Don’t panic, the fields aren’t being re-marked nor are teams being sabotaged. The vanishing spray is actually part of a trial being conducted by referees at FIFA’s top youth event.
The spray is aimed at giving match officials the opportunity to mark a line on which the defending team must line up its defensive wall before a free kick is taken.
Produced by the Argentinian company Fair Play 9.15 Limit, the spray marks a white line on the grass, which indicates clearly any attempted encroachment by players aimed at narrowing the angle or affecting the taking of the free-kick.
The spray is non-contaminating foam that can be used on grass, synthetic and dirt pitches, and disappears between 45 seconds and two minutes of being applied. It is being used on a trial basis in all 52 matches of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey.
All referees deployed in Turkey are on the list of candidates for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, and each received technical and practical instruction during the preparation seminar last month in Rio de Janeiro.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) approved the spray’s use during the board’s 126th Meeting in Surrey, Great Britain, on 5 March, 2012, and determined that any confederation, member association or league could use it in the future.
For more on the world game go to www.fifa.com

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