{
  "id": 15083921,
  "title": "Uruguay football tests electronic cards in bid to modernise refereeing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/uruguay-football-tests-electronic-cards-in-bid-to-modernise-refereeing",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-17T00:41:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/sports/football/2026/10/1557239/uruguay-football-tests-electronic-cards-bid-modernise-refereeing"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "MONTEVIDEO: A referee raised a phone-sized electronic device to caution a player during a Uruguayan cup match this week, replacing the familiar flash of a yellow card with a digital screen in a trial aimed at modernising one of football’s oldest rituals.",
  "key_points": [
    "Uruguayan referee Eduardo Varela tested electronic cards in Copa Uruguay match",
    "Device logs match events with timestamps for administrative efficiency",
    "Developers addressing visibility issues for audience and television viewers"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Replacing manual disciplinary recording with digital devices signals a push to eliminate the sport's final analogue elements by prioritizing administrative speed over the traditional theatricality of physical cards.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}