BAFRA Newsflash

http://www.bafra.org

Issue: 35/11

15^th September 2011

BRITISH UNIVERSITIES AMERICAN FOOTBALL LEAGUE (BUAFL) SEASON

Can I begin by thanking all officials for their support, good humour and positive attitude during the senior league season.

I am about to start scheduling officials for these university league games which begin on weekend 5^th/6^th November. Could all officials please update their availability on Arbiter as quickly as possible. The new season’s provisional fixture list for this league now shows 68 teams registered to play a full season of games, an increase in teams of over 10%. Can I therefore politely ask that everyone makes a real effort to be available as much as possible in order that we can cover as many of these games as we can.

I expect to get final fixture confirmation from BUAFL by early October. I will then endeavour to assign officials for all games scheduled to be played until the end of the year, so it’s really important that Arbiter accurately reflects your availability.

Richard Vernon

operations@bafra.org

ELITE TRAINING DAY

Thank you to all who have confirmed your attendance for this year's Elite training event. The event will start at 10am, with refreshments available from 9.30, at the Coventry Hill Hotel, details of which can be found at http://www.britanniacoventryhill.co.uk/. (For Satnavs, the post code is CV5 9AB.)

A lunch buffet will be provided, and there will be a morning and afternoon break.

Finally, if you are planning to attend the post-event curry in Leamington and haven't yet let Graham Coleman know, please do so.

Pete Parsons

epcoordinator@bafra.org

BRITBOWL XXV 5 ON 5 AND KITTED

All officials that are officiating the Flag and 5v5 kitted games on Saturday and Sunday, could you please be at Crystal Palace for 8am for Briefings assignments and pregame. We are still looking for 4 people to officiate on Saturday. Anyone interested please contact myself via DWP1@BAFRA.ORG. Look foreword to seeing you all there and having a great weekend of football.

Martin Cockerill

dwp1@bafra.org

RESULTS

BAFACL Premiership

London Blitz 41 – 0 Bristol Aztecs

London Warriors 34 – 7 Tamworth Phoenix

DISCIPLINARY CASES

NAME	#	TEAM	CODE	Q		OFFENCE	SUSPENDED
New this week
Richard Shegun Ivan Gadzekpo	71	London Warriors	FGT	2	Player was spotted throwing a punch during a play.		24/09/11 v London Blitz
Previous weeks
Matthew Crammond	80	Glasgow Tigers	FGT	4		The player was the recipient of a late from an opponent using his helmet. The player retaliated by punching the opposing player twice while he was on his knees .	Unknown
Martin Punter	77	Edinburgh Wolves	FGT	2		Player tackled Carlisle #85 (see below) by throwing him to the ground, and then retaining hold of him. Despite verbal warnings by an official, the player continued to wrestle Carlisle #85 on the ground from behind in a bear hug. Player continued to tighten his grip before being removed.	This is Martin Punter's 3^rd disqualification this season. He is suspended for 12 months (to 07/08/12) plus one more game after that due to a suspended ban from an earlier incident.
Phillip McGhee	85	Carlisle Border Reivers	FGT	2		Player struck Edinburgh #77 (see above) twice with his elbow.	Unknown
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.

GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS

HOME TEAM	REPORT	NEXT HOME GAME
New this week
London Warriors	Field was marked with NFL style hashmarks. Ambulance turned up right at kickoff time. Chain crew was only provided about a minute before the kickoff time and after several requests for a chain crew. Chaining rooms poor. David Knight #135	Unknown
Outstanding items from previous weeks – None

END ZONE

PLAY OF THE WEEK:

New this week

Play: Right footed kicker A11 places the ball on the tee in the centre of the field for a free kick with four team mates to the left side of the ball and six team mates to the right side of the ball. The ball blows off the tee, and A55 - who was lined up to the left of the ball - holds the ball on the tee for A11. No other Team A players move. When the ball is kicked by A11, A55 is to the kicker's right. Ruling?
Ruling?

Last week

Play: A's ball, 4^th and 14, on B's 46. A6 punts. A44 is standing on B's 1. The kick touches the ground on B's 5 and bounces toward B's end zone. A44 reaches into B's end zone where the kick has crossed the goal line and recovers the kick, bringing the ball back into the field of play to where he is standing on B's 1. The ball does not touch the ground in B's end zone. Ruling?

Ruling: The ball becomes dead when A44 gains possession of the ball. The position of the ball governs and not the position of A44. A44 touched the ball after the ball broke the plane of B's goal line. Illegal touching in B's end zone. Team B will accept the touchback. Team B does not have the option to take the ball on B's 1 since the ball became dead before the ball returned to the field of play. B's ball, 1st and 10, on B's 20.

MECHANICS:

New this week

Game Situation: During the coin toss, the Referee, Umpire (and deep wing officials on a 7 man crew) are in the centre of the field with the players. Where should the wing officials and the Back Judge be positioned during this time?
Answer next issue...

Last week

Game Situation: 1^st and 10 at A's 4 yard line. On a 7 man crew, how should the two wing officials work together to ensure that team A's goal line is covered?
Answer: M-13-5. The Linejudge has primary responsibility for Team A's goal line if the ball is snapped from on or inside Team A's 7 yard line, the Linesman has the same if the ball is snapped on or inside the 2 yard line. In this case the Linejudge should move to cover the goal line. This can be remembered from the fact that the Linesman must be ready to move 5 yards downfield if he reads pass (M-13-4-b-2). Since he has coverage responsibilities downfield he has a reduced area within which he must cover the goal line.

CALENDAR

Date	Event	Contact for details
2011
September 17^th (Sat)	BAFRA Elite Panel Training Event	epcoordinator@bafra.org
September 24^th & 25^th	Britbowl Weekend
October 23^rd (Sun)	Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Chicago Bears @ Wembley
November 6^th (Sun)	BUAFL 2011/12 Season Starts
November 19^th (Sat)	BAFRA Board Meeting	secretary@bafra.org
February 18^th (Sat)	BAFRA Board Meeting	secretary@bafra.org
May 12^th (Sat)	BAFRA Board Meeting	secretary@bafra.org
July 14^th (Sat)	BAFRA Board Meeting	secretary@bafra.org
November 17^th (Sat)	BAFRA Board Meeting	secretary@bafra.org

BAFRA Directors
President	David Parsons	president@bafra.org	General Secretary	Paul Sutton	secretary@bafra.org
Finance	Andrew Lovell	finance@bafra.org	Operations	Richard Vernon	operations@bafra.org
Recruitment	James Meredith	recruitment@bafra.org	Training	Charlie Dean Young	training@bafra.org
Director without Portfolio #1	Martin Cockerill	dwp1@bafra.org	Director without Portfolio #2	Steve Tonkinson	dwp2@bafra.org

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