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RoboCup 2026 HSL Rules – v0.1 Preliminary Release
by Heinrich Mellmann 11 Feb '26

11 Feb '26

Dear teams, the first preliminary release of the RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League rules (v0.1) is now available. The rules are not final and will be updated based on ongoing TC discussions and team feedback. Any questions or comments are welcome via GitHub or Discord. Latest version: https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules/releases Best regards, Heinrich Mellmann On behalf of the Humanoid Soccer League Technical Committee. -- Dipl.-Math., Dipl.-Inf. Heinrich Mellmann Institut für Informatik Adaptive Systeme (RUD25, Raum 3.110) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Unter den Linden 6 Telefon: +49 (0)30 2093-41173 10099 Berlin E-mail: mellmann(a)informatik.hu-berlin.de URL: http://www.heinrich-mellmann.de http://naoth.de

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UPDATE: German Open - Register Until February 6, 2026
by Heinrich Mellmann 05 Feb '26

05 Feb '26

Dear Teams, here are few updates for the HSL at the German Open. 1. Registration ----------------------------------------- **REMINDER:** the Deadline for team and early member registration is **February 6, 2026** Please visit the registration site for more details: https://portal.robocup.de/registry We already have **13 registered teams** in all tree divisions (small, middle and large). If your team is not registered yet, **DO IT NOW!!!** Its going to be a great event! 2. Booster Pool & Repairs ----------------------------------------- We have great news: Booster Robotics will be the GermanOpen and will provide a pool of robots that teams can borrow for the games and will offer robot repairs. The current plan for the pool is: - 10 x Booster K1 - 6 x Booster T1 3. Maxtronics NAO-Clinic ----------------------------------------- More great news (in case you didn't read the official announcement by Maxtronics): Maxtronics (former Aldebaran) will provide a NAO-clinic at the German Open! So bring your NAOs, we will have great games in the small-Division! 4. Fields ----------------------------------------- We are planing for 3 Fields: * Field A: - Division: small - Goal: 1,8m x 1,2m - Field size (field lines): 9.0m x 6.0m - Turf: 8-12mm * Field B: - Division: middle - Goal: 2,4m x 1,6m - Field size (field lines): 9.0m x 6.0m - Turf: 20–30mm * Field C: - Division: middle, large - Goal: 2,6m x 1,8m (HL Adult size goals) - Field size (field lines): 14.0m x 9.0m - Turf: 20–30mm 5. Ball ----------------------------------------- We are planing to use the official FIFA world cup 26 ball. * small: - FIFA 26 Trionda Mini Ball, Size 1 - Examples: - International: https://store.fifa.com/product/fifa-world-cup-26-trionda-mini-ball - Germany: https://www.adidas.de/en/fifa-world-cup-26-trionda-mini-ball/JD8034.html * middle: - FIFA 26 Trionda Ball, Size 3 (as planed for the RoboCup) * large: - FIFA 26 Trionda Ball, Size 5 (as planed for the RoboCup) 6. Team Leader Meeting (Early Announcement) ----------------------------------------- We would like to invite team leaders of all registered teams to an online meeting where we would discuss the divisions, game schedule, ball and other issues and concerns. After the end of the team-registration phase, we will send around a questionnaire to find an appropriate date and time that works for all teams. Best, - Heinrich Local League Chair for Humanoid Soccer League (HSL). On behalf of the local German RoboCup Committee -- RoboCup Komitee Deutschland (RKD). -- Dipl.-Math., Dipl.-Inf. Heinrich Mellmann Institut für Informatik Adaptive Systeme (RUD25, Raum 3.110) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Unter den Linden 6 Telefon: +49 (0)30 2093-41173 10099 Berlin E-mail: mellmann(a)informatik.hu-berlin.de URL: http://www.heinrich-mellmann.de http://naoth.de

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[RoboCup] Review team applications until Feb. 20th
by Sebastian Stelter 05 Feb '26

05 Feb '26

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HSL Rules Draft Update – January 31st, 2026
by Heinrich Mellmann 01 Feb '26

01 Feb '26

Dear teams, in the past weeks the Technical and the Executive Committee have done significant work on finalizing the rules for the Humanoid Soccer League rule book for RoboCup 2026. At the moment the last major point are being finalized. The first official draft of the rules is expected to be ready within the coming week and will be sent in a separate email. The most up-to-date version will always be available at: https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules **IMPORTANT**: This is a work-in-progress draft and will be subject to ongoing revisions. --------------------------------------------- ## Key Decisions Made Based on recent Technical Committee meetings, here are the major decisions incorporated into this draft: ### Tournament Structure Due to the number of teams, it is likely that a full round robin is not possible. As such, a Swiss - or similar - tournament structure will likely be adopted. Seeding to be discussed at a later date. ### Whistle Detection Listening for the whistle will be included in the standard game of soccer: - Teams will only be expected to listen to the whistle for the transition of the game state from "set" to "playing", for kick-offs, drop-ball, and penalty kicks. - There will be a 10s delay for the "playing" signal from GameController. ### Communication Limits Communication between the robots is event-based with a limited number of packages available to each team during a game (like in SPL). The packet limits are set to allow HL teams to transition to limited event-based communication. - A team has a budget of 12.000 UDP messages per game. Each message should have maximum size of 512-byte. - Messages must be sent as UDP-broadcast and will be monitored by the GameController. ### Goal Dimensions at RoboCup 2026 Here are the decided dimensions of the goals to be used at RoboCup 2026. More details about allowable goal sizes are in the rules: * S Division - Small Field: `1.8m x 1.2m` * M Division - Small Field: `2.4m x 1.6m` - Medium Field: `2.4m x 1.8m` * L Division - Medium Field: `2.4m x 1.8m` - Large Field: `3m x 2m` (Large field unlikely at RC2026) **Note:** the goal sizes were chosen to allow for commercially available off-the-shelf goals to be used. ### Visual Referee (Former SPL) The visual referee will not be included in this year's main competition rules. It may be moved to a new challenge for 2026 and added to the roadmap for possible main rules inclusion. --------------------------------------------- ## What's Next This draft represents significant progress, but we expect further refinements based on team feedback and ongoing TC discussions. Please review the draft thoroughly and share your questions or concerns in #rule-book. We'll continue providing updates from our TC meetings to keep you informed of any changes. There will be more frequent updates in the RoboCup Official Discord Major - Soccer #announcements channel, with periodic newsletters sent out for major updates. --------------------------------------------- ## Website The new HSL Website is online: https://hsl.robocup.org/ In the next weeks it will be populated with more information and turned into a hub of the league. --------------------------------------------- ## Important Reminders * Registration Timeline: - Submission deadline: January 31st, 2026 (**TODAY**) - Team review period: February 3rd - 20th, 2026 - Announcement of qualified teams: March 2nd, 2026 --------------------------------------------- For questions regarding the rule book, please message #rule-book. For other inquiries, reach out via email or #ask-committees. Thank you for your patience and collaboration as we finalize these details! Best regards, Heinrich Mellmann and Sam Griffiths On behalf of the Humanoid Soccer League Technical Committee. -- Dipl.-Math., Dipl.-Inf. Heinrich Mellmann Institut für Informatik Adaptive Systeme (RUD25, Raum 3.110) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Unter den Linden 6 Telefon: +49 (0)30 2093-41173 10099 Berlin E-mail: mellmann(a)informatik.hu-berlin.de URL: http://www.heinrich-mellmann.de http://naoth.de

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Reminder: RoboCup Submissions close in 5 days!
by Sebastian Stelter 26 Jan '26

26 Jan '26

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REMINDER: CfP RoboCup German Open 2026
by Heinrich Mellmann 26 Jan '26

