DISCIPLINARY CASES

GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS

TEAM PLAUDIT

The Crew for last week's game between Shropshire Revolution & Lincoln Bombers would like to give special plaudits to The Revolution for their hosting of this game.

The Field Audit scored an excellent Zero, including roping off of team areas, as opposed to just marking them, so that Spectators could not enter them.

Richard Samples #349

2007 CONVENTION & AGM

Now that the BAFL season has ended I have started making arrangements for next year's Convention. At present I can confirm it will be held on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th March at the Coventry Hill Hotel, Coventry. Further information on the programme, guest speakers and registration will appear in Newsflash over the coming months as we finalise arrangements.

At the BAFRA Board meeting on Sunday I presented a budget for the Convention which I’m glad to say was unanimously approved. This included costs for bringing over a guest speaker from the States and providing subsidised accommodation for all our members. As well as the main conference room I have also allowed costs for additional smaller meeting rooms which we will use for Break-our sessions.

This year’s event was our best for a while and we need everyone’s support to make the 2007 one as successful. So let’s get the dates marked up in your diary or calendar.

Davie Parsons
training@bafra.org

AVAILABILITY

The new availability form covering October 2006 to January 2007 has been made available. This may be updated at http://www.bafra.org/members/paperwork/availability.htm or via the members' area on the website.

Please note that there was an error in the form which was only corrected Monday evening. If you completed it prior to that time please check that it still shows your availability correctly against all dates.

ADDITIONAL TRAINING

Following on from the success of the recent Elite Programme Training day at Heathrow, we will now be arranging further training events for non elite members and new recruits. The first one will be held on Saturday 27th January 2007 and will be tailored mainly towards new recruits and members who have less than 2 years experience. However, an open invitation is extended to everyone. Further details on location will follow in a week or so.

Davie Parsons
training@bafra.org

VOLUNTEERS

Following on from the success of the recent Elite Programme Training day at Heathrow, we will now be arranging further training events for non elite members and new recruits. The first one will be held on Saturday 27th January 2007 and will be tailored mainly towards new recruits and members who have less than 2 years experience. However, an open invitation is extended to everyone. Further details on location will follow in a week or so.

Davie Parsons
training@bafra.org

EFAF OFFICIATING CLINIC

January 19-21, 2007 at Dublin (Ireland)

Start: Saturday 20, 2007 at 09.00
End: Sunday 21, 2007 at 13.00
at Express by Holiday Inn, Dublin Airport

Clinic fee: 230.00 EUR (based on double room occupancy)

Included in that fee is:

• Accommodation Friday to Sunday in a double room (including breakfast)
• 3 coffee breaks during the conference
• T-Shirt or similar remembrance gift
• transport from airport (optional if provided)

Dinner at Saturday evening is not included. Therefore the clinic fee was reduced compared to 2006. The Irish federation will organize a Saturday evening programme which will be offered to the participants on demand base.

We have a limited number of single rooms which are provided on first come first sales base to all participants. The additional fee for single rooms is plus 110 EUR.

The clinic is limited to a maximum number of participants of 80. If there are more entries EFAF can not guarantee the availability of hotel rooms. EFAF will of course try to provide accommodation in a different hotel.

As last year each national federation has to collect all entries of participants internally and send one participation form to EFAF office. Jim is co-ordinating this for Britain. Please send a cheque for £155 (double) or £230 (single) made payable to J S Briggs to him before 10th November.

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING 1ST OCTOBER

The BAFRA Executive Board met on 1st October. Among the items discussed (and not reported elsewhere) were:

• Jim is in touch with Sports Officials UK, the umbrella body for officiating in sports, with a view to BAFRA joining. This will mirror BAFA's joining of the Central Council for Physical Recreation (CCPR), which is the umbrella body for sports governing bodies.
• 50 responses were received to the BAFRA members' questionnaire. Roger will be analysing them.
• The Working Party on flag officiating was set two questions to answer: (i) whether flag officials should be in BAFRA or a separate association, and (ii) if in BAFRA how should they be trained, scheduled and assessed? Charlie is leading on this.
• Davie is making progress on new health and safety guidelines.
• Some decisions were made on the proposed new constitution for when BAFRA becomes a company limited by guarantee. More details in due course.
• If Cornish Sharks are admitted to BAFL, we will need to discuss with them and the league how we are going to cover their games.
• The Exam Committee is Paul Sutton, Will Marriage, Tzvi Lindeman, Keith Wickham, Robert Friel and Roger Stangroom. Robert will test the exam and Roger will have to sit it and will therefore not be involved in setting it.
• Pete Parsons was added to the Rules and Mechanics Committee.
• A new edition of the mechanics manual is proposed for 2007. Ideas to Jim.

The full minutes will be on the website shortly.

ARKANSAS V ALABAMA

Try this play on the web at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcUAzVb6GpI&NR. Is it legal? What do you think of the mechanics of the crew?

APPOINTMENT OF NEW DIRECTOR

The Executive Board is pleased to announce that, following his election to the post for 2007, James Weir has been appointed as Director of Youth and Development for the remainder of 2006. Despite his title, his main focus will be on recruiting new members.

Let's wish him all the best.

NEW ROOKIE REF

Just to let you know that Karen and Andrew Lovell welcomed Benjamin Joseph on Sunday weighing 4lbs 2oz. A little bit of a shock being nine weeks early!!!

Mum's fine and baby is doing ok- he is in baby intensive care to help with his breathing and needed a blood transfusion. I've offered congratulations and to help if they need it as things will no doubt be hectic for a while! Craig is in regular contact.

Keith Alldritt #323

BALLS TO THE OFFICIALS

The story is:-

Youth Kitted Game Saturday 23rd September 2006 - Keith Wickham (Ref) asked each member of the crew to prepare a 5 minute talk about various topics for the pre-game on Saturday.

The subject I was given “Ball Relaying a Forgotten Art?” was close to my heart as I my favoured position is Umpire!

I can say without doubt that I have had to perform some amazing catches this year - I should be in the Guinness Book of Records for most catches caught:-

Over My Head, Off My Boot, Around the Back of My Shoulders, and the “pièce de résistance”: Somewhere Between My Legs!!!

As most of you may know that I had a Long Pause in my officiating of around 10 years or so and ball relaying back then seemed to be much higher on everyone’s agenda.

It started with an instruction of the Ball Boys (OOP’s should be Persons) and some bright spark (maybe someone can remember “who” it was and let me know) came up with a great instruction sheet for the Assistants.

Based on that, I produced an up to date version that I would have presented to the rest of the crew if I had not had a health scare that stopped me doing the game, but that is another story! So is the story about a guy called Dominic Ray who ended up in a pond as we were practicing passing a ball (underarm) to one another!

See Link Attached: - Its headed BALLS TO THE OFFICIALS which might go down well! It is also available for download via the Gameday Paperwork pages on the web.

So you Side Line people; if you get your Ball Assistants in the right frame of mind and to “feel part of the Crew” they will help you to “Make the Umpire Look Good”!!!

Chris Jarvis #10

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.
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