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BAFRA Newsflash |
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Issue: 03/09 |
4th February 2009 |
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BAFRA Newsflash |
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Issue: 03/09 |
4th February 2009 |
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BAFRA ANNUAL CONVENTION – SAT 4TH AND SUN 5TH APRIL 2009
BAFRA's annual convention and training weekend will take place on the weekend of the 4th and 5th of April. There will be plenty of details and information appearing in Newsflash over the coming weeks. Last year's event was our best for many a year with around 60 members attending; everyone played their part in making it such a success. I’m sure with everyone’s help we can make this year's event just as successful. So make sure you keep up to date via Newsflash
Guest Speaker
I am currently in negotiations to bring over a guest speaker from the USA. Hopefully I will have more news on this front in a week or so. Our last 3 speakers have all been fairly well received and contributed considerably to the Convention. Lets hope we make it 4 in a row.
Location
The Convention will be held at The Coventry Hill Hotel, Rye Hill, Birmingham Road, Allesley, Coventry CV5 9PH. Location and directions can be found on the hotel website: www.coventryhillhotel.co.uk
Registration
To register for the convention please contact our Director of Finance, Charles Dean-Young. Charlie can be contacted by email at finance@bafra.org. I will be making up personalised Convention Packs with Presentation handouts, Game Film DVD, Programme of Events and more for those who register.
Accommodation
Charlie has negotiated excellent rates for accommodation, these are detailed below. In addition, the BAFRA Board has agreed to provide some funding to keep down the costs. The rates indicated are per room and include all discounts and a full breakfast.
Twin Room: £40.00 per night (I,e, £20.00 per night per person if sharing)
Single Room: £40.00 per night
To take advantage of the above rates you must book your room through Charlie. You will pay a lot more if you go direct to the Hotel.
Over the last couple of years quite a few people have stayed at the hotel on the Friday night. The above rates are available for both the Friday and Saturday nights.
As the event promises to be our biggest and best for a while I would recommend booking your room as early as possible. You can do this at the same time you register to attend.
Davie Parsons
BAFRA RECRUITMENT SUCCESSES
BAFRA has achieved unprecedented success in recruiting new officials over the last few months.
In the first six months of 2008 we received 21 enquiries about membership, typical of the rate over the past couple of years. Of those nine have turned into members who have already worked games and three further ones are still doing their training.
However, in the second six months of 2008, we had a total of 108 people made enquiries – an amazing 500% increase! Of those, by the end of the year, 11 had already taken to the field, 17 more were undertaking training, and a further 29 were participating in our pre-membership taster sessions. Of the 17 undertaking training, some have no doubt made their on-field debuts in the last couple of weeks. Many of them were among 23 members who attended a training event aimed at newer officials held in Milton Keynes on 31st January.
The benefit to the sport from this flood of applicants is that we have:
20 new officials who have already been on the field
20 who are currently in training, the majority of whom we can expect to be on the field by the start of the senior contact season, and
another 20-30 who we hope will start training soon
If that gives us 60 new officials in 2009, it will almost double BAFRA's active membership compared with only a year ago.
It is clear that many teams have helped us in raising the profile of officiating. We have benefited from them pointing more and more people towards the BAFRA website (www.bafra.org). We are keen to further develop this way of working and will be providing more resources for teams to use. Television coverage pointing people to the Get into American Football website (www.getintoamericanfootball.com) has also helped us.
The aim is to have enough trained BAFRA officials by August to cover the peak in fixtures, and at a time when school holidays can reduce the number of officials available. Provided growth continues, and teams continue to cooperate on scheduling, we do not anticipate any need for team judges to work contact football this summer. If we can recruit a further 20-30 officials before October (giving us about 150 in total), then it should be possible to cover all BUAFL games next winter as well.
To encourage people to don the stripes, BAFRA has long had a policy of waiving the BAFRA and BAFA membership fees for new applicants in their first year. This removes some of the financial barriers for new people who want to try officiating.
We would like to welcome all the new members to BAFRA and thank all the "older" members who have participated in their training.
