World Anti-Doping Code
The World Anti-Doping Code was first adopted in 2003 and took effectin 2004. It was subsequently amended four times, the first timeeffective 1 January 2009, the second time effective 1 January 2015,
the third time effective 1 April 2018 (compliance amendments) andthe fourth time effective 1 June 2019 (reporting of certain endogenous
substances as Atypical Findings). The revised 2021 World Anti-Doping
Code is effective as of 1 January 2021.
Published by:World Anti-Doping Agency
Stock Exchange Tower
800 Place Victoria (Suite 1700)
PO Box 120
Montreal, Quebec
Canada H4Z 1B7
URL:

www.wada-ama.org

Tel:+1 514 904 9232
Fax:
+1 514 904 8650
E-mail: code@wada-ama.org

Table of Contents
PURPOSE, SCOPE AND ORGANIZATION OF THE WORLD ANTIDOPING PROGRAM AND THE CODE...........................................................9
THE CODE..............................................................................................9
THE WORLD ANTI-DOPING PROGRAM............................................10
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS..........................................................10
TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS...................................................................11
MODELS OF BEST PRACTICE AND GUIDELINES............................12
FUNDAMENTAL RATIONALE FOR THE WORLD ANTI-DOPING CODE......13

PART ONE DOPING CONTROLINTRODUCTION........................................................................................16
ARTICLE 1 DEFINITION OF DOPING.......................................................19
ARTICLE 2 ANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATIONS.........................................19
2.1

PRESENCE OF A PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE
OR ITS METABOLITES OR MARKERS IN AN
ATHLETE’S SAMPLE..................................................................19

2.2

USE OR ATTEMPTED USE BY AN ATHLETE OF A
PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE OR A PROHIBITED METHOD..........21

2.3

EVADING, REFUSING OR FAILING TO SUBMIT TOSAMPLE COLLECTION BY AN ATHLETE...................................22

2.4

WHEREABOUTS FAILURES BY AN ATHLETE..........................22

2.5

TAMPERING OR ATTEMPTED TAMPERING WITHANY PART OF DOPING CONTROL BY AN ATHLETEOR OTHER PERSON..................................................................22

2.6

POSSESSION OF A PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE
OR A PROHIBITED METHOD BY AN ATHLETE OR
ATHLETE SUPPORT PERSON.....................................................22

2.7

TRAFFICKING OR ATTEMPTED TRAFFICKING IN
ANY PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE OR PROHIBITEDMETHOD BY AN ATHLETE OR OTHER PERSON.......................23

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2.8

ADMINISTRATION OR ATTEMPTEDADMINISTRATION BY AN ATHLETE OR OTHERPERSON TO ANY ATHLETE IN-COMPETITION OF
ANY PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE OR PROHIBITEDMETHOD, OR ADMINISTRATION OR ATTEMPTEDADMINISTRATION TO ANY ATHLETE OUT-OFCOMPETITION OF ANY PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE
OR ANY PROHIBITED METHOD THAT IS
PROHIBITED OUT-OF-COMPETITION.......................................23

2.9

COMPLICITY OR ATTEMPTED COMPLICITY BY AN
ATHLETE OR OTHER PERSON...................................................23

2.10 PROHIBITED ASSOCIATION BY AN ATHLETE OROTHER PERSON........................................................................24
2.11 ACTS BY AN ATHLETE OR OTHER PERSONTO DISCOURAGE OR RETALIATE AGAINSTREPORTING TO AUTHORITIES.................................................25
ARTICLE 3 PROOF OF DOPING................................................................26
3.1

BURDENS AND STANDARDS OF PROOF................................26

3.2

METHODS OF ESTABLISHING FACTS AND
PRESUMPTIONS.......................................................................27

ARTICLE 4 THE PROHIBITED LIST...........................................................31
4.1

PUBLICATION AND REVISION OF THE PROHIBITED LIST......31

4.2

PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES AND PROHIBITEDMETHODS IDENTIFIED ON THE PROHIBITED LIST.................32

4.3

CRITERIA FOR INCLUDING SUBSTANCES AND
METHODS ON THE PROHIBITED LIST......................................33

4.4

THERAPEUTIC USE EXEMPTIONS (“TUEs”)...............................35

4.5

MONITORING PROGRAM..........................................................40

ARTICLE 5 TESTING AND INVESTIGATIONS............................................412

5.1

PURPOSE OF TESTING AND INVESTIGATIONS.......................41

5.2

AUTHORITY TO TEST.................................................................41

5.3

EVENT TESTING.........................................................................43

5.4

TESTING REQUIREMENTS........................................................44

5.5

ATHLETE WHEREABOUTS INFORMATION..............................44

5.6

RETIRED ATHLETES RETURNING TO COMPETITION..............45

5.7

INVESTIGATIONS AND INTELLIGENCE GATHERING.............46

World Anti-Doping Code 2021

ARTICLE 6 ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES........................................................47
6.1

USE OF ACCREDITED, APPROVEDLABORATORIES AND OTHER LABORATORIES.......................47

6.2

PURPOSE OF ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES AND DATA..................48

6.3

RESEARCH ON SAMPLES AND DATA......................................48

6.4

STANDARDS FOR SAMPLE ANALYSIS AND REPORTING......49

6.5

FURTHER ANALYSIS OF A SAMPLE PRIOR TO OR
DURING RESULTS MANAGEMENT............................................49

6.6

FURTHER ANALYSIS OF A SAMPLE AFTER IT
HAS BEEN REPORTED AS NEGATIVE OR HAS
OTHERWISE NOT RESULTED IN AN ANTI-DOPING
RULE VIOLATION CHARGE.......................................................49

6.7

SPLIT OF A OR B SAMPLE........................................................50

6.8

WADA’S RIGHT TO TAKE POSSESSION OF
SAMPLES AND DATA.................................................................51

ARTICLE 7 RESULTS MANAGEMENT: RESPONSIBILITY, INITIALREVIEW, NOTICE AND PROVISIONAL SUSPENSIONS ...............................52
7.1

RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONDUCTING RESULTS
MANAGEMENT...........................................................................52

7.2

REVIEW AND NOTIFICATION REGARDING
POTENTIAL ANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATIONS.......................56

7.3

IDENTIFICATION OF PRIOR ANTI-DOPING RULE
VIOLATIONS...............................................................................56

7.4

PRINCIPLES APPLICABLE TO PROVISIONALSUSPENSIONS...........................................................................56

7.5

RESULTS MANAGEMENT DECISIONS.......................................59

7.6

NOTIFICATION OF RESULTS MANAGEMENT DECISIONS.......60

7.7

RETIREMENT FROM SPORT....................................................61

ARTICLE 8 RESULTS MANAGEMENT: RIGHT TO A FAIR HEARINGAND NOTICE OF HEARING DECISION......................................................61
8.1

