Football Goes Digital! Referee Uses Electronic Yellow And Red Cards During Match In Uruguay | Video
Football refereeing could be heading towards a technological transformation, with Uruguay testing electronic yellow and red cards during a Copa Uruguay match between Nacional and Rentistas. Referee Eduardo Varela used a phone-sized electronic device instead of traditional coloured cards during the fixture on Thursday, October 15, as part of an experiment aimed at modernising refereeing and…
MONTEVIDEO: A referee deployed an electronic device resembling a phone to caution a player in a Uruguayan cup match this week, marking a trial to modernize one of football's oldest traditions. Match official Eduardo Varela implemented the device during Nacional's Copa Uruguay encounter against Rentistas on Thursday, testing a system crafted to streamline referees' administrative duties by digitally recording disciplinary actions.
"We aim to bring technology to the only remaining analogue aspect of football," stated Mauro Sacco, director of REFe, the company behind the project, in an interview with Uruguayan radio El Espectador Deportes on Friday. The concept arose over three years ago when Sacco and co-director Diego de la Pena observed a match in rainy weather and pondered how referees manually recorded cautions and later entered the data into digital systems.
The new gadget logs match events with timestamps, with developers focused on expediting the submission of official records to the Uruguayan Football Association's COMET platform. Varela found the tool easy to use, with a responsive software interface, although he acknowledged the loss of the traditional card's theatrical flair. "You lose a bit of the magic of the quick card, but I believe it will significantly aid us, particularly the administrative aspect," he remarked.
The initial live tests unveiled an issue: visibility. A prior trial was discontinued due to sunlight rendering the screen difficult to view, while spectators and television audiences had trouble distinguishing certain decisions during Thursday's match. Sacco emphasized that the yellow and red cards must retain their distinct colors and remain visible both on-site and on television.
The developers are contemplating solutions, such as LED lighting around the device, to enhance color clarity for the audience. Sacco noted that the brand and technology have been patented, with the team based in China. The trial has elicited diverse reactions online, ranging from positive feedback to humorous memes. REFe hopes to enhance the technology and eventually secure approval from CONMEBOL, the South American football governing body, and FIFA, the global football federation.
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