SportsHCI 2025: Annual Conference on Human-Computer Interaction and Sports DesignLab - University of Twente Enschede, Netherlands, November 17-19, 2025

Conference website	http://sportshci.com/
Submission link	https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=sportshci2025
Submission deadline	April 17, 2025

We are delighted to announce the upcoming Sports HCI Conference, a premier gathering for researchers, practitioners, and enthusiasts to explore the intersection of sports and human-computer interaction (HCI). This conference aims to foster collaboration and share insights on how technology is transforming sports, enhancing athlete performance, and enriching fan experiences.

The conference will take place on November 17-19, 2025, at the University of Twente (Netherlands) as a full in-person conference.

Accepted papers will appear in the Proceedings of the SportsHCI Conference in the ACM Digital Library. Following the new ACM publishing model for conference proceedings, all accepted SportsHCI 2025 papers will be published Open Access. Please consult the section Proceedings and Publication Fees below to understand the implications.

The Starting Line: Moving the Future of Sports and Technology

The SportsHCI Conference invites submissions that redefine how athletes, coaches, analysts, fans, and technology intersect to shape the future of sports. Centered around the theme The Starting Line: Moving the Future of Sports and Technology, this inaugural edition is dedicated to advances in human-computer interaction that enhance athletic performance, improve training and recovery, enrich fan engagement, and foster ethical, inclusive sports experiences.

We seek contributions that engage with a broad range of topics - from wearable technology and data analytics to immersive experiences, social and organizational dynamics, user-centered design, accessibility, and ethics. Join us at the starting line as we build a future where sports and technology move forward together, benefiting athletes, fans, and communities alike.

Important Dates

All times are in Anywhere on Earth (AoE) time zone. When the deadline is day D, the last time to submit is when D ends AoE. Navigate to the time.is website if you're not sure.

• Submission system opens: 13 March 2025
• Submission deadline for full papers: 17 April 2025
• PC meeting: 12 June 2025
• Decision notification: 17 June 2025
• Final formatted (camera-ready) version: 18 August 2025

Submission platform

Please submit your papers on Easychair by the submission deadline.All information can be edited up to the submission deadline. After the submission deadline, no changes will be allowed to the author list and order. Please review the ACM Policy on Authorship for more information. 

Contribution types and areas

As this community develops, we are looking forward to reviewing a range of paper types, which will all be included in our proceedings. We welcome the following types of contributions, each reviewed on its own merits:

• Empirical Studies: We encourage submissions of well-designed empirical studies that employ robust methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative, to investigate pertinent questions in SportsHCI and that contribute significantly to knowledge in the field. Studies with longitudinal designs, providing valuable insights over extended periods, are particularly encouraged. These contributions should provide empirical evidence to inform theoretical frameworks, practical applications, or in-depth understanding of the use of technology in sports practices.
• Reviews/Meta-Analyses: We encourage comprehensive reviews or meta-analyses that critically assess and synthesize existing literature, thereby providing valuable insights into the state-of-the-art in SportsHCI. Such contributions should offer an in-depth analysis of key trends, knowledge gaps, grand challenges, and future research directions.
• Frameworks and Theoretical Contributions: The conference welcomes theoretical and conceptual papers that present innovative ideas, hypotheses, or paradigms relevant to SportsHCI. These submissions should demonstrate a deep understanding of the subject matter and pave the way for future empirical investigations.
• Methodological Contributions: Papers introducing novel methodologies, data collection techniques, or analytical approaches addressing specific SportsHCI challenges. Such contributions should highlight the potential impact of the proposed methodologies on the advancement of the field.
• Case Studies: Authors are invited to submit case studies that present unique and impactful instances within SportsHCI. These cases should not only contribute to theoretical knowledge but also have significant implications for the design and implementation of strategies, interventions, or solutions. Submissions demonstrating innovative approaches to solving real-world problems are highly valued.

We invite submissions on a broad range of topics related to Sports HCI, including but not limited to:

Wearable Technology and Interactive Systems in Sports

• Development and evaluation of wearable devices and interactive systems for performance tracking, injury prevention, and rehabilitation.
• Integration of interactive technologies in sports equipment and facilities.
• Empirical studies on wearable and interactive systems used in sports practices.

Data Analytics and Visualization

• Advanced methods for collecting, analyzing, and visualizing sports data.
• Real-time analytics for decision-making in coaching and gameplay.

User Experience (UX) and Interface Design for Sports and Movement

• Design and evaluation of intuitive interfaces for athletes, coaches, and fans.
• User studies of sports applications and platforms.

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in SportsHCI

• Applications of VR and AR in training, simulation, and fan engagement.
• Immersive experiences for remote spectatorship.
• Cognitive and perceptual impacts of immersive sports technologies.
• Simulated environments for injury recovery and rehabilitation

Interaction Design for Sports Equipment

• Innovative designs that enhance interaction with sports gear.
• Haptic feedback and sensor integration in equipment.

Accessibility and Inclusivity in Sports and Movement

• Technologies that make sports more accessible to individuals with disabilities.
• Inclusive design practices in sports technology development.
• Cross-cultural user studies in global sports applications.

