Gestures, Signals, and Table Behavior
Author: Vitaly - mr. Koteo (Brisbane Mafia Club)
In Sports Mafia, we play a game of words — but a lot is happening without words too.
Some gestures are strictly regulated by FIIM and belong only to the judge. Others are “table language” between players, and those must be used carefully to avoid penalties.
This chapter connects everything together: official FIIM signals, your Sheriff/Don gesture system, how judges actually use gestures, and what is allowed (and not allowed) with your body language at the table.
Official FIIM Gestures
FIIM recognises only one group of official gestures: the judge’s signals during night checks. The rules explicitly say that the gestures listed in the rules are the only official gestures of the game.
They are used in exactly two situations:
When the Sheriff checks a player at night
When the Don checks for the Sheriff at night
In the FIIM rules, the exact shapes of these gestures are given as pictures, but the idea is simple:
The judge has a “red” signal for “this player is red”
The judge has a “dark” signal for “this player is dark”
The judge has a “found Sheriff” signal for Don’s check
The judge has a “no Sheriff here” signal for Don’s check
At the same time, FIIM also describes how the judge communicates Sheriff checks in text:
If the Sheriff found a red player, the judge shows it with a characteristic head movement and a thumb pointing up.
If the Sheriff found a dark player, the judge shows it with a different head movement and a thumb pointing down.
The important points for beginners:
Only the judge’s checking gestures are official.
Players do not improvise their own “secret” check signals.
Any extra signalling (especially at night) risks fouls or even disqualification.
Your local thumbs-up / thumbs-down / OK / ring gestures from earlier chapters are table language for talking during the day, not replacements for the FIIM judge gestures.
Sheriff/Don Gesture System (Player-Side)
All gestures in this section are table conventions, not FIIM-official signals. Different clubs may use slightly different versions, and judges can always restrict or forbid gestures if they become excessive or look like illegal signalling.
Use them as support for your spoken logic, not as a replacement for it.
Core role / colour gestures
These are the “alphabet” of table gestures:
👍 Thumb up — “Red”
“I think this player is red.”
👎 Thumb down — “Dark”
“I think this player is dark (mafia).”
👌 OK-hand gesture — “I am the Sheriff” By default, when a player simply shows an OK-hand, it almost always means:
“I am the Sheriff.” To say “I think this person is the Sheriff”, you normally point at the player first, then show the OK-hand. If you show OK-hand without pointing, people will usually assume you are claiming Sheriff yourself.
Ring-finger tap — “Don” Light tap on your third (ring) finger, as if tapping a Mafia ring:
“I think this player is the Don.” Point at the player and tap your ring finger if you’re talking about someone else’s Don potential.
Question mark sign — “Who? / Why?” First finger bent like a question mark:
“Who?” / “Why this player?” / “I have a question.” Common combination: point at a player → show “?” → then show 👍 or 👎.
Logic, thinking, and uncertainty gestures
These gestures show logical links between players and how confident you are.
Waving index finger near your head — “I think…” Small circular motion near the temple:
“I’m thinking / this is my opinion.”
Thumbs up with pinky finger out (🤙 “call me” hand) — “If…” Used as a conditional operator:
“If this is red, then that is dark.” Example:
Show 🤙 (IF)
Then show 2 with fingers ✌️ + 👍
Then show 5 with fingers 🖐️ + 👎 Meaning: “If 2 is red, then 5 is dark.”
Thumb up vs thumb down (thumb vs thumb) — “Different teams” Hit your 👍 from one hand against 👎 on the other:
“These two players are in different teams.” You indicate both players first, then clash 👍 and 👎.
Sharp palm move from side to side — “100% sure” Flat hand cutting the air quickly:
“I’m 100% sure.” Example: 2 ✌️ → 👎 → sharp palm move → “I’m 100% sure #2 is dark.”
Triangle / frame + thumb up or down — “Rather red / rather dark” Connect both thumbs and both index fingers to form a small frame, move hands slightly apart, then show 👍 or 👎:
“I rather think this player is red/dark.” Shows a soft, less certain read.
Alignment, cover, and cooperation
These gestures show who you’re playing with and who you want to protect or support:
🤟 “Strongly agree” Rock-hand/“love” gesture towards a player or their speech:
“I strongly agree with what you’re saying.”
