Who decides when players are drug tested?
The FA Doping Control Programme is a carefully designed combination of random and targetting testing, to enable the testing of teams and players at key points during the season. Targeted testing schedules are designed according to research on known doping patterns, in order to provide the most effective possible deterrent and detection programme. The number of times a particular club is tested at a match fixture, or at a training session each season, and the dates of testing, will vary from year to year, to ensure that the testing programme is as unpredictable as possible.
Are players and/or clubs told in advance when they will be tested?
No, The FA Doping Control Programme is run entirely at no-notice to the players and the clubs involved to ensure that the testing programme is as unpredictable as possible for those who may be tempted to use prohibited substances.
What are the drug testing procedures?
Samples collected under The FA Doping Control Programme are managed by UK Sport. Procedures for drug testing adhere to The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) International Standard for Testing. See http://www.100percentme.co.uk for more information on UK Sport’s drug testing procedures.
Why don’t The FA test players at every match fixture?
Although post-match testing (or in-competition testing) is an important aspect of any doping control programme, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) guidelines suggest that random squad testing (or out-of-competition testing) is the most effective means of detecting the use of prohibited substances. A drug testing programme based entirely on post-match testing is predicable for players, as any player who had taken a prohibited substance would always be aware of possible dates on which they might be tested. This may allow the player to plan their doping programme to avoid detection.
Because The FA conduct a mixture of random, unannounced in and out-of-competition tests, players can be tested on any day of the week at any time during the year which makes it much more difficult for a player using a prohibited substance to know when they are going to be tested. This makes for a much more effective programme than if testing took place only at every match fixture. By randomly testing certain match fixtures each week, players considering using a prohibited substance to gain an unfair advantage during a match fixture could never be confident that they wouldn’t be tested. As not all matches need to de tested for the deterrent to be effective, this allows the FA to use the extra tests to conduct random out-of-competition testing.
What happens if a player refuses to be tested?
Failure to submit to a drug test is an offence under FA Doping Control Regulations. Should a player be selected for drug testing who then refuses to be tested, or attempts to evade a Doping Control Officer, this is recorded as a ‘refusal to submit to doping control’ and is reported to The FA and appropriate disciplinary action taken.
Who sets the penalties for doping offences?
As a member association of FIFA, The FA are required to follow any penalties for doping offences set by FIFA.
How are penalties decided for each substance?
Penalties for each prohibited substance are set by WADA according to the ability of the substance to be successfully used by an athlete as a doping agent. This has resulted in substances such as steroids, growth hormones and diuretics carrying the longest minimum penalties whilst other substances such as asthma medications and cannabis, which may offer some limited performance enhancing benefit in certain situations or which may be accidentally used as doping agents, carrying minimum penalties of a warning.
What is the minimum penalty that must be given to a player for a proven performance enhancing finding?
The minimum penalty given to any player for a proven performance enhancing finding under The FA Doping Control Programme will be equivalent to the penalty in force at the time for an equivalent finding under FIFA Doping Control Regulations.
What penalties are imposed on players who refuse to be tested?
If a player fails to provide a urine sample, The FA are unable to ascertain whether the player has refused because they have used a prohibited substance, and there is no way for The FA to discover what the substance is. Therefore, the player must be treated as if they had used the substance which carries the strongest minimum penalty under FA Doping Control Regulations as The FA would have no means of determining otherwise.
What is a ‘missed test’?
When The FA arrive to conduct out-of-competition (squad) drug testing, the names of all players who are present at the venue (and therefore available to be drug tested) is recorded by The FA Representative. If any players are absent and therefore could not be drug tested, this is reported back to the club by The FA and the player must provide clear evidence of why they were not present at the training session.
If the player cannot provide evidence to show good reason for their absence, the FA would have no way of knowing whether the player was deliberately avoiding being drug tested (for example because they were taking a performance enhancing drug). The missed test system ensures that players can not avoid being drug tested without an appropriate penalty.
If a player cannot give good reason for their absence they will incur one ‘missed test strike’. If a player incurs three missed test strikes within 18 months, they may face a suspension from football. The three strikes rule ensures that players are not unfairly penalised. So only if a player has been consistently absent without good reason when the FA have attempted to drug test their team, they will face a penalty.
The FA Doping Control Programme should be updated of squad and individual updates using any of the following contact details:
- Email - whereabouts@thefa.com
- Fax - 0844 980 8211
- Phone (24 hr messaging service) - 0844 980 8210
- SMS (text message service) - 07800 140062