Jim
Briggs & Ben Griffiths
president@bafra.org
FEES FOR FIRST-TIME OFFICIALS
Following our successful efforts to recruit new members we have a high number of Rookies in training. Can referees take extra care when completing invoices and Request for Payment Forms to ensure they are paid the appropriate fee.
The fees are at http://www.bafra.org/info/handbook/tcannex2008.htm. The fee (£25) for the first game is paid to BAFRA, not the official, to cover training and membership costs. The £25 might be reduced if the associate official is working on a 5-man (or bigger) crew.
Andrew Lovell
CHEQUES FOR THIS WEEKEND'S PREPAID TEAMS
Delays at the bank mean we have temporarily run out of BAFRA cheques, this is despite us ordering a new cheque book over 2 weeks ago. This means I cannot yet send members their fees for last weekend's prepaid teams. Please be assured if you are waiting for a cheque from this weekend (31st January and 1st February) you WILL receive it once we have a new cheque book from the Bank.
Andrew Lovell
WITHDRAWALS
Could officials please ensure they notify me if they cannot or do not cover a game they have been assigned to. It is important that I know at the earliest opportunity in order that I can try to rearrange assignments to cover shortfalls.
Pete Johnson
ASSOCIATES IN TRAINING
With the relatively high number of associate members undergoing training, could I ask that the members responsible for the training to liaise with me when the associate member is ready to do games. I would like to ensure if possible that we can schedule the first couple of games at least with their trainer.
Pete Johnson
FORTHCOMING FIXTURES
A revised set of assignments are available on the BAFRA website. Please ensure you check these. I have been advised by the league that some fixtures may be at risk this weekend due to weather. Nothing has been confirmed at this stage but clearly we need to be alert to the fact that games may be cancelled.
I will try to give crews as much notice as possible but please be ready for last minute cancellations.
Pete Johnson
RESULTS
Derby Braves - 21 Leicester Longhorns - 14
Newcastle Raiders - 14 Glasgow Tigers - 12
Portsmouth Destroyers - 0 Brighton Tsunami - 3
UWS Pyros - 48 Northumbria Mustangs - 0
Nottingham Outlaws - 0 Loughborough Aces - 8
Napier Mavericks - 8 Durham Saints - 45
Bristol Barracuda - 54 Tarannau Aberystwyth - 8
Sheffield Sabres - 14 Sheffield Hallam Warriors - 21
Bath Killer Bees - 66 Oxford Cavaliers - 6
Plymouth Blitz - 0 UWE Bullets - 1
Anglia Ruskin Phantoms - 0 Essex Blades - 20
Kent Falcons - 6 UEA Pirates - 44
UCH Sharks - 20 Huddersfield Hawks - 22
Warwick Wolves - 6 Birmingham Lions - 70
Surrey Stingers - 0 Greenwich Mariners - 8
Southampton Stags - 19 Hertfordshire Hurricanes - 7
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NAME |
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TEAM |
CODE |
Q |
OFFENCE |
SUSPENDED |
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No new items this week |
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Previous weeks |
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Note: it is the responsibility of the individual teams to ensure that their suspended players serve their suspensions in the proper game (according to the BAFA Disciplinary Code), and any dates mentioned here are intended only as a guide. |
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HOME TEAM |
REPORT |
NEXT HOME GAME |
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01/02/09 |
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Derby Braves |
Although the pitch was well marked the Endzones were only 5 yards, so we moved the goal line to the 5 yard line. The game its self was played in excellent spirit by both teams. Muz Gibson #268 |
22/02/09 v Nottingham Outlaws |
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ARU Phantoms |
Game abandoned with 5 minutes and 48 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter, due to 2 serious neck injuries ambulance having to leave. Larry Rigby #269 |
15/02/09 v Royal Holloway Bears |
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Warwick Wolves |
Chain crew left with 2 mins left in the half. A new chain crew were found. A third chain crew had to be found for the 2nd half. Barry Beynon #533 |
22/02/09 v Bath Killer Bees |
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Sheffield Sabres |
Shortly after the game kicked off there was a dispute regarding the eligibility of three of the Sabres players to participate in the game. Officials were told by the Hallam coach that a BUAFL league regulation had been breached, the Sabres coach disagreed. Both coaches were informed that BAFRA officials are not able to arbitrate on BUAFL regulations and as such could not prevent the players participating in the game. Both coaches stated that they would be contacting BUAFL over the matter. Nothing more was heard from them during the game.
