Call for Papers for Play the Game 2022

In the summer of 2022, Play the Game will for the 12th time open the doors for four days of intense debate on the hotspots in international sports politics. Play the Game 2022 will take place in the Danish city of Odense from 27-30 June and marks a quarter of a century in pursuit of democracy, transparency and freedom of expression in sport.

Since 1997, the Play the Game conferences have helped to raise international awareness of key sports topics, thanks to the conference's many insightful, creative and brave presenters and panellists.

In this ‘Call for Papers’, Play the Game 2022 invites all academics, journalists, representatives from sports organisations and other stakeholders to contribute knowledge, experience and debate at the upcoming conference.

In Play the Game’s context, abstracts/storylines are not exclusively meant to reflect scientific work. Also journalistic content and personal experiences that are relevant for the international sports debate is welcomed. It is however possible to have a classic academic review if you wish so (see below).

Although no topics are excluded in advance, Play the Game and its programme committee have selected a number of headlines that are expected to be particularly relevant:

• Recovering from COVID: Finding a cure for sport
• Human rights in sport: Duty or dilemma?
• #sporttoo: Is abuse a matter of individual misconduct or a system failure?
• Activism from athletes and fans: New occupants in the powerhouse of sport
• Who can best provide integrity? Sport and governments in a tug-of-war
• CAS: Who controls the court of sport?
• Winds of change: The role of sport in climate change
• Advancing technology: Towards a new normal

You can find more detailed information about what is behind the headlines on the conference website.

Submit your abstract/storyline
Deadline for abstract/storyline submission is Monday 7 March, 2022. 

Submit your abstract here

Notifications on approval of abstracts will be sent by e-mail no later than Monday 11 April 2022 for those who have submitted an abstract by the first deadline.

Later submissions may be considered, but please observe that early registration is strongly recommended due to high occupation of hotel rooms in the region that week.

Please note that the registration price for abstract submitters will be calculated as of the day of the abstract submission. If your abstract was submitted before the early bird registration deadline, you will be entitled to the discount. Read more about registration and conference fees here.

Abstracts/storylines will be peer reviewed by leading academics, journalists, and sports practitioners from the 2022 conference Programme Committee.

Academic abstracts will be peer reviewed by academic members of the committee in a double-blind process.

The length of the abstract/storyline is maximum 500 words, excluding references.

Upon approval of abstract/storyline, the author(s) will be offered either a 10 minutes’ speaking slot or relevant spots in alternative session formats (e.g. workshops, round tables). Please note that we are currently developing new formats for the sessions in order to ensure a more vivid and interactive conference experience. You will be informed about the format of your session in due time before the conference.

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 above-mentioned themes
• whose abstracts are not accepted in the peer review process
• who offer contributions of a more informal character
• who submit last-minute registrations

In the Open Forum, speakers are typically given a seven-minute timeslot to present their main points. Like with other sessions, we may set up alternative formats for the exchange.

Manage your own session and launch your projects
Individuals, research groups, organisations, or companies that wish to organise their own sessions, may do so upon further agreement. Organising your own session will typically imply a responsibility of inviting a small group of presenters/panellists for the purpose.

Also, if you are preparing a major research project, a campaign, or similar initiatives with relevance for the international sports debate, Play the Game 2022 invites you to use our conference to launch your project internationally.

Play the Game expects the participation of at least 100 journalists representing media across the globe which makes the conference an ideal platform for reaching a worldwide audience and building lasting working relations.

Please contact Play the Game’s head of conference, Stanis Elsborg, to discuss how coordinated action can be taken (details below).

Questions and contact
Abstract submission or programme issues: Head of conference Stanis Elsborg, stanis@playthegame.org, or cell phone +45 61 77 49 15

Logistics: Conference Manager Maria Suurballe, maria@playthegame.org or cell phone +45 20 20 68 38.

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