Football is a sport where an official is required to referee. However, when there are human elements in decision-making, there's always a chance of making mistakes.
That is why, just as technology has crept into every aspect of life, it also did in football matches to combat mistakes. Goal-line and Video Assistant Referee (VAR) are some, but they come with a hefty cost, something not every league can afford.
That said, there is an invention costing only 300 THB ($8.25 USD), received well by everyone associated with football.
The invention is the Vanishing Spray, a piece of affordable equipment that could solve a crucial issue in football.
How did this magnificent and affordable technology come to be? Find out with Main Stand.
Before the invention of the magic spray
Freekicks have been a big part of football for a long time, and the earliest evidence found on freekicks was in the rulebooks for the England football association in 1863.
Where there is a freekick, there's also a wall. However, freekick walls in the past were not as far back as the ones today.
The wall is now 9.1 meters back, whereas, in the past, they were only 1m away. The distance was too close, which resulted in petitions to adjust the wall distance from the freekick.
The wall kept moving further and further away until the rules established themselves in 2000.
Once there is a rule, players will always try to find a way to take advantage of it. Even with regulations, players will be sly and cheeky to play around it or move the wall to get closer to the freekick. These are all the common tactics used.
These are massive issues for the football industry as when the referee's attention is on one team, the other team will always try to gain an advantage. Unfortunately, we have ignored this issue for years, and no one has tried to address it.
The process of both teams trying to gain an advantage during freekicks has become a norm. However, wouldn't it be better if we could play appropriately by the rules?
A simple solution without thinking too deep into it is marking the point clearly and adequately. For example, who would have thought an issue stuck with football for over 200 years could be solved easily with a can of white spray?
Drawing a simple line over the issue
The idea of spraying to indicate marks for the wall and freekick location started in 2000 from a group of Brazilian.
Led by Heine Allemagne, they utilize simple things like a can of spray in the top Brazil league, Brazil Series A, from the 2000-01 season.
One can contain 80% water, 17% Butane gas, 1% surfactant, and other substances that make up the last 2% (such as vegetable oil). These simple ingredients changed the world of football.
Allemagne did not only think about the marking as the spray has a unique property where the color will linger for about 30-60 seconds and then disappear.
Debuting the spray in the Brazil league had a great reception from the fans and competing teams. The inventors noticed this would be revolutionary for the football industry and hurried to get their patent which became official in 2002.
The Vanishing Spray was tested in different leagues and received well in all of them. It was well received that the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) considered it for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. After that, every league in the world adopted the Vanishing Spray in their matches.
No one could deny the effectiveness of the Vanishing Spray. Referees from the 2014 World Cup had high praises for the spray.
"It will assist us in getting the players back at a freekick and, in turn, that gives the attacking team a better opportunity of creating something from that set-piece," English referee Howard Webb said to BBC sports.
Meanwhile, another referee like Australia's Ben Williams, who had previous experience using the spray, only had good things to say about it.
"I tried it at the Fifa Under-20 World Cup (in Turkey), and to my surprise, I appreciated it. We started this project in September 2012, two years before the tournament, the same time the teams began their qualifying. I think this will be the best World Cup for the referees.
"Players respect it," he said. "It's a great innovation, and I'm looking forward to using it."
The Vanishing Spray debuted in the opening match between Brazil and Croatia in the 2014 World Cup. That match was the turning point for the football industry and Heine Allamagne's life.
More research, more discovery
The debate of the spray ended after the 2014 World Cup when every league adopted the can for themselves. However, the story of Heine Allemagne has only started.
Allemagne shared the story of his invention in the most prominent football event. The news was so overwhelming that he started running without realizing it as proof that his past 14 years spent on the spray were the right decision.
"I spent 14 years inventing a can of spray. After the referees started to use them in matches, all the haters and doubters all disappeared. I told myself I wasn't a fool and this was not in vain. It was worth it," said Allemagne to The Mirror.
"I had no commercial ambition. I wanted to develop the product. Perhaps there will be some financial side, but that can come later. I wanted to get a product perfect for football.
"Some people needed convincing. Blatter was skeptical in the beginning but then realized this solved a football problem.
"Some people did not think it was necessary or would act as enough deterrent to keep people behind the line. But they changed their minds."
Allemagne looked back to when he had life struggles. Then, as an inventor, he was mocked and seen as a fool, especially when perfecting the Vanishing Spray. No one cared about the wall distance and used the excuse that it's another charm of the sport.
"My family was poor. We cramped up in a small room. I never got new clothes or new toys. My parents sent me out to work since I was 8," Allemagne added.
Allemagne's life struggles led to him having the opportunity to try his hands at everything. As a result, the spray inventor spent a lot of time developing and presenting the product to football associations, including FIFA.
While the spray was still under the radar, Allemagne had to work to the limit. He was fully invested in his invention and barely had time to see his children and family.
He lived as a broke person for a while, and finally, his efforts paid off. Once the spray was presented to the former head of FIFA, Blatter, they bought the idea. And, his life reached a turning point where all of his efforts saw fruition.
Allemagne received royalties for the product and made himself a fortune. Just from the 2014 World Cup, he received around £500,000, and his invention that was once dubbed useless changed his life.
"If I said I'm not doing it for the money, it would be a lie. This spray represents my constant fighting for 14 years. I spent money and time on this one invention. I spent the time I was supposed to spend with my family and watching my kids grow on this can. I gave this can everything I had."
Present day, the Vanishing Spray is available on the internet at €6.90 per can. Since the 2014 World Cup, the spray has been used on fields worldwide. Every spray meant money in the bank for this inventor, Heine Allemagne.
At this point, everyone knows who has the last laugh.
Sources:
https://theconversation.com/football-the-wall-can-make-it-harder-to-save-free-kicks-new-research-151869
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2095422-fifa-world-cup-2014-what-you-need-to-know-about-referees-vanishing-spray
https://www.theguardian.com/football/when-saturday-comes-blog/2022/may/13/football-free-kick-vanishing-spray-invention
https://worldsoccertalk.com/2014/11/14/football-league-decides-to-jump-on-board-the-vanishing-spray-bandwagon/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanishing_spray
https://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/12/tech/innovation/world-cup-vanishing-spray/index.html
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2690451/World-Cup-vanishing-spray-inventor-Heine-Allemagne-set-millionaire.html
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-world-spray-idUSKBN0FC29M20140707
