Hajime Moriyasu will be leading Japan at the FIFA World Cup 2026. | Photo Credit: AP

After ‌Japan used football’s latest rule change to their advantage ​during a 1-0 friendly win over Iceland, coach Hajime ⁠Moriyasu warned his players they could also be hurt in the same way if they are not careful.

As part of a set of changes ‌made by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which will be applied from the 2026-27 season onwards as well as ‌at the World Cup, players have 10 seconds to ‌leave ⁠the field during substitutions.

If the player being substituted does ⁠not leave the pitch within 10 seconds, the substitute may enter only at the first stoppage after one minute has elapsed following the restart and the referee ​gives them the signal.

That rule ‌worked in Japan’s favour on Sunday, with Isak Thorvaldsson unable to come on in place of Kristian Hlynsson and Moriyasu’s side taking advantage to score via Koki Ogawa’s 87th-minute header.

“I thought the ‌players handled the new rule adjustments today with almost no ​issues,” Moriyasu told reporters.

“When we scored, I think Iceland were temporarily down one player. Situations like that ⁠can happen during substitutions, or when a player is returning to the pitch after treatment.

“Under the new rules, players won’t necessarily be able ‌to get back on the pitch as quickly as before. That’s something we need to be mindful of. Whether it’s during substitutions or in other moments, we need to avoid creating openings that give the opponent a chance.”

SEE ALSO: FIFA World Cup 2026: Full list of law changes that will come into effect at WC

Three-minute hydration breaks have also been introduced in each half, with Moriyasu saying he and his assistant coaches ‌would need to use that time efficiently to deliver instructions.

“In those three minutes, we ​have to organise the key points we need to get across and communicate them clearly to the players,” ⁠the 57-year-old added.

“Of course, whatever can be delivered verbally, we’ll do verbally. ⁠For the second half, we used a whiteboard because there were a number of changes we wanted to discuss...

“I ‌felt that how well we use those three minutes could have a major impact on the outcome of matches, so we ​want to prepare thoroughly.”

Published on Jun 02, 2026