Argentine Football to Use “Vanishing Spray” for Free Kicks

By: Daryl | July 18th, 2008

I know, sounds silly, but it’s true. The Argentina Football Association has agreed that next season’s Argentine Second Division will feature vanishing spray.

What’s vanishing spray and what use is it in the Argentine Second Division you ask? All is revealed below.

Sadly the “vanishing spray” isn’t something you can squirt at annoying players. The ref can’t cover Ashley Cole in the stuff and make him disappear (though someone should probably invent that.) Basically the “vanishing spray” is used to mark out the 10 yards the defensive wall should be from the ball at free kicks. The ref paces out ten yards from the ball and marks a white line with the spray, then the wall can’t step over that line or they’re encroaching.

Why’s it called vanishing spray? Because the line disappears within a minute. The spray was invented by sports journalist Pablo Silva.

“It started seven or eight years ago when I was playing in an championship played amongst former school members,” he told Reuters.
“In the 88th minute, we were losing 1-0 and won a free kick on the edge of the area. When I took the kick, the wall was three metres away. The referee didn’t book anyone and didn’t do anything.

“We lost the game and driving home later, with a mixture of anger and bitterness, I thought that we must invent something to stop this.”
He added: “We have observed more than 1,500 matches all over the world and we have studied how long it takes to take the free kick and how far the defensive wall moves forward.
“We have proved this is not just an Argentine problem, it happens everywhere.”
“Hopefully, this can contribute to enforcing the current rules and improve the time that the ball is in play,” he said.

Like all the best inventions, this is either a stroke of genius or totally bonkers. Sounds good in theory, and very practical, but I can’t help thinking that Argentinian Second Division referees are going to feel a bit silly doing grafitti all over the picth every time there’s a free kick.

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Category: South America

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Nolan

There is already a way to make C-Ron disappear - it's called pressure.
Weston (@wpazzurri)

how the heck did that .com get there? this isnt my computer, and i must have accidentally hit paste...wierd
Weston (@wpazzurri)

Tommy Smith is cool! We need Christie Ron-Ron to use it on him self. Tell him itll make him look good and give him football skills.com
Bruno Romani

that has been invented in brazil and it's been used for quite some time.
moka

lol Tre.. good point..

it'll look weird.. the ref taking steps and then spraying a line.. what if he can't spray a straight line? do they get a ruler?
Tre

So does this mean that the referee runs around for 90 mins with a spray can in his hand? Or do referees get a new accessory? A belt with a pocket to hold the spray can...
Fabio Almeida

This spray is already used in Brazil for the last three, four years. It is foamy and after a while it disappears. It is used to mark the free-kick barrier. I think that it is not used worldwide because its inventor in brazilian and may not split with Fifa the profit. If it was an Adidas invention you'd already see it on worlwide pitches.
Ryan

I like this a lot actually, sounds like a good idea.
Josh

Haven't they already used this in Italy?
Laurie

Can they use it in the ESPN booth to make Tommy Smyth disappear?