FAIR HEARINGS........................................................................61

8.2

EVENT HEARINGS.....................................................................62

8.3

WAIVER OF HEARING...............................................................62

8.4

NOTICE OF DECISIONS............................................................62

8.5

SINGLE HEARING BEFORE CAS..............................................62

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ARTICLE 9 AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION OF
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS..............................................................................63
ARTICLE 10 SANCTIONS ON INDIVIDUALS................................................ 63
10.1 DISQUALIFICATION OF RESULTS IN THE EVENT
DURING WHICH AN ANTI-DOPING RULE
VIOLATION OCCURS.................................................................63
10.2 INELIGIBILITY FOR PRESENCE, USE OR
ATTEMPTED USE OR POSSESSION OF A
PROHIBITED SUBSTANCE OR PROHIBITED METHOD............64
10.3 INELIGIBILITY FOR OTHER ANTI-DOPING RULE
VIOLATIONS...............................................................................67
10.4 AGGRAVATING CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH MAY
INCREASE THE PERIOD OF INELIGIBILITY..............................69
10.5 ELIMINATION OF THE PERIOD OF INELIGIBILITY
WHERE THERE IS NO FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE.......................69
10.6 REDUCTION OF THE PERIOD OF INELIGIBILITY
BASED ON NO SIGNIFICANT FAULT OR NEGLIGENCE............70
10.7 ELIMINATION, REDUCTION, OR SUSPENSIONOF PERIOD OF INELIGIBILITY OR OTHERCONSEQUENCES FOR REASONS OTHER THAN FAULT..........72
10.8 RESULTS MANAGEMENT AGREEMENTS..................................77
10.9 MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS............................................................79
10.10 DISQUALIFICATION OF RESULTS IN
COMPETITIONS SUBSEQUENT TO SAMPLE
COLLECTION OR COMMISSION OF AN
ANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATION..............................................82
10.11 FORFEITED PRIZE MONEY.......................................................83
10.12 FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES....................................................83
10.13 COMMENCEMENT OF INELIGIBILITY PERIOD........................84
10.14 STATUS DURING INELIGIBILITY OR PROVISIONALSUSPENSION.............................................................................86
10.15 AUTOMATIC PUBLICATION OF SANCTION.............................89
ARTICLE 11 CONSEQUENCES TO TEAMS................................................89
11.1 TESTING OF TEAM SPORTS.......................................................89
11.2 CONSEQUENCES FOR TEAM SPORTS.......................................89
11.3 EVENT RULING BODY OR INTERNATIONALFEDERATION MAY ESTABLISH STRICTERCONSEQUENCES FOR TEAM SPORTS.......................................90

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ARTICLE 12 SANCTIONS BY SIGNATORIES AGAINST OTHER
SPORTING BODIES ..................................................................................90
ARTICLE 13 RESULTS MANAGEMENT: APPEALS.....................................91
13.1 DECISIONS SUBJECT TO APPEAL...........................................91
13.2 APPEALS FROM DECISIONS REGARDINGANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATIONS,CONSEQUENCES, PROVISIONAL SUSPENSIONS,IMPLEMENTATION OF DECISIONS AND AUTHORITY............92
13.3 FAILURE TO RENDER A TIMELY DECISION BY AN
ANTI-DOPING ORGANIZATION...................................................97
13.4 APPEALS RELATING TO TUEs..................................................97
13.5 NOTIFICATION OF APPEAL DECISIONS..................................97
13.6 APPEALS FROM DECISIONS UNDER ARTICLE 24.1..............97
13.7 APPEALS FROM DECISIONS SUSPENDING ORREVOKING LABORATORY ACCREDITATION............................98
ARTICLE 14 CONFIDENTIALITY AND REPORTING.................................98
14.1 INFORMATION CONCERNING ADVERSEANALYTICAL FINDINGS, ATYPICAL FINDINGS,AND OTHER ASSERTED ANTI-DOPING
RULE VIOLATIONS....................................................................98
14.2 NOTICE OF ANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATION OR
VIOLATIONS OF INELIGIBILITY OR PROVISIONALSUSPENSION DECISIONS AND REQUEST FOR FILES.........100
14.3 PUBLIC DISCLOSURE..............................................................100
14.4 STATISTICAL REPORTING......................................................102
14.5 DOPING CONTROL INFORMATION DATABASE AND
MONITORING OF COMPLIANCE............................................103
14.6 DATA PRIVACY.....................................................................104
ARTICLE 15 IMPLEMENTATION OF DECISIONS...................................105
15.1 AUTOMATIC BINDING EFFECT OF DECISIONS BY
SIGNATORY ANTI-DOPING ORGANIZATIONS .........................105
15.2 IMPLEMENTATION OF OTHER DECISIONS BY
ANTI-DOPING ORGANIZATIONS...............................................107
15.3 IMPLEMENTATION OF DECISIONS BY BODY THATIS NOT A SIGNATORY...............................................................107

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ARTICLE 16 DOPING CONTROL FOR ANIMALSCOMPETING IN SPORT...........................................................................108
ARTICLE 17 STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.................................................108

PART TWO EDUCATION AND RESEARCHARTICLE 18 EDUCATION........................................................................11018.1 PRINCIPLES.............................................................................11018.2 EDUCATION PROGRAM AND PLAN BY SIGNATORIES...........110
ARTICLE 19 RESEARCH........................................................................114
19.1 PURPOSE AND AIMS OF ANTI-DOPING RESEARCH...........114
19.2 TYPES OF RESEARCH.............................................................114
19.3 COORDINATION OF RESEARCH AND SHARINGOF RESULTS............................................................................114
19.4 RESEARCH PRACTICES.........................................................114
19.5 RESEARCH USING PROHIBITED SUBSTANCESAND PROHIBITED METHODS..................................................115
19.6 MISUSE OF RESULTS.............................................................115

PART THREE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESARTICLE 20 ADDITIONAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESOF SIGNATORIES AND WADA..................................................................118
20.1 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE
INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE..............................118
20.2 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE
INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE.......................120
20.3 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS...........................................122
20.4 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF NATIONAL
OLYMPIC COMMITTEES AND NATIONALPARALYMPIC COMMITTEES...................................................126
20.5 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF NATIONAL
ANTI-DOPING ORGANIZATIONS...............................................129
20.6 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MAJOR
EVENT ORGANIZATIONS..........................................................131
20.7 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF WADA..........................133

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20.8 COOPERATION REGARDING THIRDPARTY REGULATIONS.............................................................135
ARTICLE 21 ADDITIONAL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESOF ATHLETES AND OTHER PERSONS.....................................................136
21.1 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ATHLETES...................136
21.2 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ATHLETESUPPORT PERSONNEL............................................................137
21.3 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF OTHERPERSONS SUBJECT TO THE CODE........................................138
21.4 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF REGIONAL
ANTI-DOPING ORGANIZATIONS..............................................138
ARTICLE 22 INVOLVEMENT OF GOVERNMENTS..................................139

PART FOUR ACCEPTANCE, COMPLIANCE,MODIFICATION AND INTERPRETATIONARTICLE 23 ACCEPTANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION............................144
23.1 ACCEPTANCE OF THE CODE..................................................144
23.2 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CODE..........................................145
23.3 IMPLEMENTATION OF ANTI-DOPING PROGRAMS..............146
ARTICLE 24 MONITORING AND ENFORCING COMPLIANCE WITH
THE CODE AND UNESCO CONVENTION..................................................147
24.1 MONITORING AND ENFORCING COMPLIANCE
WITH THE CODE......................................................................147
24.2 MONITORING COMPLIANCE WITH THE UNESCOCONVENTION...........................................................................157
ARTICLE 25 MODIFICATION AND WITHDRAWAL..................................157
25.1 MODIFICATION........................................................................157
25.2 WITHDRAWAL OF ACCEPTANCE OF THE CODE...................158
ARTICLE 26 INTERPRETATION OF THE CODE.......................................159
ARTICLE 27 TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS............................................159
27.1 GENERAL APPLICATION OF THE 2021 CODE........................159
27.2 NON-RETROACTIVE EXCEPT FOR ARTICLES
10.9.4 AND 17 OR UNLESS PRINCIPLE OF“LEX MITIOR” APPLIES...........................................................160