26 Jan '26

Dear RoboCup teams, this is a reminder to register for RoboCup German Open 2026. The full call for participation is attached below. TL;DR - German Open website: https://robocup.de/german-open - Registration website: https://portal.robocup.de/registry - Registration deadline: **January 31st, 2026** - Late registration deadline (team members only): **February 28th, 2026** At the German Open we will host competition in all three divisions of the RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League. Additional information regarding the HSL competition and an invitation to an online pre-competition team leader meeting will follow shortly. This will be the first competition in the official RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League and I'm looking forward to seeing many of you at the German Open! Best regards, - Heinrich on behalf of the German RoboCup Committee Member, Technical Committee (HSL) League Chair, HSL – RoboCup German Open > RoboCup German Open 2026 > > Call for Participation - Major Leagues > > https://robocup.de/german-open <https://robocup.de/german-open> > Cologne Trade Fair, Cologne, Germany > > > The 23nd RoboCup German Open 2026 will take place from March 10-14 in > Cologne. > > *Cologne **with its welcoming vibe**offers a captivating mix of > culture, architecture, **history, **and lively atmosphere.* From the > awe-inspiring Cologne Cathedral — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — to > its dynamic art scene and riverside cafés along the Rhine, the city > invites exploration. For example, visitors can enjoy world-class > museums, the walkable old town with many bars, or festive events like > the Cologne Carnival. Cologne is a perfect destination for both > history lovers and urban adventurers and a great host for RoboCup > German Open 2026. > > Every regional and international Major team is cordially invited to > take part in the event. > > ---------------------------- RoboCup Major Leagues (international > teams) ---------------------- > > After the team setup on March 10^th, the competitions will take place > from 11^th to 14^th of March 2026 in the following main leagues: > > * > > RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League > > * > > RoboCupSoccer Small Size League > > * > > RoboCupRescue Robot League > > * > > RoboCupIndustrial Smart Manufacturing League > > * > > RoboCup@Home League > > For Major team registration please visit: > https://portal.robocup.de/registry > Registration deadline: *January 31st, 2026*. > Late registration deadline (team members only): *February 28th, 2026*. > > Teams are advised to arrange their own accommodation *as early as > possible* as cost of accommodation is expected to rise in the run-up > of the event. > > Most recent rule developments in all leagues, especially the Soccer > and Smart Manufacturing Leagues will be considered for the competitions. > > ------------------------------- Further information on co-located > events ------------------------- > > RoboCup German Open 2026 will be embedded in didacta 2026, which is > Europe's largest education fair and most important continuing > education event for teachers. Over 700 exhibitors from more than 60 > countries will present their offerings in Cologne. Participants > tickets to RoboCup German Open will include didacta tickets as well. > > The 2nd German Robotics Conference on AI-powered robotics, organized > by the Robotics Institute Germany, will take place from March 11 to > 13, 2026, parallel to the RoboCup German Open and in close proximity > to it. > > ---------------------------- RoboCup Junior (German teams) > ----------------------------------- > > From March 12-14, 2026 the final event of the German RoboCupJunior > Championship will be held at RoboCup German Open 2026 in Cologne. The > best teams that have qualified in the nine previous German qualifying > tournaments will take part. The best German Junior teams in the 2026 > German Junior Final will qualify for RoboCup 2026 in South Korea and > for the European RoboCupJunior Competition 2026 in Austria. > > ----------------------------- Organization Committee > ---------------------------------- > > * Oskar von Stryk (General Chair) > * Julian Werner (Project Lead) > * Alexander Ferrein (German RoboCup Committee, Spokesperson Major) > > The Major Leagues Organizing Committee: > > * Heinrich Mellmann (Humanoid Soccer League, former Humanoid & > Standard Platform Leagues) > * Nicolai Ommer (Small Size League) > * Johannes Pellenz, Stefan May, Thomas Sander (Rescue Robot League & > RMRC) > * Sven Wachsmuth (@Home League) > * Alexander Ferrein, Christoph Steup (Smart Manufacturing League) > > The Junior Leagues Organizing Committee: > > * Lara Trappmann > * Oskar Kirmis > * Niko Lockenwitz > * Michelle Bialdyga > * Christian Häußler > * Lena Eickhoff > * Stefanie Haupt > > ---------------------------- Co-located Events > ------------------------------------------------------ > > Parallel to the RoboCup German Open 2026 the second German Robotics > Conference of the Robotics Institute Germany (RIG) will take place. > The conference will bring together the leading German researchers in > AI-based robotics. > > The education fair “didacta”, will also take place in Halls 6 to 8, > between March 10-14, 2026. All participants will also have access to > didacta. > > ---------------------------- Important dates > ---------------------------------- > > * > > 2025-12-01 Major teams early registration starts > > * > > 2026-01-31 Major teams registration deadline, team member > registration deadline > > * > > 2026-02-28 Late registration deadline (team members only) > > * > > 2026-03-10 Set-up day Major League teams > > * > > 2026-03-12 to 16 Competition days > > * > > 2026-03-14 Major and Junior finals > > The event is open to the public during all days from 9 am to 5 pm. > > ----------------------------- Contact ---------------------------------- > > Please contact _germanopen(a)robocup.de_ > <mailto:germanopen@robocup.de>for any questions. > > See you all at the 23rd RoboCup German Open 2026! > > Best regards, > > German RoboCup Committee > > > _______________________________________________ > RoboCup-worldwide in RoboCup.org Mailing list > To send a message to this list send email torobocup-worldwide(a)lists.robocup.org > To unsubscribe send an email torobocup-worldwide-leave(a)lists.robocup.org -- Dipl.-Math., Dipl.-Inf. Heinrich Mellmann Institut für Informatik Adaptive Systeme (RUD25, Raum 3.110) Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Unter den Linden 6 Telefon: +49 (0)30 2093-41173 10099 Berlin E-mail:mellmann@informatik.hu-berlin.de URL:http://www.heinrich-mellmann.de http://naoth.de

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[RoboCup] Software survey now available
by Sebastian Stelter 09 Jan '26

09 Jan '26

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Re: [RoboCup-humanoid] [RoboCup] Reminder: Pre-Registrations
by Sebastian 09 Jan '26

09 Jan '26

Dear teams, As some of you have noticed, I unfortunately made a typo in the URL for the submission system. The correct URL is submission.robocuphumanoid.com (no s after submission). Sorry about that. Sebastian On 8 January 2026 11:41:40 GMT, Sebastian Stelter via RoboCup-humanoid <robocup-humanoid(a)lists.robocup.org> wrote: >_______________________________________________ >RoboCup-humanoid in RoboCup.org Mailing list >To send a message to this list send email to robocup-humanoid(a)lists.robocup.org >To unsubscribe send an email to robocup-humanoid-leave(a)lists.robocup.org

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Deadline for Pre-Application Approaching - RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League Competition
by Reinaldo A. C. Bianchi 09 Jan '26