Index-finger “plus” — “I support this” Tap one index finger on top of the other in a small “+” shape:
“I support what you are saying / I’m with this statement.”
🤝Handshake gesture — “I’m playing with this player” Mime a hand-shake in the direction of a player:
“I’m with them, I’m on their team (in my version).”
🙆♂️Roof over the head — “I’m covering this player” Two palms making a roof shape over your head:
“I’m covering this player / I think they are red at the table.”
Showing number + double thumbs up moving up — “Top red” Show a player’s number with fingers, then both thumbs up, pushing them upward:
“This player is the most red at the table.”
Covering your wrist with your palm — “Cover me”
“Can you please cover for me?” Often used when you expect to be under suspicion or voted but want allies to support you.
🤐 Zipping your mouth — “Don’t speak” Zip-gesture across the lips, sometimes towards another player:
“Don’t talk / Stay quiet this round.”
😉 Wink to another player — “I am the Sheriff, believe me” A direct wink at a player, especially before a Sheriff claim, basically screams:
“Trust me, I’m the real Sheriff.”
Shaking off “dirt” from your shoulder — I'm not a Sheriff After previously claiming Sheriff, brushing “dirt” off the shoulder means:
“I said I’m the Sheriff, but actually I’m not.” It’s a way to show you’re backing out of a Sheriff claim.
Numbers, checks, shots, and split-table logic
Very often players show seat numbers with fingers instead of pointing:
Number + thumbs up / thumbs down
Show 2 with fingers ✌, then 👎 →
“I think player #2 is dark.”
Show 4 with fingers 🙋, then 👍 →
“I think player #4 is red.”
Waving N fingers — “Sheriff, check N” Show (for example) 5 fingers 🖐️ and wave them slightly in the air:
“Sheriff, please check player #5 at night.” Same idea for 8 fingers → “Check #8”, etc.
Number + bending/unbending fingers — “Shoot this player” Show a number with fingers and then bend/unbend them like a tiny trigger motion:
“Mafia shoots this number” or “Mafia could plan killing this player.”
🙅♂️ Crossing hands with shooting gesture — “Misfire” Cross your hands and add a little trigger motion:
“Misfire / Mafia missed the shot.”
Number high + sharp sideways move — “Vote this player out” Show N fingers high up and then sharply move them to the side:
“This round, player #N should be voted out.”
T-shape over fingers — “Dark between these players” Show two or three seat numbers with fingers, then put your palm over one finger like a T:
“I think there is one dark between these players.” Palm over two fingers: “I think there are two dark players between these players.”
Cutting one palm with the other — “Split the table” One palm horizontal, the other cutting through it like a knife:
“Let’s split the table” / “Let’s play two opposite versions.”
Nominations, voting, and time-out gestures
These help coordinate nominations and votes (within what the judge allows):
Thumb up hitting the palm — “Please nominate” Hit 👍 onto your other open palm:
“Please nominate someone.” Show a number and then hit 👍 on the palm: “Please nominate player #X.”
During speeches: point → tap👍 on the table → show number Sequence: point at a player → lightly tap 👍 on the table → show a number with fingers:
“I want you (the player I pointed at) to vote for player #X.”
Open book with palms — “Sheriff, reveal” Open your palms like you’re opening a book:
“Sheriff, please reveal yourself.”
T-shape with palms towards the judge — “Time-out” One palm horizontal, the other vertical on top (like a T) towards the judge:
“Time-out please.” The judge may or may not grant it, but the gesture asks for a technical pause.
🙅Crossed hands (X) — “Hard NO / total nonsense / I disagree” Cross your forearms in an X:
“Hard no / That’s nonsense / I didn’t say that.” During mafia agreement it often means: “I don’t understand / No to this agreement.”
✊ Raised fist up — “Number #10” Sometimes fist raised straight up is used for player #10 (instead of showing ten fingers). Not very common, but it exists.
Sheriff-specific and mafia-planning signals (high risk)
These are very risky because they are close to explicit illegal signalling. If the judge sees them, it can be a warning or worse, and they also expose you to the other team.
Light tap on another player’s leg or lap under the table — “I am the Sheriff” Small tap under the table:
“I’m the Sheriff.” High risk to be seen by other players and punished if spotted by judge.