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27.3 APPLICATION TO DECISIONS RENDERED PRIORTO THE 2021 CODE..................................................................160
27.4 MULTIPLE VIOLATIONS WHERE THE FIRSTVIOLATION OCCURS PRIOR TO 1 JANUARY 2021.................161
27.5 ADDITIONAL CODE AMENDMENTS.......................................161
27.6 CHANGES TO THE PROHIBITED LIST.....................................161

APPENDIX 1 DEFINITIONS

8World Anti-Doping Code 2021

PURPOSE, SCOPE AND ORGANIZATION
OF THE WORLD ANTI-DOPING PROGRAM
AND THE CODE
The purposes of the World Anti-Doping Code and the World
Anti-Doping Program which supports it are:•

To protect the Athletes’ fundamental right to participate indoping-free sport and thus promote health, fairness andequality for Athletes worldwide, and•To ensure harmonized, coordinated and effective anti-doping
programs at the international and national level with regard
to the prevention of doping, including:

Education — to raise awareness, inform, communicate, to instillvalues, develop life skills and decision-making capability toprevent intentional and unintentional anti-doping rule violations.
Deterrence — to divert potential dopers, through ensuringthat robust rules and sanctions are in place and salient for
all stakeholders.
Detection — an effective Testing and investigations system
not only enhances a deterrent effect, but also is effective inprotecting clean Athletes and the spirit of sport by catching
those committing anti-doping rule violations, while also helping
to disrupt anyone engaged in doping behavior.
Enforcement — to adjudicate and sanction those found to havecommitted an anti-doping rule violation.
Rule of law — to ensure that all relevant stakeholders haveagreed to submit to the Code and the International Standards,
and that all measures taken in application of their anti-doping
programs respect the Code, the International Standards, and theprinciples of proportionality and human rights.
The Code
The Code is the fundamental and universal document upon which
the World Anti-Doping Program in sport is based. The purposeof the Code is to advance the anti-doping effort through universal
harmonization of core anti-doping elements. It is intended to be
specific enough to achieve complete harmonization on issues
World Anti-Doping Code 20219

where uniformity is required, yet general enough in other areas topermit flexibility on how agreed-upon anti-doping principles are
implemented. The Code has been drafted giving consideration to
the principles of proportionality and human rights.1
The World Anti-Doping Program
The World Anti-Doping Program encompasses all of theelements needed in order to ensure optimal harmonization andbest practice in international and national anti-doping programs.
The main elements are:Level 1: The CodeLevel 2: International Standards and Technical Documents
Level 3: Models of Best Practice and Guidelines
International Standards
International Standards for different technical and operational
areas within the anti-doping program have been and will be
developed in consultation with the Signatories and governments
and approved by WADA. The purpose of the International
Standards is harmonization among Anti-Doping Organizations
responsible for specific technical and operational parts of antidoping programs. Adherence to the International Standards
is mandatory for compliance with the Code. The International
Standards may be revised from time to time by the WADA
Executive Committee after reasonable consultation with
Signatories, governments and other relevant stakeholders.
1 [Comment: The Olympic Charterand the International Convention
against Doping in Sport 2005 adopted
in Paris on 19 October 2005 (“UNESCO
Convention”), both recognize theprevention of and the fight against

10World Anti-Doping Code 2021

doping in sport as a critical part of themission of the International Olympic
Committee and UNESCO, and also
recognize the fundamental role of
the Code.]International Standards and all revisions will be published on the
WADA website and shall become effective on the date specified
in the International Standard or revision.2
Technical Documents
Technical Documents relating to mandatory technicalrequirements for the implementation of an International
Standard may be approved and published from time to timeby the WADA Executive Committee. Adherence to TechnicalDocuments is mandatory for compliance with the Code. Where
the implementation of a new or revised Technical Document is
not time sensitive, the WADA Executive Committee shall allow
for reasonable consultation with Signatories, governments andother relevant stakeholders. Technical Documents shall become
effective immediately upon publication on the WADA website
unless a later date is specified.3
2 [Comment:
The
International
Standards contain much of the technicaldetail necessary for implementing
the Code. International Standards
will, in consultation with Signatories,
governments and other relevant
stakeholders, be developed by experts

and set forth in separate documents. It
is important that the WADA Executive
Committee be able to make timelychanges to the International Standards
without requiring any amendment of
the Code.]

3 [Comment: For example, wherean additional analytical procedure isrequired before reporting a Sample
as an Adverse Analytical Finding,that procedure would be mandated
in a Technical Document issued
immediately by the WADA Executive
Committee.]World Anti-Doping Code 202111

Models of Best Practice and Guidelines
Models of best practice and guidelines based on the Code andInternational Standards have been and will be developed toprovide solutions in different areas of anti-doping. The models
and guidelines will be recommended by WADA and madeavailable to Signatories and other relevant stakeholders, but will
not be mandatory. In addition to providing models of anti-doping
documentation, WADA will also make some training assistanceavailable to Signatories.44 [Comment: These model documents
may provide alternatives from whichstakeholders may select. Somestakeholders may choose to adopt themodel rules and other models of bestpractices verbatim. Others may decideto adopt the models with modifications.
Still other stakeholders may choose
to develop their own rules consistent

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with the general principles and specificrequirements set forth in the Code.
Model documents or guidelines for
specific parts of anti-doping work havebeen developed and may continue
to be developed based on generally
recognized stakeholder needs andexpectations.]

FUNDAMENTAL RATIONALE FOR THE
WORLD ANTI-DOPING CODE
Anti-doping programs are founded on the intrinsic value of sport.
This intrinsic value is often referred to as “the spirit of sport”:
the ethical pursuit of human excellence through the dedicatedperfection of each Athlete’s natural talents.
Anti-doping programs seek to protect the health of Athletes
and to provide the opportunity for Athletes to pursue humanexcellence without the Use of Prohibited Substances andProhibited Methods.
Anti-doping programs seek to maintain the integrity of sport interms of respect for rules, other competitors, fair competition,a level playing field, and the value of clean sport to the world.
The spirit of sport is the celebration of the human spirit, bodyand mind. It is the essence of Olympism and is reflected in thevalues we find in and through sport, including:•

Health•Ethics, fair play and honesty•

Athletes’ rights as set forth in the Code•

Excellence in performance•

Character and Education•

Fun and joy•

Teamwork•

Dedication and commitment•

Respect for rules and laws•

Respect for self and other Participants•

Courage•Community and solidarity

The spirit of sport is expressed in how we play true.
Doping is fundamentally contrary to the spirit of sport.

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PART ONEDOPING CONTROL

PART

1

Doping Control

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION
Part One of the Code sets forth specific anti-doping rules andprinciples that are to be followed by organizations responsible
for adopting, implementing or enforcing anti-doping rules
within their authority, e.g., the International Olympic Committee,
International Paralympic Committee, International Federations,
National Olympic Committees and Paralympic Committees, Major
Event Organizations, and National Anti-Doping Organizations. Allsuch organizations are collectively referred to as Anti-Doping
Organizations.
All provisions of the Code are mandatory in substance and mustbe followed as applicable by each Anti-Doping Organization andAthlete or other Person. The Code does not, however, replaceor eliminate the need for comprehensive anti-doping rules
to be adopted by each Anti-Doping Organization. While someprovisions of the Code must be incorporated without substantive
change by each Anti-Doping Organization in its own anti-doping
rules, other provisions of the Code establish mandatory guiding
principles that allow flexibility in the formulation of rules by each
Anti-Doping Organization or establish requirements that mustbe followed by each Anti-Doping Organization but need not be
repeated in its own anti-doping rules.5
5 [Comment: Those Articles of theCode which must be incorporated
into each Anti-Doping Organization’s
rules without substantive change
are set forth in Article 23.2.2. For
example, it is critical for purposesof harmonization that all Signatories
base their decisions on the same listof anti-doping rule violations, the sameburdens of proof and impose the same
Consequences for the same anti-doping
rule violations. These rules must be thesame whether a hearing takes place
before an International Federation, atthe national level or before the Court of
Arbitration for Sport.