09 Jan '26

Deadline for Pre-application Approaching - January 10th Summary: Deadline for pre-Application is on January 10th. For pre-application the team should submit the team name, home page, team leader name and email and inform in which Division and with how many robots the team intent to participate in Incheon. RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League Competition June 30th - July 6th, 2026, Incheon, South Korea ======================================= The RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League invites teams to apply for participation at the RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer Competition in Incheon, South Korea. RoboCup is an international initiative that fosters research and education in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence through a variety of competitions (RoboCupSoccer, RoboCupRescue, RoboCup@Home, RoboCupIndustrial, RoboCupJunior) involving mostly multi-robot systems. RoboCupSoccer currently includes a number of different robot soccer leagues that focus on different research challenges. More information can be found on the official website: https://www.robocup.org/ The Humanoid Soccer League (HSL) was formed through the unification of the Humanoid League (HL) and Standard Platform League (SPL) and will take place for the first time at the RoboCup 2026. HSL hosts games and challenges where teams of humanoid robots play soccer autonomously. The game of soccer serves as an environment for research, development, and education in all areas of autonomous humanoid robots, including hardware development, vision, bipedal locomotion, learning, behavior control, and team coordination. The focus is thereby on human-like abilities of the robots. The Humanoid Soccer League will host competitions in the following divisions, depending on the height and weight of the robot players: * Small Robot Division: height < 110 cm, weight < 15 kg * Middle Robot Division: height < 125 cm; weight < 25 kg * Large Robot Division: height < 190 cm; weight < 80 kg Teams in each division will have the choice to play in two team configurations: 1. Foundation - with a smaller number of players; 2. Advanced - with a larger number of players. In a game, if one team chooses to play in a Foundation configuration, then both teams must play in this configuration. The maximum number of players in a game for each configuration is shown in the table below: * Small — Foundation: max 4 | Advanced: max 7 * Middle — Foundation: max 3 | Advanced: max 5 * Large — Foundation: max 3 | Advanced: max 5 Teams are welcome to apply even if they are unable to provide a full team of robots (the maximum number of robot players). Teams are encouraged to form and apply as joint teams. Joint proposals will be judged on their combined merit. For more details on divisions, please refer to the Humanoid Soccer League rules at: https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules. 1. Robots ======================================= Teams may apply for participation with both commercially available and with humanoid robot platforms constructed by the teams. A selection of robots is available for purchase through the RoboCup Humanoid Robot Program at a special RoboCup offer: https://robotprogram.robocup.org/ As part of the RoboCup Humanoid Robot Program, there will be a pool of humanoid robot models K1 and T1 provided by the company Booster for RoboCup 2026. Teams will be able to borrow the robots from the pool and use them in their games. 2. Application Process and Timeline ======================================= 2.1. Important Dates --------------------------------------- * Submission system open: January 1st, 2026 * Pre-application deadline: January 10th, 2026 * Submission deadline: January 31st, 2026 * Team review period: February 3rd - 20th, 2026 * Announcement of qualified teams: March 2nd, 2026 2.2. Online Submission --------------------------------------- All application materials must be submitted online at: https://submission.robocuphumanoid.com/login Teams may apply for participation in one or several divisions. Teams applying for participation in several divisions must submit individual application materials for each division. Please be informed that the submission system is being updated. To submit an application, it is necessary to create new accounts on the system. Accounts of the teams that used the system last year should be available and can be used this year. 2.3. Review Process --------------------------------------- Each application to the Humanoid Soccer Competition will be reviewed by two members of the Technical Committee and two other randomly assigned teams applying to the Humanoid Soccer Competition. The combined reviewing score will be used to decide whether a team qualifies for participation. Reviewing other teams' material is mandatory for teams that want to participate in the Humanoid Soccer Competition. Failing to provide an adequate review by the provided deadline will have consequences for the team's own qualification status. 3. Application Material (Robot/Team information to submit) ======================================= For the qualification process, teams must provide the following material: 3.1. Pre-application / Team-Information --------------------------------------- Team name URL of the team's home page Name of team leader or team contact person E-mail address of the team leader or contact person Competition Division: Small, Middle, Large – with robot numbers 3.2. Video --------------------------------------- Teams need to provide a video of their current or previous physical robot demonstrating the robot's autonomous soccer-playing skills. The recommended skills needed for the qualification are: * Localization of unknown ball position * Walking ability towards the ball * Robot positioning at the ball for kicking * Kicking the ball towards the goal * Passing the ball from one player to another * Avoiding other robots autonomously * Ability to get up autonomously after a fall We encourage teams to include in the video more complex and intelligent behavior, such as demonstrating localization, and robots playing in a game. Recordings from actual soccer matches are welcome. If possible, please provide footage that demonstrates the robot's behavior without wires attached. We understand that teams transitioning to new robot platforms from the former SPL and HL leagues may not yet have their physical robots, nor soccer-ready software/hardware to demonstrate by the qualification deadlines. Teams may alternatively demonstrate in their video their software/hardware capabilities from previous years on other robot platforms, and/or capabilities in simulation. We encourage teams, if possible, to include a demonstration of their current capabilities on their intended platform. * The maximum duration of the video must not exceed ** 5 minutes **. * The qualification video must be supplied as a link (e.g., uploaded on the team’s website or on some video server like YouTube). The qualifying team is responsible for ensuring that the video is accessible and viewable with modern browsers. Note, if YouTube is used, make sure the video adheres to YouTube's TOS (especially concerning music copyright) to prevent the video from being blocked for the reviewers. Teams that do not provide a qualification video or a viewable video will not be qualified. 3.3. Team Description Paper --------------------------------------- A team description paper must be submitted. For teams that have previously participated in the Humanoid League or Standard Platform League, the team description paper must include: * Lessons learned from participation in previous RoboCup competitions. * Highlight major challenges that the team is trying to solve for the upcoming competition. * Outline the plans for the major changes that the teams anticipate to have implemented by the RoboCup 2026 competition. * Describe the implementation status of the planned changes at the time of submitting the application. * Explain the impact of the team’s participation and research in RoboCup on (1) the Humanoid Soccer League, (2) the team’s university/community. * Demonstrate own contribution to the RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League or humanoid robotics research in general: Describe in detail the “research publishable” significant advancements the applying team has made and is going to use at RoboCup 2026. This can, for instance, include software or hardware releases, paper publications, provision of league infrastructure, or data sets. * Any other information that supports your application. For teams that have never participated in the RoboCup Humanoid League or Standard Platform League, the Team Description Paper must outline the scientific aspects of their humanoid robotic system and highlight their research focus. The submission should show clear contributions and advancements intended to be used during the competition. The team description papers are intended to highlight the changes and scientific developments since the last RoboCup. Thus, we expect the usage of material from previous TDPs or Extended Abstracts to be minimal. If material from previous TDPs is used, it must be cited appropriately. Submissions of last year's Extended Abstract will be desk-rejected. The team description paper is limited to ** 4 pages **, excluding references, and must be submitted in PDF format. The team description paper must follow the LNCS format, which can be downloaded from: https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…. Teams that do not follow the LNCS formatting and style guidelines will not be qualified. No exceptions to this rule will be made. 3.4. Software Description --------------------------------------- During the application process, a form will be provided to submit brief details about the algorithms used or anticipated to be used for participation in the 2026 competition. The form will include brief questions in the following areas: * Walking * Vision * Localization * Behavior * Team Communication Responses to the questions are expected to reflect the current and anticipated status of the software during the RoboCup 2026 competition. If software from other teams, third-party software libraries, or "off-the-shelf soccer-ready" libraries/algorithms are used, teams must reference this use. References should include the team, competition, and year when code is used from another team, or reference publicly available documentation for software libraries. Teams should describe how they have adapted the use of this software within their own codebase. 3.5. Hardware Specification --------------------------------------- A one-page specification (PDF) must be provided for each different type of humanoid robot used by the team that includes the following: * Robot picture (can be on a separate page) (3D model if the physical one is not available yet) * Robot name * Height of the robot * Weight of the robot * Number of degrees of freedom and type of motors on each kinematic chain of the robot * Actuator model name and Wattage * Type of sensors used (incl. type of camera(s) and specific manufacturer part number (e.g., "6-DoF IMU" is NOT an acceptable description)) * Computing unit(s) * Materials (e.g., Torso aluminium, legs and arms CFRP) * Electronics (e.g., CM730 for communicating with servos) * Battery (e.g. 3S1P 2200mAh LiPo) * Open Source link if applicable * Other specs (Jerseys if already available) Teams that are using pre-approved, unmodified HSL standard platforms only need to provide information directly available from the manufacturer's documentation to confirm they are using an unmodified standard platform. Teams do not need to provide details where information is not available via manufacturer-provided documentation, such as due to commercial confidence. 3.6. Letter of Commitment --------------------------------------- A one-page letter addressed to the RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League Technical Committee, including the following: * a statement committing to participate in the RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League competition; * a statement committing to make a person with sufficient knowledge of the rules available as a referee during the competition. The letter must be signed (by hand or using a digital signature software as Adobe or DocuSign) by the team leader and submitted either as a JPG, PNG, or PDF file. A template for this letter can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qNILlggOj5j_cHhof1b6NICPyfgVrp-M/edit?u… If you have doubts regarding the ability of your team to participate (due to funding, visas, etc.), please apply by the deadline, but note this in your application email. Declining to participate in any competition after the official early registration period has opened may negatively affect future applications (the later you decline, the worse it will affect future applications). The TC may include the fulfillment of the statement of commitment of participation, as well as the performance of the team's referee in previous RoboCup competitions, into consideration for qualification. Teams must guarantee to have at least one member per division they participate in, acting as a referee, available independently. Note that teams may be scheduled to play a game and referee a different game at the same time. 4. Organizational Information ======================================= 4.1. Rules --------------------------------------- The current version of the rules may be found here in the git: https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules. The current version is under development and subject to change. We expect the final version of the 2026 rules to be published in spring 2026. For more information about the Humanoid Soccer League and connections with other teams, please refer to the RoboCup Official Discord: https://discord.gg/fjrepNWk. 4.2. Plagiarism --------------------------------------- Plagiarism, loosely the unattributed use of other people's words, code, and ideas, is not tolerated in the RoboCup community. For a more detailed description, see the point "Publishing Ethics" at: https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… The teams and team members who plagiarize other people's work and present it as their own will be disqualified. For a first offense, the team and team members will be banned from RoboCup competition for two years (usually the current and next year). Harsher penalties will be applied to repeat offenders or extremely serious cases of plagiarism. A team may be disqualified at any time for plagiarism, even after the competition has started. RoboCup will not reimburse teams for any expenses related to their disqualification. 4.3. Publication --------------------------------------- Please note that after the announcement of the qualified teams, the submitted materials of the qualified teams will be made publicly available on the Humanoid Soccer League website. Teams applying for participation, therefore, implicitly grant the right of publication of their qualification material to the Humanoid Soccer League. Therefore, teams should ensure their qualification materials contain no commercial-in-confidence information or other content that would restrict publication. 4.4. Visa Process --------------------------------------- South Korea offers visa-free entry for many countries for short tourism/business stays (under 90 days), but most need the K-ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) before arrival. Please verify your visa requirements at the South Korea Visa Portal: https://www.visa.go.kr/main/openMain.do The letters of invitation are issued by the RoboCup federation, not the TC, and they are part of the official registration process. We look forward to seeing you all at the RoboCup 2026! With best regards, Technical Committee of the RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League 2026 Esta mensagem, juntamente com qualquer outra informação anexada, é confidencial e protegida por lei. Somente os seus destinatários estão autorizados a usá-la. Se você não for o destinatário, por favor, informe o remetente e, em seguida, apague a mensagem, observando que não há autorização para usar, copiar, armazenar, encaminhar, imprimir ou tomar qualquer ação baseada no seu conteúdo.

