counting penalties - I disagree, I doubt many refs do this and I don't think its a pre requisite to moving up the grades. Are you telling me by the end of the game you are upto 35 penalties and still counting ? what good does that do you ? "ah your now 3 ahead of the opposition - yc!"
it's all about flow and tempo of the game, the nature of the game and type of offence. Number is more or less irrelevant. In the game AndyScott had with 11 penalties, he could have had 3 YC's for repeat offences. I could have a game with 30 penalties and no yellows.
Concentrate on what the penalties are preventing ie are they preventing blue getting momentum, scoring a try etc, the game flowing, quick ball, fair play etc and get ahead of it happening.
If you start counting, you'll put yourself in a corner that a yellow only comes out after 5 or 3 and each senario is so different you'll make an error.