Moriyasu’s whiteboard – Japan’s manager Hajime Moriyasu used a simple whiteboard during the 2-2 draw with the Netherlands, writing the game time so his players could see it clearly. The sideline tactic echoes how U.S. football coaches rely on signs and quick visual cues to communicat
Boston police joined in FIFA World Cup celebrations, stepping into the streets as officers were seen dancing and interacting with soccer fans.
That same sense of performance—public, fast, and visible—showed up on the pitch in a different way when Japan played the Netherlands in its opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In the middle of a 2-2 draw, manager Hajime Moriyasu turned heads with an unusual piece of equipment: a whiteboard.
Moriyasu said the point was straightforward. “It’s to let them know how much time is and what the time is,” he explained. He added that he noticed his players asking how much time it was, and that they couldn’t hear him. Writing the information down, he said, made it the easiest option. The board, in other words, wasn’t about style. It was about clarity at the exact moment timing matters.
What made the gesture travel beyond soccer is how familiar the method sounds in the United States. Coaches across different levels of football use visible cues—whiteboards. signs. and other sideline signals—to call plays and communicate roles. Nick Saban. Kirby Smart. Mario Cristobal. Dabo Swinney and other college football coaches have used signs with emojis to signal to the offense or defense which team roles to take.
In recent decades. many programs have become known for elaborate sideline messaging systems—cartoons. emojis. and other symbols designed to help communicate without exposing the plan to opponents. Moriyasu’s approach for Japan runs in the opposite direction. Instead of flashy emojis or complex signals, he relied on a single sign with a number on it.
The immediate payoff is practical: if the players can’t hear the coaching, they can still read the time. And once a tactic like that shows up on a World Cup bench. it has a way of sticking in the imagination of fans—especially when the game stays tight. like it did in Japan’s opening match against the Netherlands.
Look for the whiteboard to be on display again tonight against Tunisia.
Evan Waldman and Brooks Thomason are students in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
Hajime Moriyasu Japan vs Netherlands 2026 FIFA World Cup whiteboard coaching Tunisia match college football signals Nick Saban Kirby Smart Mario Cristobal Dabo Swinney sports media
So he just wrote the clock on a whiteboard? Honestly seems basic, like we been doing that forever.
I saw something about Boston police dancing?? How is that even related lol. But I guess if cops can dance for World Cup then soccer managers can write notes. Either way love the vibe.
Wait, does the whiteboard mean Japan was cheating on the clock or something? Like if they couldn’t hear him then why not just call it louder?? Sounds like a workaround but still seems kinda sus.
This is kinda wild to me because I swear I’ve seen college coaches with those little signs and emoji stuff for years. And now it’s like the World Cup bench is doing the same but with just a number, which feels… old school? Also it says he’ll use it vs Tunisia tonight—so if they lose, I’m gonna blame the whiteboard i guess, idk.