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Code provisions not listed in
Article 23.2.2 are still mandatory insubstance even though an Anti-Doping
Organization is not required toincorporate them verbatim. Those
provisions generally fall into two
categories. First, some provisions
directAnti-Doping
Organizations
to take certain actions but there isno need to restate the provision in
the Anti-Doping Organization’s own
anti-doping rules. For example, each
Anti-Doping Organization must plan andconduct Testing as required by Article 5,
but these directives to the Anti-Doping
Organization need not be repeatedin the Anti-Doping Organization’s
own rules. Second, some provisions
are mandatory in substance but giveAnti-doping rules, like competition rules, are sport rules
governing the conditions under which sport is played. Athletes,
Athlete Support Personnel or other Persons (including board
members, directors, officers, and specified employees andDelegated Third Parties and their employees) accept theserules as a condition of participation or involvement in sport andshall be bound by these rules.6 Each Signatory shall establish
rules and procedures to ensure that all Athletes, Athlete
Support Personnel or other Persons under the authority of the
Signatory and its member organizations are informed of andagree to be bound by anti-doping rules in force of the relevant
Anti-Doping Organizations.
Each Signatory shall establish rules and procedures to ensurethat all Athletes, Athlete Support Personnel or other Persons under
the authority of the Signatory and its member organizations are
informed of the dissemination of their private data as requiredor authorized by the Code, and are bound by and compliant withthe anti-doping rules found in the Code, and that the appropriate
Consequences are imposed on those Athletes or other Persons
who breach those rules. These sport-specific rules andprocedures, aimed at enforcing anti-doping rules in a global andharmonized way, are distinct in nature from criminal and civil
proceedings. They are not intended to be subject to or limited
by any national requirements and legal standards applicable tosuch proceedings, although they are intended to be applied ina manner which respects the principles of proportionality andeach Anti-Doping Organization someflexibility in the implementation of theprinciples stated in the provision. As an
example, it is not necessary for effective
harmonization to force all Signatories

to use one single Results Management
process as long as the process utilized
satisfies the requirements stated in the
Code and the International Standard forResults Management.]

6 [Comment: Where the Code requiresa Person other than an Athlete or
Athlete Support Person to be bound by
the Code, such Person would of course
not be subject to Sample collection or
Testing, and would not be charged withan anti-doping rule violation under
the Code for Use or Possession of a
Prohibited Substance or Prohibited
Method. Rather, such Person would only
be subject to discipline for a violationof Code Articles 2.5 (Tampering), 2.7(Trafficking), 2.8 (Administration),
2.9 (Complicity), 2.10 (Prohibited
Association) and 2.11 (Retaliation).
Furthermore, such Person would be
subject to the additional roles andresponsibilities according to Article
21.3. Also, the obligation to require an
employee to be bound by the Code issubject to applicable law.]

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PART

1

Doping Control

INTRODUCTION
ARTICLE 1 Definition of Doping
ARTICLE 2 Anti-Doping Rule Violations

human rights. When reviewing the facts and the law of a given
case, all courts, arbitral hearing panels and other adjudicating
bodies should be aware of and respect the distinct nature of
the anti-doping rules in the Code and the fact that those rules
represent the consensus of a broad spectrum of stakeholders
around the world with an interest in fair sport.
As provided in the Code, each Anti-Doping Organization shallbe responsible for conducting all aspects of Doping Control.
Any aspect of Doping Control or anti-doping Education may bedelegated by an Anti-Doping Organization to a Delegated Third
Party, however, the delegating Anti-Doping Organization shallrequire the Delegated Third Party to perform such aspects incompliance with the Code and International Standards, and
the Anti-Doping Organization shall remain fully responsible
for ensuring that any delegated aspects are performed incompliance with the Code.

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ARTICLE 1 DEFINITION OF DOPING
Doping is defined as the occurrence of one or more of the antidoping rule violations set forth in Article 2.1 through Article 2.11of the Code.

ARTICLE 2 ANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATIONS
The purpose of Article 2 is to specify the circumstances andconduct which constitute anti-doping rule violations. Hearingsin doping cases will proceed based on the assertion that one ormore of these specific rules have been violated.
Athletes or other Persons shall be responsible for knowing what
constitutes an anti-doping rule violation and the substances andmethods which have been included on the Prohibited List.
The following constitute anti-doping rule violations:
2.1

Presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites orMarkers in an Athlete’s Sample
2.1.1

It is the Athletes’ personal duty to ensure that no
Prohibited Substance enters their bodies. Athletes
are responsible for any Prohibited Substance or
its Metabolites or Markers found to be present
in their Samples. Accordingly, it is not necessarythat intent, Fault, Negligence or knowing Useon the Athlete’s part be demonstrated in orderto establish an anti-doping rule violation under
Article 2.1.7

7 [Comment to Article 2.1.1: An antidoping rule violation is committed
under this Article without regard to
an Athlete’s Fault. This rule has beenreferred to in various CAS decisions as“Strict Liability”. An Athlete’s Fault istaken into consideration in determining
the Consequences of this anti-doping
rule violation under Article 10. This
principle has consistently been upheldby CAS.]World Anti-Doping Code 2021

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PART

1

Doping Control

ARTICLE 2 Anti-Doping Rule Violations

2.1.2

Sufficient proof of an anti-doping rule violation
under Article 2.1 is established by any of thefollowing: presence of a Prohibited Substanceor its Metabolites or Markers in the Athlete’s A
Sample where the Athlete waives analysis of the
B Sample and the B Sample is not analyzed; or,where the Athlete’s B Sample is analyzed andthe analysis of the Athlete’s B Sample confirms
the presence of the Prohibited Substance or its
Metabolites or Markers found in the Athlete’s A
Sample; or where the Athlete’s A or B Sample
is split into two parts and the analysis of theconfirmation part of the split Sample confirms
the presence of the Prohibited Substance or its
Metabolites or Markers found in the first part ofthe split Sample or the Athlete waives analysis of
the confirmation part of the split Sample.8

2.1.3

Excepting those substances for which a Decision
Limit is specifically identified in the Prohibited
List or a Technical Document, the presence of any
reported quantity of a Prohibited Substance or
its Metabolites or Markers in an Athlete’s Sample
shall constitute an anti-doping rule violation.

2.1.4

As an exception to the general rule of Article
2.1, the Prohibited List, International Standards,
or Technical Documents may establish special
criteria for reporting or the evaluation of certain
Prohibited Substances.

8 [Comment to Article 2.1.2: The
Anti-Doping Organization with Results
Management responsibility may, at its

20

World Anti-Doping Code 2021

discretion, choose to have the B Sample
analyzed even if the Athlete does not
request the analysis of the B Sample.]2.2

Use or Attempted Use by an Athlete of a Prohibited
Substance or a Prohibited Method 92.2.1

It is the Athletes’ personal duty to ensure thatno Prohibited Substance enters their bodies andthat no Prohibited Method is Used. Accordingly, it
is not necessary that intent, Fault, Negligence or
knowing Use on the Athlete’s part be demonstrated
in order to establish an anti-doping rule violation
for Use of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited
Method.

