Where do you keep your cards?

Last time I suggested there was already a thread on a topic I was called a mean name, so I won't do it again.

For me, I hate carrying a book. Don't ask me why, can't really tell you other than it weights down my shirt. My preference was:

- Yellow, front right shorts
- Red, back right shorts
- Secondary yellow, right shirt pocket
- Secondary red, with my laminated game card, left shirt pocket.

I am a fan of having backup cards because stuff happens. I also would use the shirt pocket yellow sometimes when it's a more formal process, but the no-velcro front pocket was great for the quick draw.

As far as the piece about putting a card in your wallet to make you think... I would hope you think about every card you give, regardless of location.

 

I keep my yellow in my badge pocket, and my red in my right hand rear shorts pocket. I also keep a backup red and yellow in my data wallet.

 

Yellow in front right, red in front left. I want my cards to be available at a seconds notice, and I have never seen a referee go to the back pocket without fumbling. When I give 2CT or SFP or DOGSO I want my presentation to be as smooth as possible. I think that does a great deal to sell my decision.

 

This year I'm going with yellow front right and red front left for quick draw, and another set in the book in shirt pocket.

 

I actually carry 2 sets, one set stays in my wallet, and the other set is in the typical pockets for when I need to do fast cards. Hispanic adult games I tend to do more "fast cards" (It's what the players expect, good for game management) and for NPL/ECNL/DA games I have gotten into the habit of doing the proper mechanic.

Here's a thread on it:
http://soccerrefereeusa.com/index.p...owing-the-cards-and-taking-notes?limitstart=0

 

More games than usual this year with gloves on made me give up the back pocket once and for all.

 

I've been keeping my red card in my right back pocket for a long time. I haven't had to use it for a long time either, but after hearing some of the war stories about clumsy presentation, I might reconsider a shirt pocket instead. I'm thinking right shirt pocket opposite my yellow as mentioned below.

I've taken to keeping my yellow card in my left front short pocket. I fold a 5"x8" card and put the card in the crease. I do all my recording on the card and if I do have to give a caution, it reminds me to explain the reason for the caution, write the number, and then display the card. It also gives time for the match temperature to go down a couple of degrees. If I need a quick draw caution, it's still pretty handy. It doesn't, however, work well in the rain so if I know I'm going to get wet I will use a wallet. If that's the case, the wallet goes in my left front short pocket and quick draw yellow in my right front.

 

I have seen it, so I know it happens, but I have never had an issue with the back pocket velcro. I wonder if some brands of shorts have a larger velcro tab or something like that? I have found the Adidas shorts almost have too little velcro, so no issue there. I had one pair of the NISOA logo OSI coolwick shorts that seemed a little too grippy, so I just trimmed down the velcro a little and et voila!

Maybe it's just because of habit (I've always had my red in the back right, but only kept yellow in my shirt pocket in the last three years of my career) but I have more trouble with the shirt pocket, it seems.

 

I'm in the camp that the book carries my primary cards, but I keep a quick draw yellow and red as well for when that seems needed.

I've been shuffling where I keep them a bit, having recently moved the book to a front shorts pocket (easier to get out for cards or goals as the pockets are deep enough, whereas sometimes book gets caught in shirt pocket; plus I don't write on my shirt by putting the pen back in exposed . . .). Quick red in the back right. Once I moved the book, I moved the quick yellow to the badge pocket.

 

After getting rained on a lot last year, I bought a rite in the rain wallet and notebook that goes in badge pocket. Just two cards though. Yellow front right and red front left. Hated the Velcro pocket in the back, and can't for the life of me figure out why it is so poorly designed. A couple of washings and the thing sticks like glue.

And I gave up carrying extra everything. Just one extra pen now (instead of two) and just one extra whistle. One coin.

 

I use this nylon wallet. It's well made and durable, but the thing I like best about it is the pen holder. I never fumble for my pen, or stab or write on myself with it, because the pen comes and goes right along with the wallet.

 

You know, this seems so obvious to me that I don't know why I didn't think of it myself. I've been one of the traditional back pocket referees, and while I haven't typically fumbled it's more cumbersome than I'd like.

