NAME

#

TEAM

OFFENCE

SUSPENDED

New this week

Joel Hughes

11

East Kent Mavericks

Two Unsportsmanlike Conduct Fouls

31st May 2026 v Colchester Gladiators

Azeem Lafinhan

23

Manchester Titans U19

Targeting - Defenseless Player

13th June 2026 v Highland Wildcats

Previous weeks

Calvin Clark

26

Kent Exiles

Contacting an Official

24th May 2026 v Colchester Gladiators and 7th June 2026 v London Olympians

David Odutoolu-Oluwanya

11

Kent Exiles (U19)

Fighting and Contacting an Official

21st June 2026 v South London Renegades

Brandan King

52

Leigh Miners

Flagrant Unsportsmanlike Conduct

24th May 2026 v Rossendale Bucks

James Simpson

74

Nottingham Caesars

Misconduct

30th May v Manchester Titans

HOME TEAM

REPORT

NEXT HOME GAME

New this week

Chester Romans

Field markings below full standards. The field was marked in a combination of four different colours. Blue and Black markings were only used for football, yellow and white markings were used for both football and other sports. The football-specific markings were faint and will need remarking before the next game at this venue. Non-Football, white field markings were closer than four feet to an end zone line. No nine-yard marks or numbers. No limit lines marked. No team area markings of any sort. One football lost pressure during the game and had to be replaced. Prior to the game, the crew had been informed that there would be two one-person changing rooms available for the officials and that a larger room would be available if required. The crew requested the larger room. Upon arrival at the venue, the larger changing room and one of the one-person changing rooms were unavailable. The changing rooms were not lockable, and the sink in the changing room leaked, which meant the floor got wetter and wetter during the course of the double header.

Ben Griffiths #228

21st June 2026 v Inverclyde Goliaths

Chester Romans (U19)

Field markings below full standards. The field was marked in a combination of four different colours. Blue and Black markings were only used for football, yellow and white markings were used for both football and other sports. The football-specific markings were faint and will need remarking before the next game at this venue. Non-Football, white field markings were closer than four feet to an end zone line. No nine-yard marks or numbers. No limit lines marked. No team area markings of any sort. One football lost pressure during the game and had to be replaced. Prior to the game, the crew had been informed that there would be two one-person changing rooms available for the officials and that a larger room would be available if required. The crew requested the larger room. Upon arrival at the venue, the larger changing room and one of the one-person changing rooms were unavailable. The changing rooms were not lockable, and the sink in the changing room leaked, which meant the floor got wetter and wetter during the course of the double header. Both teams played in coloured jerseys, the home team in Red and the Visiting Team in Black.

Ben Griffiths #228

21st June 2026 v Birmingham Lions

Clyde Valley Blackhawks

No limit lines. No numbers or nine-yard marks. A funfair had set up next to the field and had opened for business midway through the second quarter. The Sheffield HC complained about the noise this created and indicated they would play the second half under protest.

Henry Richardson #25

21st June 2026 v Aberdeen Roughnecks

Cornwall Monarchs

There was a change of venue within the last week, and this venue was very good. The field was marked out well with blue lines, and there was good space in the changing room for officials.

Dave Moore #92

7th June 2026 v Swindon Storm

Doncaster Mustangs

Very well-marked 90-yard field. The three-yard marks were at the two-yard line.

David Hewitt #607

14th June 2026 v Leigh Miners

East Kilbride Pirates

Lines marked in blue. 90-yard field. The coaches’ boxes were not marked properly.

Shawn Sombati #15

19th July 2026 v Manchester Titans

Essex Tridents

Extremely well-marked 100-yard field that was only missing chain clip reference points and limit lines. There was a boundary fence that all spectators remained outside of, which is well back from the field and team areas.

Phil Clarke #262

14th June 2026 v Kent Exiles

Highland Wildcats

No limit lines. No numbers or nine-yard marks.

Henry Richardson #25

31st May 2026 v East Kilbride Pirates

Lancashire Buccaneers

This was the second game at a new venue for Lancashire and was not the one noted on Assignr, future crews be advised. The officials changing room was too small for an American Football officiating crew, but the crew were given one of the team changing rooms after the team had vacated it. The field is a short walk from the changing room, about 200 yards. Well-marked 90-yard field in blue. It sloped down and towards one corner, which from the top did not look too bad, but after a couple of scores it felt like running up the younger brother of Mount Everest.

Lee Taylor #183

24th May 2026 v Gateshead Senators

Lancashire Buccaneers (U19)

This was the first game at a new venue for Lancashire and was not the one noted on Assignr, future crews be advised. The officials changing room was too small for an American Football officiating crew, but the crew were given one of the team changing rooms after the team had vacated it. The field is a short walk from the changing room, about 200 yards. Well-marked 90-yard field in blue. It sloped down and towards one corner, which from the top did not look too bad, but after a couple of scores it felt like running up the younger brother of Mount Everest. No coaches or players boxes were marked, which the visiting team did note to the home team. The HC of the home team acquired a can of spray paint and added them before kickoff to the visiting sideline.

