Hector Rio/European Pressphoto Agency

Copa América, which was played in Argentina last month, marked the debut of the vanishing spray in an international tournament for national teams. This technological innovation consists of a can with white spray that allows referees to mark the place where the ball ,as well as the defensive wall,should be located on free kicks. Said marks vanish rapidly, leaving no trace on the field. In addition, the application of the vanishing spray is as easy as is its transportation.

The vanishing spray took hold after Argentine soccer officials introduced it in various tournaments, starting in 2008. Since then, several national governing bodies across the Americas followed suit. Even Major League Soccer adopted the vanishing spray earlier this year. Likewise, the South American confederation approved the use of the vanishing spray in the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudaméricana, two continental club tournaments. To introduce it in the Copa, the regional governing body secured last March the approval of the International Football Association Board (I.F.A.B.), the institution that determines the rules of the game.

Unsurprisingly, Copa América confirmed what has been verified in national and international tournaments for clubs across the Americas in the last few years: the vanishing spray is an effective refereeing device. First, it prevents defensive walls from creeping forward during free kicks. Second, it prevents players taking free kicks from moving the ball forward. Third, referees try their hardest to accurately and consistently establish the 10 yards between the ball and the defensive wall.

The use of the vanishing spray is conducive to the goal of refereeing by facilitating the execution of referees’ duties and has had an undeniable positive impact on soccer. For instance, it prevents the recurrent, unnecessary and tiresome disputes about the location of the defensive wall and the ball during free kicks as well as the ensuing irritation of everyone involved. Clearly, in front of the manifestly visible marks made possible by the vanishing spray, players are more respectful of the distance between the ball and the defensive wall stipulated by referees. In turn, this increases playing time, favors the flow of the game, and potentially leads to more goals scored from free kicks.

It is important to highlight that the benefits of the vanishing spray are related to two important ideas underlying its conceptualization and implementation. On the one hand, it guarantees competitive fairness by allowing referees to enforce the rules of the game more effectively. In other words, the vanishing spray furthers the conditions of fairness advocated in the rule book.

No wonder proponents of the vanishing spray insist that its use promote “fair play.” It obviously neutralizes the attempt to obtain an illegitimate advantage (the encroaching of the defensive wall and the moving forward of the ball). On the other hand, albeit related to the previous point, the vanishing spray fosters the central purpose of competitive soccer: the accurate measurement of relative abilities by the contestants’ mutual challenge under fair conditions (the advantages accepted and encouraged are only those permitted in the rulebook). By preserving competitive balance and fairness, the vanishing spray preserves the integrity of soccer.

Ivan Franco/European Pressphoto Agency

Before its implementation, critics argued that the vanishing spray would not work because players were accustomed to try to get an illegitimate advantage during free kicks by either creeping forward if they are on the defensive wall or by moving the ball forward if they are taking the free kick. Since its implementation, however, even if not perfect, the vanishing spray has proved to be effective in deterring such prohibited moves. That is, it has promoted a beneficial change in players’ behavior. The improved climate around free kicks is a most important effect of this simple refereeing technological innovation.

Backed by years of experience across the Americas, Copa América, as a major testing event, showed to global soccer audiences that there is no reason to oppose the use of this simple yet highly effective refereeing technological innovation. Given its undeniable advantages and the success of its implementation as well as the strength of the concepts underlying it, it is reasonable to expect that the use of the vanishing spray would soon extend beyond the Americas. The I.B.A.F. and FIFA would improve refereeing as much as advance the game and its integrity if they were to decisively approve and promote the use of the vanishing spray.

Interestingly, an eventual approval and promotion of the vanishing spray by the I.B.A.F. and the FIFA would make clear the need and appropriateness of an ample discussion on the future of refereeing, specially the role that new technology should play in it. Given these institutions’ traditional resistance to technological innovation in refereeing, it seems unlikely that they would start such discussion. The problem is that until that happens, the changes in refereeing will be partial and piecemeal.

This does not deny that there are significant differences between the vanishing spray and, for example, goal-line technology or instant replay, and that there are equally significant difficulties to evaluate and implement technological innovation in refereeing. What is needed to sort out these difficulties is a comprehensive theory of refereeing, which is inextricably tied to a conception of soccer at its best. Nevertheless, as partial a change as it is, the vanishing spray is a welcome addition to refereeing. The status quo is worse.

Cesar R. Torres is an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Sport Studies and Physical Education at the College at Brockport, State University of New York. He is also president of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport (2009-11).