2.2.2

The success or failure of the Use or Attempted
Use of a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited
Method is not material. It is sufficient that theProhibited Substance or Prohibited Method wasUsed or Attempted to be Used for an anti-doping
rule violation to be committed.10

9 [Comment to Article 2.2: It has always
been the case that Use or Attempted
Use of a Prohibited Substance or
Prohibited Method may be establishedby any reliable means. As noted in theComment to Article 3.2, unlike the proof
required to establish an anti-doping
rule violation under Article 2.1, Use or
Attempted Use may also be establishedby other reliable means such asadmissions by the Athlete, witness
statements, documentary evidence,conclusions drawn from longitudinal
profiling, including data collected aspart of the Athlete Biological Passport,

or other analytical information which
does not otherwise satisfy all therequirements to establish “Presence”
of a Prohibited Substance under Article
2.1.

10 [Commentto
Article2.2.2:
Demonstrating the “Attempted Use” ofa Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited
Method requires proof of intent on the
Athlete’s part. The fact that intent may
be required to prove this particularanti-doping rule violation does notundermine the Strict Liability principle
established for violations of Article 2.1
and violations of Article 2.2 in respectof Use of a Prohibited Substance or
Prohibited Method.

An Athlete’s Use of a Prohibited
Substance constitutes an anti-doping
rule violation unless such Substanceis not prohibited Out-of-Competition
and the Athlete’s Use takes placeOut-of-Competition. (However, thepresence of a Prohibited Substanceor its Metabolites or Markers in a
Sample collected In-Competition isa violation of Article 2.1 regardlessof when that Substance might havebeen administered.)]For example, Use may be establishedbased upon reliable analytical datafrom the analysis of an A Sample(without confirmation from an analysis
of a B Sample) or from the analysis of a
B Sample alone where the Anti-Doping
Organization provides a satisfactory
explanation for the lack of confirmationin the other Sample.]

World Anti-Doping Code 2021

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1

Doping Control

2.3

ARTICLE 2 Anti-Doping Rule Violations

Evading, Refusing or Failing to Submit to Sample
Collection by an Athlete
Evading Sample collection; or refusing or failing to submit
to Sample collection without compelling justification after
notification by a duly authorized Person.11

2.4

Whereabouts Failures by an Athlete
Any combination of three missed tests and/or filing
failures, as defined in the International Standard forResults Management, within a twelve-month period by an
Athlete in a Registered Testing Pool.

2.5

Tampering or Attempted Tampering with any Part of
Doping Control by an Athlete or Other Person

2.6

Possession of a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited
Method by an Athlete or Athlete Support Person
2.6.1

22

Possession by an Athlete In-Competition of any
Prohibited Substance or any Prohibited Method,or Possession by an Athlete Out-of-Competition of
any Prohibited Substance or any Prohibited Method
which is prohibited Out-of-Competition unlessthe Athlete establishes that the Possession isconsistent with a Therapeutic Use Exemption(“TUE”) granted in accordance with Article 4.4 orother acceptable justification.12

11 [Comment to Article 2.3: For
example, it would be an anti-doping
rule violation of “evading Sample
collection” if it were established thatan Athlete was deliberately avoidinga Doping Control official to evade
notification or Testing. A violation of“failing to submit to Sample collection”
may be based on either intentionalor negligent conduct of the Athlete,
while “evading” or “refusing” Sample
collection contemplates intentional
conduct by the Athlete.]

12 [Comment to Articles 2.6.1 and2.6.2: Acceptable justification would
not include, for example, buying or
Possessing a Prohibited Substancefor purposes of giving it to a friend

or relative, except under justifiable
medical circumstances where that
Person had a physician’s prescription,e.g., buying Insulin for a diabetic child.]

World Anti-Doping Code 2021

2.6.2Possession by an Athlete Support Person InCompetition of any Prohibited Substance or
any Prohibited Method, or Possession by an
Athlete Support Person Out-of-Competition of
any Prohibited Substance or any Prohibited
Method which is prohibited Out-of-Competitionin connection with an Athlete, Competition ortraining, unless the Athlete Support Person
establishes that the Possession is consistent witha TUE granted to an Athlete in accordance with
Article 4.4 or other acceptable justification.13

2.7

Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking in any Prohibited
Substance or Prohibited Method by an Athlete or
Other Person

2.8Administration or Attempted Administration by an
Athlete or Other Person to any Athlete In-Competitionof any Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method,or Administration or Attempted Administration to
any Athlete Out-of-Competition of any Prohibited
Substance or any Prohibited Method that is Prohibited
Out-of-Competition

2.9

Complicity or Attempted Complicity by an Athlete or
Other Person
Assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, conspiring,covering up or any other type of intentional complicity
or Attempted complicity involving an anti-doping ruleviolation, Attempted anti-doping rule violation or violationof Article 10.14.1 by another Person.14

13 [Comment to Articles 2.6.1 and2.6.2: Acceptable justification may
include, for example, (a) an Athlete
or a team doctor carrying Prohibited
Substances or Prohibited Methods
for dealing with acute and emergency

situations (e.g., an epinephrine autoinjector), or (b) an Athlete Possessing
a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited
Method for therapeutic reasons shortly
prior to applying for and receiving adetermination on a TUE.]

14 [Comment to Article 2.9: Complicity
or Attempted Complicity may include

either physicalassistance.]or

psychological

World Anti-Doping Code 2021

23

PART

1

Doping Control

ARTICLE 2 Anti-Doping Rule Violations

2.10 Prohibited Association by an Athlete or Other Person
2.10.1 Association by an Athlete or other Person subject
to the authority of an Anti-Doping Organization ina professional or sport-related capacity with any
Athlete Support Person who:
2.10.1.1 If subject to the authority of an
Anti-Doping Organization, is serving aperiod of Ineligibility; or
2.10.1.2 If not subject to the authority of an
Anti-Doping Organization, and where
Ineligibility has not been addressed in a
Results Management process pursuant
to the Code, has been convicted or foundin a criminal, disciplinary or professional
proceeding to have engaged in conduct
which would have constituted a violationof anti-doping rules if Code-compliant
rules had been applicable to such
Person. The disqualifying status ofsuch Person shall be in force for the
longer of six (6) years from the criminal,
professional or disciplinary decision or
the duration of the criminal, disciplinary
or professional sanction imposed; or
2.10.1.3 Is serving as a front or intermediary
for an individual described in Article
2.10.1.1 or 2.10.1.2.
2.10.2 To establish a violation of Article 2.10, an
Anti-Doping Organization must establish that
the Athlete or other Person knew of the Athlete
Support Person’s disqualifying status.
The burden shall be on the Athlete or other Person
to establish that any association with an Athlete
Support Person described in Article 2.10.1.1 or
2.10.1.2 is not in a professional or sport-related
capacity and/or that such association could nothave been reasonably avoided.

