Brief

Uruguayan referee issues first digital red card in Copa Uruguay trial

The experiment, part of a three‑year project by REFe, aims to log all match events digitally.

By Felo News Desk · Published Tue, 20 Oct 2026 02:00:25 GMT

Referee Eduardo Varela became the first official to send off a player with a digital red card during a Copa Uruguay match between Nacional and Rentistas, according to dailymail.co.uk.

What happened

The trial took place on 19 October 2026. Varela displayed a smartphone‑style device that can also show yellow cards, record bookings, substitutions, goals and penalties, and upload the data to the Uruguayan football system. The device was previously tested in a match between Defensor Sporting and Plaza Colonia, where bright sunlight made the screen hard to read, prompting a temporary halt to that test.

What the reports add

The article notes that developers REFe have been working on the technology for three years and are considering LED lighting around the screen to improve visibility. Their long‑term goal is adoption by CONMEBOL and eventually FIFA.

What was said

"We have seen all kinds of comments, positive and negative. We have even laughed at the memes," REFe director Mauro Sacco told the outlet. "Any innovation takes time." Fellow director Diego de la Pena added, "The yellow card has to be yellow, the red card has to be red, and it has to be visible to people at the ground and on television."

How it came about

The digital card system is part of a broader push to modernise match data collection in South America, building on earlier experiments in Uruguay’s domestic leagues.

Key facts

• Eduardo Varela issued the first digital red card in a Copa Uruguay match between Nacional and Rentistas. (dailymail.co.uk)
• The device also records yellow cards, bookings, substitutions, goals and penalties for upload to the national system. (dailymail.co.uk)
• Visibility problems in bright sunlight forced a pause in a previous test between Defensor Sporting and Plaza Colonia. (dailymail.co.uk)
• REFe aims for CONMEBOL and FIFA adoption, with LED lighting under consideration. (dailymail.co.uk)

Sources

• [1] dailymail.co.uk — originally reported as “Referee uses a 'smartphone' to dish out his punishments”