AN A320 LOW TIME PIC CROSSES CEDES BELOW THE DEPICTED ALT ON THE STAR AFTER BEING CLRED DIRECT TO ARCHI FOR THE VISUAL TO SFO; CA.

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APCHING CEDES; CLRED TO CROSS AT 250 KTS AND 11000 FT. JUST PRIOR TO CEDES; CLRED DIRECT ARCHI FOR FMS BRIDGE VISUAL RWY 28R. BEGAN DSCNT IN AUTOMATION TO CROSS ARCHI AT OR ABOVE 7000 FT. CONTACTED CTLR TO VERIFY ALT CLRNC; SAID 11000 FT; HE NOTICED ALT APCHING 10500 FT. ADVISED US TO MAINTAIN 10000 FT AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER CLRED TO 7000 FT FOR ARCHI. NEW PLT ON AIRBUS; 2ND TRIP; 2ND TIME INTO SFO FOR THIS SAME APCH. KNEW THIS ARR KEEPS YOU 'HIGH' ALL THE WAY TO THE BRIDGE. CORRECT METHOD OF THIS SEMI-RNAV/NAV APCH WAS UNCLR. DETERMINE NOW; SHOULD JUST STAY IN NAV FOR LATERAL GUIDANCE AND USE VERT SPD FOR VERT PROFILE WITH IDLE PWR AND SPD BRAKE. (THERE ARE 2 VERT DISCONTINUITIES ON ARR IN FMS ON THIS PROC WHICH PRECLUDE USING FULL RNAV PROCS.) AS OCCURRED PREVIOUS WK; AUTOPLT DISENGAGED AT VERT 'TOO STEEP PATH' POINT JUST PAST ARCHI. BOTTOM LINE -- CLRNC TO OTHER POINT DOES NOT RELIEVE PREVIOUS ALT RESTR; UNLESS SO STATED BY CTLR. WE WERE ALSO LOOKING FOR PRECEDING TFC CALLED OUT BY ATC.