A vanishing spray, or most commonly known as the vanishing foam, is a substance being applied to the field to mark or to provide a temporary visual marker, especially for the penalty kicks. This is often used by the referees to show the team’s distance where someone is making a direct free kick. A vanishing foam is only temporary marking and is used mainly in high-leveled competitions, such as the FIFA World Cup.
The History of the Vanishing Spray
This was invented in 2000 by a Brazilian inventor named Heine Allemagne and first named it “Spuni” which was derived from the word “espuma”, meaning foam. This was used in the following year during the 2001 Brazilian Championship. The usage of the spray was approved by the majority of the sports analysts and football referees. Since then, the spray is used during big international football connections.
The Technical Details on How this Foam was Made
The vanishing foam is made out of 80% water, 17% butane gas, surfactant, vegetable oil, and other ingredients. The butane can only expand when the holder is spraying the foam from the can. Upon release, the butane will evaporate instantly while forming bubbles of gas, which is stabilized. A few minutes later, the bubbles will collapse and vanish, while the water can only be left to the ground.
The Usage of the Vanishing Spray
When the vanishing spray was approved by the football committee, the purpose is always to use this as a marking for the direct penalty kick. There were times that referees had to remind the players to stay where they are as the player is taking their penalty kick. This is also used not to intimidate the player from losing their kick. The marking will disappear after one minute of applying it to the ground.
Controversy about the Vanishing Spray
Even if the vanishing foam were highly effective into mark football grounds and imposing discipline among players, still this has brought controversy. It was in 2018 when the inventor of the vanishing spray relayed to the media how FIFA wasn’t able to pay him for the spray, despite producing them. Even though this was highly regarded by the Brazilian, unfortunately, FIFA continued to ignore the case.