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RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League Competition - 1st Call for Participation
by Reinaldo A. C. Bianchi 20 Dec '25

20 Dec '25

1st Call for Participation RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League Competition June 30th - July 6th, 2026, Incheon, South Korea ======================================= The RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League invites teams to apply for participation at the RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer Competition in Incheon, South Korea. RoboCup is an international initiative that fosters research and education in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence through a variety of competitions (RoboCupSoccer, RoboCupRescue, RoboCup@Home, RoboCupIndustrial, RoboCupJunior) involving mostly multi-robot systems. RoboCupSoccer currently includes a number of different robot soccer leagues that focus on different research challenges. More information can be found on the official website: https://www.robocup.org/ The Humanoid Soccer League (HSL) was formed through the unification of the Humanoid League (HL) and Standard Platform League (SPL) and will take place for the first time at the RoboCup 2026. HSL hosts games and challenges where teams of humanoid robots play soccer autonomously. The game of soccer serves as an environment for research, development, and education in all areas of autonomous humanoid robots, including hardware development, vision, bipedal locomotion, learning, behavior control, and team coordination. The focus is thereby on human-like abilities of the robots. The Humanoid Soccer League will host competitions in the following divisions, depending on the height and weight of the robot players: * Small Robot Division: height < 110 cm, weight < 15 kg * Middle Robot Division: height < 125 cm; weight < 25 kg * Large Robot Division: height < 190 cm; weight < 80 kg Teams in each division will have the choice to play in two team configurations: 1. Foundation - with a smaller number of players; 2. Advanced - with a larger number of players. In a game, if one team chooses to play in a Foundation configuration, then both teams must play in this configuration. The maximum number of players in a game for each configuration is shown in the table below: * Small — Foundation: max 4 | Advanced: max 7 * Middle — Foundation: max 3 | Advanced: max 5 * Large — Foundation: max 3 | Advanced: max 5 Teams are welcome to apply even if they are unable to provide a full team of robots (the maximum number of robot players). Teams are encouraged to form and apply as joint teams. Joint proposals will be judged on their combined merit. For more details on divisions, please refer to the Humanoid Soccer League rules at: https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules. 1. Robots ======================================= Teams may apply for participation with both commercially available and with humanoid robot platforms constructed by the teams. A selection of robots is available for purchase through the RoboCup Humanoid Robot Program at a special RoboCup offer: https://robotprogram.robocup.org/ As part of the RoboCup Humanoid Robot Program, there will be a pool of humanoid robot models K1 and T1 provided by the company Booster for RoboCup 2026. Teams will be able to borrow the robots from the pool and use them in their games. 2. Application Process and Timeline ======================================= 2.1. Important Dates --------------------------------------- * Submission system open: January 1st, 2026 * Pre-application deadline: January 10th, 2026 * Submission deadline: January 31st, 2026 * Team review period: February 3rd - 20th, 2026 * Announcement of qualified teams: March 2nd, 2026 2.2. Online Submission --------------------------------------- All application materials must be submitted online at: https://submission.robocuphumanoid.com/login Teams may apply for participation in one or several divisions. Teams applying for participation in several divisions must submit individual application materials for each division. Please be informed that the submission system is being updated. To submit an application, it is necessary to create new accounts on the system. Accounts of the teams that used the system last year should be available and can be used this year. 2.3. Review Process --------------------------------------- Each application to the Humanoid Soccer Competition will be reviewed by two members of the Technical Committee and two other randomly assigned teams applying to the Humanoid Soccer Competition. The combined reviewing score will be used to decide whether a team qualifies for participation. Reviewing other teams' material is mandatory for teams that want to participate in the Humanoid Soccer Competition. Failing to provide an adequate review by the provided deadline will have consequences for the team's own qualification status. 3. Application Material (Robot/Team information to submit) ======================================= For the qualification process, teams must provide the following material: 3.1. Pre-application / Team-Information --------------------------------------- Team name URL of the team's home page Name of team leader or team contact person E-mail address of the team leader or contact person Competition Division: Small, Middle, Large – with robot numbers 3.2. Video --------------------------------------- Teams need to provide a video of their current or previous physical robot demonstrating the robot's autonomous soccer-playing skills. The recommended skills needed for the qualification are: * Localization of unknown ball position * Walking ability towards the ball * Robot positioning at the ball for kicking * Kicking the ball towards the goal * Passing the ball from one player to another * Avoiding other robots autonomously * Ability to get up autonomously after a fall We encourage teams to include in the video more complex and intelligent behavior, such as demonstrating localization, and robots playing in a game. Recordings from actual soccer matches are welcome. If possible, please provide footage that demonstrates the robot's behavior without wires attached. We understand that teams transitioning to new robot platforms from the former SPL and HL leagues may not yet have their physical robots, nor soccer-ready software/hardware to demonstrate by the qualification deadlines. Teams may alternatively demonstrate in their video their software/hardware capabilities from previous years on other robot platforms, and/or capabilities in simulation. We encourage teams, if possible, to include a demonstration of their current capabilities on their intended platform. * The maximum duration of the video must not exceed ** 5 minutes **. * The qualification video must be supplied as a link (e.g., uploaded on the team’s website or on some video server like YouTube). The qualifying team is responsible for ensuring that the video is accessible and viewable with modern browsers. Note, if YouTube is used, make sure the video adheres to YouTube's TOS (especially concerning music copyright) to prevent the video from being blocked for the reviewers. Teams that do not provide a qualification video or a viewable video will not be qualified. 3.3. Team Description Paper --------------------------------------- A team description paper must be submitted. For teams that have previously participated in the Humanoid League or Standard Platform League, the team description paper must include: * Lessons learned from participation in previous RoboCup competitions. * Highlight major challenges that the team is trying to solve for the upcoming competition. * Outline the plans for the major changes that the teams anticipate to have implemented by the RoboCup 2026 competition. * Describe the implementation status of the planned changes at the time of submitting the application. * Explain the impact of the team’s participation and research in RoboCup on (1) the Humanoid Soccer League, (2) the team’s university/community. * Demonstrate own contribution to the RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League or humanoid robotics research in general: Describe in detail the “research publishable” significant advancements the applying team has made and is going to use at RoboCup 2026. This can, for instance, include software or hardware releases, paper publications, provision of league infrastructure, or data sets. * Any other information that supports your application. For teams that have never participated in the RoboCup Humanoid League or Standard Platform League, the Team Description Paper must outline the scientific aspects of their humanoid robotic system and