RoboCup Federation invites teams from across the globe to apply for participation in the RoboCup 2026 Humanoid Soccer League, scheduled to take place in Incheon, South Korea, from June 30 to July 6, 2026.
The Humanoid Soccer League (HSL) makes its debut at RoboCup 2026 as a unified successor to the former Humanoid League (HL) and Standard Platform League (SPL). The league brings together fully autonomous humanoid robots competing in soccer matches and technical challenges, forming a research-driven environment for advancing humanoid robotics. Key focus areas include perception, locomotion, machine learning, behavior control, and multi-robot coordination.
Competition Divisions
Teams may compete in one or more of the following categories, defined by robot height and weight:
- Small Division: height < 110 cm, weight < 15 kg
- Middle Division: height < 125 cm, weight < 25 kg
- Large Division: height < 190 cm, weight < 80 kg
Each division offers two configuration formats: Foundation, with a reduced number of robots, and Advanced, with an expanded lineup.
In the Small Division, teams may field up to 4 robots in Foundation mode or up to 7 in Advanced mode.
In the Middle Division, limits are set at 3 robots for Foundation and 5 for Advanced.
In the Large Division, teams may deploy up to 3 robots in Foundation and up to 5 in Advanced.
If one team selects the Foundation configuration for a match, both competing teams must adopt the same configuration.
Teams are permitted to apply even if they cannot field the maximum number of robots, and collaborative or joint team submissions are strongly encouraged.
Robot Platforms and Support
Participants may compete using either commercial humanoid platforms or custom-developed robots. A selection of standardized platforms is also available through the RoboCup Humanoid Robot Program under special conditions.
For RoboCup 2026, Booster will provide a shared robot pool including K1 and T1 humanoid platforms, which teams may borrow for competition use.
Key Dates
- System opens: January 1, 2026
- Pre-application deadline: January 10, 2026
- Final submission deadline: January 31, 2026
- Review period: February 3–20, 2026
- Qualified teams announced: March 2, 2026
Pre-Application Requirements (due January 10)
Qualification Materials
- Qualification Video (maximum 5 minutes)
- Team Description Paper (TDP)
- Software Description document
- Hardware Specification (one page per robot)
Each application will undergo evaluation by two members of the Technical Committee, as well as two randomly assigned applicant teams. Participation in the peer review process is mandatory for qualification consideration.