Lee Taylor #183

21st June 2026 v Manchester Titans

Northants Knights

Very well-marked 100-yard field, with some superfluous white lines in one section of the field. One set of posts were slightly leaning forward.

Joel Pearson #405

24th May 2026 v Staffordshire Surge

Portsmouth Dreadnoughts

Well-marked 90-yard field, although other sport markings were present. The coaches’ boxes were marked with cones. One member of the chain crew changed at half time. The changing room provided was very cramped for a crew of five. The changing room was not lockable, and the heating was on full. Once the teams had gone to the field, the crew were able to move to a larger room to continue pre game.

Jon Ireland #508

7th June 2026 v Oxford Saints

Rushmoor Knights

100-yard field marked clearly in white. Multiple lines were not entirely straight. The team areas were marked between the 25-yard lines. The goal posts were extended soccer goals, so they were too wide. The changing room was lockable but too small for a crew of five.

Kieran Smith #102

31st May 2026 v Bristol Aztecs

Rushmoor Knights (U19)

100-yard field marked clearly in white. Multiple lines were not entirely straight. The team areas were marked between the 25-yard lines. The goal posts were extended soccer goals, so they were too wide. The changing room was lockable but too small for a crew of five. Tea & Coffee was provided to the officials upon arrival.

Kieran Smith #102

31st May 2026 v South London Renegades

South Wales Warriors

90-yard field marked in very faint yellow markings. Several wavy lines. Short yard-line extensions were inconsistently spaced at the sidelines and the inbounds lines. The officials' changing room was not lockable and offered limited privacy because of French doors facing the field. No separate wash facilities for officials. A stadium microphone was provided, but the reception was very poor.

Euan Paterson #165

14th June 2026 v Bristol Apache

Staffordshire Surge

The referee's microphone worked intermittently.

Andrew Lovell #559

31st May 2026 v Leicester Panthers

Sussex Thunder

The field was marked out in IFAF yards. Chains were shortened slightly to accommodate. Balls all had to be pumped up by officials before the game began.

Dean Wright #553

31st May 2026 v Hertfordshire Cheetahs

Outstanding items from previous weeks

Birmingham Bulls

A well-marked field. The locker room was a converted shipping container but is lockable.

Jed Brookes-Lewis #395

21st June 2026 v Leigh Miners

Birmingham Lions (U19)

A well-marked field. The locker room was a converted shipping container but is lockable.

Jed Brookes-Lewis #395

31st May 2026 v Nottingham Caesars

Black Country Steelers

The officials’ changing room was not lockable, but it did have its own shower and adjacent toilets. 90-yard field with seven-yard endzones. Field markings were in blue and rather faint.

Amir Brooks #593

31st May 2026 v Shropshire Revolution

Bristol Aztecs

100-yard field marked in blue with other markings in white. Two sets of hash marks. Team areas marked between the 25-yard lines.

Euan Paterson #165

13th June 2026 v Rushmoor Knights

Darlington Steam

100-yard field. No three-yard marks, nine-yard marks, or numbers. No limit lines. Team areas were missing. The lines were marked in white and were very faint; they will need re-marking before the next game. There were other sports markings on the field in close proximity to the endzones.

David Hewitt #607

21st June 2026 v Lincolnshire Bombers

East Kent Mavericks

90-yard artificial field marked in blue, with other sport markings in yellow and white. Team areas were marked between the 25-yard lines. No numbers or nine-yard marks. Rugby lines were approximately in the right place and were used instead. The officials' changing rooms were both well-appointed, but were not lockable. After the game, the male changing room had been taken by players of both teams, so the crew used the female changing area in shifts.

Phil Clarke #262

7th June 2026 v Essex Tridents

East Kilbride Pirates (U19)

No limit lines. No numbers or nine-yard marks.

Henry Richardson #25

19th July 2026 v Manchester Titans

Gateshead Senators

Both goals sat at a jaunty offset angle! The changing room was a committee room with no showers, no privacy, and was not lockable. The chain crew was changed in full at halftime.

Gordon Galloway #7

31st May 2026 v Darlington Steam

Hereford Stampede

The field has been extended from last season to accommodate a 90 yard field with 10 yard end zones. Ground staff mistakenly marked the playing area in 100 increments, rather than 90. Game was played following consultation with BAFA. Otherwise, it’s an excellently marked pitch on a somewhat undulating surface. Changing rooms are too small for a crew, but two are provided, no private toilet was available, nor was the clubhouse available meaning the teams locker rooms needed to be accessed, both by officials and general public.