highlight their research focus. The submission should show clear contributions and advancements intended to be used during the competition. The team description papers are intended to highlight the changes and scientific developments since the last RoboCup. Thus, we expect the usage of material from previous TDPs or Extended Abstracts to be minimal. If material from previous TDPs is used, it must be cited appropriately. Submissions of last year's Extended Abstract will be desk-rejected. The team description paper is limited to ** 4 pages **, excluding references, and must be submitted in PDF format. The team description paper must follow the LNCS format, which can be downloaded from: https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu…. Teams that do not follow the LNCS formatting and style guidelines will not be qualified. No exceptions to this rule will be made. 3.4. Software Description --------------------------------------- During the application process, a form will be provided to submit brief details about the algorithms used or anticipated to be used for participation in the 2026 competition. The form will include brief questions in the following areas: * Walking * Vision * Localization * Behavior * Team Communication Responses to the questions are expected to reflect the current and anticipated status of the software during the RoboCup 2026 competition. If software from other teams, third-party software libraries, or "off-the-shelf soccer-ready" libraries/algorithms are used, teams must reference this use. References should include the team, competition, and year when code is used from another team, or reference publicly available documentation for software libraries. Teams should describe how they have adapted the use of this software within their own codebase. 3.5. Hardware Specification --------------------------------------- A one-page specification (PDF) must be provided for each different type of humanoid robot used by the team that includes the following: * Robot picture (can be on a separate page) (3D model if the physical one is not available yet) * Robot name * Height of the robot * Weight of the robot * Number of degrees of freedom and type of motors on each kinematic chain of the robot * Actuator model name and Wattage * Type of sensors used (incl. type of camera(s) and specific manufacturer part number (e.g., "6-DoF IMU" is NOT an acceptable description)) * Computing unit(s) * Materials (e.g., Torso aluminium, legs and arms CFRP) * Electronics (e.g., CM730 for communicating with servos) * Battery (e.g. 3S1P 2200mAh LiPo) * Open Source link if applicable * Other specs (Jerseys if already available) Teams that are using pre-approved, unmodified HSL standard platforms only need to provide information directly available from the manufacturer's documentation to confirm they are using an unmodified standard platform. Teams do not need to provide details where information is not available via manufacturer-provided documentation, such as due to commercial confidence. 3.6. Letter of Commitment --------------------------------------- A one-page letter addressed to the RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League Technical Committee, including the following: * a statement committing to participate in the RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League competition; * a statement committing to make a person with sufficient knowledge of the rules available as a referee during the competition. The letter must be signed (by hand or using a digital signature software as Adobe or DocuSign) by the team leader and submitted either as a JPG, PNG, or PDF file. A template for this letter can be found at: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qNILlggOj5j_cHhof1b6NICPyfgVrp-M/edit?u… If you have doubts regarding the ability of your team to participate (due to funding, visas, etc.), please apply by the deadline, but note this in your application email. Declining to participate in any competition after the official early registration period has opened may negatively affect future applications (the later you decline, the worse it will affect future applications). The TC may include the fulfillment of the statement of commitment of participation, as well as the performance of the team's referee in previous RoboCup competitions, into consideration for qualification. Teams must guarantee to have at least one member per division they participate in, acting as a referee, available independently. Note that teams may be scheduled to play a game and referee a different game at the same time. 4. Organizational Information ======================================= 4.1. Rules --------------------------------------- The current version of the rules may be found here in the git: https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules. The current version is under development and subject to change. We expect the final version of the 2026 rules to be published in spring 2026. For more information about the Humanoid Soccer League and connections with other teams, please refer to the RoboCup Official Discord: https://discord.gg/fjrepNWk. 4.2. Plagiarism --------------------------------------- Plagiarism, loosely the unattributed use of other people's words, code, and ideas, is not tolerated in the RoboCup community. For a more detailed description, see the point "Publishing Ethics" at: https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-gu… The teams and team members who plagiarize other people's work and present it as their own will be disqualified. For a first offense, the team and team members will be banned from RoboCup competition for two years (usually the current and next year). Harsher penalties will be applied to repeat offenders or extremely serious cases of plagiarism. A team may be disqualified at any time for plagiarism, even after the competition has started. RoboCup will not reimburse teams for any expenses related to their disqualification. 4.3. Publication --------------------------------------- Please note that after the announcement of the qualified teams, the submitted materials of the qualified teams will be made publicly available on the Humanoid Soccer League website. Teams applying for participation, therefore, implicitly grant the right of publication of their qualification material to the Humanoid Soccer League. Therefore, teams should ensure their qualification materials contain no commercial-in-confidence information or other content that would restrict publication. 4.4. Visa Process --------------------------------------- South Korea offers visa-free entry for many countries for short tourism/business stays (under 90 days), but most need the K-ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) before arrival. Please verify your visa requirements at the South Korea Visa Portal: https://www.visa.go.kr/main/openMain.do The letters of invitation are issued by the RoboCup federation, not the TC, and they are part of the official registration process. We look forward to seeing you all at the RoboCup 2026! With best regards, Technical Committee of the RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League 2026 Esta mensagem, juntamente com qualquer outra informação anexada, é confidencial e protegida por lei. Somente os seus destinatários estão autorizados a usá-la. Se você não for o destinatário, por favor, informe o remetente e, em seguida, apague a mensagem, observando que não há autorização para usar, copiar, armazenar, encaminhar, imprimir ou tomar qualquer ação baseada no seu conteúdo.

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Dutch Nao Team Code Release
by Gijs de Jong 12 Dec '25

12 Dec '25

Dear SPL Teams, We are happy to announce the Dutch Nao Team 2025 code release. Our full software repository is now open source, and the exact version used at RoboCup 2025 has been tagged as robocup-2025. Apologies for the delayed release. This was an oversight on our side while transitioning our development focus to the Booster platform. The repository includes our complete SPL stack, covering perception, localization, behavior, motion, visualization, tooling and simulation support. You can find the release here: https://github.com/IntelligentRoboticsLab/yggdrasil/releases/tag/robocup-20… Best regards, Dutch Nao Team *PS:* We would like to thank everyone in the league for the many great interactions and the wonderful time we had in the SPL as the Dutch Nao Team. Going forward, our team will continue under a new name: whIRLwind Amsterdam. Updates on our work and future activities can be found on our new website: https://whirlwind.team/

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Newsletter #2 - Humanoid Soccer League
by Caron, Benjamin 05 Dec '25

