Many new referees fumble through the card giving technique whilst the player waits patiently.
As a new referee, you need to decide the best place to keep your Red and Yellow cards.
We will share some ideas that will help you with this.
Both cards in your notebook
This can be a tricky scenario, often the cards are hard to remove out of the wallet and your shirt.
With this option, you must remove the wallet, find the correct card, remove the card and show it to the player.
Then having to reverse the procedure to place the card back in the wallet, then record the sanction.
We feel this is far too long a procedure. This is commonly used by new referees.
In your shirt pockets
Similar to the wallet, most shirt pockets have the Velcro tabs on them. Often they are not easy to pull apart.
Some referees have both cards in the same shirt pocket. This option is used by some referees.
This method does not allow for the quick and easy showing of a card.
In your front pocket of shorts
The very simple technique used by many around the world. Yellow in the left pocket, red in the right pocket. This allows for very easy access to the cards. Simply place your left hand for a yellow card or right hand for a red card.
This motion is perfect for a confident issuing of a card in a quick manner.
We suggest you practice this and make sure you have the correct cards in the pocket.
Nothing worse than pulling out a red when you wanted to show a yellow.
Yellow in the front, red in the back short pocket
The absolute classic in card management. Place the red card in your back pocket and the yellow in the front pocket.
We often hear the commentators on TV after a bad tackle, “Is the referee going for the back (red) pocket?”
Players are also accustomed to looking to see which pocket the referee is going for.
Decide on the method that would work well for you and practice it.
The more you practice your method, the more professional you will look.
Try not to smile doing it :)
What I do
By: Lloyd on 13 November 2019I use option 4, but also have a note book in my left breast pocket, and a yellow and red card in my right breast pocket for a quickfire second yellow.
Combo 1st & 4th Option
By: Art on 10 November 2019My personal use is a combo of the 1st and 4th option. I keep my notebook in my shirt pocket which has both cards. I also have yellow in the right front pocket and the red in the right back pocket. In most situations, where the discipline is obvious, I use my shorts pockets to reach my cards. In case of an "orange" situation, and I'm looking for time to think it through in my head, I call the player over, pull out my notebook and write the info down, meanwhile keeping the player guessing as to what card he's going to receive. His attitude and demeanour towards me will also assist me in my card choice in this type of situation. Pull the appropriate card out and show it to the player. This combo also has me with two sets of cards on me at all times.
Combo
By: Jarrad S on 9 November 2019Myself I use a combination. Yellow in the front right of shorts and red in the top right pocket. Notebook in the left shorts with a spare set of cards in the wallet.
What I do
By: Jack on 9 November 2019I personally use the third option listed here with a slight difference. For me, I prefer to have the yellow in my right front pocket and the red in the left front pocket. Just a personal choice.
