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BAFRA Newsflash |
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Issue: 04/09 |
11th February 2009 |
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BAFRA Newsflash |
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Issue: 04/09 |
11th February 2009 |
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BAFRA ANNUAL CONVENTION – SAT 4TH AND SUN 5TH APRIL 2009
Annual Exam
1. The exam will be issued at the Annual Convention set for Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th April 2009. Members who attend will have 5 full weeks from the date of the Convention to submit their answer sheet. The closing date will be Saturday 9th May 2009.
2. Members who do not attend the convention will be sent the exam by post within 7 days of the convention, it must be returned by Saturday 9th May 2009.
3. A maximum 1-week extension may be granted, but only in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Director of Training. Requests for an extension must be made by Saturday 25th April 2009 to training@bafra.org
4. Members who complete the exam by Saturday 9th May 2009 will be given priority on all Bowl and Play-off games.
5. Members who do not complete the exam within the defined timescales will not be scheduled to any games whatsoever. Note: This may sound harsh, however, BAFRA’s Board of Directors are duty bound to make all efforts to ensure BAFRA is not put at risk, having unqualified officials on the field could raise questions on insurance cover and possible liability claims.
6. There is no option to receive the exam by email. This may appear strange in this technological age; however events over the last few years have highlighted the need for BAFRA to protect its intellectual property.
7. ALL exam returns must be made by hard copy through the post.
Registration
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.
For those who missed last week's Newsflash, you can find full details of the Convention and accommodation rates at the following link: http://www.bafra.org/newsflash/2009/200903.htm
Davie Parsons
SECOND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF BAFRA LIMITED
The second Annual General Meeting (AGM) of BAFRA Limited will take place at 5:00pm on Saturday 4th April 2009 at the Coventry Hill Hotel in Coventry. This is at the conclusion of the first day of this year’s Convention.
Whilst all members of BAFRA (Qualified, Associate and Affiliate) are welcome to attend the AGM, only qualified members may stand as Directors, propose resolutions and vote at the meeting.
All qualified members will receive by e-mail this week the following:
1) A Nomination Form for the Election of Directors;
2) A form for the submission of a resolution to be debated at the meeting.
If you have not received these by the evening of Saturday 14th February, please contact me. Please note, affiliate and associate members will not receive these documents.
It should be noted that the following Directorships are up for election this year:
1) Director of Finance (the present incumbent has indicated that he will not be standing);
2) Director of Operations (the present incumbent has indicated that he will stand);
3) Director of Recruitment (the present incumbent has indicated that he will stand);
4) Director of Training (the present incumbent has indicated that he will not be standing);
5) Director without Portfolio #2 (the present incumbent has indicated that he will not be standing).
If anyone who may be considering standing for one of the above posts wishes to discuss what this entails, they should contact the present incumbent, or if they prefer, either the President or myself.
Paul Sutton
SNOWBALL
On Sunday I was assigned to referee the game between UWE Bullets and Bristol Barracuda, played on UWE's "all-weather" surface at Filton WISE. When we arrived, the pitch was almost completely covered in snow to a depth of about 2 inches. The only gaps in the snow were where the lines had been shovelled clear, so every 5 yards there was a small step down from the snow to the astroturf underneath.
Our first instinct was to the safety of the players and whether they would be able to play a reasonable game of football on that surface. The changes of level where the lines had been cleared could have been considered trip hazards (rule 1-2-9-c).
After the teams had warmed up, I asked each head coach to get some of his players to run some typically football moves (e.g. receivers running routes and catching the ball; defensive backs backpedalling) to see how they were affected by the conditions. They started slowly and built up to full pace, but it became obvious that they could play on that surface. Running over the snow flattened it, and it was reasonably soft. If the snow, or even the turf underneath, had been frozen, I don't think we would have played.
The game went ahead. There was only one injury timeout during the game, and that was for a winded player.
