Football’s Yellow and Red Cards Go Digital in Uruguay — But Fans Have Already Found a Problem

For more than half a century, football referees have reached into their pockets for a yellow or red card whenever a player crosses the line. It is one of the sport’s most recognisable traditions, understood instantly by players and supporters almost anywhere in the world. But during a cup match in Uruguay, that familiar gesture was replaced by something rather unexpected: a device that looked remarkably like a smartphone.

The experiment took place on October 15 during Nacional’s 3-0 victory over Rentistas in the Copa AUF Uruguay. Referee Eduardo Varela became the centre of attention when he pulled out an electronic device instead of a conventional card, pressed a button and displayed a bright yellow screen to a player. The footage quickly spread across social media, triggering a debate about whether football really needs to modernise something as simple as a booking.

The technology received its first proper test early in the match at Montevideo’s Gran Parque Central stadium. With just 12 minutes played, Rentistas midfielder Juan Pablo Plada committed a foul on Maximiliano Silvera, prompting Varela to reach for his new electronic equipment.

Instead of holding up the familiar yellow rectangle, the referee pressed a button on a small handheld device. Its screen turned yellow, signalling the caution, while the incident was recorded electronically. It was an unusual sight for the players, spectators and television audience, most of whom had never seen a referee issue a booking in this manner.

The experiment did not end with a yellow card. In the closing stages, Varela also used the device to send off Nacional forward Nahuel Gelos, whose dismissal completed the first high-profile demonstration of both digital card colours during the same match.

Nacional ultimately won 3-0 and advanced to the next round, but the result was almost overshadowed by the strange-looking gadget in the referee’s hand.

The digital cards were developed by Uruguayan technology company REFe in cooperation with the country’s football authorities. The idea is not simply to replace two pieces of coloured plastic with an electronic screen. Its creators want to transform how referees record and report everything that happens during a match.

The device has dedicated buttons for yellow and red cards, together with an interface that allows the referee to select players and register disciplinary decisions. Goals, substitutions, penalties and other incidents can also be entered directly into the system, eliminating much of the paperwork traditionally completed by match officials.

Information is transmitted to COMET, the platform used by the Uruguayan Football Association to manage match records. The technology is also designed to operate without a continuous Wi-Fi connection, an important consideration for smaller stadiums and competitions where reliable internet access cannot always be guaranteed.

Varela revealed another interesting feature after the match: the device allows referees to record voice notes explaining decisions or preserving details of incidents involving players. It can also account for decisions subsequently overturned through VAR, potentially making official match reports more complete and accurate.

There was, however, one rather obvious problem with the invention. Traditional yellow and red cards are deliberately simple, brightly coloured objects that can be recognised from considerable distances. A small illuminated screen does not necessarily offer the same visibility, especially under difficult lighting conditions.

The Uruguayan authorities had already encountered this issue during an earlier trial involving Defensor Sporting and Plaza Colonia. The device was not used by the main referee on that occasion because sunlight made its colours difficult to distinguish.

Moving the experiment to an evening fixture did not entirely resolve the issue. Spectators and television viewers still complained that the screen was difficult to read, with some questioning whether replacing conventional cards offered any meaningful improvement to the matchday experience.

Diego de la Peña, one of the developers behind the project, acknowledged that improving visibility remains a priority. The ambition is to refine the technology so that it becomes practical not only for referees but also for the people watching the game.

For Varela, the aftermath was almost as memorable as the experiment itself. The 39-year-old referee told Uruguayan newspaper El Observador that his phone had been flooded with messages and jokes after footage of the digital cards went viral.

Some supporters imagined the referee checking personal messages while attempting to book a player. Others produced jokes comparing the device to payment terminals and ordinary mobile phone applications, turning an experimental piece of refereeing technology into an unexpected social media comedy.

Varela took the attention in good humour. He also defended the initiative, suggesting that a technology developed in Uruguay might have received a warmer reception if it had originated in European football.

Despite the jokes, he was satisfied with the practical advantages of the device, particularly the time saved when recording match incidents and preparing reports.

For now, Uruguay’s electronic cards remain an experiment rather than a permanent replacement for the traditional system. Their creators must solve the visibility problems and demonstrate that the technology offers enough practical benefits to justify changing one of football’s simplest and most recognisable procedures.

The administrative advantages are relatively clear. Recording bookings, substitutions and goals electronically could reduce errors and make information available much more quickly to football associations, broadcasters and media organisations.

But the visual side of refereeing is just as important. A yellow card must communicate a decision immediately, whether someone is standing a few metres away or watching from the opposite end of a stadium. If spectators struggle to identify the colour on a screen, the traditional piece of plastic suddenly starts looking like a remarkably effective invention.

Uruguay has already brought VAR-style technological experimentation to one of football’s oldest rituals. Whether the rest of the world eventually follows remains an open question. For the moment, the sport has discovered that even something as straightforward as showing a yellow card can become complicated when a screen is involved.