Stuart Tabberer #348

24th May 2026 v Bournemouth Bobcats

Humber Warharks

Field markings were not to full standards, but they were to a high standard. Some holes had to be filled with sand before the game started. The changing room was a disabled toilet with no coat hooks. There was a shower, but that would have then covered everyone and everything in the room.

Richard McEwen #206

7th June 2026 v Darlington Steam

Kent Exiles

90-yard field, which is a considerable walk from the changing room making it impractical to go back at half-time. Generally well marked but some short yard line extensions were present in the end zone. The field surface was incredibly uneven in places and footing was often uncertain. The crew was temporarily reduced to a crew of four due to an injury to the Umpire in the third quarter, who required patching up to stop a bleed.

Oliver Maskell #221

28th June 2026 v Essex Tridents

Kent Exiles (U19)

90-yard field, which is a considerable walk from the changing room making it impractical to go back at half-time. Generally well marked but some short yard line extensions were present in the end zone. The field surface was incredibly uneven in places and footing was often uncertain. With 0:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, a South London Renegade suffered a serious back injury which required ambulance attendance. So the remaining game clock was reduced to 0:00 with agreement of both HCs.

Oliver Maskell #221

5th July 2026 v Rushmoor Knights

Leicester Panthers

A faintly-marked 90-yard field. Markings are in yellow with other sports markings in white. No 9-yard marks. Team areas marked with cones. Changing room large enough for a crew of 4 but no more, with a private shower but no private toilet. Officials’ assistants provided with less than ten minutes until kick-off. Food provided after the game for the crew. A minutes silence took place prior to the game.

Will Fazackerley #227

7th June 2026 v Black Country Steelers

Leigh Miners

A 90-yard natural grass field, well-marked in blue with other sports markings in white. There were no numbers and the field was uneven with a slope towards the press box side of the field. The officials changing room was of a good size, suitable for the crew of six, although there was no private shower or toilet.

Ian Rogers #625

31st May 2026 v Birmingham Bulls

Lincolnshire Bombers

No private changing room was available. The referees’ room seated two and was used for storage, and other sports teams were also using the facility. The field surface was far from ideal, containing a number of mole-made divots, and rocks and bottlecaps had to be removed from the field. Joel Pearson #405

24th May 2026 v Humber Warhawks

London Blitz

Some areas of the field are sand rather than grass, so they were a little soft underfoot. The officials' assistants were provided very late, so the game kicked off five minutes late due to the time needed to complete the necessary briefings. There were multiple stoppages of more than five minutes during the game for player injuries. The crew initially utilised a large changing room before the game, and then moved to the smaller, new changing room, which was available to store kit at half time, and the end of the game. While the new space is both lockable and perfectly spacious for a crew of five, neither changing room had a private toilet or shower.

Peter Parsons #321

9th August 2026 v Wembley Stallions

London Blitz B

Changes to one ball person at half time. One member of the chain crew changed during the first quarter and again at half time. Some areas of the field were majority sand, and lines were faint in these areas. Field conditions and officials’ facilities improved compared to last season, though the new changing room is also the water point for teams.

Ben Gadsby #564

31st May 2026 v Portsmouth Dreadnoughts

London Warriors (NWFL)

Late change of venue due to double booking at the team's normal venue. Every effort had been made to ensure the game went ahead, but the 90-yard field was incorrectly marked with five-yard lines and short yard line extensions unevenly spaced (and occasionally double marked). With consultation with BAFA and both teams, it was agreed that it was suitable for play and the crew would be more reliant on the (correct length) chain than would ordinarily be the case.

The field was marked in white, with rugby markings in white as well. Team areas marked with cones and no limit lines, numbers, or nine-yard marks. Sideline number markers were also missing.

The facility is nice, but the changing room was suitable for only three officials and was not locked during the game. However, water was provided in the locker room. There was one temporary change of ball person in the second half due to their dog requiring a walk, and also one change to the chain crew.

James Ford-Bannister #479

18th July 2026 v Manchester Titans

Manchester Titans

The game kicked off 10 minutes late to allow sufficient time between the end of the previous game. Field markings below full standards. The field was marked in black, as this was the second game on this field on the same day, the field markings were starting to fade and will need fully remarking before the next game at this venue. There were a number of issues with the field markings. The Football markings were in black, and there were markings for other sports in Dark Blue and White, these were close to the markings for Football and sometimes caused confusion. The small sided soccer markings were sown in the field, and one of these markings came away during warm-ups which created a trip-hazard. This was identified and fixed before the scheduled kick-off time. There were no limit lines. There were no shower or washing facilities available for the officials. There was one disabled toilets to which the officials had access.

Ben Griffiths #228

20th June 2026 v East Kilbride Pirates

Manchester Titans (NWFL)

The crew used the media room as changing facilities. The crew were given a key to lock the room prior to kickoff. No private toilets or showers.

Lee Taylor #183

20th June 2026 v Teesside Steelers

Merseyside Nighthawks

100-yd turf field. There were no numbers, nine yard marks, limit lines or team area markings.Two of the three game balls lost pressure during the game. The changing room had no private shower or toilet facilities.

Ian Rogers #625

7th June 2026 v East Kilbride Pirates

Norwich Devils

No numbers or nine-yard marks.

Brian Yates #29

14th June 2026 v Berkshire Renegades

Nottingham Caesars

Field markings in blue and faint. Other sports markings in blue, white, and yellow made spotting the ball difficult at times. No team areas marked. No numbers or nine-yard marks. The changing rooms were three small rooms with no private toilet facilities. The game was suspended for 15 minutes with 1:52 remaining in the game due to an injury to a Nottingham player.

Brian Yates #29

30th May 2026 v Manchester Titans

Nottingham Caesars (U19)

90-yard field. Changing rooms were lockable

Krister Halvorsen #77

14th June 2026 v Sheffield Giants

Ouse Valley Eagles

Well-marked 100-yard field. No numbers or nine-yard marks. No limit lines.

Brian Yates #29

24th May 2026 v Norwich Devils

Sheffield Giants

Multiple issues. Changing rooms were small with no private area for a pregame conference. Home team area marked in cones, away team area not marked. Multiple lines on the field. American football markings were in very faint black, which couldn't be seen in the middle of the field, and markings for other sports were in very similar colours.

Andrew Lovell #559

21st June 2026 v Yorkshire Rams

Shropshire Revolution

Multiple issues. Field still has many divets; down box operator changed 3 times in game; field is marked for multiple sports all marked in white; no team / coaches box for visiting team

Andrew Lovell #559

28th June 2026 v Staffordshire Surge

Solent Seahawks (U19)

The changing rooms given to the officials were too small to fit six officials, as other changing rooms were not available on the day. Field markings shared with other sports markings. The team areas were only marked to the 25-yard lines. All game balls were below legal pressure and required inflation. The game had to be paused to find the medic who had wandered off the field to sit in their car. Crew informed at half time that the venue would be closing in 30 minutes. It was agreed with both head coaches and the venue staff that the third quarter would be shortened to eight minutes and the fourth quarter would be a running clock to get the game completed. Venue staff kindly agreed to stay later to facilitate the changes.

Jon Ireland #508

21st June 2026 v Rushmoor Knights

Solent Thrashers

A few minor stoppages for injuries. The regular chain crew at Southampton are the best in Britain.

Dean Wright #553

28th June 2026 v Hereford Stampede

Solent Thrashers (NWFL)

100 yard field re-painted with other sports lines used in conjunction with the field. Brief pause to replace ball person near the end of the game.

Scott Castle #626

6th June 2026 v London Warriors

Somerset Wyverns

The changing rooms were a meeting room, as the referee's room was too small and unusable. This meeting room was not secure and players were able to walk through it to get to the changing rooms. The game was suspended for approximately 25 mins, in the first quarter, to deal with a serious injury to a player.

Dave Moore #92

24th May 2026 v Swindon Storm

Swindon Storm

Team areas marked to the 25-yard lines. Changing rooms were not lockable.

Euan Paterson #165

14th June 2026 v Somerset Wyverns

Wakefield District Raiders

An exceptionally well-marked 90-yard grass field in white, with no other sports markings present. Game management were helpful in finding a new room when the crew requested a larger changing room (as the original one was only large enough for two people). The down box broke on one occasion, causing a short delay in the fourth quarter. All 3 game balls required minor inflation prior to kick off.

Ian Rogers #625

31st May 2026 v Doncaster Mustangs

PLAY OF THE WEEK:

Play of the Week will return next week

MECHANICS:

Play of the Week will return next week

Date

Event

Contact for details

2026

16th May (Sat)

BAFRA Board Meeting (online)

[email protected]

11th July (Sat)

BAFRA Board Meeting (online)

[email protected]

7th November (Sat)

BAFRA Board Meeting (in Person)

[email protected]

2027

3rd April (Sat)

BAFRA Ltd. AGM

[email protected]

3rd-4th April (Sat-Sun)

BAFRA Convention

[email protected]

BAFRA Directors

President

David Parsons

[email protected]

General Secretary

Richard Moger

[email protected]

Finance

Mark Schofield

[email protected]

Operations

Oliver Maskell

[email protected]

Recruitment

Emma Harris

[email protected]

Training

James Ford-Bannister

[email protected]

Director without Portfolio #1

Peter Parsons

[email protected]

Director without Portfolio #2

Steve Tonkinson

[email protected]

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.