Those who the opening
Brazil-Croatia match in FIFA watched it – before the free kick in the first
half, the referee pulled a spray can out
of a holster and squirted a white line on the field. It was no graffiti – it
was to be a temporary white line 10 yards from the free kick spot, marking the
safe area into which opposing players cannot encroach. Although they're
supposed to remain 10 yards away, opposing players have frequently crept closer
to the free-kick taker in an effort to disrupt the kick, starting countless
arguments about fairness.
The vanishing spray is
called 9:15 Fairplay, or 10 yards expressed in meters. Some immediately acknowledged that the
vanishing spray is proving to be extremely useful and effective in ensuring
defenders keep 10 yards away from the ball.
The spray makes it clear where the ball is to be placed and where the
defenders have to stand. It further prevents
players taking free kicks from moving the ball forward.
The use of the vanishing
spray is conducive to the goal of refereeing by facilitating the execution of
referees’ duties and has had an undeniable positive impact on soccer. For
instance, it prevents the recurrent, unnecessary and tiresome disputes about
the location of the defensive wall and the ball during free kicks as well as
the ensuing irritation of everyone involved. Clearly, in front of the
manifestly visible marks made possible by the vanishing spray, players are more
respectful of the distance between the ball and the defensive wall stipulated
by referees. In turn, this increases playing time, favours the flow of the
game, and potentially leads to more goals scored from free kicks.
The technology guarantees competitive fairness by allowing
referees to enforce the rules of the game more effectively. In other words, the
vanishing spray furthers the conditions of fairness advocated in the rule book.
It obviously neutralizes the attempt to obtain an illegitimate advantage (the
encroaching of the defensive wall and the moving forward of the ball). Before
its implementation, critics argued that the vanishing spray would not work
because players were accustomed to try to get an illegitimate advantage during free
kicks by either creeping forward if they are on the defensive wall or by moving
the ball forward if they are taking the free kick. Since its implementation,
however, even if not perfect, the vanishing spray has proved to be effective in
deterring such prohibited moves. That is, it has promoted a beneficial change
in players’ behavior. For fans of South American football, the foam spray is
nothing new, having been used in league matches on the continent for some
years, but for the huge global audience, these are bold new days.
According to LiveScience it is: “a mixture of butane, isobutane and
propane gas; a foaming agent; water; and other chemicals. "When it leaves
the can, the gas depressurizes and expands, creating small, water-covered
droplets on the field. The butane mixture later evaporates, leaving only water
and surfactant residue behind.”
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
13th Oct 2014.