The invoice was given to game management before the game. Afterwards a member of the home team informed us the person responsible for paying had left the venue in the ambulance and they had no other way to pay us. Sabres were informed that this would incur and extra charge of £25. This was understood and the crew then left. Ben Griffiths #228 |
15/02/09 v UCH Sharks |
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Southampton Stags |
Goals attached to a fence about 2 yards beyond the end lines. Two wires strung across the field, but the ball did not touch them today. Jim Briggs #31 |
08/02/09 v Surrey Stingers |
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Bristol Barracuda |
Field 80 yards long. No hashmarks on the sideline. One end zone one yard longer than the other. Hashmarks on the field faint. Start of game delayed 10 mins due to late arrival of ambulance. The ambulance had previously arrived early but were told by the venue's reception that there was no American Football. Both teams arrived in white jerseys. After consultation between the officials and the coaches, it was decided to allow the game to go on. Mike LeFevre #341 |
Unknown |
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Napier Mavericks |
The head coach advised that he had not been informed that BAFRA would schedule officials to the game, so did not have any money to pay us. Ian Sneddon #427 |
22/02/09 v UWS Pyros |
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Outstanding items from previous weeks |
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Sunderland Spartans |
No team areas, no coaching area, yard lines every 10 yards, no numbers or 9 yard marks, no goalposts, grass long, surface uneven, boggy between hashmarks, only 1 Ball Boy. Ambulance had only one stretcher and it was needed to transport to hospital. In the 3rd period with 7:47 remaining the game was suspended while the ambulance crew attended a player, 40 minutes later the teams abandoned the game due to expected lack of light. Plaudits to both teams as the game was played in an excellent spirit. Tzvi Lindeman #381 |
22/02/09 v Northumbria Mustangs |
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Brighton Tsunami |
No team area lines (marked with cones) or limit lines. Field lines dark red against dark green astroturf. Inbound lines very difficult to see. Goals strapped to boundary fences (about three yards behind end lines). Two wires suspended above field at approximately each 30 yard line. Chain crew changed at half time (neither crew particularly good). RHU had insufficient jerseys numbered between 50 and 79 so a couple of their offensive linemen turned their jerseys inside out to avoid any eligibility issues. Despite awful weather the game was played in a good spirit. Dan Bridgland #506 |
08/02/09 v Greenwich Mariners |
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Leeds Celtics |
No team area markings. Home team had no game balls, we had to use the away team's balls. Tony Newsham #302 |
08/02/09 v Staffordshire Stallions |
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Essex Blades |
Field markings extended 5 yards into the end zone. The top half of one upright was missing (apparently it had been stolen in the week by drunken students). Enough of the upright remained for the goal to be serviceable. Alan Dobson #308 |
15/02/09 v Kent Falcons |
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Reading Knights |
Reading had only one cheque for all officials and bafra Brian Yates #29 |
08/02/09 v Birmingham Lions |
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Glasgow Tigers |
Crew arrived to be met by the Groundsman who stated that the astroturf pitch was unplayable and he had already called off a soccer match due to take place later in the day. Pitch was frozen solid, waited until shortly after 12pm and reinspected pitch. Some areas had thawed sufficiently to be playable but at least 1/3 of the pitch was still frozen solid and deemed to dangerous to allow the game to go ahead. Henry Richardson #358 |
08/02/09 v Stirling Clansmen |
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BNU Buccaneers |
No team areas or coaching boxes. A number of lines/hashmarks were crooked, due to the ground staff not marking the field and the team having to do the best it could at short notice. Oxford supplied 1 ball and 1 ballperson Brian Yates #29 |
15/02/09 v Warwick Wolves |
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U T Cougars |
No goal posts. No team areas markings, no nine yard marks numbers 5yrds from sideline. Well done to both teams for what was a great game played in great spirit. Tony Newsham #302 |
08/02/09 v Sunderland Spartans |
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Kent Falcons |
