Anti-Doping

All players have the right to take part in football knowing that they, their team mates, and their competitors, are clean. The use of performance-enhancing drugs and doping activity severely damages the legacy of the game.

Anti-doping is integral to clean sport and it’s important that players are clued up on the anti-doping rules. Players are personally responsible for any banned substances detected during doping control tests.

What is strict liability?

Players must make sure that they are aware of the principle of strict liability. This means that players are personally responsible for any banned substance found in their system, regardless of how it got there and whether or not they had an intention to cheat.

In the experience of the Scottish FA, positive tests are extremely rare, and mainly unintentional.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that only performance-enhancing drugs are on the prohibited list. In fact, banned substances can be found in anything from vitamin supplements and sports drinks to over-the-counter medication.

Players should regularly check the prohibited list on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) website www.wada-ama.org and check all medications on www.globaldro.co.uk

What are the anti-doping rules?

The World Anti-Doping Code outlines 10 anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) which govern clean sport. Players - and support staff - may receive a ban from sport if any of the following ADRVs are committed:

• The presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete’s sample
• Use or attempted use by an athlete of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method
• Evading, refusing, or failing to submit to sample collection
• Whereabouts failures: any combination of three missed tests and/or filing failures within a 12-month period by an athlete in a registered testing pool
• Tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control
• Possession of a prohibited substance or prohibited method
• Trafficking or attempted trafficking in any prohibited substance or prohibited method
• Administration or attempted administration to any athlete in-competition of any prohibited method or prohibited substance, or administration or attempted administration to any athlete out-of-competition of any prohibited method or any prohibited substance that is prohibited out-of-competition
• Complicity: assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, conspiring, covering up or any other type of intentional complicity involving an ADRV or any attempted ADRV
• Prohibited Association: associating with a person such as a coach, doctor or physio who has been found guilty of a criminal or disciplinary offence equivalent to a doping violation

The Scottish FA believes in the principles of natural fairness and fair play in all aspects of association football, and has adopted an Anti-Doping Charter.