Issue 41/25 28th November 2025
BAFRA Newsflash | |||
QUALIFIED - PAUL BARRETT
Congratulations to Paul Barrett on completing all the requirements to become Qualified.
Thanks to Liam Wooton and everyone helping with Paul’s training.
James Ford-Bannister - Director of Training
DISCIPLINARY CASES
NAME | # | TEAM | OFFENCE | SUSPENDED |
New this week | ||||
Brad Mosley | 78 | Leeds Beckett | Targ eting and Making Forcible Contact With the Crown of the Helmet to the to Head or Neck Area of a Defenseless Player | 30th November 2025 v Nottingham Gold |
Ezzat Elnagmi | 68 | UWE Bullets | Intentional Contact against an Official | 29th November 2025 v Loughborough Students |
GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS
HOME TEAM | REPORT | NEXT HOME GAME |
New this week | ||
Bath Killer Bees | Game was suspended for approximately 15 minutes for a significant injury to a player. Julian Mallia #336 | 1st February 2026 v Bristol Barracuda |
Bath Spa Bulldogs | One of the balls provided did not hold pressure so a third ball was provided by the away team. Julian Mallia #336 | 1st February 2026 v Worcester Royals |
Bristol Barracuda | The field was marked with black lines which were quite faint. Keith Wickham #423 | 30th November 2025 v Southampton Stags |
Cambridge Pythons | Two changes of chain crew during the game. Brian Yates #29 | 25th January 2026 v Lincoln Colonials |
Coventry University Jets | During the pregame briefing, the Medical cover provided by Coventry was discovered to be inadequate (unqualified student physio, Emergency First Responder qualified). It was agreed by both coaches, that the Lincoln medic would provide cover for the game. Future crews unfamiliar with the Cryfield site should note the postcode does not take you to the Sports Pavilion. Officials should follow the signs for 'Cryfield Village' from the roundabout and the Sports Pavillion can be found on the left Mark Schofield #557 | 1st February 2026 v Cambridge Pythons |
Derby Braves | Sideline short yard-line extensions continued into both end zones. Three-yard (PAT) markings were marked every 5 yards down the length of the field. When initially presented, Nottingham Green's handwritten roster contained a number of errors. Andrew Lovell #559 | 7th December 2025 v Sheffield Sabres |
Edge Hill VIkings | Field markings below full standards. 90-yard grass field marked in dark blue. No limit lines, numbers or coaching/team areas marked. Whilst changing after the game, the officials were told by venue staff that the room they were allocated was a shared room and to ensure that bags were secured in lockers when used in the future and that it is a mixed changing area with male and females using it and to only change in the side parts of the room and not the main locker area. Steve Hall #512 | 7th December 2025 v Manchester Tyrants |
Exeter Demons | Field markings were poor. Light green inbounds markings on a green field. Main lines were incredibly faint. They had been painted in yellow but had mainly disappeared, believed to be due to the rain. Home team players had to re-spray the main lines by hand prior to the start of the game. No nine-yard marks and no coaching boxes marked out. The Medic was changed at the end of the first quarter, and new medic had to be briefed, causing a slight delay. Dave Moore #92 | 7th December 2025 v SGS Pride |
Glasgow University Tigers | No limit lines. No nine-yard marks or numbers. Henry Richardson #25 | 7th December 2025 v Aberdeen Bulls |
Kent Falcons | Well marked 90-yard field in red with other sport markings in yellow, blue, and white. Team area perimeters marked out with cones. Rugby lines approximated for team area lines & nine-yard marks. No numbers or limit lines. One game ball had deflated by the end of the second period and was replaced by game management. Tim Ockendon #481 | 30th November 2025 v KCL Regents |
Loughborough Students | 90-yard field. No nine-yard marks or numbers. Team areas were missing. David Hewitt #607 | 15th February 2026 v Durham Saints |
MMU Eagles | Field markings were below full standards. The Football markings were very faint and marked in Red on a Green surface. They will need full re-marking (preferably in another colour) before the next game at this venue. There were numerous white field markings within four feet of an end zone line. There were no nine-yard marks or numbers. There were no limit lines or team area markings. Ian Rogers #625 | 1st February 2026 v Liverpool Raptors |
Northumbria Mustangs | No team areas or limit lines. Jerseys not of contrasting colours. Kenneth Glover #71 | 8th February 2026 v Leeds Gryphons |
RHUL Bears | Arrived on site to find the field flooded. The Groundskeeper refused use of the field, and the game was abandoned. Scott Castle #626 | 8th February 2026 v Sussex Saxons |
Sheffield Sabres | Team areas were absent but marked with cones. Otherwise, a well-marked 90-yard field. Paul Todd #289 | 8th February 2026 v Sheffield Hallam Warriors |
Surrey Stingers | Well marked 90-yard field in a good condition despite heavy rainfall in the days leading up to the game. Lockable private changing room provided a short walk from the field. Jon Ireland #508 | 22nd February 2026 v RHUL Bears |
