Anti-Doping Rule Violations and Process | Sport Integrity Australia

Anti-Doping Rule Violations

Under the World Anti-Doping Code there are 11 possible anti-doping rule violations.

1. Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete’s sample.

We test for the presence of substances, drugs and medications listed on the prohibited list. We also tests for markers or other chemicals that indicate a prohibited substance has been used.

It is each athlete’s personal responsibility to ensure that no prohibited substance enters his or her body. Athletes are responsible for any prohibited substance found in their sample.

A positive test is enough to establish a ‘Presence’ anti-doping rule violation. It is not necessary to show that an athlete:

had intent
was at fault
was negligent
knowingly used a prohibited substance.

More information on testing procedures.

2. Use or attempted use of a prohibited substance or prohibited method.

We have the power to investigate the possible use or attempted use of prohibited substances or prohibited methods.

An athlete may use or attempt to use a prohibited substance or method and not get caught through the testing program. If we find enough evidence, we can still sanction them.

A ‘Use or Attempted Use’ anti-doping rule violation can be established by any reliable means, such as:

admissions
witness statements
documentary evidence
data or other analytical information.

Check your substances

3. Evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection.

If an athlete refuses or fails to submit to testing without compelling justification, they can be sanctioned. If an athlete evades testing, they can also be sanctioned.

An athlete cannot deliberately avoid being tested once they are notified.

The sanction for this can be just as serious as if an athlete tested positive for a prohibited substance.

More information on testing procedures.

4. Whereabouts failures—three strikes rule

Athletes who are part of the registered testing pool need to let us know where they are going to be, at specific times. This is so we can perform testing with no advanced notice.

If athletes in the registered testing pool do not provide current and accurate whereabouts information, they may incur a declaration of a missed test, or a filing failure. This is sometimes called a ‘strike’.

If an athlete gets 3 strikes in a 12 month period, this is an anti-doping rule violation and the athlete can be sanctioned.

More information on whereabouts.

More information on testing pools.

5. Tampering or attempted tampering.

Any attempt to interfere in the Results Management process in any way can lead to sanctions.

Tampering includes:

intentionally interfering or attempting to interfere with a doping control official
providing fraudulent information to an anti-doping organisation
intimidating or attempting to intimidate a potential witness.

Some examples of tampering include:

altering identification numbers on a doping control form during testing
breaking the bottle at the time of sample analysis
altering a sample by adding a foreign substance
giving a false statement, evidence or documents in an anti-doping investigation.

More information on testing.

6. Possession of prohibited substances and prohibited methods.

7. Trafficking or attempted trafficking.

We work closely with Australian Border Force and other law enforcement agencies to investigate trafficking of prohibited drugs, medications and substances, and prohibited methods.

Athletes, support persons and non-participants can receive a sanction for being involved in the trafficking of prohibited substances or methods. This can include supplying substances to people who are not athletes.

8. Administration or attempted administration.

If an athlete, support person or non-participant administers or attempts to administer any prohibited method or substance to an athlete, we can sanction them. This will prevent them from being involved in sport or with athletes.

An example of an ‘Administration’ anti-doping rule violation might be where a support person:

provides
supplies
supervises
facilitates
or otherwise participates in, the use or attempted use of a prohibited substance or method by an athlete.

9. Complicity.

If a person is aware that someone intends or attempts to violate an anti-doping rule, or if a person tries to cover up someone’s an anti-doping rule violation, we can sanction that person for complicit behaviour.

Complicit behaviour includes:

assisting
encouraging
aiding
abetting
conspiring
covering up
or any other type of intentional complicity, involving any anti-doping rule violation or attempted anti-doping rule violation.

10. Prohibited association.

Athletes, support persons and non-participants are not allowed to work with any support person who:

is serving a sanction for a doping violation, or
is not subject to a sport’s anti-doping policy but has been criminally convicted or professionally disciplined in relation to doping.

For example, some types of association which are prohibited include:

obtaining training, strategy, technique, nutrition or medical advice
obtaining therapy, treatment or prescriptions.

WADA publishes a global list of athlete support personnel who are currently suspended from working with athletes or other people on its website.

11. Acts by an Athlete or Other Person to Discourage or Retaliate Against Reporting to Authorities

From 1 January 2021, a new anti-doping rule violation came into effect that makes it an offence to discourage or retaliate against someone for reporting information relating to doping activities. For example, an athlete witnesses their teammate using a prohibited substance and the athlete’s teammate threatens to harm the athlete if they tell the authorities. In this example the teammate can be sanctioned for discouraging reporting to authorities.

ADRV process

Australia has a robust process in place to determine if an athlete or support person has committed a possible anti-doping rule violation (ADRV). This process is legislated under the Sport Integrity Australia Act 2020 and the Sport Integrity Australia Regulations 2020 (containing the National Anti-Doping scheme (NAD scheme)), and follows the principles set out under the World Anti-Doping Code 2021 (the Code), including the World Anti-Doping Code – International Standard – Results Management 2021, which establishes a process for the management of potential ADRVs.

Each potential ADRV brought before Sport Integrity Australia is unique in both its circumstances and the time it takes to reach a conclusion.

Sanctions for violations can range from a warning, to a short suspension or to a lifetime ban.

The following process sets out the general course of action that a matter may take through to its conclusion. The exact detail of the process will depend upon the anti-doping policy of the relevant sport.

Anti-Doping Rule Violation Handbook: A Guide for Athletes

We have published the Anti-Doping Rule Violation Handbook: A Guide for Athletes that outlines all the information athletes need when faced with an anti-doping rule violation.

The handbook offers end-to-end guidelines around this complex process, from when an athlete first receives their notification of an AAF (Adverse Analytical Finding) through to the sanction consequences and their return to training.

Importantly, the handbook outlines what resources are available to athletes during this difficult time and also ways they can take care of their physical and mental health.

The handbook was developed in partnership with the Athlete Advisory Group and includes valuable insights and stories from Australian sanctioned athletes who have been through the same process.