The Ref Stop

Flashing cards

dylanbailey4444

dylanbailey4444

Well-Known Member
Level 5 Referee
I was reading some old threads on here about flashing cards etc and I started to realise I do that a lot. I club referee a fair amount and referee my own school as well so I know a lot of the players. (I obviously don’t always club or school referee so this only really applies to when I know the players) Some as a club referee being I coach them, some school as I coach them outside of school and some of them are my brothers friends, my friends, or my friends siblings, or even my own brother! The old threads saying that you should take name, number, talk to them then show card etc- I do sometimes if I don’t know them but I don’t really do it if I do know them. I have write on cards (but I flash a different card) and I usually show the card then write their name down on my card, their number and the time and what it was. I have two games tomorrow- one u13’s cup (I coach one of the teams but will be doing it as a proper referee- full kit etc rather then doing it as a coach or something like that) and an u14’s league- again I coach one of the teams but doing the same with the cup game- any advice on this with the cards? I’ve never had any complaints with how I do the cards but was just thinking about it?

Thank you!
 
The Ref Stop
I don't think you'll ever get complaints from the teams if you do flash cards, it's more of a process thing.

By isolating the player and taking their name, telling them why they're being carded and then showing the card can help calm players down and you'll never get the players name wrong.

Flash cards (particularly red) can help diffuse situations where one team is looking for retribution but otherwise I'd steer clear, especially if you want to progress as it's something assessors will pick you up on
 
That’s what the other threads were saying. There was a yellow card the other week where I knew the player (I coach him) and he fouled, other team were on the attack, clear yellow, I blew the whistle and walked over with the yellow in my hand, i just said that he needed to calm down a bit and he walked off and I showed the yellow. I sometimes get the yellow out a while before I book the player to diffuse it a bit.
 
dylanbailey4444 said:
That’s what the other threads were saying. There was a yellow card the other week where I knew the player (I coach him) and he fouled, other team were on the attack, clear yellow, I blew the whistle and walked over with the yellow in my hand, i just said that he needed to calm down a bit and he walked off and I showed the yellow. I sometimes get the yellow out a while before I book the player to diffuse it a bit.
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Writing his name, number, offence and time while the player is with you allows them time to calm down and reduces the risk of "afters"
 
One thing to add is that it gives you a bit of thinking time.

If you flash red or yellow you can't change your initial thought.
 
it
es1 said:
One thing to add is that it gives you a bit of thinking time.

If you flash red or yellow you can't change your initial thought.
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You absolutely can

That aside, when am observing, the tick box tells me I need to see the correct process.
On the flip side, if a flashed card, esp red, kills a reaction and mass brawl, there is no way anyone can say the correct process should have been followed
If I can see the referee can demonstrate the process, that does it for me

I have not taken a players name in years, if am carding 8, am reporting 8
If 8 is not who 8 actually is, team and association issue not mine.
Unlike where named subs are in the laws, there is no reference to this on sanctions, its, a player, and in this case, am cautioning blue player 8.

ts one of those odd ones where refs get a procedure drummed into them, only for it to go out the window when they progress.

of course if the game or situation needs foot on brake, going thro the exact process has its merits,
in other games hassle free where things are all good, a flashed yellow can be in tandem with the game too

for the record either i been lucky, but in all those years, no issues have ben reported back, couple o comments on observor reports preferring a name number etc but on the flip side, lots of, proactive comments too
 
Anubis said:
it


You absolutely can

That aside, when am observing, the tick box tells me I need to see the correct process.
On the flip side, if a flashed card, esp red, kills a reaction and mass brawl, there is no way anyone can say the correct process should have been followed
If I can see the referee can demonstrate the process, that does it for me

I have not taken a players name in years, if am carding 8, am reporting 8
If 8 is not who 8 actually is, team and association issue not mine.
Unlike where named subs are in the laws, there is no reference to this on sanctions, its, a player, and in this case, am cautioning blue player 8.

ts one of those odd ones where refs get a procedure drummed into them, only for it to go out the window when they progress.

of course if the game or situation needs foot on brake, going thro the exact process has its merits,
in other games hassle free where things are all good, a flashed yellow can be in tandem with the game too

for the record either i been lucky, but in all those years, no issues have ben reported back, couple o comments on observor reports preferring a name number etc but on the flip side, lots of, proactive comments too
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Well yes, but either way it won't go down well!
 
es1 said:
Well yes, but either way it won't go down
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es1 said:
One thing to add is that it gives you a bit of thinking time.

If you flash red or yellow you can't change your initial thought.
Click to expand...