UCL Emperors | Played on an 80-yard grass field, with field markings in light blue along with white Rugby markings. No team areas or coaches lines. Inbounds markings were faint at the start. The conditions in the middle of the field, as the game progressed, led to serious deterioration of the visibility of the markings. Changing room was small and can just about fit five officials in, but is shared with other sports officials. Game balls supplied were below legal pressure. Andrew Murrell #608 | 30th November 2025 v Kingston Cougars |
UWE Bullets | 100-yard field. The markings had improved from previous years, but other sports lines were present, including some in white, which was the same colour as American Football. This caused some confusion during the game. The chain crew was provided late, and the balls were initially under-inflated. Two small changing rooms were provided for a crew of eight, with no separate toilet. Oliver Maskell #221 | 29th November 2025 v Loughborough Students |
Warwick Wolves | The game was played at Butts Park. Inbounds markings were very faint and became harder to see once we were entirely under artificial light. No team areas or coaching lines, but cones were used as an approximation. The changing room was just about adequate, but not locked during the game. Andrew Murrell #608 | 7th December 2025 v Leeds Gryphons |
Outstanding items from previous weeks | ||
City Wolfpack | The markings were in dark blue and had been re-marked in places with spray paint of the same colour due to rain washing parts away before kickoff. 90-yard field. Lee Wood #517 | 7th December 2025 v QMBL Vipers |
DMU Lions | Well-marked 100-yard field in blue, although there were no pylons at the hash marks extended. Team areas were marked with cones. Kickoff was delayed by 55 minutes after the medics failed to arrive. The game went ahead after suitable medical cover was sourced. Dave Black #574 | 30th November 2025 v ARU Siege |
Durham Saints | 100-yard field faintly marked in white. There were other sports markings, with some the same colour. Lee Taylor #183 | 7th February 2026 v UWE Bullets |
Hertfordshire Hurricanes | A well-marked 90-yard field. Lines painted blue with other sports markings in other colours. Game day assistants were provided with less than ten minutes remaining before the scheduled kick off, and the entire chain crew was changed for the second half. There was a brief delay at the end of the third quarter whilst the floodlights were switched on. Large changing room, but no toilet. Will Fazackerley #227 | 7th December 2025 v UEA Pirates |
KCL Regents | New Venue: Chiswick RFC. 80-yard field with 11-yard end zones marked with blue lines. Rugby posts were used, so the crossbars were too high. Hash marks are 18 yards from the sidelines (not 20 yards). No numbers. Changing rooms were built with three rugby officials in mind; they were lockable and included a private shower. The down box arrived late (in the first quarter), and the crew was able to manage until then. Graham Smith #149 | 7th Dec 2025 v Brighton Panthers |
Leeds Beckett | 80 yard field.No limit lines.Several other sports markings on the field, some in close proximity to the endzones.No team areas marked but both teams used cones.The away team didn't like the quality of game balls provided so provided two of their own, which was acceptable to both teams.No nine yard marks or numbers. David Hewitt #607 | 7th Dec 2025 v UWE Bullets |
Leeds Gryphons | 80-yard field. No nine-yard marks or numbers. No team areas, but the teams marked them out using cones. The changing room is too small for a crew of five. The down box pole was missing, so the operator had to hold it aloft. David Hewitt #607 | 30th November 2025 v NTU Renegades |
Leicester Longhorns | The field was marked with NFL-width hash marks, so cones were used on the end lines to approximate the correct position. No team area markings on either sideline. Both teams normally play in Green, but Leicester wore Red jerseys instead (from Notts Caesars - which was mildly confusing). The game was suspended for 35 minutes in the third quarter due to a serious injury and the ambulance being on the field of play to treat the injury. Andrew Murrell #608 | 30th November 2025 v Sheffield Hallam Warriors |
Liverpool Raptors | Team areas were absent. Pylons at the hashmarks-extended were absent. Otherwise, a well-marked 90-yard field. Paul Todd #289 | 8th February 2026 v Edge Hill Vikings |
Oxford Brookes | An excellently marked artificial field. Markings in light blue, readily visible. Officials' Assistants were not presented to the officials until minutes before kick off, and all home team representatives had abandoned the field for pre-game activities in the locker room. Stuart Tabberer #348 | 7th December 2025 v Birmingham Lions |
Plymouth Blitz | Really well-marked 90-yard field. The crew were given the key to lock the changing rooms this week. Plymouth had to use senior team jerseys to avoid a clash (sorted during the week - they don't have a second kit) and there were some jerseys which were a different shade of green (known about and caused no issues). Dave Moore #92 | 30th November 2025 v Bath Killer Bees |
Portsmouth Destroyers | 90-yard field marked in pink on green. Coaching box and team areas marked with cones. Changing rooms were not lockable. Kickoff was delayed by 15 minutes due to the late arrival of the visiting team. Peter Parsons #321 | 1st February 2026 v Brunel Burners |
