I'm sure we had a thread like this before, but I did some extensive searching and can't find it. I realize that a lot of what I'm about to ask is personal preference, but wanted to get some feedback on where you carry your cards, etc. For me, I always carry everything in case I might need it. In my left shirt pocket, I put my book with extra cards and pens. Right shirt pocket has backup whistle and car keys. Front left shorts pocket is empty. Front right has my yellow card. Back right has my red card. Back left has my emergency info and my coin for the coin toss.
Shirt left game wallet with extra pair of cards Shirt right OR shorts front right yellow card Shorts rear right red card, coin, extra whistle If using: Beeper left arm Come right arm/right ear Spray rear center of shorts
A few years ago, I changed to putting my ref wallet, with a pen clipped to it, in my front left pocket. (One of those things someone suggested, I thought it was crazy, I tried it, and never went back--easier to get out than from the shirt pocket, and I've never had it fall out.) so that leaves me with" Front left shorts: wallet with cards and a pen clipped to it [if I'm an AR, my game card for tracking subs is folded up and slid into the wallet] Front right: yellow card (and where game whistles, two connected, go when not in my hand) Back right: red card Back left: spare whistle (shark, which is flattish) Right shirt: spare pen Left shirt: coin in a mini folder I didn't use in a wallet I once had (also has my pregame bullets that I rarely look at) If its a game where I have to hold the player passes, they usually go in the left shirt pocket (But now I'm thinking I need to start carrying reading glasses during those night games on poorly lit fields. )
YC - front right shorts Book with my RC inside it - front right shorts. Pen and roster - left shirt pocket. If I have player cards as AR one team in the left shirt pocket one in the right. Coin - behind my badge when I remember to bring one. If not its 1 or 2 fingers behind my back. Suspend me. I dare you. Whistle - on a lanyard firmly attached around my wrist. The second whistle is clipped to it, different color. If I am AR for a big game I will put a loose one inside the little pocket inside the front of the shorts.
I commend you guys for carrying SPARE whistles onto the field. I carry a single Fox 40 with one of those key chain rings so I can let it hang off a finger if I want. On the off chance I somehow drop and cannot find my bright neon whistle, I will simply jog off the field to my ref bag, where I have an embarrassing amount of spares. Wallet goes in the shirt left pocket, red card goes in shirt right pocket, and yellow card goes in short right pocket. My coin goes right back into my ref bag and doesn't make it onto the field.
Center Left front shirt - ref wallet with spare cards Right front shirt - yellow card and coin Left front shorts - spare whistle Right front shorts - pens Back right shorts - red card Whistles on a wrist lanyard Watches on my wrists. AR Left front shirt - player passes for the team to my left when subs are limited. Ref wallet when subs are unlimited. Right front shirt - player passes for the team to my right when subs are limited. Left front shorts - ref wallet Right front shorts - pens
referee: whistle on key ring (only 1) yellow card left chest pocket right chest pocket empty pen goes right front short pocket book with cards front left short pocket nothing in back left (sometimes rosters) red card back short pocket coin is inside that handy inside pocket on OSI shorts Assistant: book (with cards) in front left short pockets pen in right short pockets coin in that handy inside pocket nothing on my shirt pockets rosters go in my bag no whistle. (if I have to go in for a down referee ill walk to my bag and go get a whistle, while they are treated) 4th: drawstring back pump and gauge with clipboard sub passes team to left go in the left rear short pocket team to the right go in rear short pocket yellow card in left shirt pocket red card in right shirt pocket spare whistle in right shirt pocket book in front left short pocket pen in front right short pocket comms and beepers: right arm right ear I use to put the sub passes in the same spot as an AR but I sweat a lot and its made for some sticky situations (no pun intended) so rear pocket they go now.
I've had refs look at me like I'm nuts as I distribute the cards like I'm preparing for a magic show. Note, this is the same as center and AR except my watches switch hands if I remember. Shirt Right - Yellow (smaller) Shirt Left - Red (smaller) Short Front Right - Primary Pen and Yellow (crappy card, but every other yellow has a reason for me to forget it, this is a last chance emergency card that I've not had to use... yet) Short Front Left - Second Pen and Yellow/Score Card (large B&D yellow card with safety green post it for keeping score) Short Back Right - Red (large B&D) Short Back Left - Backup Whistle and Roster if I get screwed Coin Pouch - Coin, go figure and gum that I'll pop right before kickoff
Funny story, I learned to carry spare everything after doing a high school game with a former MLS referee who forgot everything except his badge and coin and didn’t realize until he needed to kick off. You never know when you might need extras.
Shorts front right YC (write on), pen Shorts front Left RC (write on) Shorts back right spare whistle If carrying game passes, each team in a back pocket If carrying spare control cards, shorts back left. Coin goes in little inside pouch after coin toss. Shirt left game record, also write on. Spare pencil (tiny) For those who like the red in rear right, please practice getting it out without looking down. (John Bieniewicz)
left shirt pocket, book in the plastic wallet (which I only use in the rain) right shirt pocket, flipping coin left front shorts pocket, yellow write on card, with sharpie clipped to pocket. tri-tone whistle with wrist lanyard, until I put it on my wrist just before kick off. right front shorts pocket, spare pen, clipped to pocket right rear shorts pocket, red write on card and visiting team player cards (if applicable) left rear shorts pocket, spare whistle on lanyard and home team player cards (if applicable) I will always go through the check list before I leave my bag, touching them as I say "two watches, two whistles, two pens or pencils, red card, yellow card, flipping coin, note pad." I carry all of it, whether I'm R, AR or 4th.