05 Dec '25

New Division Structure for the Humanoid Soccer League (HSL) The Technical Committee is pleased to announce the latest developments for the new humanoid soccer league. This newsletter provides clarifications on the current state of decisions regarding the divisions, ball specifications, and jersey requirements for the RoboCup 2026. Town Hall All teams are invited to a Town Hall meeting. The Town Hall will be held on December 15th at 11:00 UTC online in Zoom: https://hu-berlin.zoom-x.de/j/68018766319?pwd=bbgiDWtbSCcRv9ZWdyUSapBaFZeza… The agenda for the meeting will be: * Mission and Vision of the HSL * HSL design requirements and parameters * Rule set review: * Legal Robot parameters, constructed & standard platforms * Divisions and Foundation/Advanced tiers * Team sizes * Brief Game Rules review * Future coming directions and league requirements, 2027-2028 * Q&A Session, including pre-provided questions/comments During the Q&A session, priority will be given to questions submitted in advance. Please use this form: https://forms.gle/2QNeWgvg8ciKBAzw9 Three Competitive Divisions for 2026 The division structure is the central component of the new league. Thus, the decision regarding the competition divisions was a lengthy process that involved many individuals from TCs to EXECS and Trustees. We took into account many opinions, including all the discussions held on Discord, and carefully considered all relevant factors. Consequently, this division is final for the 2026 season, and no further changes will be made. Division Max Weight Max Height Players Ball Size Small 15 kg 110 cm 4-7 SPL / FIFA Mini Middle 25 kg 125 cm 3-5 FIFA 3 or 4 Large 80 kg 190 cm 3-5 FIFA 5 Division Overview * Small Division Entry tier of the HSL, welcoming both NAO and kid-size research robots. Designed for accessibility while supporting innovation and providing a smooth transition from the former SPL. In this division, the maximum weight and height of the robots have an upper limit, meaning that robots that are heavier or higher than the limit are not allowed. The details of how the FIFA Miniball and the smaller, softer SPL ball will be used are still being debated. * Middle Division Intermediate tier between small and full-size platforms, enabling stronger actuators, larger sensor payloads, and more advanced locomotion research, while still allowing for easy handling and large team sizes. Both size 3 and size 4 balls will be used, depending on availability. * Large Division Aligned with adult human-scale proportions (up to 190 cm / 80 kg), this division brings robots closer to real-world adult soccer challenges. Smaller robots (i.e., those meeting the weight and height specifications of a lower division) are permitted to compete in larger divisions. We anticipate and hope for a diverse competitive landscape featuring teams fielding a variety of robot types, including both commercial platforms and custom research robots of different sizes. However, for a team utilizing multiple types of robots, the entire team is restricted by the physical specifications (maximum height or maximum weight) of the largest robot on the field. It is important to note that teams should expect further increases in the small division limits over the next years, leading up to the consolidation in two categories only: one that would allow robots to play with children of up to 10 years; and another with robots that could compete with teen and adult human players. Field Dimensions The field sizes for the proposed divisions are described in the following table: Division Width x Length (meters) Small 6 × 9 Middle 6 x 9 up to 9 x 14 Large 9 x 14 up to 14 X 22 The size of the small division field is equal to that of the Humanoid League KidSize and the SPL fields, and the largest dimension in the middle division equals the Humanoid AdultSize field. These dimensions maintain continuity with historical league formats while accommodating the new divisional structure. The middle and large fields are specified as a range, and they reflect the variability permitted in real-world FIFA field specifications. Team Configurations Teams in each division can choose to play in two team configurations: Foundation - with a smaller number of players; and Advanced - with a larger number of players. If in a game one of the teams chooses to play in a Foundation configuration, then both teams must play in this configuration to ensure fairness. The maximum number of players in a game for each configuration is shown in the table below: Division Foundation Advanced Small 4 players 7 players Middle 3 players 5 players Large 3 players 5 players Those numbers denote the maximum number of players in a team. A team can always compete with fewer robots than the maximum configuration allowance. In the Middle division, starting from the quarter-finals onwards, all matches will be played in the Advanced configuration. Whether a robot pool can be provided to fill up teams that cannot field enough robots is currently under discussion. Teams are encouraged to choose the Advanced configuration in the small and large divisions as well, for example, by forming merged teams. It is likely that in the next years Advanced configurations will be enforced in all divisions. Fitness Tests Robot inspections verify that robots meet the physical specifications for their division, but they do not assess robot abilities (e.g., standing up is not required for eligibility). Fitness tests and leaderboard challenges will be included in the competition in some form, though the exact structure is still under discussion. These fitness tests serve as a benchmark to monitor the progress of the league. Failure to pass any of the tests will not prevent teams from participating. Robot Color and Jerseys Robot bodies must be colored mostly with a neutral color, such as black, gray, white, or silver, and be non-reflective. Robots use colored jersey shirts as team markers. A Jersey is a tank top-style shirt that may start at the neck and go down to the waistline, and does not cover the arms of the robots. It must cover at least 50% of the upper body of the robot. Jerseys must have a primary color that comprises more than half of the jersey. The primary color must be recognizable from the front and back. Jerseys should not contain distracting patterns that could be confused with other elements of the soccer field, such as field lines or the ball. Jersey material must be non-reflecting, non-shiny, and non-glittery. Jerseys may be manufactured from fabric and fine mesh. Each team must provide two jersey designs in distinctly different solid colors. The jersey color must clearly contrast with any uncovered parts of the robot to ensure reliable identification. Robots must display clear identification numbers (player number): a large number on the back and a smaller number on the front. Sponsorship logos will be allowed on jerseys, though detailed guidelines are still being finalized. Jersey designs must be submitted for approval prior to the competition. Robot Stand-Up Requirement Robots are expected to recover autonomously after a fall during a game. If a robot is unable to stand up on its own during play, a standard penalty will be applied. Robots that are not physically designed to stand up unassisted may still participate in the competition; however, the same penalty rules will apply when they are unable to recover from a fall during a game. Rule repository The rules are actively developed on this repository: https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules <https://github.com/RoboCup-HumanoidSoccerLeague/HSL-Rules> However, please note that due to the early stage, those rules are subject to change. Best regards, The Executive and Technical Committee of the Humanoid Soccer League (HSL)

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RoboCup German Open 2026 - Save the Date 10 - 14/03/26
by Heinrich Mellmann 12 Nov '25

12 Nov '25

*RoboCup German Open 2026* *Save the Date - Major Leagues* https://robocup.de/german-open/?lang=en <https://robocup.de/german-open/?lang=en> Cologne Trade Fair, Cologne, Germany The 23nd RoboCup German Open 2026 will take place from *March 10-14* in Cologne. Cologne with its welcoming vibe offers a captivating mix of culture, architecture, history, and lively atmosphere. From the awe-inspiring Cologne Cathedral — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — to its dynamic art scene and riverside cafés along the Rhine, the city invites exploration. For example, visitors can enjoy world-class museums, the walkable old town with many bars, or festive events like the Cologne Carnival. Cologne is a perfect destination for both history lovers and urban adventurers and a great host for RoboCup German Open 2026. Every regional and international Major team is cordially invited to take part in the event. *RoboCup Major Leagues (international teams)* After the team setup on March 10th, the competitions will take place from 11th to 14th of March 2026 in the following main leagues: * RoboCup Humanoid Soccer League * RoboCupSoccer Small Size League * RoboCupRescue Robot League * RoboCupIndustrial Smart Manufacturing League * RoboCup@Home League Registration opens *December 1st, 2025*, further announcements will follow. Registration deadline *January 31st, 2026* Late registration deadline (team members only) *February 28th, 2026*. Teams are advised to arrange their own accommodation *as early as possible* as cost of accommodation is expected to rise in the run-up of the event. Most recent rule developments in all leagues, especially the Soccer and Smart Manufacturing Leagues will be considered for the competitions. Depending on sufficient interest from teams in participating, additional major leagues, such as the Middle Size League, may be offered. *Further information on co-located events* RoboCup German Open 2026 will be embedded in didacta 2026, which is Europe’s largest education fair and most important continuing education event for teachers. Over 700 exhibitors from more than 60 countries will present their offerings in Cologne. Participants tickets to RoboCup German Open will include didacta tickets as well. The 2nd German Robotics Conference on AI-powered robotics, organized by the Robotics Institute Germany, will take place from March 11 to 13, 2026, parallel to the RoboCup German Open and in close proximity to it. -- Prof. Dr. Alexander Ferrein Mobile Autonomous Systems & Cognitive Robotics Institute Robotics and Foundations of Computer Science FH Aachen - University of Applied Sciences Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Eupener Strasse 70 | 52066 Aachen | Germany T: +49 241 6009 51904 | F: +49 241 6009 52190 E: ferrein(a)fh-aachen.de | W: www.ferrein.fh-aachen.de Speaker Major Competitions of the RoboCup German Regional Committee W: www.robocup.de Former Vice-Chair of the African-German Network of Excellence in Science A Network of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation W: www.agnes-h.org