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World Anti-Doping Code 2021

Anti-Doping Organizations that are aware of
Athlete Support Personnel who meet the criteria
described in Article 2.10.1.1, 2.10.1.2, or 2.10.1.3
shall submit that information to WADA.15
2.11 Acts by an Athlete or Other Person to Discourage or
Retaliate Against Reporting to Authorities
Where such conduct does not otherwise constitute a
violation of Article 2.5:
2.11.1 Any act which threatens or seeks to intimidate
another Person with the intent of discouraging
the Person from the good-faith reporting of
information that relates to an alleged anti-doping
rule violation or alleged non-compliance with
the Code to WADA, an Anti-Doping Organization,
law enforcement, regulatory or professional
disciplinary body, hearing body or Person
conducting an investigation for WADA or an
Anti-Doping Organization.
2.11.2 Retaliation against a Person who, in good faith,
has provided evidence or information that
relates to an alleged anti-doping rule violation or
alleged non-compliance with the Code to WADA,
an Anti-Doping Organization, law enforcement,
regulatory
orprofessional
disciplinary
15 [Comment to Article 2.10: Athletes
and other Persons must not workwith coaches, trainers, physicians orother Athlete Support Personnel who
are Ineligible on account of an antidoping rule violation or who have been
criminally convicted or professionallydisciplined in relation to doping. This
also prohibits association with anyother Athlete who is acting as a coachor Athlete Support Person whileserving a period of Ineligibility. Some
examples of the types of association
which are prohibited include: obtaining
training, strategy, technique, nutrition
or medical advice; obtaining therapy,

treatment or prescriptions; providing
any bodily products for analysis; orallowing the Athlete Support Person
to serve as an agent or representative.
Prohibited association need not involve
any form of compensation.
While Article 2.10 does not require
the Anti-Doping Organization to notify
the Athlete or other Person about the
Athlete Support Person’s disqualifying
status, such notice, if provided, would
be important evidence to establish that
the Athlete or other Person knew about
the disqualifying status of the Athlete
Support Person.]World Anti-Doping Code 2021

25

PART

1

ARTICLE 2 Anti-Doping Rule Violations
ARTICLE 3 Proof of Doping

Doping Control

body, hearing body or Person conducting an
investigation for WADA or an Anti-Doping
Organization.16
For purposes of Article 2.11, retaliation,
threatening and intimidation include an act
taken against such Person either because the act
lacks a good faith basis or is a disproportionate
response.17

ARTICLE 3 PROOF OF DOPING
3.1

Burdens and Standards of Proof
The Anti-Doping Organization shall have the burdenof establishing that an anti-doping rule violation has
occurred. The standard of proof shall be whether the
Anti-Doping Organization has established an anti-doping
rule violation to the comfortable satisfaction of thehearing panel, bearing in mind the seriousness of theallegation which is made. This standard of proof in allcases is greater than a mere balance of probability but
less than proof beyond a reasonable doubt.18 Where theCode places the burden of proof upon the Athlete or other
Person alleged to have committed an anti-doping ruleviolation to rebut a presumption or establish specified

26

16 [Comment to Article 2.11.2: This
Article is intended to protect Persons
who make good faith reports, and does

not protect Persons who knowingly
make false reports.]

17 [Comment to Article 2.11.2:
Retaliation would include, for example,
actions that threaten the physicalor mental well-being or economic
interests of the reporting Persons,their families or associates. Retaliation
would not include an Anti-Doping

Organization asserting in good faithan anti-doping rule violation against
the reporting Person. For purposesof Article 2.11, a report is not made ingood faith where the Person making thereport knows the report to be false.]

18 [Comment to Article 3.1: This
standard of proof required to be metby the Anti-Doping Organization iscomparable to the standard which
is applied in most countries to cases
involving professional misconduct.]World Anti-Doping Code 2021

facts or circumstances, except as provided in Articles
3.2.2 and 3.2.3, the standard of proof shall be by a balanceof probability.
3.2

Methods of Establishing Facts and Presumptions
Facts related to anti-doping rule violations may beestablished by any reliable means, including admissions.19
The following rules of proof shall be applicable indoping cases:
3.2.1

Analytical methods or Decision Limits approved
by WADA after consultation within the relevantscientific community or which have been thesubject of peer review are presumed to bescientifically valid. Any Athlete or other Person
seeking to challenge whether the conditions forsuch presumption have been met or to rebut
this presumption of scientific validity shall, as acondition precedent to any such challenge, first
notify WADA of the challenge and the basis of
the challenge. The initial hearing body, appellate
body or CAS, on its own initiative, may also
inform WADA of any such challenge. Within ten(10) days of WADA’s receipt of such notice and thecase file related to such challenge, WADA shallalso have the right to intervene as a party, appear
as amicus curiae or otherwise provide evidence

19 [Comment to Article 3.2: For
example, an Anti-Doping Organization
may establish an anti-doping ruleviolation under Article 2.2 based on
the Athlete’s admissions, the credible
testimony of third Persons, reliable
documentary
evidence,
reliableanalytical data from either an A or B
Sample as provided in the Comments to
Article 2.2, or conclusions drawn fromthe profile of a series of the Athlete’s
blood or urine Samples, such as datafrom the Athlete Biological Passport.]

World Anti-Doping Code 2021

27

PART

1

Doping Control

ARTICLE 3 Proof of Dopingin such proceeding. In cases before CAS, at
WADA’s request, the CAS panel shall appoint anappropriate scientific expert to assist the panel
in its evaluation of the challenge.20
3.2.2

WADA-accredited laboratories, and otherlaboratories approved by WADA, are presumed
to have conducted Sample analysis and custodial
procedures in accordance with the International
Standard for Laboratories. The Athlete orother Person may rebut this presumption
by establishing that a departure from theInternational Standard for Laboratories occurred
which could reasonably have caused the Adverse
Analytical Finding.
If the Athlete or other Person rebuts the preceding
presumption by showing that a departure fromthe International Standard for Laboratories
occurred which could reasonably have caused theAdverse Analytical Finding, then the Anti-Doping
Organization shall have the burden to establishthat such departure did not cause the Adverse
Analytical Finding.21

28

20 [Comment to Article 3.2.1: For
certain
Prohibited
Substances,
WADA may instruct WADA-accredited
laboratories not to report Samples
as an Adverse Analytical Finding
if the estimated concentration of
the Prohibited Substance or its
Metabolites or Markers is below a
Minimum Reporting Level. WADA’s
decision in determining that Minimum
Reporting Level or in determining
which Prohibited Substances should be
subject to Minimum Reporting Levels

shall not be subject to challenge.
Further, the laboratory’s estimatedconcentration of such Prohibited
Substance in a Sample may only bean estimate. In no event shall thepossibility that the exact concentrationof the Prohibited Substance in the
Sample may be below the Minimum
Reporting Level constitute a defense
to an anti-doping rule violation basedon the presence of that Prohibited
Substance in the Sample.]

21 [Comment to Article 3.2.2: The
burden is on the Athlete or other
Person to establish, by a balanceof probability, a departure from theInternational Standard for Laboratories
that could reasonably have caused

the Adverse Analytical Finding. Thus,
once the Athlete or other Person
establishes the departure by a balanceof probability, the Athlete or other
Person’s burden on causation is thesomewhat lower standard of proof –World Anti-Doping Code 2021

3.2.3

Departures from any other International Standardor other anti-doping rule or policy set forth in
the Code or in an Anti-Doping Organization’s rules
shall not invalidate analytical results or otherevidence of an anti-doping rule violation, andshall not constitute a defense to an anti-doping
rule violation;22 provided, however, if the Athlete
or other Person establishes that a departurefrom one of the specific International Standard
provisions listed below could reasonably havecaused an anti-doping rule violation based on
an Adverse Analytical Finding or whereabouts
failure, then the Anti-Doping Organization shallhave the burden to establish that such departure
did not cause the Adverse Analytical Finding or
whereabouts failure:(i) a departure from the International Standard
for Testing and Investigations related to Sample
collection or Sample handling which could
reasonably have caused an anti-doping ruleviolation based on an Adverse Analytical Finding,in which case the Anti-Doping Organization shallhave the burden to establish that such departure
did not cause the Adverse Analytical Finding;(ii) a departure from the International Standard forResults Management or International Standard for“could reasonably have caused.” If
the Athlete or other Person satisfies
this standard, the burden shifts to theAnti-Doping Organization to prove to the

comfortable satisfaction of the hearing
panel that the departure did not cause
the Adverse Analytical Finding.]

