14 DAY TRIAL // The 2014 FIFA World Cup debuted this past June 12, and the football enthusiasts could not be happier. Sporting events aside, it would appear that this year's Cup aims to impress people by showcasing all sorts of innovative technologies.
Thus, media reports say that, in an attempt to prevent cheating, referee Yuichi Nishimura used a vanishing spray to draw a line on the ground and thus make sure that players executing free-kicks were not sabotaged by encroaching defenders.
According to Daily Mail, this vanishing spray has until now been used solely in domestic leagues in Brazil and Argentina. Apparently, the spray leaves a white mark on the ground, which disappears after about one minute.
This means that, as soon as the free-kick is done with, the line disappears into oblivion, possibly petting itself on the back for having done such a good job preventing cheating. Interestingly enough, this June 12 was the first time such a spray was used at the World Cup.
The white line created with the help of this vanishing spray was drawn at a distance of precisely 9.15 meters (30 feet) from the location of the player executing the free-kick. Usually, defenders try to reduce this distance to make it more difficult for their opponent to kick the ball over their heads.