Gamification and Motivation in Sports

• Use of gamification to boost athlete motivation, engagement, and performance.
• Exergames for training, rehabilitation and performance enhancement.
• Behavioral change techniques in sports training apps.

Human-AI collaboration in Sports

• AI-driven decision support tools for coaches and analysts.
• Virtual coaches and AI-based trainings.
• Explainable AI for sports applications.

Social and organizational aspects of sports

• Technology-mediated social dynamics in sports

Social Media and Fan Engagement

• Enhancing fan experiences through social media platforms.
• Interactive technologies for live events and broadcasts.

eSports and Competitive Gaming

• HCI studies on eSports players and the broader eSports ecosystem (e.g., streamers, coaches, etc.)
• Player Performance and Biometric Tracking in eSports
• Training Tools and Skill Development for eSports
• Cross-disciplinary studies between traditional sports and eSports.

Ethics, Privacy and Data Security

• Addressing ethical concerns in the collection and use of sports data.
• Privacy-preserving technologies and regulations compliance.
• Ethical design in performance-enhancing technologies
• Ethical concerns and "dark side" of eSports (e.g., cheating, toxic behaviors, stress).
• Ethical issues of AI in sports decision-making

Submission Guidelines

Authors are invited to submit original research papers, case studies, or position papers that have not been published or submitted elsewhere. Submissions should adhere to the following guidelines.

Please submit your papers through the conference submission system Easychair by the deadline on April 17, 2025.

Paper length and format

Authors are invited to submit papers of a length commensurate with their contribution (minimum 6 pages). There is no upper page limit; we encourage comprehensive literature reviews and complete appendices or supplementary material for transparency. As an indication, the length of typical submissions is expected to be approximately 7,000--10,000 words, excluding references, figure/table captions, and appendices.

All papers must be written in English. Papers should be formatted in accordance with the single-column ACM SIGCHI format. Online guidance is available: Submitting Articles to ACM Journals. Templates are available for the following platforms:

• Microsoft Word
• LaTeX (Use sample-manuscript.tex for submissions, and use \documentclass[manuscript, review, anonymous]{acmart\}.)
• Overleaf (Latex) (or search for ACM Conference Proceedings Primary Article)

Reviewers will review the papers in the single-column format. Accepted papers will later be processed and transformed into the ACM double-column publication format.

We will consider for desk rejection papers whose length is incommensurate with their contributions, with particular scrutiny on papers below 6000 words and above 12000 words.

Responsibility for obtaining permission to use video, audio, or pictures of identifiable people or proprietary content rests with the author(s), not the ACM or the SportsHCI conference. Please anticipate that formal permission for each third-party content used in the submission will be requested at the publication-ready deadline.

Anonymization policy

Papers should keep the identities of the authors hidden -- please remove all identifying information from the text and metadata, and please cite your own work in the 3rd person. This includes identifiable information in the Method section (e.g., location where the study is conducted, partnering organizations) and acknowledgements (grant number of funding agency, names of colleagues).

Inclusivity

Authors should ensure their work and writing are as inclusive as possible; where this is not possible, it should be acknowledged. For example, authors should use gender-inclusive language when developing their papers (see e.g., HCI Guidelines for Gender Equity and Inclusivity) and consider what communities their work is -- and is not -- supporting, as well as their geographical context.

Peer-reviewing process

Papers will be assessed following a double-blind peer-review process, receiving at least 3 reviews. The selection process will follow a single-decision program committee meeting.

We will consider for desk rejection papers whose length is incommensurate with their contributions, not properly anonymized, not formatted according to the template, or out of the scope of the conference (e.g., work not grounded in HCI).

Proceedings and publications fees

At least one author of each accepted paper needs to be registered to the conference and must present their contribution at the SportsHCI conference, in person in Entschede (Netherlands).

Accepted papers will appear in the Proceedings of the SportsHCI conference in the ACM Digital Library. Following the new ACM publishing model for conference proceedings, all accepted SportsHCI 2025 papers will be published Open Access. This is a condition to the acceptance of your paper, and no exception will be made.

Important note to authors about the new ACM open access publishing model

ACM has introduced a new open access publishing model for the International Conference Proceedings Series (ICPS). Authors based at institutions that are not yet part of the ACM Open program and do not qualify for a waiver will be required to pay an article processing charge (APC) to publish their ICPS article in the ACM Digital Library. To determine whether or not an APC will be applicable to your article, please follow the detailed guidance here: Open Access Guidance for ICPS Authors

Further information may be found on the ACM website, as follows:Full details of the new ICPS publishing model: New Open Access Model for ICPS: Frequently Asked QuestionsFull details of the ACM Open program: Open Access Publication & ACMPlease direct all questions about the new model to icps-info@acm.org

Important notice: The payment deadline for applicable APCs is 45 days prior to the start of the conference. The co-authors on a paper are jointly responsible for ensuring timely payment of the applicable article processing charge (APC) for that paper. If the APC remains unpaid 90 days after the initial due date, all authors on the paper will be prohibited from contributing to any ACM venue (including ACM journals, conferences, magazines, and books) until the payment is completed.

Technical Program Chairs

Armağan Karahanoğlu, University of Twente

Amon Rapp, University of Torino