22 [Commentto
Article3.2.3:
Departures from an International
Standard or other rule unrelated
to Sample collection or handling,
Adverse Passport Finding, or Athlete
notification relating to whereabouts
failure or B Sample opening – e.g.,theInternational
Standardfor
Education, International Standard for
the Protection of Privacy and Personal
Information or International Standard

for Therapeutic Use Exemptions –may result in compliance proceedings
by WADA but are not a defense in ananti-doping rule violation proceeding
and are not relevant on the issue of
whether the Athlete committed ananti-doping rule violation. Similarly,
an Anti-Doping Organization’s violationof the document referenced in Article
20.7.7 shall not constitute a defense toan anti-doping rule violation.]
World Anti-Doping Code 2021

29

PART

1

ARTICLE 3 Proof of Doping
ARTICLE 4 The Prohibited List

Doping Control

Testing and Investigations related to an Adverse
Passport Finding which could reasonably havecaused an anti-doping rule violation, in whichcase the Anti-Doping Organization shall have theburden to establish that such departure did notcause the anti-doping rule violation;(iii) a departure from the International Standard forResults Management related to the requirement
to provide notice to the Athlete of the B Sample
opening which could reasonably have caused ananti-doping rule violation based on an Adverse
Analytical Finding, in which case the Anti-Doping
Organization shall have the burden to establishthat such departure did not cause the Adverse
Analytical Finding;23(iv) a departure from the International Standard forResults Management related to Athlete notification
which could reasonably have caused an antidoping rule violation based on a whereabouts
failure, in which case the Anti-Doping Organization
shall have the burden to establish that suchdeparture did not cause the whereabouts failure.
3.2.4

The facts established by a decision of a court or
professional disciplinary tribunal of competentjurisdiction which is not the subject of a pending
appeal shall be irrebuttable evidence against the
Athlete or other Person to whom the decisionpertained of those facts unless the Athlete
or other Person establishes that the decision
violated principles of natural justice.

3.2.5

The hearing panel in a hearing on an anti-doping
rule violation may draw an inference adverse to
the Athlete or other Person who is asserted to

23 [Comment to Article 3.2.3 (iii):
An Anti-Doping Organization would
meet its burden to establish thatsuch departure did not cause theAdverse Analytical Finding by showing

30

World Anti-Doping Code 2021

that, for example, the B Sample
opening and analysis were observedby an independent witness and noirregularities were observed.]have committed an anti-doping rule violation
based on the Athlete’s or other Person’s refusal,
after a request made in a reasonable time inadvance of the hearing, to appear at the hearing(either in person or telephonically as directed by
the hearing panel) and to answer questions fromthe hearing panel or the Anti-Doping Organization
asserting the anti-doping rule violation.

ARTICLE 4 THE PROHIBITED LIST
4.1

Publication and Revision of the Prohibited List
WADA shall, as often as necessary and no less often thanannually, publish the Prohibited List as an International
Standard. The proposed content of the Prohibited List
and all revisions shall be provided in writing promptly
to all Signatories and governments for comment andconsultation. Each annual version of the Prohibited
List and all revisions shall be distributed promptly by
WADA to each Signatory, WADA-accredited or approved
laboratory, and government, and shall be publishedon WADA’s website, and each Signatory shall takeappropriate steps to distribute the Prohibited List to its
members and constituents. The rules of each Anti-Doping
Organization shall specify that, unless provided otherwise
in the Prohibited List or a revision, the Prohibited List
and revisions shall go into effect under the Anti-Doping
Organization’s rules three (3) months after publication of
the Prohibited List by WADA without requiring any further
action by the Anti-Doping Organization.24

24 [Comment to Article 4.1: The
Prohibited List will be revised andpublished on an expedited basis
whenever the need arises. However,for the sake of predictability, a new
Prohibited List will be published every
year whether or not changes havebeen made. WADA will always have themost current Prohibited List publishedon its website. The Prohibited List is
an integral part of the International
Convention against Doping in Sport.
WADA will inform the Director-Generalof UNESCO of any change to theProhibited List.]

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Doping Control

4.2

ARTICLE 4 The Prohibited List

Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods Identified
on the Prohibited List
4.2.1

Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods
The Prohibited List shall identify those Prohibited
Substances and Prohibited Methods which
are prohibited as doping at all times (both InCompetition and Out-of-Competition) becauseof their potential to enhance performance infuture Competitions or their masking potential,
and those substances and methods which areprohibited In-Competition only. The Prohibited List
may be expanded by WADA for a particular sport.
Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods
may be included in the Prohibited List by generalcategory (e.g., anabolic agents) or by specificreference to a particular Substance or Method.25

4.2.2

Specified Substances or Specified Methods
For purposes of the application of Article 10,
all Prohibited Substances shall be Specified
Substances except as identified on the Prohibited
List. No Prohibited Method shall be a Specified
Method unless it is specifically identified as aSpecified Method on the Prohibited List.26

32

25 [Comment to Article 4.2.1: Outof-Competition Use of a Substancewhich is only prohibited In-Competition
is not an anti-doping rule violation

unless an Adverse Analytical Finding
for the Substance or its Metabolites
or Markers is reported for a Sample
collected In-Competition.]

26 [Comment to Article 4.2.2: The
Specified Substances and Specified
Methods identified in Article 4.2.2
should not in any way be consideredless important or less dangerous thanother doping Substances or methods.

Rather, they are simply Substancesand Methods which are more likely
to have been consumed or used by an
Athlete for a purpose other than theenhancement of sport performance.]

World Anti-Doping Code 2021

4.2.3

Substances of Abuse
For purposes of applying Article 10, Substances ofAbuse shall include those Prohibited Substances
which are specifically identified as Substancesof Abuse on the Prohibited List because they
are frequently abused in society outside of thecontext of sport.

4.2.4

New Classes of Prohibited Substances or
Prohibited Methods
In the event WADA expands the Prohibited List byadding a new class of Prohibited Substances or
Prohibited Methods in accordance with Article 4.1,
WADA’s Executive Committee shall determine
whether any or all Prohibited Substances or
Prohibited Methods within the new class shallbe considered Specified Substances or Specified
Methods under Article 4.2.2 or Substances ofAbuse under Article 4.2.3.

4.3

Criteria for Including Substances and Methods
on the Prohibited List
WADA shall consider the following criteria in deciding
whether to include a substance or method on theProhibited List:
4.3.1

A substance or method shall be considered forinclusion on the Prohibited List if WADA, in its
sole discretion, determines that the substanceor method meets any two of the following
three criteria:

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PART

1

Doping Control

ARTICLE 4 The Prohibited List

4.3.1.1 Medical or other scientific evidence,
pharmacological effect or experiencethat the substance or method, alone orin combination with other substances or
methods, has the potential to enhanceor enhances sport performance;27
4.3.1.2 Medical or other scientific evidence,
pharmacological effect or experiencethat the Use of the substance or method
represents an actual or potential healthrisk to the Athlete;
4.3.1.3 WADA’s determination that the Use of thesubstance or method violates the spiritof sport described in the introduction to
the Code.

