Call for academic papers and other contributions to Play the Game 2025

Play the Game invites academics, journalists, athlete representatives, sports officials, supporter groups, and other stakeholders in sport to contribute their research, knowledge, and experiences at our next conference in Tampere, Finland, on 5-8 October 2025.

Play the Game is a conference that brings together professionals from multiple fields to exchange insights, collaborate, and explore how their work can influence governance, policy, and integrity in international sport. With a uniquely open and dynamic atmosphere, Play the Game fosters dialogue and brings together diverse voices, fresh perspectives, and unfiltered insights. It’s a place to ask tough questions, challenge the status quo, and shed light on the most pressing challenges in sport.

Now, we invite all stakeholders to help shape the debates at the conference.

We welcome and encourage a broad range of contributions, from academic research and investigative journalism to personal testimonies and lived experiences. This is your opportunity to engage in dialogue and drive the conversations about the future of sport, as top experts, insiders, and reformers challenge each other on the direction of global sport.

If you wish to attend the conference without submitting an abstract, general registration is also available. Read more about registration and prices.

Key themes

Play the Game and its programme committee have selected several topics that are particularly relevant to discuss:

• The geopolitical power games in sport
• Safe sport: Protecting athletes and those who interact with sport
• Behind the game: Gambling, match-fixing, and exploitation in sport
• Inclusion and diversity: Breaking barriers in sport
• AI: An asset or a risk for sports?
• Sport, climate, and sustainability: Between authentic efforts and greenwashing
• ClearingSport: How can we best constrain corruption and crime in sport?
• Anti-doping: Can trust and transparency be restored?

Find more detailed information about the conference themes

Other themes

Although we have identified key themes, we also encourage submissions covering other topics under the ‘Open Forum’. These could include but are not limited to

• The role of sport in promoting, defending, and preserving human rights
• The European Model of Sport: Unity or Fragmentation?
• The political, economic and societal aspects of mega sporting events
• Ethical dilemmas in sponsorships and governance
• How to protect whistleblowers who expose corruption and abuse
• The evolving role of sports journalism in the digital age
• The relationship between the autonomy of sport and freedom of association

Please make sure you submit under the ‘Open Forum’ option if your subject does not fit within one of the key themes for the conference.