First of all, I would like to thank you all for the way the BUAFL schedule has been received. Given the shape of the assignments for the first half and some of the travel implications, I was concerned it may cause more issues for some of us than it appears to have. Fortunately, problems seem to be relatively minor. Thanks again for your help.

A revised schedule of assignments will be uploaded to the website later this week. Despite the above, some changes are required due to unforeseen circumstances. Any changes to games this coming weekend (2nd) will be notified directly to the crews by phone and email.

Just to reiterate something I have said before.

When I assign crews, I try to place people in preferred positions though this is not always feasible. However, I just want to reafirm that the positions I assign are not absolute. If the members of a crew wish to change positions that is absolutely fine. You do not need to ask me. Feel free to work as a crew in a formation that you are happy with.

I just wanted to take the opportunity to complement the BUAFL. The level of cooperation and communication I have received from the league with regard to scheduling their season has been exceptional. Their exemplary efforts are making the process of completing their assignments very much easier.

Pete Johnson
operations@bafra.org

A quick reminder that:

As far as we aware, BUAFL have not changed their regulations for the coming season (see http://www.bafra.org/rulesctee/docs/leagueregs.htm). This means that if the game is tied, you play extra periods until a winner is found (or, exceptionally, it gets too dark/unsafe to carry on).

A reminder of a new rule that, although it has been in effect since March, will probably be first used this winter. It is Rule 13-7-4:

Note that parts b and c of the above rule only apply if the kickoff is delayed. They do not apply if the game kicks off within 5 minutes of its scheduled time. Under these circumstances, the game would still be played with 15-minute quarters, and Rule 3-2-2-a used if necessary.

For your information, here's a list of sunset times for Sundays between now and the Christmas break. [Source: http://www.timeanddate.com/] For other locations, remember the further west and further south you are, the later sunset will be.

Thanks to Ben Griffiths, Pete Johnson, Simon Ryan, Alan Dobson and Richard Samples who staffed the BAFRA stand at the Green Man event prior to the NFL game at Wembley. It has generated several membership enquiries so far.

Brian Yates appeared on BBC Three Counties Radio last Thursday, speaking about American football officiating. 3CR are interested in American football because the Saints were based in Watford in the run up to the Wembley game. Within an hour of Brian's slot, we'd had an enquiry about membership!

BAFRA's thanks go to Chris Wallis of Bedfordshire Bombardiers for setting this up.

BAFRA is receiving growing numbers of applications from people who wish to train as officials. We are therefore looking to expand our pool of trainers and mentors.

If anyone is willing and available to help train new recruits then please contact me. Also, if you have previously trained recruits and are still able to do so, but aren't currently training anyone then please let me know.

Note that you don't need tens of years of experience to do this. People with only a year or two's experience may make good mentors because they have gone through the same training relatively recently.

Ben Griffiths
recruitment@bafra.org

Thanks to all those who responded to our invitation to comment. The response so far has been unanimous in support of the BAFRA viewpoint. The Board is currently awaiting some information from BAFL that will allow us to take our planning forward.

Jim.
plan2009@bafra.org

Below is a full list of those who are now members for 2008/09. This includes those who have renewed and those recently joined. The list is correct to Wednesday 29th October 2008. I will continue to update this list over the coming weeks. If you have sent in your renewal, would have expected it to arrive by the above date and your name does not appear here, please contact me as a matter of urgency.

Keith Alldritt, Ashley Allen, Bill Anderson, Graham Baker, Ian Ball, Robert Banks, Robert Benton, Barry Beynon, Andrew Binns, Ellis Bowyer, Bernard Bradley, Dan Bridgland, Adrian Briggs, Jim Briggs, Stuart Briggs, Amir Brooks, Simon Buckett, Leigh Butler, Mike Cavanagh, Lee Clissett, Martin Cockerill, Graham Coleman, Phil Cottier, Ashley Davidson, Ian Davies, Alex De Val, Charles Dean-Young, Ed Elliott, Mike Fenton, Robert Friel, Cameron Gibson, Martin Gibson, Murray Gibson, Ray Grace, Ben Griffiths, Graham Hedges, Chris Jarvis, Pete Johnson, Donald Laisure, Mike LeFevre, Ralph Lenoire, Tzvi Lindeman, Andrew Lovell, Julian Mallia, William Marriage, Gordon McJannett, Lee Mills, Russell Newton, Chris Oates, Tim Ockendon, Colin O’Connor, Jeremy Parker ,David Parsons, Peter Parsons, Richard Prattley, Alun Price, Matthew Price, Henry Richardson, Larry Rigby, Andrew Robson, Simon Ryan, Norval Scott, Peter Scott, Scott Silver, Ian Sneddon, Mark Snow, Lee Sowden, Darran Sterling, Paul Sutton, Anthony Tagg, Mike Taylor, Pete Thom, Steve Tonkinson, Ronald Vale, Richard Vernon, Tim Vickers, Ian Wainwright, Keith Wickham, Colin Willox, Mark Wilson, Stephen Wilson, Dean Wright, Brian Yates. 

Please note that as of 1st November, all registration fees are increased by £5.00 so anyone renewing after this date will need to pay £60.00 for qualified or associate membership (£10.00 for affiliate, non-officiating members).

Paul Sutton
General Secretary
secretary@bafra.org

In both the above cases, if the player has left the team his suspension will be considered completed after this game.

This week's Newsflash was a Jim production. Dean Wright will be resuming normal service when he gets back from his business trip.

Send updates to newsflash@bafra.org

All Incident Reports to be submitted via www.bafra.org.

Deadline for articles submitted by email (newsflash@bafra.org) is 2359 Tuesday.