The funny thing is that I recently had this with my yellow card where I was keeping it front right pocket with usually with a pen and my game log where I'd traditionally folded the paper around the card and used it as a writing back; however, I've had twice in the past year where I needed the card quickly and instead of managing the process adroitly I've had pen and paper go flying, much to the amusement of folks. Moving the paper and pen to left front has been an awkward adjustment but one I've been getting used to.

After reading this, think going to test: yellow front right, red front left, paper and pen in back pocket as if it takes me ~10 extra seconds to log something when I usually can log faster than players can reset, I can afford the fumbling with the velcro there where on a situation that requires a caution or send-off, not so much. Maybe a second red back right just so I don't screw up if I need it and I forget in the heat of the moment .

Thanks!

 

In my pocket, according the aggrieved team's coach.

 

Seriously, 14's and down, keep everything together since any 'action' that requires it will be a formal process with a good talkin' too. They are generally too young to be that cynical.

15 and up, yellow in a chest pocket for the quick draw as needed, red in the back pocket for more deliberate.

 

Yellow front right shorts, red back right shorts, laminated game report in the left front shorts. Nothing in the shirt pockets.

 

It depends which shorts I'm wearing. I prefer keeping my yellow in my right shorts pocket and my red in the back pocket, but when I'm wearing my economy shorts (which don't have velcro on the back pocket), I've found that my red has a tendency to jump out. And while it was amusing to have a 12 year old kid show me the red card that he had found in the grass, I figure it's something I ought to avoid.

So, with my economy shorts, the red goes in the left shorts pocket.

 

I haven't had a card fall out since the "good old days" when my shirt had one pocket, my shorts pockets were too shallow to carry much of anything (for those who missed the 70's, maybe you can think John Stockton . . . ), and my red card was left with no where to go besides by sock . . . .

 

I actually assumed this was the old thread, and was confused when I didn't see my old post!

Anyway, I changed mine for this season. Yellow cards in right shirt and right shorts pockets, red cards in left shirt and left shorts pockets. Rite-in-rain notepad in left shorts pocket (too bulky in the shirt pocket), extra whistles (two connected to each other in right shorts pocket. Pens are with the red cards.

I just bought all new uniforms (the pro style), so maybe it will all change again shortly!

 

My primary cards are write on cards, yellow in right front, red in left front.

Spare cards are in the two shirt pockets.

I keep a sharpie ultra fine point click pen for writing. That and my three whistles make up my ensemble!

 

Both cards in the right shorts pocket. Spare set in the book. I never feel the need to be in a hurry to show the card, so I never fumble with it. It is always a slow and deliberate thing for me.

 

Yellow in front right. Red in back right. Book with extra cards in front left.

 

This is exactly my line of thinking. I cringe every time I see a FIFA/MLS/EPL referee fumbling around with his back pocket or shirt pocket trying to pull a card out — especially when it requires to hands to get it out of the back one.

Yellow front right with notepad, red front left with spare whistle, solely a pen in shirt pocket, book in back left pocket for spare cards and waterproof note-taking when required.

 

Maybe a little silly (eh who am I kidding) but are there any particular cards you prefer? I have the wallet+cards set with the FIFA logo that seems ubiquitous, but for my spare set of pocket cards I'm just using the el cheapo ones from the OSI site. I'm looking for a pair that's a little more substantial / less flimsy.

 

I use the b+d cards. Good. Solid.

As for where I keep them, I usually have two sets. I wear the adidas kit, so the Velcro is a bit easier to get at than OSI (at least from what I've seen). My primary yellow is in my right shirt pocket. Quick draw yellow in right shorts pocket. Book goes in my left shirt pocket (underneath the badge). Red goes in back shorts pocket. Quick draw red goes in left shorts pocket.

My main reason for the quick draw is two-fold: (1) It's needed when you have to quickly sprint in, card in hand. (2) The contrast with the more formal, deliberate showing from the "typical" locations (shirt pocket, rear shorts pocket) can also send a message about the urgency of the card.

I'm not sold on this, though. Sometimes I find myself just going for the quick draw yellow because it's convenient. I notice that a lot of professional referees occasionally use the quick draws and still have cards in the typical location. I notice this especially on the 2CT yellow -> red card scenario.

Anyway, always interesting to hear how everyone else does it. I'm going to try going just with the quick draw option (with backups in the book) on my next match and see how it feels.