Date:         Fri, 17 Aug 2001 08:25:51 -0700
Reply-To:     Discussion of Topics for Soccer Referees <[log in to unmask]>
Sender:       Discussion of Topics for Soccer Referees <[log in to unmask]>
From:         Peter Fletcher <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:      Keeping track of who has a caution
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One of the things I am working on is trying to do a better job of keeping track during the game of the players I have already cautioned.  In higher level games, having multiple cautions is common and I find it difficult to remember them all.  It's especially difficult when players only have numbers on the back of their jerseys, so you can't always see the number when you come to deliver the caution.  I find it embarrassing to caution a player and then discover that it is a second caution, and have to go back and pull the red.  Great referees seem to always remember these things, and smoothly pull out the yellow, immediately followed by the red, without ever consulting their books.

Any tricks any of you have that make it easier to remember who already has a caution?

The best I have come up with is to try to identify the players during "quiet times", and keep track of whether they are on the field or not, and if they are on the field where they are playing and what they look like.  That seems to help.

Remembering this is obviously useful because you can deal with any developing problems with these players by reminding them that they are playing under a yellow.  When I can remember to do this, it also seems that I get an instant appreciation from the player that I keep track of such things.

Peter