Basic Gestures
Author: Vitaly - mr. Koteo (Brisbane Mafia Club)
Sport Mafia uses a very small set of standard hand gestures. They help:
The Judge show role colours during checks
Players show roles
Players ask simple questions without long speeches
In later chapters we’ll explain exactly when each of them is used. Here we only fix the basic vocabulary in your head.
Colour Gestures: Red and Dark
These are the two main “colour” gestures used in FIIM rules when the Judge shows Sheriff checks, and they are also used by players at the table as a visual shorthand.
Red player — thumb up 👍 A straight, clearly visible thumbs-up gesture. Meaning: “This player is Red (civilian).”
Dark player — thumb down 👎 A straight, clearly visible thumbs-down gesture. Meaning: “This player is Dark (mafia).”
In the official rules, the Judge combines a head movement with the thumb direction, but for a beginner the key is simple:
Thumb up 👍 = Red. Thumb down 👎 = Dark.
Role Gestures: Sheriff and Don
FIIM rules require that Sheriff and Don can show themselves by a gesture when the Judge asks. The concrete form of the gesture is standardised in practice and used worldwide.
Sheriff sign — “OK” hand gesture 👌 The Sheriff forms a circle with thumb and index finger (“OK” sign). Meaning: “I am the Sheriff.”
Don sign — tap on the ring finger The Don taps or points to the third finger of the hand (ring finger), as if pointing to a mafia ring. Meaning: “I am the Don.”
These gestures are used both:
When the Judge explicitly asks the Sheriff/Don to identify themselves, and
Sometimes at the table (with speech) to clarify stories or versions.
Question Mark Gesture
There is also a very simple “question” gesture that is widely used in live play:
Question mark sign — bent index finger The player bends the index finger in the air in a hook shape, like a written question mark. Meaning: “Who?” / “Which one?” / “Why that one?” — just “question” in general.
This gesture is not about roles or colours; it’s about asking for clarification.
Combining Gestures (“Mini-Sentences”)
These basic gestures can be combined into short “visual phrases” to speed up communication while someone is speaking.
For example, another player can essentially ask you:
“Who do you think is Dark?”
using only gestures:
Looks into your eyes → “Your opinion?”
Shows the question mark gesture with the bent index finger → “Who?”
Shows thumbs down → “Dark player?”
You can answer in the same “language”:
Show with fingers a player’s number
Then show thumbs up / thumbs down
Or add Sheriff / Don sign if you are referring to a claimed role
Important: this is only a support for spoken Mafia, not a replacement. The full FIIM rules also limit gesticulation; we’ll cover what is allowed and what becomes a warning in later chapters.
Typical Beginner Confusion: Sheriff Checks
One of the most common beginner mistakes happens when they play Sheriff.
When the Sheriff checks a player at night, the Judge shows:
Thumb up 👍 → this player is Red
Thumb down 👎 → this player is Dark
New Sheriffs often instinctively think:
“Thumb up = good for me, so this must be mafia, I found them!”
This is wrong.
Remember:
Sheriff’s thumbs up = Red check, Sheriff’s thumbs down = Dark check.
If you keep that one line in your head, you will already avoid one of the most painful beginner errors.
That’s all you need for now: thumb up / thumb down, Sheriff sign, Don sign, and the question mark. In the next chapters we’ll plug these into the real game flow: night checks, claims, discussions, and voting.
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