A new innovation in football: ‘Electronic cards’ replace traditional yellow and red cards!

A touch of technology has been introduced to the familiar sight of yellow and red cards on the football pitch. In Uruguay’s domestic football, ‘electronic cards’ have been introduced on a trial basis, with match referees using them to caution players.
During a Copa Uruguay match between Nacional and Rentistas on Thursday (October 15), referee Eduardo Varela utilized this new technology. Instead of the conventional yellow card, he held up a digital device resembling a mobile phone.

The primary objective of this new system goes beyond merely showing a card; it automatically records disciplinary decisions—along with the exact time—into a digital log. This eliminates the need for referees to manually document such information by hand.
Mauro Sacco, director of ‘Refe’—the company that developed the technology—explained that the initiative aims to modernize the traditional method of issuing cards in football.
However, the initial trial revealed some limitations. Specifically, due to sunlight and the distance from the pitch, spectators struggled to clearly see the yellow or red colors displayed on the device’s screen.

To address this, the developers plan to incorporate LED lights around the device.
Once the technology is further refined, those involved hope to gain recognition from CONMEBOL (the South American football governing body) and FIFA (the global governing body for football).

For now, however, the traditional yellow and red cards are not being phased out; the new system remains in an experimental phase.
This development has been confirmed by local Uruguayan media as well as reports from the Brazilian outlet Globo. Nacional won the match 3–0.