Issue 44/25 17th December 2025
BAFRA Newsflash | |||
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
This will very be the last Newsflash of 2025.
Newsflash Team
GAME MANAGEMENT REPORTS
HOME TEAM | REPORT | NEXT HOME GAME |
New this week | ||
Sheffield Hallam Warriors | Upon arrival at the venue, the crew were informed the home team had not arranged medical cover to the appropriate standard. The away team had a suitably qualified individual on their staff, who agreed to act as the game day medic. However, suitable medical equipment was not available initially, and so kick off was delayed by 45 minutes to arrange supply of sufficient medical equipment to support him. Initially two small changing rooms were provided for the mixed gender crew, however due to a clash with a soccer fixture, one changing room had to be vacated 10 minutes after arrival at the venue. Neither changing room was large enough for a pre game conference.. The chain set supplied was only 9.5 yards long and had to be lengthened with zipties. 90 yard field was marked in orange/red, with other sports markings present. No team areas marked, no 9 yard marks or numbers. | 25th January 2026 v Nottingham Green |
Outstanding items from previous weeks | ||
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 |
Birmingham University Lions | With 10:04 remaining in the first quarter, the game was suspended for 40 minutes to deal with a serious injury that required an ambulance. The inbounds markings are in a very faint black paint that was practically impossible to see. Game Management were required to source pylons to assist the umpire in spotting the ball. Stuart Tabberer #348 | 15th February 2026 v Oxford Lancers |
Cambridge Pythons | Two changes of chain crew during the game. Brian Yates #29 | 25th January 2026 v Lincoln Colonials |
Cardiff Cobras | The lines were marked in black and were faded in places. Keith Wickham #423 | 25th January 2026 v Portsmouth Destroyers |
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 marks were repeated every five yards down the length of the field. During the fourth quarter, play was suspended for 50 minutes to treat an injured player. Andrew Lovell #559 | 15th February 2026 v Sheffield Hallam Warriors |
DMU Lions | No coaching boxes, so rugby lines were used as approximations. Joel Pearson #405 | 8th February 2026 v Lincoln Colonials |
Edge Hill Vikings | Field markings below full standards. No visible inbounds markings when the crew arrived, but these were marked before kickoff. 90-yard field marked in yellow with very faded lines that were difficult to see. No team areas or coaching areas marked. No numbers or limit lines. Two small changing rooms were provided, which were inadequate for a crew of five. The crew changed in the downstairs bar area. Steve Hall #512 | 1st February 2026 v Lancashire Rams |
Essex Blades | Although clearly marked, the inbounds markings were not always a yard apart. Team areas marked with cones. Complete change of the chain crew at half time. Balls provided by the home team were not up to standard, so the away team’s balls were used. Brian Yates #29 | 22nd February 2026 v City WolfPack |
Exeter Demons | The line markings were still not very good, and the home team had to re-spray one of the goal lines. Hashmarks in yellow were a lot better. No nine-yard marks. The coaching boxes were marked with cones. Large lockable changing rooms were provided. Dave Moore #92 | 25th January 2026 v Brunel Burners |
Hertfordshire Hurricanes | A reasonably well-marked 90-yard field in blue. The short yard-line extensions were increasingly faded and particularly difficult to see under the floodlights. Team areas marked with cones. A large changing room was provided, but no private toilet. Will Fazackerley #227 | 1st February 2026 v Oxford Lancers |
Imperial Immortals | 90-yard field marked in white. No numbers or nine-yard marks. No limit lines or coaching boxes. Team areas marked with cones. No three-yard marks. Goal post uprights are less than 20ft in height. Changing rooms were not lockable. The home team provided a series of footballs, none of which retained pressure. The visiting team provided three footballs, which were used as the game balls. Peter Parsons #321 | 25th January 2026 v City WolfPack |
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 quarter and was replaced by KCL. Two Ball Persons and the Down Box Operator were replaced at Half Time Graham Smith #149 | 1st February 2026 v Kingston Cougars |
Lancashire Rams | 100-yard field marked in faint blue and will need fully re-marking before the next game at this venue. Other sports markings were present in other colours. The chain crew and home ball person were only provided approximately five minutes before kickoff. There were occasions when they moved without instruction and other times when they were inattentive. This did present some issues for the HL during the game, but they were well managed. There were no coaches or players boxes marked, but both teams worked well on sideline management. Lee Taylor #183 | 25th January 2026 v MMU Eagles |
