The Vanishing Spray
At a free kick, the defenders’ wall is only about 3 metres from the ball. What should the referee do?
When a team takes a free kick, the opponents must stay at least 9.15 metres away, the old measure of ten yards. For decades, walls of defenders crept forward as soon as the referee turned his back. Then referees got a simple tool: a can of foam.
Foam that disappears
The spray comes out as a bright white foam. It contains water, a foaming agent and a mix of light gases. When the gases evaporate, the foam collapses, and after about a minute the line has disappeared from the grass without leaving a mark.
From South America to the world
The best-known version was developed by Argentine journalist and inventor Pablo Silva and named after the free kick distance. The spray was used in several leagues and competitions, including Major League Soccer in North America, before its first World Cup in Brazil in 2014. Since then it has become a normal part of a referee’s kit.
How referees use it
The referee marks the spot of the ball, then paces out 9.15 metres and draws a line in front of the wall. Defenders who cross the line before the kick can be cautioned.
Rule card
Distance9.15 m (10 yards)
Disappears afterAbout a minute
Known version byPablo Silva, Argentina
First World Cup2014, Brazil
Used forFree kicks
The referee paced out the distance, and the wall often crept forward again when he turned around.