Vanishing spray
{{Short description|Temporary marking substance}}
{{use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
File:2017 Confederation Cup - CHIAUS - Vanishing spray.jpg
File:Vanishing spray.JPG and Sparta Rotterdam]]
File:Switzerland and Ecuador match 2014-06-15 Vanishing foam.jpg]]
File:Vanishing spray on belt.jpg
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.
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.{{cite web | title=World Cup 2014: Vanishing foam 'could see more free-kick goals' | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27782669 | last=Crossman | first=Steve | publisher=BBC | date=2014-06-10 }} 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%).{{cite news|work=BBC World Service|department=Outlook|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p023rpj3|title=The story behind football's magic foam|date=2014-07-28}} 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: [https://patents.google.com/patent/US7074264 Spuni] (2001) and [https://patents.google.com/patent/US20120148741 9-15] (2010).
History
File:Tottenham Vanishing Spray.jpg 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" (from espuma, the Portuguese word for foam). Its first use in a professional level was in the 2001 Brazilian Championship, Copa João Havelange.{{cite news|first=André|last=Rossi|url=http://esportes.terra.com.br/futebol/noticias/0,,OI174442-EI1865,00-Brasileiro+quer+levar+spray+revolucionario+para+o+mundo.html|trans-title=A Brazilian wants to bring the revolutionary spray to the world|newspaper=Terra|lang=pt-BR|date=May 9, 2003|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715062828/http://esportes.terra.com.br/futebol/noticias/0,,OI174442-EI1865,00-Brasileiro+quer+levar+spray+revolucionario+para+o+mundo.html|archive-date=2014-07-15|title=Brasileiro quer levar spray revolucionário para o mundo|location=São Paulo}} 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.{{cite patent|url=http://www.patentbuddy.com/Patent/BR-0002743-A|title=BR-0002743-A: Foaming aqueous composition, use thereof and process for temporary demarcation of regulation distances in sports.|country=Brazil|number=0002743-A|status=Published|fdate=2000-03-31|pubdate=2002-10-29|invent1=Dias Heine Allemagne Vilarinho}} 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.{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/12/tech/innovation/world-cup-vanishing-spray/index.html|title=Vanishing spray makes World Cup debut|work=CNN|last=Herndon|first=Astead|date=June 12, 2014|access-date=June 13, 2014}} "9-15" was developed by Argentinian entrepreneur Pablo Silva and its commercial production started in 2008.{{cite news|url=http://www.lanueva.com/sociedad-impresa/211948/-el-aerosol-me-cambi-243-la-vida-.html|trans-title=The spray changed my life|title="El aerosol me cambió la vida"|newspaper=La Nueva España|lang=es|date=2013-12-03}}
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.{{cite news|title=World Cup bosses kicked me in the teeth|date=28 June 2018|newspaper=The Daily Express|last=Utton|first=Dominic|url=https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/980729/fair-play-foam-inventor-says-fifa-stole-his-idea|access-date=22 July 2018}}
The 2011 Copa América tournament was the first tournament for national teams to use the spray.{{cite news|title=Vanishing Spray and the Future of Technology|date=7 August 2011|url=http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/vanishing-spray-and-the-future-of-technology/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0|newspaper=The New York Times|last=Torres|first=Cesar R.|access-date=18 August 2014}} Its success caused it to be adopted by several national leagues in 2011 in America, including Major League Soccer. 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
File:Zenit-Standard (4).jpg.]]
