CONVENTION COUNTDOWN
Convention Video
Quite a few people have asked about the possibility of recording some of the key presentations at the Convention.
They would then be made available for download via the BAFRA Video Library which is currently under test in the members section of the website.
Do we have any budding Steven Spielberg’s within our ranks that have a video cam and would like to take up this challenge? If so drop me an email at training@bafra.org or give me a call to discuss.
Convention Funding
I would like to extend our thanks to BAFA (British American Football Association) who have provided £500.00 funding towards Convention costs.
This level of financial support has helped considerably, without which we would not have been able to bring over our guest speaker Jeff Roberson.
Registration
Remember, to register for the convention you need to contact our Director of Finance, Charles Dean-young.
Charlie can be contacted by email at finance@bafra.org.
We will be making up personalised Convention Packs with Presentation handouts, DVD, Programme of Events, etc.
As such you do need to pre-register.
See Newsflash 04/07 for Hotel location and accommodation information
Training Day 27th January
The recent Training Day held in Coventry for new recruits and officials with less than 2 years experience was a great success.
We had 30 people attend which was a really good turn out.
Quite a few of our “old hands” also came along to support the event and provide some excellent input to the presentations and discussions.
The game film we showed, which included penalties and the last few minutes of the Fiesta Bowl were well received.
Special thanks to Keith Alldritt, Russell Newton, Chris Jarvis and Phil Cottier for their presentations and help during the day and a word of thanks to Barry Beynon and Martin Cockerill for their input during discussions.
On a lighter note, it was good to see Alisha keeping up the Cockerill family “sense of humour” tradition by winning the Caption Competition and also Barry for openly accusing Martin of whispering answers to mechanics questions to Alisha. Not that Alisha really needed the help.
Davie Parsons
training@bafra.org
EDITORIAL
New Timing Rule
Those of you who follow the American chat boards will know that the controversy regarding the new timing rule and kick-offs continues to rumble.
For those of you have just returned from Mars see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gp5WM94UOBg.
"Obviously, that's taking advantage of the rules and shouldn't be allowed," John Adams, the NCAA's rules interpreter, said. "We certainly wouldn't condone that."
So far no-one has come up with anything specific on either side of the Atlantic.
It is being mooted that we return to the old rule of starting the clock on Team B touching inside the last two minutes, but not only is this still in the air it would not apply until the 2007 NCAA rulebook which we would not incorporate until 2008.
Other suggestions are to enforce a 15-yard USC on the kicking team who blatantly use this tactic, but what do you do if just one player is a yard off-side and it is a different player each time?
Would you warn the coach on the first occurrence that if it happened again you would flag for USC, even if only one player was offside?
On the other hand, is it ever likely to occur and if so what is the likelihood of the kicking team being able to stop the return?
Are we being over-worried?
I'd like to hear your views and also any suggestions of how we should react if this does actually occur.
Please email me and I'll pass on comments next week.
Roger Stangroom
secretary@bafra.org
PRE-PAID TEAMS
Here is a full list of those teams who have pre-paid BAFRA for their officials.
Every other team is expected to pay the officials on the day.
| Birmingham University | UWE Bullets | Derby University | Hertfordshire University |
| Kent University | Royal Holloway University | Sheffield Hallam University | Staffordshire University |
| Surrey University | Teeside University | Warwick University | Greenwich University |
MEMEBRSHIP UPDATE
I hear from Davie that Phil Clarke (BAFRA #372) has now achieved "Qualified" status. Please join me in congratulating him.
Roger Stangroom
secretary@bafra.org
PLAUDITS
Nottingham Outlaws v Loughborough Aces
To both Nottingham and Loughboro' players who played in heavy conditions with full commitment and passion which produced a excellent game of football enjoyed by all the crew.
A special mention goes to the Chain crew and Ball boys - these were Derby University players who had turned up to watch as their game was called off.
Not only did they volunteer, they did an excellent job as well.
Muz Gibson #268
Essex Blades v Royal Holloway Rams
Plaudits to both teams for a very enjoyable, even-tempered game. The sun shone, the players played....
Steve Tonkinson #99
DISCIPLINARY CASES
| NAME | # | TEAM | CODE | Q | OFFENCE | SUSPENDED |
| 11 February |
| NONE
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| Outstanding items from previous weeks |
| NONE
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GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS
| HOME TEAM | REPORT | NEXT HOME GAME |
| 11 February |
| Caledonian Roughriders
|
Caledonian game management is fairly non existent.
No Ball Boys available. Kick-off delayed as Chain Crew not available until 1:10pm.
Field marking were basic which resulted in a score of 89 on the audit.
David parson # 425
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Playoffs?
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| Lincoln Colonials
|
Where to start?
Pitch was 108 yards long, marked every yard, except they were about 2ft 8in and not 3 ft.
No ten yard marks. Side line has marks did not correspond with hash marks, and so we could not do a measurement.
Home teams had no balls, visiting team lent two. No separate changing room.
In twenty odd years second worst pitch I have encountered.
However, the game was played in great spirit.
Charlie Dean-Young #258
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Playoffs?
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| ARU Phantoms
|
ARU realised their field would not be marked with the poor weather and so arranged to switch the game to the Essex Spartans home venue.
Unfortunately the field is not due to be marked out until the BAFL season is due to start and so there were limited markings on the field.
