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.

Annual Overview of Anti-Doping Activities

A summary of the Scottish FA’s Anti-Doping Activity over the past Season can be accessed here.


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 11 anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) which govern clean sport. Players - and support personnel - may receive a ban from sport if any of the following ADRVs are committed:

PRESENCE

The presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete’s sample.
Ban: Up to four years*
Applies to athletes only

USE

Use or attempted use by an athlete of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method.
Ban: Up to four years*
Applies to athletes only

EVASION, REFUSAL OR FAILURE

Evading, refusing, or failing to submit to sample collection.
Ban: Up to four years*
Applies to athletes only

WHEREABOUTS FAILURES

Whereabouts failures are considered as any combination of three missed tests and/or filing failures within a 12-month period by an athlete in a registered testing pool.
Ban: Up to two years*
Applies to athletes only

TAMPERING OR ATTEMPTED TAMPERING

Tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control. The 2021 Code makes it clear that engaging in fraudulent conduct (e.g. submitting falsified documents to an anti-doping organisation or asking a witness to lie in their witness statement) is an act of Tampering. From 1 January 2021, if an individual commits an act of Tampering relating to another ADRV, they can receive an additional consecutive ban.
Ban: Up to four years*
Applies to athletes, athlete support personnel and other Persons

POSSESSION

Possession of a prohibited substance or prohibited method.
Ban: Up to four years*
Applies to athletes and athlete support personnel

TRAFFICKING

Trafficking or attempted trafficking in any prohibited substance or prohibited method.

Ban: Four years to a lifetime
Applies to athletes, athlete support personnel and other Persons

ADMINISTERING OR ATTEMPTED ADMINISTRATION

Administration or attempted administration to any athlete of any prohibited substance or prohibited method.

Ban: Four years to a lifetime
Applies to athletes and athlete support personnel

COMPLICITY OR ATTEMPTED COMPLICITY

Assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, conspiring, covering up or any other type of
intentional complicity or attempted complicity involving an ADRV or any attempted ADRV.
Ban: Two years to a lifetime
Applies to athletes, athlete support personnel and other Persons

PROHIBITED ASSOCIATION

Associating in a professional or sport-related capacity with a person such as a coach, doctor, physio or trainer who is serving a ban or who has been found guilty of a criminal or disciplinary offence equivalent to a doping violation.
Ban: Up to two years*
Applies to athletes, athlete support personnel and other Persons

ACTS TO DISCOURAGE OR RETALIATE AGAINST REPORTING TO AUTHORITIES

Acts that threaten or seek to intimidate another to discourage them from sharing information about doping (also referred to as whistleblowing) or retaliating against another for doing so.
Ban: Two years up to a lifetime
Applies to athletes, athlete support personnel and other Persons

*This ban from sport can be increased by up to an additional two years as part of the aggravating circumstances rule.

The bans outlined apply to first violations. Longer bans will be given to second and third offences, with up to a lifetime ban from sport possible.

Further information on ADRVs can be found here: Violations