Call for Papers

The winds of change are sweeping with unseen force through international sport today.

Global events are facing skepticism, rejection or revolt. Competitions are watched with suspicions of doping or manipulation. The leaders of sport are seen as corrupt, even in cases where they are not.

And in everyday life, millions of people turn their backs on the sports clubs in order to pursue their desire for play and physical activity in parks, private gyms or other settings far from traditional sport.

An increasingly impatient world public demands more transparency, more democracy, more accountability and more sustainability from the international sports organisations.

But is sport able to change from within? If not, how long is the outside world ready to wait?

Play the Game 2015 invites all stakeholders in sport to make strategies that can address the multiple challenges that are inherent to modern sport: Match-fixing, doping, corruption, trafficking, exploitation and sedentary lifestyles, just to mention a few.

We invite academics, journalists, sports officials and other stakeholders to contribute with your knowledge, experience and opinions at Play the Game 2015 in Aarhus, Denmark, from 25-29 October – the ninth edition of a conference that has become a world leader in the international sports debate.

Whether as an academic, journalist, a sports official or in any other function your engagement is essential in order to find the solutions that society needs for sport and physical activity:

• Academics can play a key role by bringing comprehensive data, scientific methods and analytical skills into the process.
• Journalists have a special responsibility as they are often a part of the sporting environment, and they exercise strong influence on which issues appear on the political agenda.
• Sports officials face the double-edged duty of providing economic growth and increased participation, while at the same time ensuring more ethical governance, strict anti-doping measures and social sustainability.

Conference themes
Play the Game aspires to continue to be cutting edge in the international sports debate. The scope of issues raised at Play the Game is traditionally very broad, but we do try to focus conference content on some major themes.

We invite you to share your expertise and experience with leading stakeholders by submitting an abstract/storyline with relevance to one of these themes:

• The revolt against global events: A perfect storm for sport?
• Governments vs. fixers: Will the rule of law beat the law of the jungle?
• Good governance in sport: Setting standards, raising bars
• A new World Code against doping: Anybody willing to comply?
• The deadly disease of inactivity: Is the world ready for a cure?
• Transfers and trafficking: The human cost of broken dreams
• College sport in the USA: Unprotected amateurs in a billion-dollar business

If you are unsure if there is room for your area of expertise in the conference programme, do not hesitate to contact us (details below).

Open Forum
An Open Forum is also available to speakers:

• who address issues not covered by the main themes
• whose abstracts are not accepted in the peer review process
• who offer interventions/investigations of a more personal character
• who submit last-minute registrations

In the Open Forum, speakers are given a seven minute timeslot to present their main points.

Abstracts/storylines will be peer reviewed by leading academics, journalists and managers from the 2015 conference Programme Committee.

Academic abstracts will be peer reviewed by academics only.

Submit your abstract/storyline

N.B.: Abstract submission is closed

Please note that we are still accepting new abstracts and will process incoming contributions in a roling procedure.

The registration price for abstract submitters will be calculated as of the day of the abstract submission.  

Submit your abstract

The online submission system is managed by Ektimo I/S (Manuscript Manager).

International launch of research projects
If you are preparing a major research project or a campaign, why not use Play the Game 2015 to launch your project internationally?

Play the Game expects the participation of more than 100 journalists representing media across the globe and is an ideal platform for reaching a worldwide audience and building lasting working relations.

Please contact Play the Game’s international director Jens Sejer Andersen (details below) to discuss how coordinated action can be taken.

We thank you in advance for any help in distributing this message to friends, colleagues and others who share the goals of Play the Game: To promote democracy, transparency and freedom of expression in world sport.

Questions and contact:
Abstract submission: Communications officer Stine Alvad, stine@playthegame.org or direct office line +45 87 48 20 22.

Programme issues: International director Jens Sejer Andersen, jens@playthegame.org or cell phone +45 20 71 07 01.