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[CfP] The 12th Robotic Hamburg Open Workshop (RoHOW) | Nov 28-30, 2025
by HULKs 24 Oct '25

24 Oct '25

Dear RoboCup Community and Robot Soccer Enthusiasts, We are thrilled to officially invite you to the *12th Robotic Hamburg Open Workshop (RoHOW)*, hosted by the HULKs robot soccer team at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH)! The event will take place from November 28 - November 30, 2025 at TUHH Hamburg, Germany. RoHOW is our annual networking and educational event designed for RoboCup teams to share insights, discuss advancements, and tackle challenges in humanoid robotics and robot soccer. We strive to create a friendly and collaborative environment for in-depth discussions, hands-on workshops, and informative talks. *An Open Space for Ideas* The event follows the concept of an "Open Space Conference." This means the program is agile and flexible, shaped by the topics /you/ want to explore. This means a large part of the event is dedicated to participant-driven discussions. It's the perfect place to exchange ideas on the evolution of the league or any other cutting-edge topic you're passionate about. *All Robot Soccer Teams Welcome!* In the spirit of the ongoing unification of the RoboCup soccer divisions, we want to make it clear that this invitation isn't just for SPL teams. *We warmly invite teams from all robot soccer leagues* to join the event! *New This Year: Livestream Option* For the first time, we will be setting up a livestream for our main talks, allowing teams to participate remotely. Please note that to maintain the informal and open atmosphere of our discussions, the "couch zone" sessions and informal discussion rounds will /not/ be streamed. Registration for the livestreams will be required as well. We will also have opportunities for our industry partners and sponsors to showcase their exciting projects. *Event Summary:* * *Event:* 12th Robotic Hamburg Open Workshop (RoHOW) * *Dates:* November 28-30, 2025 * *Location:* Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), Hamburg, Germany * *Participation Fee:* 55€ (This covers drinks, dinner on Friday, and breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.) *Registration* To register your team (for either in-person or online participation), please send an email to *hulks(a)hulks.de* by *November 15, 2025*. In your email, please state: 1. Your team name. 2. How many members plan to attend in person. 3. If you are interested in the remote livestream option. We want to make sure everyone can attend. If any team members find it difficult to pay the full price, please send a mail to *hulks(a)hulks.de* for a "friends ticket" so we can work out a solution. For further information, please keep an eye on our website: *https://rohow.de* Please also feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions! We can't wait to welcome you to Hamburg! Best regards Team HULKs

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NaoClinic at GermanOpen
by Stella Schlotter 23 Oct '25

23 Oct '25

Hi everyone, For the GermanOpen 2026, we’d like to assess the need for a Nao Clinic and are therefore reaching out to find out which teams are planning to compete with Nao robots next year. Your feedback will help us plan accordingly. Best regards, Stella Schlotter on behalf of RoboCup Germany

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RoboEireann Code Release 2025
by Rudi Villing 16 Oct '25

16 Oct '25

Dear RoboCup SPL Teams, We hereby announce the availability of our 2025 Code Release at: https://github.com/roboeireann/RoboEireannCodeRelease This is the complete code release representing the state of the code as of the end of RoboCup 2025 with some very minor tidy up. It has everything required to run a game and also contains the code used in technical and leaderboard challenges. Best regards, Rudi (on behalf of RoboEireann)

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B-Human Code Release 2025
by Thomas Röfer 16 Oct '25

16 Oct '25

Hi RoboCuppers! The team B-Human announces the availability of our 2025 code release at https://github.com/bhuman/BHumanCodeRelease This is the complete B-Human code release! The software released is a cleaned-up version of the system we used in the 2025 competitions. This is the whole system, i.e the soccer code and the code used in the technical challenge, together with a detailed documentation (found at https://docs.b-human.de/coderelease2025<https://docs.b-human.de/coderelease2024>). Our software is released with its own 3-D simulator. It is now based on MuJoCo instead of ODE to support a more realistic simulation of the robots. Microsoft Windows, Linux, and macOS are fully supported. In our contribution to the Open Research Challenge, we presented our framework running on a Booster T1 robot. This is part of this code release. The code also runs on the Booster K1, although the support is not complete yet. For both robots, we also provide early versions of learned walks that work both on the real robots and in our simulator. Have fun :-) Team B-Human

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RedbackBots Code Release 2025
by Timothy Wiley 15 Oct '25

15 Oct '25

Dear SPL Teams, RedbackBots are pleased to announce that our 2025 Code Release is available at: https://github.com/rmit-computing-technologies/redbackbots-coderelease Our corresponding Team Report for 2025 is available in the repository at: https://github.com/rmit-computing-technologies/redbackbots-coderelease/blob… We are also pleased to note that our Augmented Reality Visualiser, GameSight, as discussed during the 2025 Open Research Challenge is available at: https://github.com/rmit-computing-technologies/redbackbots-gamesight Kind Regards, Timothy Wiley On behalf of the RedbackBots Team. Dr. Timothy Wiley | Lecturer, School of Computing Technologies | RMIT University Building 14, Level 11 (City Campus) | Homepage<https://timothy-wiley.github.io> | RAIsE Hub | AI Innovation Lab<http://rmit.edu.au/ailab> Executive Committee | RoboCup Soccer RoboCup Federation<https://www.robocup.org>

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Berlin United Code Release
by Stella Schlotter 15 Oct '25

15 Oct '25

Hi everyone our code release is published at https://github.com/BerlinUnited/NaoTH/releases/tag/release%2Frc2025 Best Stella

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Newsletter #1 - New RoboCup Soccer League
by Caron, Benjamin 07 Oct '25

07 Oct '25

Introducing the New RoboCup Soccer League (Official name to be announced) RoboCup 2026 will mark the beginning of a new chapter in humanoid robot soccer. The Standard Platform League (SPL) and the Humanoid League (HL) are merging into a single unified league. This brings together years of expertise, innovation, and competition under one framework. Why merge? * Shared goals: Both leagues focus on humanoid soccer, but from different angles. * Unified platform: A single set of design and gameplay rules will allow for a more direct comparison of approaches. * Future growth: A larger, more diverse league will drive faster progress in humanoid robotics. Minimum Robot Rules The Technical Committees (TC) of both the former SPL and HL are currently working on the detailed rules for the new league. For now, here are some important updates: 1. Robot eligibility for RoboCup 2026 * Both commercially available and self-built robots will be allowed, as well as mixtures * All robots that competed at RoboCup 2025 in either the SPL or HL will be eligible. * All robots listed on robotprogram.robocup.org<https://robotprogram.robocup.org/> are also accepted. 2. Minimum requirement for all competing robots * Robots participating in the league must have a human-like body shape with a torso, head, two arms, and two legs, as well as human-like symmetry and proportions regarding sizes of the body parts and weight distribution (Definition of humanoid robot from Kajima et al, 2005). * Locomotion: Robots must walk bipedally, run, or jump. They must stand upright on their feet and recover from falls. * Body Mass Index (BMI): 5 ≤ BMI ≤ 30. * Leg length: Must follow human-like proportions: 0.35 · Htop ≤ Hleg ≤ 0.7 · Htop (Htop = total robot height). * Arm span: Inspired by da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man for human-like proportions: 0.8 · Htop ≤ Aspan ≤ 1.2 · Htop. * Arm functionality: Arm length and placement must support human-like behaviors (e.g., standing up after a fall, picking up or throwing a ball). * Not allowed: non-human-like support (e.g., using arms to assist walking). * Arms must not reach below the knees when standing upright. * Head height: Must follow proportional constraints: 0.1 · Htop ≤ Hhead ≤ 0.3 · Htop. * Sensor * Allowed sensors Robots may include any of the following: * Vision: RGB camera (opening angle < 180°), stereo camera, event camera * Audio: Microphone array * Inertial: Gyroscope, accelerometer, IMU (without compass) * Force and touch: Force sensors, touch sensors, buttons/bumpers, other haptic sensors * Intrinsic: Temperature, current, joint positions, and other internal measurements * Not allowed sensors The following are prohibited to ensure equal conditions for all robots: * Omnidirectional (360°) camera * Independent compass * LIDAR (2D/3D) * Ultra-Wideband (UWB) distance measurement * Bluetooth-based localization * Unmentioned sensors are still subject to evaluation 1. Eligible standard robot platforms (non-exhaustive): * Nao V5, Nao V6 * Darwin (model) * Booster T1, K1 * Fourier GR1, GR1-Pro, GR2 * Unitree G1, H1 Envisioned Timeline The TC will share more details in the coming months on: * Divisions - mid October * More information on mechanical and electrical components - mid October * Game rules - early November * Safety - mid November RoboCup 2026 participation survey The Technical Committee would like to gather information on teams’ intentions to participate in the new Soccer League. Please fill out the following form here<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1GHyBmgWAwPkWkOcLqCsbFu5WN578o2ckU8ihO4k0sn…>. Stay tuned for updates as we build this exciting new chapter in RoboCup soccer! The Technical Committee of the new RoboCup Soccer League