Leeds Gryphons | 80-yard field. No limit lines. Several other sports markings on the field, some in close proximity to the end zones. No nine-yard marks or numbers. No team areas were painted, but they were marked with cones. The changing room is barely adequate for a crew of four. Dave Black #574 | 25th January 2026 v Warwick Wolves |
Leicester Longhorns | No coaching boxes and field marked to NFL specifications. Multiple chain crew substitutes at halftime. The away team had two players in an alternate jersey design, one of which had the same number as another player (which was rectified prior to kickoff). Joel Pearson #405 | 8th February 2026 v Derby Braves |
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 |
LJMU Fury | 90-yard field marked in yellow with no numbers, nine-yard marks, limit lines, or team areas. The lines had been painted the morning of the fixture before a previous game at the venue. These gradually grew fainter over the course of the game. Andrew Swift #403 | 22nd February 2026 v Salford Storm |
KCL Regents | 80-yard field marked in blue with other sport markings in white. No limit lines, numbers, or nine-yard marks. Team areas were marked out with cones. Two of the game balls provided were significantly under-inflated. The field surface was initially soft and rapidly became muddy, making inbounds markings difficult to locate. The changing room was small, with no private toilet and it was not locked during the game. The game was suspended for 24 minutes with 9:19 remaining in the fourth quarter to allow treatment to an injured player. Tim Ockendon #481 | 8th February 2026 v UCL Emperors |
Kingston Cougars | Well-marked 100-yard field with no limit lines. Due to rain, the field became increasingly boggy in places. The changing rooms are located a significant walk from the field and weren't lockable. James Ford-Bannister #479 | 25th January 2026 KCL Regents |
Leeds Beckett Carnegie | 80-yard field. No nine-yard marks or numbers. Several other sports markings were in close proximity to the endzones. No team areas were marked out. All three game balls required inflation prior to use. There was one change of ball person at the half. Kick off was delayed approximately 50 minutes due to the chain being missing from the chain set. David Hewitt #607 | 1st February 2026 v Durham Saints |
Loughborough Students | 90-yard field. No nine-yard marks or numbers. Team areas were missing. David Hewitt #607 | 15th February 2026 v Durham Saints |
Manchester Tyrants | There was a delay to start the game of 30 minutes due to an injury during on-field warmups, where an ambulance was required. The full game was able to be played before the 18:00 cut-off. Field markings below full standards. Lines in Navy Blue, harder to see in the flood lights. No three-yard marks or nine-yard marks. Officials' Assistants had to be warned about conduct as they interacted with opposing players at the end of a play. Richard McEwen #206 | 25th January 2026 v Edge Hill Vikings |
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 |
Newcastle Raiders | Team areas marked with cones just prior to kickoff. The chain crew was very slow to react to first downs. Gordon Galloway #7 | 25th January 2026 v Northumbria Mustangs |
Northumbria Mustangs | No team areas or limit lines. Jerseys not of contrasting colours. Kenneth Glover #71 | 8th February 2026 v Leeds Gryphons |
Nottingham Gold | 90-yard field, marked in black on artificial turf, and difficult to see in places. The crew changing facilities were three individual changing rooms, insufficient for the crew size and with no place to pre-game. Despite multiple attempts to contact the home team in the week prior, the Referee was unable to get a response from them to confirm key game details. Emma Harris #236 | 1st February 2026 v Loughborough Students |
Nottingham Green | 90-yard field, marked in black on artificial turf, and difficult to see in places. The crew changing facilities were three individual changing rooms, insufficient for the crew size and with no place to pre-game. Despite multiple attempts to contact the home team in the week prior, the Referee was unable to get a response from them to confirm key game details. Emma Harris #236 | 1st February 2026 v Derby Braves |
Oxford Brookes | The field markings were very faint. Keith Wickham #423 | 1st February 2026 v UEA Pirates |
Oxford Lancers | 90-yard field with cones used for Team areas. The changing room was a long walk from the field. Andrew Murrell #608 | 18th January 2026 v Birmingham Lions |
