Vanishing spray

Vanishing spray, also known as vanishing foam, is a substance applied to an association football pitch in order to provide a temporary visual marker. It is most often used by the referee to indicate the minimum distance that the defending team may position themselves from the ball during a direct free kick, as well as to indicate the spot from where the kick is taken. The spray appears similar to white paint or watered-down shaving foam when initially applied. It completely disappears within a minute, leaving no visible residue behind.

A referee applying vanishing spray before a free kick
Vanishing spray used in the match between Achilles '29 and Sparta Rotterdam
Vanishing spray in use at the 2014 FIFA World Cup
Vanishing spray can be clipped to a referee's waist

Used mainly at the highest levels of competition, vanishing spray is said to help prevent unnecessary delays by preventing the defensive team from encroaching closer than the mandated 10 yards (9.15 meters) from the ball during a free kick, and also by preventing the attacking team from illegally moving the ball from the spot where the referee awarded the kick.[1] Its use in football is not regulated by the Laws of the Game, with authorisation being in the hands of the governing body of a match, league, or tournament.

Overview

Vanishing spray is applied from an aerosol can carried by the referee in a holster secured to their shorts. The referee has full discretion on whether or not to use vanishing spray, and opponents are required to retreat 10 yards from the spot of a free kick regardless of whether vanishing spray is used (unless the team awarded the kick elects to take a "quick" free kick with opponents still within 10 yards). It is generally only used when a free kick is awarded where a goal-scoring attempt is highly likely to develop (e.g. it is usually not used when a team is awarded a free kick in its own half of the pitch). When the referee chooses to use vanishing spray, they will usually mark the spot of the ball, then pace 10 yards in the direction of the attack, then spray a line marking that distance. Finally, the referee will indicate for the free kick to be taken, usually by blowing the whistle. The marks disappear after about one minute.

Technical details

The can contains water (~80%), butane gas (~17%), surfactant (~1%), and other ingredients including vegetable oil (~2%).[2] The liquefied butane expands when the product is ejected from the can. The butane evaporates instantly, forming bubbles of gas in the water/surfactant mixture. The surfactant(s) cause the bubbles to have stability and hence a gas-in-liquid colloid (foam) forms. The bubbles eventually collapse and the foam disappears, leaving only water and surfactant residue on the ground. More technical details can be found in the US patent applications for two of the commercial products available: Spuni (2001) and 9-15 (2010).

History
Referee Chris Foy uses the spray on the opening day of the 2014–15 Premier League season.

In 2000, Brazilian inventor Heine Allemagne developed the spray under the name "Spuni" (pronounced SPOO-nee, from espuma, the Portuguese word for foam). Its first use in a professional level was in the 2001 Brazilian Championship, Copa João Havelange.[3] Referees unanimously approved its use and the spray was since adopted in Brazilian competitions. An international patent application for "Spuni" was filed by its inventor on March 31, 2000 and the patent granted on October 29, 2002.[4] Since then, the spray has been used in many international football competitions. In June 2014 the spray's latest commercial version, "9-15", made its debut in the FIFA 2014 World Cup.[5] "9-15" was developed by Argentinian entrepreneur Pablo Silva and its commercial production started in 2008.[6]

In 2018, Allemagne publicly alleged that FIFA have not paid him for the spray, instead continuing to produce and use the spray without paying royalties. In December 2017, a Brazilian court acknowledged Allemagne's patent and ordered FIFA to stop using the spray in its competitions; FIFA have refused to comply, arguing that the Brazilian courts have no jurisdiction over them.[7]

The 2011 Copa América tournament was the first tournament for national teams to use the spray.[8] Its success caused it to be adopted by several national leagues in 2011 in America, including Major League Soccer.[8] It has also been used in the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey, the 2014 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Malta and Gozo, and the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

Modern use

The first World Cup match to feature the vanishing spray was the opening game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup between Brazil and Croatia on 12 June, used by referee Yuichi Nishimura.[9][10] The spray is now authorised for use in top flight football for the Bundesliga in Germany,[11] (though Germany's consumer protection agency, TÜV, initially banned it due to environmental concerns),[12] Serie A in Italy, Ligue 1 in France, La Liga in Spain, the Premier League in England,[13] Major League Soccer in the United States of America and Canada, the Iran Pro League, the Czech First League, the Hong Kong Premier League, the A-League in Australia,[14] the Thai Premier League, the Primeira Liga in Portugal,[15] the Ekstraklasa in Poland,[16] the Danish Superliga,[17] the Indian Super League,[18] the J-League in Japan,[19] and the V.League 1 in Vietnam.[20]

References
  1. Crossman, Steve (10 June 2014). "World Cup 2014: Vanishing foam 'could see more free-kick goals'". BBC.
  2. "The story behind football's magic foam". Outlook. BBC World Service. 28 July 2014.
  3. Rossi, André (9 May 2003). "Brasileiro quer levar spray revolucionário para o mundo" [A Brazilian wants to bring the revolutionary spray to the world]. Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). São Paulo. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014.
  4. Brazil Published 0002743-A, Dias Heine Allemagne Vilarinho, "BR-0002743-A: Foaming aqueous composition, use thereof and process for temporary demarcation of regulation distances in sports.", published 2002-10-29
  5. Herndon, Astead (12 June 2014). "Vanishing spray makes World Cup debut". CNN. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  6. ""El aerosol me cambió la vida"" ["The spray changed my life"]. La Nueva España (in Spanish). 3 December 2013.
  7. Utton, Dominic (28 June 2018). "World Cup bosses kicked me in the teeth". The Daily Express. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  8. Torres, Cesar R. (7 August 2011). "Vanishing Spray and the Future of Technology". The New York Times. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  9. Smith, Ben (12 June 2014). "World Cup: Brazil 3 Croatia 1". BBC Sport. Sao Paulo. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  10. "Vanishing spray used for first time at tournament". BBC Sport. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  11. "DFL approves vanishing spray". Bundesliga. Düsseldorf. 11 August 2014. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014.
  12. "Football League Decides To Jump On Board The Vanishing Spray Bandwagon". World Soccer Talk. 5 November 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  13. Meagher, Gerard (30 July 2014). "Premier League referees will use vanishing spray in new season". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  14. Migliaccio, Val. "The A-League set to use vanishing spray after popularity during World Cup and Barclays Premier League". Fox Sports (Australia). The Advertiser. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  15. "Garrafas de Spray nas competições profissionais" [Spray cans in professional competitions] (in Portuguese). Liga Portugal. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  16. "Premier League jak Ekstraklasa" [Premier League like Ekstraklasa] (in Polish). Ekstraklasa. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  17. Davidsen, Martin (20 February 2015). "Superligaen indfører nyt redskab" [The Superliga introduces a new tool]. Ekstra Bladet (in Danish). Tipsbladet.
  18. Chakrabarty, Shamik (11 August 2014). "At CFL, vanishing spray appears in Indian football for very first time". The Indian Express.
  19. Orlowitz, Dan (24 February 2015). "J-League introduces vanishing spray for 2015 Season". FootballChannel.Asia. Archived from the original on 20 May 2015.
  20. Tùng, Lê (2 March 2016). "Trọng tài V.League được trang bị bình xịt tự hủy" [The V.League referee is equipped with a self-destructing spray]. Zing News (in Vietnamese).
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