No ambulance or paramedic with sufficient kit and vehicle arrived at the game (apparently a crew were booked and paid for but were not answering their phones). There would have been a kit clash if we played (Kent were in black and Greenwich in dark blue. Kent had a white training kit which they were prepared to lend to Greenwich if the game had gone ahead. Greenwich only have one kit.) Kent did not have 3 legal game balls. Numbers were too small and close to sideline (tops were about 6-7 yards from sideline). Team areas were between the 20 yard lines. No limit lines. Field surface very muddy even before planned kick off time. Dan Bridgland #506 |
08/02/09 v Hertfordshire Hurricanes |
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Cardiff Cobras |
Late kick-off (13:45) due to late arrival of ambulance so, with the agreement of both coaches, we played 4 * 12 minute quarters. Russell Newton #324 |
08/02/09 v Warwick Wolves |
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Leicester Longhorns |
Field markings faint, NFL hashmarks, only one person for the chain crew, away team had to supply two people for the chain crew. Chain crew did a good job. Martin Cockerill #345 |
22/02/09 v Staffordshire Stallions |
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Lancaster Bombers |
Game played on an 80 yard pitch with faint blue markings which were hard too see. Field goals were poles attached to fence outside pitch. No coaches area, limit lines or hash marks at sidelines. No pylons, flat cones were used instead. Officials had to wait 15 minutes after the game for the changing rooms to be unlocked. Ben Griffiths #228 |
08/02/08 v Sheffield Sabres |
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UWE Bullets |
Field only 80 yards. No hashmarks. One set of goal posts. No team or coaches areas marked. No numbers on field; numbers on sideline constantly blew over. Mike LeFevre #341 |
08/02/09 vs Bristol Barracuda |
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Huddersfield Hawks |
Field was 80 yards long with NFL short yardage lines at the Inbound Line and no hash marks, no sideline hash marks or no limit Lines. The main sideline markings were thin and crooked. Field Lines were blue. The officials' change room was too small with space only for two officials. Mark Snow #430 |
14/02/09 v Derby Braves |
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Note: it is possible that any game may be cancelled, or any team may arrange additional games. Any dates mentioned here are intended only as a guide. |
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PLAY OF THE WEEK:
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New this week |
Play:
A's ball on B's 8, 4th and
6. B22 intercepts QB A18's legal forward pass in B's end zone. B22
attempts to run it out but is hit and fumbles in B's end zone. A81
recovers in B's end zone. During B22's run, A50 blocked B45 below
the waist in B's end zone.
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Last week's play |
Play:
A's ball on A's 35, free kick. A6's kick hits B48 on B's 5 and is
rolling toward B's end zone. The ball bounces on B's 1 and breaks
the plane of B's goal line where A22 reaches into B's end zone and
bats the ball back into the field of play where A76 recovers on
B's 3. |
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Date |
Event |
Contact for details |
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2008 |
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February 7th (Sat) |
BAFA Board Meeting |
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February 21st (Sat) |
BAFRA board meeting |
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April 4th (Sat) |
BAFRA AGM |
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April 25th (Sat) |
BAFA Board Meeting |
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May 9th (Sat) |
BAFRA board meeting |
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July 18th (Sat) |
BAFA Board Meeting |
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July 25th (Sat) |
BAFRA board meeting |
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October 24th (Sat) |
BAFA Board Meeting |
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November 21st (Sat) |
BAFRA board meeting |
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BAFRA Directors |
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President |
Jim Briggs |
General Secretary |
Paul Sutton |
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Finance |
Charles Dean-Young |
Operations |
Pete Johnson |
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Recruitment |
Ben Griffiths |
Training |
David Parsons |
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Director without Portfolio #1 |
Dan Bridgland |
Director without Portfolio #2 |
Keith Wickham |
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The opinions expressed in this Newsflash are those of the contributors, and not necessarily of BAFRA or its Directors. All Incident Reports to be submitted via www.bafra.org. Deadline for articles submitted by email (newsflash@bafra.org) is midnight Tuesday. |