Multiple taps — “We shoot #N” Several taps where the number of taps = seat number:
“We’re going to shoot player #N.” Again, clearly illegal if noticed and a big gift to the other team if they catch it.
Because FIIM rules punish hints and physical signalling, especially at night, these “secret” gestures are strongly discouraged in serious games and tournaments. They belong more to casual, friendly games where everyone understands the risk.
Creative freedom — with limits
There are many other creative gestures players invent at the table, and they are not limited to this list. That’s fine as long as:
The judge allows them
They don’t break FIIM rules (no illegal hints at night, no disruptive behaviour)
They stay readable and don’t turn the game into a silent pantomime show
A good rule of thumb:
Use gestures to highlight your logic, not to replace it. The more you rely on clear speech, the safer and stronger your game becomes.
What Judges Actually Use Gestures For
For a beginner, it can feel like the judge is “casting spells” with their hands at night. In reality, the judge’s gesture role is quite limited and well-defined:
Night checks
The judge announces: “Sheriff wakes up.”
Sheriff opens eyes and points to someone.
Judge silently shows red or dark using the official thumb + head signals.
Sheriff sleeps again.
Same pattern later for Don’s check of the Sheriff (using Don’s “found / not found” gestures).
Voting procedure
Players vote by putting a vertical fist on the table for the candidate they choose, and the judge counts. Players must keep the hand on the table until the judge announces the number of votes.
Wrong form of voting (palms, fingers, elbow instead of the fist) is a violation.
Warnings and discipline
The judge tracks verbal and non-verbal violations and issues fouls.
After 3 warnings, the player loses their next minute of speech; at 4 warnings, the player is removed from the game without last word.
Technical pauses
The judge can declare a technical pause: everyone puts masks on, takes a “relaxed” seating posture, music goes on, and night rules apply again.
Key message: The judge’s gestures are functional, not theatrical. They exist to:
Convey check results
Keep voting clear and fair
Enforce discipline
Everything else should be done by voice, not by waving hands.
Body Language Etiquette
Even if you never say a word out of turn, your body can still get you punished.
FIIM explicitly lists several violations connected with body language and physical behaviour:
Common things to avoid:
Excessive gesticulation
Constant waving, pointing, exaggerated miming, or drawing “pictures” in the air can be punished.
The judge should still be able to see and hear everyone; don’t visually drown the table.
Daytime touching
Touching other players during the day (patting, poking, nudging) is prohibited.
Table banging and noisy behaviour
Aggressive knocking on the table, slamming objects, or other disruptive behaviour is a warning.
Gestures and calls during voting
While hands are supposed to show only your vote (fist on the table), you cannot use hand signals or calls to steer others in that moment.
Night hints and touches
At night, any touches or hints towards Don or Sheriff (or anyone else) are considered serious violations and can lead to disqualification.
Non-game emotional displays
FIIM even lists tears at the table as a removal-level violation — that’s how strictly they separate game and non-game behaviour.
So the safe approach for a player:
Use minimal, clear gestures when you really need them.
Keep your hands mostly calm and visible.
Never touch other players.
Remember: if the judge says “less gestures”, they are doing you a favour.
Night Posture and Mask Rules
Night is where FIIM is the strictest about behaviour. The rules describe a specific night posture and mask usage:
During the night:
You must sit in the night pose:
Back straight
Arms crossed, hands resting on your shoulders
Head tilted slightly forward (around 45°)
You must respect “night behaviour”:
No talking
No singing
No dancing
No touching other players
No eating or drinking
No smoking
Basically: you are a quiet statue with a brain.
Mask rules:
Mask must be on the elastic strap, covering your eyes fully without gaps.
You cannot hold the mask with your hand or press it to your face.
Players must remove hats, hoods, glasses, and reflective items before night, so nobody accidentally gains information from reflections or shadows.
Breaking night posture or mask rules can quickly lead to:
Warnings
Disqualification from the game
In extreme cases, removal from the tournament
For Sports Mafia, you can think of it like this:
Night is a reset moment. Everyone is equal — no one can see, no one can hint, no one can grab extra information.
The stricter the posture and mask discipline, the more fair and “clean” the game feels for everyone.
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