A soccer referee in Uruguay uses electronic yellow and red cards during a Copa Uruguay match between Nacional and Rentistas. Eduardo Varela holds a phone-sized device instead of traditional colored cards while officiating the fixture, which Nacional wins 3-0. The experiment is intended to modernize how disciplinary decisions are recorded during games.
The technology, developed by REFe, is designed to log incidents with timestamps and help referees submit match reports more efficiently through the Uruguayan Football Association’s COMET platform. The company says the device reduces administrative workload compared with manual recording and later digital entry. Varela reportedly finds it comfortable and responsive, though some note it can feel less familiar than lifting physical cards.
Across reports, the key challenge is visibility. Earlier trials were reportedly abandoned after sunlight affected screen readability, and during the Nacional-Rentistas match some spectators and television viewers struggled to clearly distinguish the device’s signals. REFe is exploring improvements, including adding LED lighting around the screen. Adoption plans would depend on solving these issues, potentially leading to broader uptake through CONMEBOL and FIFA.
