to improving the game experience for players and fans, as well as officials.

BAFRA officials have been conducting an audit of field markings and facilities at each BAFL team's home game this season. Cambridgeshire were the only team with a perfect score in three games.

The award is named after the long-time BAFRA official and director of the Association, who died suddenly in October 2005.

Tied for runners-up were Dominos Oxford Saints and Redditch Arrows. Divisional awards for the best field markings went to Southern Sundevils in BAFL Division 1 and MCP Ipswich Cardinals in Division 1A.

Cambridgeshire Cats were awarded their trophy at a ceremony at half-time of the Division 2 final at BritBowl weekend.

PS
Many thanks to Paul Sutton for processing all the field audit scores throughout the season, to Chris Jarvis for organising the trophy and certificates, and to everyone involved in the award presentations.

Jim Briggs
president@bafra.org

ELECTION RESULTS

93 ballot papers were sent out and 54 (58%) were returned. here are the results:

	Acept	Re-open
Jim Briggs - President	42	10
Roger Stangroom - General Secretary	53	1
Charles Dean Young - Finance	53	1
David Parsons - Training	54	0
Pete Thom - Operations	53	1
James Weir - Youth & Development	54	0

Note: 2 ballots were received with neither box ticked against Jim Briggs for President's name (Abstentions).
With this my task as returning officer is finished for this year's elections.

Tzvi Lindemang
returning@bafra.org

FIELD AUDIT

Members are reminded that the Field Audit will continue for the whole College season and all friendly games. A further award of the John Slavin trophy will be made at the end of the College season.

FOURTH-DOWN FUMBLE

Play: On a fourth-down play or try, the ball falls to the ground (a) during the exchange between quarterback A1 and snapper A2, or (b) a handoff from quarterback A1 to back A2. In each case, A2 recovers and scores.

Ruling: In (a), because A1 muffed the backward pass, the score counts. A muff is not a fumble and is not included in the fourth-down fumble rule. In (b), the unsuccessful handoff is a fumble by A1 (not A2, who never had possession). Because of the fourth-down fumble rule, only A1 can recover and advance for Team A. The ball is dead when A2 recovers and there is no score (7-2-2b).

Reprinted with written permission from Referee magazine.
For subscription information contact Referee magazine, PO Box 161, Franksville, Wis. 53216; phone 262/632-8855; e-mail: referee@referee.com.