( CNN ) -- It 's been a World Cup notable for late drama in most of the matches and a high number of goals scored , particularly in the preliminary stages . New heroes like James Rodriguez of Colombia have also emerged , while modern technology has been introduced for the first time to decide if the ball has crossed the goal line . But for some , the real star of Brazil 2014 comes in a small spray can , a `` magic foam '' which allows referees to make sure players retreat the requisite 10 yards ( 9.15 meters ) when a free kick is awarded against them . Referees have been brandishing the spray with flourish , pacing out the distance then marking it with a line of the spray , over which they can see if a player has edged too close to the taker of the free kick . It has also been used to mark the exact location of a free kick , stopping players from gaining an advantage by edging forwards nearer the goal . Due to its properties of butane , isobutane , propane gas , water and other chemicals , the line on the pitch made by the spray quickly disappears . It is also environmentally friendly as it is biodegradable and does n't damage the pitch of the atmosphere . `` It is very good , '' FIFA president Sepp Blatter said of the spray 's impact . `` It disciplines the players . `` It gives the attacking teams the chance to take the free kick from the real distance , not from where the wall is always moving . `` Some players have said now we have nine meters but in our leagues we have six or seven meters . '' The brainchild of a former amateur player from Brazil , with a German-sounding name , Heine Allemagne , it was used as first used as far back as 2000 in a junior football tournament in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte . The spray was then known as `` Spuni , '' but after Allemagne joined forces in 2006 with an Argentine , journalist Pablo Silva , to refine the product , it has been renamed `` 9.15 Fair Play . '' The big breakthrough for the spray came in 2012 , when the IFAB ( the law-making body of the game ) authorized the product for international use . FIFA tested the spray in 2013 at its Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups and gave the go-ahead for this year 's senior showpiece soon after . `` It is literally a dream come true to see 9.15 Fair Play being used at this World Cup and seen by billions of people across the globe , '' said Allemagne . Judging by its success , with statistics pointing to more goals coming from free kicks and less time needed to take them , the little spray cans are set to be a permanent addition to the back pockets of referees for many years to come .
Special spray to mark out distances at free kicks being used in World Cup . FIFA gave go-ahead after successful tests in junior tournaments . The spray quickly disappears after being used by referee . Comment: