"Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play…it is war minus the shooting."
The vanishing spray
Millions of fans were fascinated to see the referees at this World Cup use a magic spray to mark where a free-kick should be taken from and where the defenders were required to stand.The line which the referee draws helps them better see defenders encroaching during a free-kick. It's also intended to prevent any unnecessary delays that are known to occur when the ref has to delay the game to send the players back.
The magic spray comes in an aerosol can attached to referee’s shorts. It's a non-toxic white spray to make sure that the line is visible on a green pitch, which evaporates quickly, disappearing within 60 seconds.
There is no reference to spray in the Laws of the Game so currently individual governing bodies decide if it should be used.
While it was new to most people at this year’s world cup, it's actually been used prior to this year's World Cup tournament. For several years now Brazil and Argentina have made use of the markings for domestic football. It was trialled at international level during last summer's Under-20 World Cup and at the Club World Cup last December. UEFA will use it in Champions’ League and Europa League from next season.
2010 World Cup final referee, Howard Webb, said: “It will assist us in getting the players back at a free-kick and, in turn, that gives the attacking team a better opportunity of creating something from that set-piece”.
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