Uefa has announced that
vanishing spray will be
introduced in all its
championship games,
following its successful trial
at this summer Fifa World
Cup in Brazil
The spray was a useful
invention at the Brazil
tournament and its
employed in marking the
position of free-kick and the
distance the defensive wall
must retreat.
It evaporates about a minute
after being spread on the
grass and it helps prevent
players from stealing
unallocated ground at free-
kicks.
The First-Ever Instance Vanishi
Opening 2014 World Cup Fixtu
“After a successful test at the
2014 UEFA European
Under-17 Championship in
Malta, I am pleased that the
Referees Committee decided
to approve the use of the
vanishing spray in our
senior competitions,”
explained UEFA President
Michel Platini .
The spray use received
positive feedback after it
was tried out at the Uefa
European U-17
Championships in May this
year.
European football’s
governing body says it will
make its debut in the Super
Cup game between winners
of the last season’s
Champions and Europa
Leagues, Real Madrid and
Sevilla respectively, next
Tuesday at the Millenium
Stadium, Cardiff, Wales.
UEFA’s chief refereeing
officer Pierluigi Collina
added: “In my opinion, there
is no doubt that the spray
allows the referees to have
an easier control in free-kick
situations, as players cannot
try to make the wall distance
shorter by using the so-
called ‘penguin walk’ tactic.
Once the defensive wall has
been correctly positioned,
the free-kick will be taken
with the distance
respected.”
It will be passed on to the
UEFA Champions League
from the play-off round
onward, and in the UEFA
Europa League from the
start of the group stage.
The Spray will also be a
regular item in every centre-
referee’s kit in the
qualification rounds for Euro
2016.
The English Premier League
earlier announced the spray
will be introduced in its next
campaign.
The spray has been in use in
the Brazilian and Argentine
leagues for several seasons.
