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=bbgiDWtbSCcRv9ZWdyUSapBaFZeza6...
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)