All credit to the coaches and players of both teams, who played the game in an excellent spirit, and did what they could to help make the surface as flat as possible. But biggest credit needs to go to Jon Wyse of Filton American Football Academy who spent the entire game with a shovel keeping the lines clear.
Jim
Briggs
president@bafra.org
RULES BRIEFINGS FOR TEAMS
BAFRA would like to remind teams that, subject to availability, they are happy to provide members to explain the rule changes for the 2009 BAFL season.
These informal briefings are ideal as part of teams' midweek classroom sessions and will allow players, coaches and supporters to get a better understanding of what changes they will see during the new season.
Officials will also answer questions on the existing rules. Teams are invited to contact Pete Johnson (operations@bafra.org) if they would like to take up this offer and provide details of any specific rules questions they would like addressed in addition to the rule changes.
Keith Wickham
RESULTS
Brighton Tsunami - 0 Greenwich Mariners - 19
UWE Bullets - 46 Bristol Barracuda - 0
Liverpool Fury - 12 Huddersfield Hawks - 28
UT Cougars - 22 Sunderland Spartans - 36
Northumbria Mustangs - 0 Napier Mavericks - 7
Southampton Stags - 40 Surrey Stingers - 0
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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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08/02/09 |
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Kent Falcons |
Field extremely muddy. The ambulance failed to turn up again! This is the second time Kent have been let down by their medical cover. They had paid for a different St Johns provider this time, but apparently they were not answering their phones. Kent acknowledge that they are likely to be passed over in the future if there are other games that would otherwise be left uncovered due to a shortage of officials, since this is twice in the same season that they have forfeited a home game due to inadequate medical cover. Dan Bridgland #506 |
22/02/09 v ARU Phantoms |
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Liverpool Fury |
Due to weather conditions the field was not marked out with any markings, the home team management marked the field with cones, both teams agreed to play with the field as was, one ball boy provided. The chain crew did an excellent job and the home game management did everything possible to make the game work. Martin Cockerill #345 |
15/02/09 v Leicester Longhorns |
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Southampton Stags |
Goals attached to a fence about 2 yards beyond the end lines. Two wires were strung across the field. Keith Wickham #423 |
15/02/09 v Brighton Tsunami |
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Northumberland Mustangs |
No Team or Coaches areas, No field numbers or 9 yard marks on pitch, 8 yard endzones. It was an excellent game played cleanly and hard fought by both teams. a pleasure to officiate. Northumberland management told us before the game that they had spoken to Charlie Dean Young and agreed to pay direct to BAFRA through the Student Union. The team was invoiced £145 for officials, £65 Bafra Fee and £25 late payment fee totalling £235 Tzvi Lindeman #381 |
Unknown |
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UWE Bullets |
Field only 80 yards long. No hashmarks at either inbounds lines or sidelines. Only one goal available (unsafe to kick onto railway line at other end) so Rule 1-2-5-f-2 (Team B always defends the end with the goal on scrimmage plays) was employed successfully. No team areas or coaching boxes marked. No numbers on field. Field covered in snow, but judged playable with the agreement of both teams. Second half kickoff delayed 10 minutes because the chain crew had disappeared. UWE penalised under rule 3-4-1-b. Jim Briggs #31 |
Unknown |
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Brighton Tsunami |
Field lines dark red against dark green astroturf. There were no 10yd lines and no measurements were possible. 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. Both the Brighton and Greenwich players approached the game in an excellent spirit. A pleasure to officiate them. Steve Tonkinson #99 |
Unknown |
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Outstanding items from previous weeks |
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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 A's 35, 4th and
10. The snap sails over punter A8's head. The ball is rolling at
A's 16 when A8 kicks the ball forward. A64 recovers the ball on
A's 38 and advances to B's 42 where he is downed.
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Last week's play |
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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Date |
Event |
Contact for details |
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2008 |
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February 21st (Sat) |
BAFRA board meeting |
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April 4th (Sat) |
BAFRA Convention |
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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. |
Editor: Dean Wright - Email: newsflash@bafra.org