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RoboCup: Participate in Our League Name Survey!
by Sam Griffiths 06 Oct '25

06 Oct '25

Dear RoboCup Teams, We hope this message finds you well. As we prepare for an exciting change in 2026, RoboCup is merging the Standard Platform League (SPL) and the Humanoid League (HL) into a unified league. About the New League; To help inform your choice of league name, here are the key characteristics of the merged league: * The league will focus on the game of soccer * It will be for humanoid-like robots only * This will be RoboCup's single Major League for humanoid robots playing soccer (consolidating what were previously two separate Major Leagues) * The league may include multiple divisions to group robots by weight, size, and abilities, ensuring fair and competitive matches across different robot capabilities To ensure this new league reflects the spirit and vision of our community, we are inviting you to participate in our RoboCup League Name Survey. Your team's input on potential names for this merged league will help guide the Trustees' decision-making process. Please take a moment to fill out the survey and share your valuable insights. Teams are encouraged to submit one response per team, however, multiple responses are allowed. Survey Link<https://forms.gle/u6Ei4FfGMZgUxqb67> Plain text: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf8bTIpMEPeflgX65ysjusxUKwSANrWmJD… Thank you for your participation and support. Sam Griffiths, On Behalf of the 2026 SPL+HL Technical Committee

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Naova code release 2025
by Club Naova 19 Sep '25

19 Sep '25

Hello everyone, I wanted to inform you that our code release for the shared autonomy challenge can be found at the following link: https://github.com/Naova/NaovaRelease [https://opengraph.githubassets.com/1d8d0509ee4432f32ef80ef55f20f3dfcf43da4d…]<https://github.com/Naova/NaovaRelease> GitHub - Naova/NaovaRelease<https://github.com/Naova/NaovaRelease> Contribute to Naova/NaovaRelease development by creating an account on GitHub. github.com Kind regards, [cid:fa198970-7cb7-47fd-b567-549a221d0021] Christine Yang-Dai | Étudiante en génie logiciel Co-Capitaine du club scientifique Naova École de technologie supérieure | 1100, rue Notre-Dame Ouest Montréal (Qc) Canada | H3C1K3 Tél. : 438-926-5898 | Instagram<https://www.instagram.com/clubnaova/> | Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/naorobotique/> | Site Web<https://www.clubnaova.ca/>

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CodeRelease 2025 - HULKs
by HULKs TUHH 19 Sep '25

19 Sep '25

Dear SPL Community, Thank you all for an amazing RoboCup 2025 in Brazil! As you know, our software is developed fully open source and remains accessible to everyone at all times. The state of our codebase used during the competition is available here: https://github.com/HULKs/hulk/releases/tag/robocup2025 We believe that open sourcing codebases strengthens collaboration and enables everyone to benefit from shared knowledge and innovation. We encourage other teams to consider releasing their code as well. Best regards Team HULKs

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RC Soccer SPL Call for TC/OC Nominations
by Timothy Wiley 16 Jul '25

16 Jul '25

Dear SPL Teams, TL;DR This is a call for nominations to the SPL organising committee (OC) and technical committee (TC). Without the work that these committees do, RoboCup SPL would not be possible. Both committees generally require 4-5 members each. We ask that all teams nominate candidates for the committees. This year, we are particularly focused on strong representation from as many active teams as possible to help drive the new direction of our league. Please email your nominations to the Execs by Thursday 17 July, 5.00pm (Brazil - Brasilia Standard Time) as indicated below. What does being a committee member entail? The two committees (OC and TC) each have a different focus, although they work closely at times. The TC is responsible for writing the rules and technical challenges of the SPL and implementing the league's longer-term roadmap year by year. The TC also manages the call for participation and qualification decisions. The time commitment varies depending on the time of year, but the TC usually meets at least once a month and the responsibilities are divided between the committee members. This year will require flexibility and major rule changes as we move to a new platform. The OC helps implement directives from the TC and is responsible for organizational aspects of the league and the RoboCup event. The OC interacts with the Local Organising Committee for the RoboCup event itself to ensure that the physical environment, network, etc. matches the league's needs. The OC also helps organise the running of the SPL at the event, including the game schedule, referee allocation, the collation of results, etc. Like the TC, the time commitment varies, but OC usually meets at least once a month after the call for participation has gone out. The OC is an ideal committee for newer members of our league, who will be participating last year. Nominees to both committees are voted for by the teams but must be approved by the trustees. (The trustees can also appoint members.) The trustees have specifically asked for diversified representation from different geographical regions and teams at different levels of the competition, in addition to other kinds of diversity. You don't have to be an experienced RoboCupper or from an experienced team to join the committees. All we ask is that you have a reasonable expectation of attending the next RoboCup event and will commit to the role for at least the year leading up to that event. (If you might be able to participate for a couple of years, that is even better). By participating you get a chance to reshape the future of our league, develop long-lasting relationships, to help the league operate and improve, to add to your resume, and to genuinely make a difference. Nomination and election process Any member of any team may be nominated. You can nominate yourself, or another person (but ask them first to make sure they are interested in being nominated). To make a nomination, simply email all the execs ( jphanna(a)cs.wisc.edu<mailto:jphanna@cs.wisc.edu>, robocup(a)stefan.seeri.ng<mailto:robocup@stefan.seeri.ng>, and timothy.wiley(a)rmit.edu.au<mailto:timothy.wiley@rmit.edu.au> ) with the following information by Thursday 17 July, 5.00pm (Brazil - Brasilia Standard Time) : Committee (TC or OC)? Nominee’s name: Nominee’s team: Nominee’s email: After nominations have been finalized, the list will be circulated and each team may vote for three preferred nominees for each committee. More instructions will be given when the election opens. We look forward to receiving your nominations. Best regards, Josiah, Stefan, and Timothy (SPL execs)

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Nao Clinic Updates
by Timothy Wiley 11 Jul '25

11 Jul '25

Hello teams, This is an update on our Nao Clinic for this year, based on the most recent information that we have: * This year we will have a small team of volunteers who will be available to repair Nao’s. This means the number of Nao’s that can be repaired will be reduced, and we kindly ask teams not to expect extensive repairs or quick turn-arounds. * Repairs will be largely be for hardware (gears and motors). Replacement circuit boards, sensors are limited. Replacement cameras are not available. * We are expecting to be able to run re-calibration software for replacement joints/motors, but teams may need to assist the clinic team in conducting re-calibration. * If able, we encourage teams to bring older robots as 'donors' that are otherwise not working as a source for additional parts (especially for the more limited replacement parts, i.e., sensors, cameras, etc). * Repairs are free (including out-of-warranty). However, we request that teams bring robots primarily for competition use, and not a general repair backlog, as parts are limited. Regards, Timothy Dr. Timothy Wiley | Lecturer, School of Computing Technologies | RMIT University Building 14, Level 11 (City Campus) | Homepage<https://timothy-wiley.github.io> | RAIsE Hub | AI Innovation Lab<http://rmit.edu.au/ailab> Executive Committee | RoboCup Soccer Standard Platform League (SPL) SPL Website<https://spl.robocup.org> | RoboCup Federation<https://www.robocup.org>

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