We used the width and length of an association football field for the main pitch with two ten yard endzones behind the goalline.
There were no hash marks or yard lines. We took the best balls available which were those provided by Brighton.
We only had one ball person.
Despite this some credit should be given to ARU for taking steps to ensure a game could take place.
Keith Wickham #423
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18/02/07
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| Greenwich Mariners
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No coaching boxes. No team areas. No limit lines. No inbounds lines. No numbers or nine-yard marks.
Goals were soccer-style with extended uprights.
Game started late due to away team arriving late and ambulance also slightly late.
Officials were asked to change in a small shower room that was just outside the away team's dressing room.
Chain crew were very slow in first half but got better.
The start of the second half was delayed due to the ambulance taking a player to hospital and us having to wait for it to return.
Dan Bridgland #506
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Playoffs?
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| Essex Blades
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Field marked by groundsman too narrow (132ft) despite him getting it correct before Xmas.
Team areas OK, except much narrower than 25 to 25.
Steve Tonkinson #99
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Playoffs?
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| Nottingham Outlaws
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Pitch markings were of poor standard but playable.
Muz Gibson #268
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25/02/07
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| Outstanding items from previous weeks |
| Sheffield Sabres
|
Much improved from previous visit - nice flat pitch, not 1 in 2 hill.
Pitch is 95 yards long and has strange hashmarks vertically drawn on pitch.
Only two balls supplied by home team which met criteria.
No team area marked, no numbers.
Played in good spirit and competitively - well done.
Charlie Dean-Young #258
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18/02/07
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| Oxford Cavaliers
|
Oxford drew to our attention that they were unsure how the field had been marked and suspected it was in meters.
The field is 100 yards long and had a midfield marked at the 50 yard line.
However the gap between the 5 yard lines was not 5 yards and this resulted in the line nearest the goal line being marked as the 10 yard line, rather than the 5 yard line.
The field markings did not match the length of the chain. In addition the field was a little too wide at 58 yards.
Oxford reported they would be speaking to the groundsman before the next match.
Keith Wickham #423
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18/02/07
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| Surrey Stingers
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Chain set had no visible marker at one end, so had to be reversed on each change of possession.
Chain crew were of very poor quality and one member disappeared at half time. One of the ball boys also appeared to change identity during the game.
Jim Briggs #31
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18/02/07
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| Loughborough Aces
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No team areas, no limit lines.
Game kicked off 1/2 hour late due to incomplete medical cover (no stretcher), ran 10 minute quarters as a result.
Officials and admin fee not paid. Plaudits to both teams. Only a handful of 5-yard penalties in the game.
Brian Yates #29
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18/02/07
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| Tarannau Aberystwyth
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This game was played at the Staffordshire Stallions' ground so the pitch marks are against them.
No team areas, 80 yard pitch, NFL hash marks.
Ambulance didn't arrive until 2:20pm, so we ran ten-minute quarters with 5 minutes for half time.
A lot of running plays meant we managed to get game finished just before darkness.
Charlie Dean-Young #258
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18/02/07
Staffs
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| Edinburgh Timberwolves
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Field of play marked too wide. Coaching box less than 6 feet from sideline.
No team area marked and no limit lines marked. Tops of numbers less than 9 feet from sideline.
Inbounds lines less than 60 feet from sideline. Hash marks not always 1 yard apart at sideline and inbounds lines.
No ball boys provided. Game kick-off held up for 15 minutes whilst a chain crew was located.
Game started with three cheerleaders as chain crew but, whilst being willing to step in and help out they proved to be poor at best and were replaced.
Game duration shortened by four minutes in the 4th quarter due to failing light.
Crew and BAFRA fee not paid as Edinburgh claim that they need to be invoiced in the week before the game to allow them to claim money from their university.
They also claim to have informed BAFRA of this fact.
Overall game management very poor.
Henry Richardson #358
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18/02/07
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| Royal Holloway Vikings
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The Royal Holloway field is 80 yards long.
The kick off was delayed for 15 minutes as Royal Holloway were unable to provide a numbered roster or sufficient match balls. Hertfordshire Hurricanes provided two game balls so the game could commence.
It was noted that some Hurricanes players had dirty kits although there was no colour clash.
Keith Wickham #423
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18/02/07
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ROGER'S RHETORIC
| From last week |
Play:
A's ball, free kick, on A's 35. A4's untouched free kick is rolling toward B's goal line pylon.
B49 touches the previously untouched ball on B's 1/2 while his foot is touching the sideline in B's end zone.
A85 picks up the ball on B's 1 and walks into B's end zone.
Ruling:
B's ball, 1st and 10, on B's 35. Team B could also elect that Team A rekick from A's 30.
The ball becomes dead when B49 touches the kick while B49 is out of bounds.
The interpretation is that the out of bounds precedes the touching. Team A commits a free kick out of bounds foul.
If a live ball is declared out of bounds and the ball does not cross a boundary line, it is out of bounds at the ball's most forward point where it was declared dead.
The dead ball spot is B's 1/2. The ball will be put in play at the near inbounds line.
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| New this week |
A's ball, 3rd and 12, on B's 18. A16's legal forward pass is airborne when B34 grabs A88's jersey on B's 13, thus limiting A88's ability to jump for the catchable pass.
Ruling?
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