Left shirt pocket book w/cards and pen Older level boys games: right front pocket yellow, left front pocket red Next game I think I'll try just carrying my red card in my left hand instead.
Three whistles, four cards, two watches, one coin, four socks, one wallet, and strangely enough, only one pen. I think I'm afraid of stabbing myself with a spare. And, in the rare game where we think we might have to make a dash for the parking lot -- car key. I started carrying my (primary) red card in my left front front pocket many years ago, after the second time I had to fight with the velcro to get it out of my back pocket. The only thing that goes in a back pocket now is the coin. Veni vidi velcro (I came, I saw, I stuck around).
For HS games where we don't have a room. I'll put my key in my left shirt pocket or left back pocket. Keyless entry is great at the end of the day when exhausted. I don't have to search for my keys in my bag.
Shirt Right - Rosters if paper Shirt Left - Book, spare cards with book Pant Front Right - Yellow Card, Pen Pant Front Left - Red card Pant Back Right - 2nd whistle Pant Back Left - nothing Coin in coin pouch, but only until the toss, then I put it back in my bag unless there is a locker room where we store our gear, then I do keep it with me. I think I lost an old, beat up silver dollar I used to use doing this once, now I just use quarters. Just in my last game after a goal, I go for my pen and it's not there, uh oh, it must have fallen out. Reached for my left shirt pocket to get my book, not sure why since I had no pen, but I found my pen up there too. I never put my pen in my shirt pocket, even when I'm not refereeing, so I have no idea what I was thinking. It was a good game too, so I shouldn't have lost focus that much. Mark.
My ref wallet has a pen/pencil sleeve that makes it harder to lose the pen and better yet harder to get a bunch of ink on your jersey. Good construction too, highly recommended.
Left front shorts pocket - primary whistle until the game starts Right front shorts pocket - yellow card and pen Right back pocket - red card Left back pocket - spare whistle Left shirt pocket - wallet with yellow/red cards plus coin in wallet Right shirt pocket - spare pen and keys Right wrist - countdown watch Left wrist - count up watch (USSF games only)
Left shirt - book & primary pen/pencil, spare yellow card in wallet's side-sleeve Right shirt - spare whistle Left front shorts - quick-draw red card, whistle when not holding it (flip grip, usually in left hand) Right front shorts - yellow card, spare pen Left back shorts - usually nothing except a softer whistle on youth league days that might include a 7v7 or something. Right back shorts - red card Left wrist - primary watch in referee mode counting down + stoppage timer. Right wrist - backup watch (if worn), count up for USSF. Coin goes back into bag right after toss - let's me double-check for any forgotten items like my badge... Car key now stays in the bag - temporarily lost it once. Rosters, paycheck, or anything else paper stays in bag - I sweat like crazy and pockets end up soaked. Had to add a plastic liner in my book/wallet to protect game record sheets. Yeah, I probably need write-in-the-rain on dry days. Same setup as AR, in case CR forgot/loses something... nah, it's really just because I'm a creature of habit.
I am just blown away by how much stuff you all carry around with you on the field. I bring my backpack to field with flags, extra cards, pens, watches, socks, garbage bag, whistles, coins, snacks, etc.. Car keys on a carabiner clipped to the bag. But on the field, I got my wallet with both cards in it behind badge and a pen. Watch on my arm and finger grip whistle on my hand. That's it. Done over 1500 games and never lost my whistle or had my watch break. Once in a blue moon, I will lose my pen, so I sometimes stick an extra one in my sock. But if not, I just say, hold up guys, and run over to my bag and get another one. I may not look "professional", but it's quick, light, and easy. Just about the only time I ever use the spares is when my partner forgets something. Oh, and I have extra hearing aid batteries, in the bag of course.
Which reminds me, I keep meaning and forgetting to put a spare pair of glasses in my bag. If I get hit in the face and glasses break (come close a time or two) I'll be out of the game. "You need new glasses ref!" will truly be the case. As for the cards -- if you ever have a red card snatched out of your hand by a player (it happens), you're not going to want to have to run over to your bag to get your spare.
If that happens, I might wish for a spare, but I kinda think I have bigger worries at that point. And that is sort of my point. All the things that refs carry with them have very good reasons if that what/if scenario occurs. But in all my games, it never has occurred and I have decided to stop sweating it (and lugging around extra stuff on the field) just in case. If one of those things happens, I will just find a way that may not be pretty, elegant or "professional". And I am totally ok with that.
OK. And yes if you have a card snatched out of your hand it probably means you're standing too close to the player. I once stepped on a player's foot while showing him a card. That did not go over well.
Sure. Expectation is frequency times severity. If there are no consequences (in the games you do) then why sweat it if something happens (dead battery, lost whistle, whatever)? Your approach is perfect for you. If the consequences are large, then it is worth taking those precautions even if the frequency is extremely low. For me, the consequences are not so large in anyone’s mind except my own. I don’t like being unprepared. I hate being caught with my pants down. So to be a little compulsive works for me. For a lot of guys on this board their games demand a failure rate as close to zero as possible, hence the redundancies.