Sheffield Hallam Warriors | 90-yard field. No nine-yard marks or numbers. No team areas marked. All three game balls required inflation prior to use. David Hewitt #607 | 14th December 2025 v Derby Braves |
Southampton Stags | 90-yard field with blue markings and additional markings of differing colours. The balls presented to the crew were underinflated, and the three-yard marks were very faint. Scott Castle #626 | 7th December 2025 v Bornemouth Bobcats |
Stirling Clansmen | Field markings were faint, and lines were a faded purple. The chain crew were slow to react at times. Gordon Galloway #7 | 7th December 2025 v Edinburgh Napier Knights |
Sussex Saxons | 90-yard field with other sports markings present. 12-yard end zones were shortened to ten yards as the existing end line was close to the boundary fence. Hash marks were very faint, no nine-yard marks, or coaches' boxes. The chain set broke multiple times. One member of the chain crew changed at half time. The chain crew were slow and disinterested despite a thorough briefing. Three game balls were presented all under pressure and are starting to show their age. Jon Ireland #508 | 22nd February 2026 v Reading Knights |
Swansea Titans | The field was initially marked out as 100 yards with five-yard end zones. The goal lines were brought out five yards to make the field 90 yards with ten-yard end zones. There were no team areas. The home team provided three game balls in good condition but badly under-inflated and so needed inflation before the game (thankfully, these were provided shortly upon arrival at the venue). The officials' changing rooms were excellent - they are of a very good size (probably sufficient for a crew of eight, although there was a lot of sports kit stored in there which isn't usually the case), clean, had a private toilet & two private showers, contain lockers, and are lockable with a university staff members stationed in an adjacent office throughout the game. Two stoppages were made during the game to repair the chain set. With 2:17 remaining in the fourth quarter, the away team's head coach informed us that due to injuries sustained by his team, they no longer had sufficient offensive linemen to complete the game safely. It was agreed with all parties to shorten the remainder of the fourth quarter to 0:00 under rule 3-2-2-a. Amir Brooks #593 | 1st February 2026 v Tarannau Aberystwyth |
UWE Bullets 2 | The field had been re-marked in white for this season, but this clashes in several places with rugby markings. Euan Paterson #165 | 22nd February 2026 v Bath Spa Bulldogs |
Worcester Royals | No changing rooms were provided for the Crew, who changed in the clubhouse bar pre-game. Post game, the crew changed in a changing room taken by UWE, as members of the public were now in the Clubhouse bar. The crew were mostly dressed by the time the away team returned to the Clubhouse. One of the home team's balls was of composite construction and was swapped out for a ball provided by the away team. The away team also provided a person for chain crew duties. 80-yard field, marked in yellow with white Rugby markings, which sometimes clashed. Mark Schofield #557 | 30th November 2025 v Gloucestershire Gladiators |
PLAY OF THE WEEK: | |
New this week | Play: Upon arrival at the Venue the home team states that they have had complaints from the buildings that back onto one endzone about Footballs hitting their property. The home team state that they want all field goal plays (including trys) to take place at the other end of the field.
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Last week | Play: 3rd and 5 at the B-40. Team A lines up in formation and are set for longer than a second. A85 is lined up on the line of scrimmage and goes in motion. He stops his motion and is still in a position on the line. Less than one second after A85 comes to a stop, the ball is snapped. Quarterback A12 takes the ball and runs for a 10-yard gain to the B-30.
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MECHANICS: | |
New this week | Game Situation: What are the 3 categories of Offensive Holding?
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Last week | Game Situation: When should the Referee give a preliminary signal following a penalty? What should the other officials be doing while the Referee is giving a preliminary signal? Answer: The Referee should give a preliminary signal when the enforcement of a penalty is not obvious {M19.3.1.c}. If the decision is Obvious, no preliminary signal should be given. While the Referee is giving a preliminary signal, the Wing and Deep Wing officials on the sideline of the non-offending team should explain to the Head Coach what the foul was and what options he has. They should then convey his decision to the Referee (preferably via Radio) {M19.3.2}. |
Date | Event | Contact for details |
BAFRA Directors | |||||
President | David Parsons | General Secretary | Richard Moger | ||
Finance | Mark Schofield | Operations | Oliver Maskell | ||
Recruitment | Emma Harris | Training | James Ford-Bannister | ||
Director without Portfolio #1 | Peter Parsons | Director without Portfolio #2 | Steve Tonkinson | ||
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.info. Deadline for articles submitted by email ([email protected]) is midnight Tuesday. |
