Expo-Line celebrates 30 years of innovation on the soccer field

On May 8, Expo-Line celebrated an anniversary at the OH Leuven stadium. Many partners and customers came to celebrate how the company has been the expert in line paint for sports fields for 30 years. Visitors were treated to a tour of the stadium, including a demonstration of the E-marker line marking machine on the field by OHL groundsman Luke Russell.

When soccer players were still coming home with burns from chalk lines, Expo-Line developed a ready-to-use line marking paint that is water-based, and respects the environment and players. In addition, the new line marking device, the E-marker, is economical and efficient. With just three liters of paint, an entire soccer field can be lined. That lineation was applied live on the OH Leuven turf in front of all attendees. The E-marker in combination with the performance paint creates a line that is much whiter and reflects harder than paint found elsewhere on the market. 

Vanishing spray

Expo-Line is known not only for lineation machines and products, but also for the Vanishings spray that the team was the first to market in 2014. That spray ensures that the wall stays at the correct distance during a free kick. According to classic soccer regulations, the wall must be 10 yards (about 9 meters) from the ball. The referee measures this distance by counting his own passes - not exactly the most accurate measuring device. That is why Expo-Line will soon launch a new Vanishingspray on the market, with built-in laser for measuring the distance correctly.

More precise measuring instrument

"We have been working on this development for five years," says case manager Raf Bogaerts. "When we launched the Vanishingspray back then, we immediately saw that there was improvement potential. The distance between the ball and the wall was often not accurate. We now solve this problem through the integrated laser meter incorporated in the device. The referee first puts the ball down, makes his passes and then shines the laser toward the ball to determine the exact distance."

In doing so, the new spray is more than just a tool to keep the wall at the correct distance. "It's really a measuring tool that keeps track of the data as well," Bogaerts continued. "There is a possibility to pull reports after the race. On those you will be able to see, among other things, how often the referee used the spray and how accurate the measurements were." 

Currently, Expo-Line is in talks with some key European federations to get the laser spray effectively on the field soon.