gridiron UK

Yesterday somewhere between Bury St Edmunds and Cambridge both ways there was very heavy rain but none to speak of at Cardinals 08-57 Cambridge ... more here

Sometimes the ball rolls downhill ... sometimes when things go wrong they just keep getting worse.  Yesterday Cardinals 00 @ 63 Norwich Devils.  To the ... more here

The second three teamer of the Women's Central East Conference Saturday was held at the Peterborough Lions Rugby Club.  Despite helpful directions from the Royals' #27 finding the ground confused both us and the satnav.  Committed play from all three teams but perhaps most impressive was the Leicester Falcons finishing the day with just nine players for seven a side contact and still grinding it out.  New to us a defensive penalty in the end zone is a safety, make sense, how can you give a yardage penalty.

For their last home game this year the Ipswich Cardinals hosted the ... more here

This afternoon at the Ipswich Cardinals for the first time we just spectated an american football game .... it was pleasant.

Fumbling the ball out of your opponent's end zone is a touchback for the other team, who knew?  The refs on Sunday did.

Oh Joy!  The Ipswich Cardinals are back Sunday and at their new Rushmere St Andrew ground.  Opponents are the Ouse Valley (it's Bedfordshire) Eagles who are one of the friendliest american football teams we've met.  There's food, drinks in the clubhouse and spectators are expected to observe Covid guidelines.

Six players at the Iceni Spears yesterday for flag american football training in Thorpe St Andrew .  A minimum flag team is just five as so amply proved by the Hyde Park Renegades back before the virus.  Impressed to see passers getting spin on the ball and coach Jamie Fowle told us the Opal Series will be running this autumn so there will be competition ... can't wait.

In american football the NFL for the coming season have dropped one pre-season game and added a seventeenth regular season game.  Looking at the schedule it seems teams play an opponent from the other conference ...

Perhaps fortuitously with International Women's Day on Monday the NFL has appointed their second woman official and the first African-American woman official Maia Chaka.

For quite a long time we vaguely thought it was called a hook and ladder because it was something to do with firefighting equipment.  Then we learnt that hook is a receiver route hooking towards the pitch centre and the ladder is a lateral (a sideways pass) ... generally known as a hook and ladder.

Thoughtful american football pundit Mike Carlson became Michael Carlson on Radio 4's arts prog Front Row last night.

Last year Sarah Thomas became the first woman to officiate a Super Bowl playoff game.  She managed the measuring chain and the down marker the NFL having renamed the role from Head Linesman to the gender independent Down Judge ... she's doing it again tomorrow fortnight at this year's Super Bowl.

In East Anglia we're lucky to benefit from ref Alisha Darkins who does not lack attitude when disorder breaks out ... Get off my field!.

Not surprisingly the Colchester Gladiators have postponed their Rookie Day this coming Sunday.