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.{{cite web|url = https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25285029|title=World Cup: Brazil 3 Croatia 1|date=12 June 2014|work=BBC Sport|access-date=13 June 2014|last=Smith|first=Ben|location=Sao Paulo}}{{cite web|url = https://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/27827042|title= Vanishing spray used for first time at tournament|date=12 June 2014|work=BBC Sport|access-date=13 June 2014}} The spray is now authorised for use in top flight football for the Bundesliga in Germany,{{cite news|title=DFL approves vanishing spray|url=http://www.bundesliga.com/en/liga/news/2014/0000299164.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140811162824/http://www.bundesliga.com/en/liga/news/2014/0000299164.php|archive-date=2014-08-11|date=2014-08-11|location=Düsseldorf|newspaper=Bundesliga}} (though Germany's consumer protection agency, TÜV, initially banned it due to environmental concerns),{{cite web|url=http://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/11/14/football-league-decides-to-jump-on-board-the-vanishing-spray-bandwagon/|title=Football League Decides To Jump On Board The Vanishing Spray Bandwagon|work=World Soccer Talk|access-date=2014-11-14|date=5 November 2014}} Serie A in Italy, Ligue 1 in France, La Liga in Spain, the Premier League in England,{{cite news|title=Premier League referees will use vanishing spray in new season|date=30 July 2014|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jul/30/premier-league-introduce-vanishing-spray|newspaper=The Guardian|last=Meagher|first=Gerard|access-date=18 August 2014}} 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,{{cite news|last=Migliaccio|first=Val|title=The A-League set to use vanishing spray after popularity during World Cup and Barclays Premier League|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/the-aleague-set-to-use-vanishing-spray-after-popularity-during-world-cup-and-barclays-premier-league/story-e6frf4gl-1227028389134?nk=289a2979645f92076b95bd4f02659d6d|agency=The Advertiser|newspaper=Fox Sports (Australia)|access-date=18 August 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819095903/http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/the-aleague-set-to-use-vanishing-spray-after-popularity-during-world-cup-and-barclays-premier-league/story-e6frf4gl-1227028389134?nk=289a2979645f92076b95bd4f02659d6d|archive-date=2014-08-19}} the Thai Premier League, the Primeira Liga in Portugal,{{cite web|title=Garrafas de Spray nas competições profissionais|language=pt|trans-title=Spray cans in professional competitions|url=http://www.ligaportugal.pt/noticias/garrafas-de-spray-nas-competicoes-profissionais/|publisher=Liga Portugal|access-date=27 November 2014}} the Ekstraklasa in Poland,{{cite web|title=Premier League jak Ekstraklasa|language=pl|trans-title=Premier League like Ekstraklasa|url=http://www.ekstraklasa.org/premier-league-jak-ekstraklasa|publisher=Ekstraklasa|access-date=25 February 2017}} the Danish Superliga,{{cite news|url=http://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/fodbold/dansk_fodbold/superligaen/superligaen-indfoerer-nyt-redskab/5451124|lang=da|last=Davidsen|first=Martin|trans-title=The Superliga introduces a new tool|agency=Tipsbladet|newspaper=Ekstra Bladet|title=Superligaen indfører nyt redskab|date=20 February 2015}} the Indian Super League,{{cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/sports/football/at-cfl-vanishing-spray-appears-in-indian-football-for-very-first-time/|title=At CFL, vanishing spray appears in Indian football for very first time|date=11 August 2014|work=The Indian Express|last=Chakrabarty|first=Shamik}} the J-League in Japan,{{cite news|url=http://footballchannel.asia/2015/02/24/post2313/|title=J-League introduces vanishing spray for 2015 Season|last=Orlowitz|first=Dan|date=2015-02-24|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520081842/http://footballchannel.asia/2015/02/24/post2313/|archive-date=2015-05-20|website=FootballChannel.Asia}} and the V.League 1 in Vietnam.{{cite news|title=Trọng tài V.League được trang bị bình xịt tự hủy|date=2 March 2016|language=vi|url=https://znews.vn/trong-tai-vleague-duoc-trang-bi-binh-xit-tu-huy-post630741.html|trans-title=The V.League referee is equipped with a self-destructing spray|last=Tùng|first=Lê|work=Zing News}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://soccerlens.com/should-football-introduce-the-vanishing-spray/87344/ Should football introduce the 'Vanishing Spray'?]
- [http://www.goal.com/en/news/1675/goalcom-polls/2012/02/20/2917668/copa-america-vanishing-spray-backed-for-global-introduction Should Copa America 'Vanishing Spray' be introduced globally]
- [https://www.vanishingspray.com/ What is Vanishing Spray]