Not seen it and obv luxury of VAR but of all times, Dykes yellow carded whilst scoring from assumed dangerous play
VAR review, goal card recinded,
 
Anubis said:
Not seen it and obv luxury of VAR but of all times, Dykes yellow carded whilst scoring from assumed dangerous play
VAR review, goal card recinded,
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A good decision too, you'll get away with changing your decision the higher up the pyramid you go (with input from NAR/VAR)
 
I've never been a (card) flasher. I do it at grassroots level as prescribed and taught. As others on here have already stated, it gives you time have a quick think/replay in your mind and everybody else time to simmer down a bit. If something major happens, like a reckless challenge or SFP, the tone, pitch and length of your whistle blast should be enough to indicate to all that you've seen it and that a card is coming.

I don't buy into the "flashing a red can help diffuse a situation" line. In my opinion, all you're doing is running in there and adding to the drama.
Far from diffusing it, you're possibly giving a green light for afters as well.

Let's say you've seen a serious foul play challenge, the players are all screaming "Reeeeeeffffff!" (as they do) and others are running straight in there towards the incident to voice and show their anger .... you go running in there as well, red card held aloft, matey boy (who's just made the challenge) looks up and see's that he's off anyway and decides to greet the opposition player who's now running in aggressively towards him with a right hook!! He knows his game is already over, how much worse can it get? Before you know it, you've a mass brawl on your hands.

Not saying that's what would happen or is even likely, but there's more than one way of looking at something. It's certainly a possibility anyway.

So no, I'll let the tone of my whistle and my voice do the obvious and follow the correct protocol each time. It works for me. ;) ;)
 
Kes said:
I've never been a (card) flasher. I do it at grassroots level as prescribed and taught. As others on here have already stated, it gives you time have a quick think/replay in your mind and everybody else time to simmer down a bit. If something major happens, like a reckless challenge or SFP, the tone, pitch and length of your whistle blast should be enough to indicate to all that you've seen it and that a card is coming.

I don't buy into the "flashing a red can help diffuse a situation" line. In my opinion, all you're doing is running in there and adding to the drama.
Far from diffusing it, you're possibly giving a green light for afters as well.

Let's say you've seen a serious foul play challenge, the players are all screaming "Reeeeeeffffff!" (as they do) and others are running straight in there towards the incident to voice and show their anger .... you go running in there as well, red card held aloft, matey boy (who's just made the challenge) looks up and see's that he's off anyway and decides to greet the opposition player who's now running in aggressively towards him with a right hook!! He knows his game is already over, how much worse can it get? Before you know it, you've a mass brawl on your hands.

Not saying that's what would happen or is even likely, but there's more than one way of looking at something. It's certainly a possibility anyway.

So no, I'll let the tone of my whistle and my voice do the obvious and follow the correct protocol each time. It works for me. ;) ;)
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One of the things I've picked up lately is not to go steaming in to give a card - take your time, even if it's a bad one, partly to give you time to think, partly to make sure you can see any afters clearly and identify players who decide to take things into their own hands, but mostly so that you don't get caught up in the pushing and shoving when the handbags start flying!
 
es1 said:
I don't think you'll ever get complaints from the teams if you do flash cards, it's more of a process thing.

By isolating the player and taking their name, telling them why they're being carded and then showing the card can help calm players down and you'll never get the players name wrong.

Flash cards (particularly red) can help diffuse situations where one team is looking for retribution but otherwise I'd steer clear, especially if you want to progress as it's something assessors will pick you up on
Click to expand...
Absolutely agree here.

I have flashed a red after homophonic language used this season, quite simply because players were about to charge towards him, so by flashing a quick red, the situation was calmed immediately.

However, for yellow cards, I like to take time to calm the situation down.
 
JBeil said:
One of the things I've picked up lately is not to go steaming in to give a card - take your time, even if it's a bad one, partly to give you time to think, partly to make sure you can see any afters clearly and identify players who decide to take things into their own hands, but mostly so that you don't get caught up in the pushing and shoving when the handbags start flying!
Click to expand...

I think this depends. Sometimes getting there quickly and visibly can prevent the afters from happening--players are less likely to take things into their own hands if they believe the referee has it under control. Presence can enhance that belief.
 
Never particularly been a flasher, as too like the chance to calm things down a bit, but have got a card out my pocket on my way to ground zero so it's very obvious what's going to happen.
 
My RA is always telling grass roots referees like myself not to flash cards. Apparently that's for the higher grades who have assistants to help them with recording all the details. I recently had reason (long, complicated story) to be in the referee's room at half time during a lower division league game. The referee and his assistants were comparing notes and the lack of correlation was startling.
 
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