Plymouth Blitz | Well-marked 90-yard field. The changing rooms were not staffed or locked, and were some distance away from the field. The chains broke twice, one time needing some time to fix. Both teams had blue jerseys, but the shades were different enough for the officials to be able to discern the difference during play. Balls were supplied very late and had to be checked on the field. Dave Moore #92 | 15th February 2026 v Bristol Barracuda |
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 |
Reading Knights | 100-yard grass field marked in white. Changing rooms were not lockable. Euan Paterson #165 | 8th February 2026 v Surrey Stinger |
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 |
Salford Storm | The field was marked in black and faded, making the markings difficult to see in direct sunlight. The field will need fully re-marking before the next game at this venue. The changing room was not lockable, but there was a security guard present near the entrance. Kickoff delayed by 30 minutes due to overrunning soccer game beforehand. Jed Brookes-Lewis #395 | 25th January 2026 v Staffordshire Stallions |
SGS Pride | Well-marked 100-yard field. The crew had to change in an alternative changing room, due to rugby using the normal changing room. Darren Urben #438 | 1st February 2026 v Exeter Demons |
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 |
Southampton Stags | 90-yard field with blue markings and additional markings of different colours. Inbounds markings were very faint and difficult to see under floodlights. All game balls provided were well below legal pressure. Plenty of snacks and refreshments were provided for the crew in the changing room. Jon Ireland #508 | 1st February 2026 v Plymouth Blitz |
Stirling Clansmen | Team areas were marked to the 25-yard lines. Ian Sneddon #427 | 25th January 2026 v Edinburgh Mavericks |
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 |
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 |
UCL Emperors | 80-yard grass field marked in dark blue. The field was cut up from prior rugby practice, which made markings harder to see in places. No nine-yard marks or numbers. Team areas were missing, but the ends were marked with cones. Lack of limit lines led to stoppages caused by other sports players getting close to the field or their balls rolling onto it. The chain broke once. The start of the game was delayed by approximately 15 minutes due to the late arrival of the medical cover. Changing rooms were lockable via the bar staff, and two were provided for a mixed gender crew. However, one had been recently mopped and had a still-wet floor. No private toilet, but a nice changing room setup that is a short walk from the field. James Ford-Bannister #479 | 25th January 2026 v Kent Falcons |
UWE Bullets | The field has been re-marked in white for this season, but was already faint in places - clashing with white rugby markings. The field will need fully re-marking before the next game at this venue. Euan Paterson #165 | 14th February 2026 v Nottingham Gold |
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 |
Warwick Wolves | Lines were marked in blue and were faint, especially under lights. Brian Yates #29 | 25th January 2026 v Northumbria Mustangs |
PLAY OF THE WEEK: | |
New this week | Play: 3rd & 12 at the A-40. The ball carrier fumbles the ball. As the ball rolls along the ground, A12 kicks it at the A-38, and it goes out of bounds at the A-36. During the play, A74 holds at the A-38.
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Last week | Play: Second and five at the A-45. Ball carrier A33 breaks out into the open and has a clear path to the goal line. At the B-2 they suddenly make a sharp left turn and trot along the B-2 as the Team B players begin to catch up to them. They then carry the ball into the end zone. A33 next runs to the stands and begins to exchange "high-fives" with the fans.
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MECHANICS: | |
New this week | Game Situation: Mid-way through the 2nd quarter and during a timeout, the Head Linesman notices that the head coach of the team on his sideline is standing 5 yards on the field talking to his players. The coaches on the other side of the field are remaining in their coaching area during the timeout.
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Last week | Game Situation: How should the Linejudge on a 4 person crew position himself during a punt in order to ensure best coverage of the play? Answer: Be behind and to the side of the deepest receiver, so that you can look through him and see the ball kicked while also being out of his way and close enough to observe any touching or kick catch interference. About five yards behind and five yards to the side is an appropriate distance, between the receiver and your side line. Be prepared to adjust your position according to the strength and direction of the wind, and the ability of the kicker. Have a bean bag readily available and a second one to hand. M-11-7-b-3 |
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. |
