Open call 2025 for journalistic articles and investigations on sports integrity and governance
Play the Game invites journalists, writers, and investigative reporters worldwide to submit pitches for individual articles or investigations into topics related to sports integrity and governance. The deadline for submissions is Thursday 4 September 2025.
Play the Game is launching its second open call for journalists, writers, and investigative reporters to submit pitches for individual articles or longer investigations into matters of sports integrity and governance.
Journalism has always played an important role in Play the Game's efforts to identify problems within sports governance and challenge the wider sports community to act on them.
Now, Play the Game wants to spend around 10,000 euros from a grant from the Danish government to promote good governance in sport on an open call for pitches that can open up new areas within sports integrity and governance to public scrutiny.
We intend to spend the sum on more than one project, and we encourage everyone to apply – also if you have not written for us before.
What we are looking for
Play the Game publishes content to a global audience united in a strong interest in the links between sport and society. We focus on how sport is governed, including, but not limited to, areas such as corruption in sport, match-fixing, doping, athletes' rights, human rights, abuse, geopolitics, and ethics.
We want original content that provides new information, and if your proposed story takes its starting point in a local case, you should approach it from a perspective that is also interesting for readers in other parts of the world.
We publish in English and expect high journalistic standards. All content is edited in collaboration with the author.
Learn more on our website, where you can find examples of articles and special investigations.
Articles published as part of Open call 2024
Guidelines for submissions
Please send your pitch to us at info@playthegame.org on or before Thursday 4 September 2025 using the template below, which you can copy into a mail or a document. We treat all pitches with confidentiality.
Short description of the idea
Explain the relevance of the project/article for Play the Game
What type of research and sources do you plan to draw on? (e.g., own desk research, interviews, reports)
Which key sources do you plan to include?
Expected output (number of articles, length)
All articles must be submitted before the end of March 2026, but we would like to publish sooner if possible. If you are successful in obtaining a grant, when will you be able to submit your article/project (no. of weeks after approval)?
Please provide a brief description of yourself and a link to one or more published samples of your work.