34

4.3.2

A substance or method shall also be included
on the Prohibited List if WADA determines
there is medical or other scientific evidence,
pharmacological effect or experience thatthe substance or method has the potential tomask the Use of other Prohibited Substances or
Prohibited Methods.28

4.3.3

WADA’s determination of the Prohibited
Substances and Prohibited Methods that will be
included on the Prohibited List, the classificationof substances into categories on the Prohibited
List, the classification of a substance asprohibited at all times or In-Competition only,
the classification of a substance or method

27 [Comment to Article 4.3.1.1: This
Article anticipates that there may besubstances that, when used alone,
are not prohibited but which will be
prohibited if used in combination withcertain other substances. A substancewhich is added to the Prohibited List

because it has the potential to enhance
performance only in combination withanother substance shall be so notedand shall be prohibited only if there isevidence relating to both substancesin combination.]

28 [Comment to Article 4.3.2: As part ofthe process each year, all Signatories,
governments and other interested

Persons are invited to provide
comments to WADA on the content of
the Prohibited List.]

World Anti-Doping Code 2021

as a Specified Substance, Specified Method or
Substance of Abuse is final and shall not be subject
to any challenge by an Athlete or other Person
including, but not limited to, any challenge basedon an argument that the substance or method
was not a masking agent or did not have thepotential to enhance performance, represent ahealth risk or violate the spirit of sport.
4.4

Therapeutic Use Exemptions (“TUEs”)
4.4.1

The presence of a Prohibited Substance or
its Metabolites or Markers, and/or the Use or
Attempted Use, Possession or Administrationor Attempted Administration of a Prohibited
Substance or Prohibited Method shall not be
considered an anti-doping rule violation if it isconsistent with the provisions of a TUE granted
in accordance with the International Standard for
Therapeutic Use Exemptions.

4.4.2

Athletes who are not International-Level Athletes
shall apply to their National Anti-Doping
Organization for a TUE. If the National Anti-Doping
Organization denies the application, the Athlete
may appeal exclusively to the appellate bodydescribed in Article 13.2.2.

4.4.3

Athletes who are International-Level Athletes
shall apply to their International Federation.29

29 [Comment to Article 4.4.3: If theInternational Federation refuses torecognize a TUE granted by a National
Anti-Doping Organization only because
medical records or other information
are missing that are needed todemonstrate satisfaction with thecriteria in the International Standard
for Therapeutic Use Exemptions,the matter should not be referred

to WADA. Instead, the file should becompleted and re-submitted to theInternational Federation.
IfanInternational
Federation
chooses to test an Athlete who is
not an International-Level Athlete,
it must recognize a TUE granted bythat Athlete’s National Anti-Doping
Organization.]

World Anti-Doping Code 2021

35

PART

1

Doping Control

ARTICLE 4 The Prohibited List

4.4.3.1 Where the Athlete already has a TUE
granted by their National Anti-Doping
Organization for the substance or
method in question, if that TUE meetsthe criteria set out in the International
Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions,then the International Federationmust recognize it. If the International
Federation considers that the TUE does
not meet those criteria and so refuses
to recognize it, it must notify the Athlete
and the Athlete’s National Anti-Doping
Organization promptly, with reasons.
The Athlete or the National Anti-Doping
Organization shall have twenty-one (21)days from such notification to refer thematter to WADA for review. If the matteris referred to WADA for review, the TUE
granted by the National Anti-Doping
Organization remains valid for nationallevel Competition and Out-of-Competition
Testing (but is not valid for internationallevel Competition) pending WADA’s
decision. If the matter is not referred
to WADA for review within the twentyone-day deadline, the Athlete’s National
Anti-Doping Organization must determine
whether the original TUE granted by that
National Anti-Doping Organization should
nevertheless remain valid for nationallevel Competition and Out-of-Competition
Testing (provided that the Athlete ceases
to be an International-Level Athlete anddoes not participate in internationallevel Competition). Pending the National
Anti-Doping Organization’s decision, theTUE remains valid for national-level
Competition and Out-of-Competition
Testing (but is not valid for internationallevel Competition).

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4.4.3.2 If the Athlete does not already havea TUE granted by their National
Anti-Doping Organizationforthesubstance or method in question,
the Athlete must apply directly to the
Athlete’s International Federation for a
TUE as soon as the need arises. If theInternational Federation (or the National
Anti-Doping Organization, where it has
agreed to consider the application on
behalf of the International Federation)
denies the Athlete’s application, it must
notify the Athlete promptly, with reasons.
If the International Federation grants
the Athlete’s application, it must notify
not only the Athlete but also the Athlete’s
National Anti-Doping Organization, and if
the National Anti-Doping Organizationconsiders that the TUE does not meetthe criteria set out in the International
Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions,
it has twenty-one (21) days from such
notification to refer the matter to WADA
for review. If the National Anti-Doping
Organization refers the matter to WADA
for review, the TUE granted by theInternational Federation remains valid
for international-level Competition andOut-of-Competition Testing (but is not
valid for national-level Competition)
pending WADA’s decision. If the National
Anti-Doping Organization does not refer
the matter to WADA for review, the TUE
granted by the International Federation
becomes valid for national-level
Competition as well when the twentyone (21) day review deadline expires.
4.4.4

A Major Event Organization may require Athletes
to apply to it for a TUE if they wish to Use a

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Doping Control

ARTICLE 4 The Prohibited List

Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method in
connection with the Event. In that case:
4.4.4.1 The Major Event Organization mustensure a process is available for an
Athlete to apply for a TUE if he or she
does not already have one. If the TUE is
granted, it is effective for its Event only.
4.4.4.2 Where the Athlete already has a TUE
granted by the Athlete’s National
Anti-Doping Organization or International
Federation, if that TUE meets the criteria
set out in the International Standard for
Therapeutic Use Exemptions, the Major
Event Organization must recognize it. If
the Major Event Organization decides the
TUE does not meet those criteria and so
refuses to recognize it, it must notify the
Athlete promptly, explaining its reasons.
4.4.4.3 A decision by a Major Event Organization
not to recognize or not to grant a
TUE may be appealed by the Athlete
exclusively to an independent bodyestablished or appointed by the Major
Event Organization for that purpose. If theAthlete does not appeal (or the appeal isunsuccessful), the Athlete may not Use
the substance or method in questionin connection with the Event, but any
TUE granted by the Athlete’s National
Anti-Doping Organization or International
Federation for that substance or method
remains valid outside of that Event.30
30 [Comment to Article 4.4.4.3: For
example, the CAS Ad Hoc Division
or a similar body may act as theindependent appeal body for particular
Events, or WADA may agree to performthat function. If neither CAS nor WADA

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are performing that function, WADA
retains the right (but not the obligation)
to review the TUE decisions made inconnection with the Event at any time,in accordance with Article 4.4.6.]

4.4.5

If an Anti-Doping Organization chooses tocollect a Sample from an Athlete who is not anInternational-Level Athlete or National-Level
Athlete, and that Athlete is Using a Prohibited
Substance or Prohibited Method for therapeutic
reasons, the Anti-Doping Organization must
permit the Athlete to apply for a retroactive TUE.

4.4.6

WADA must review an International Federation’s
decision not to recognize a TUE granted by the
National Anti-Doping Organization that is referred
to it by the Athlete or the Athlete’s National
Anti-Doping Organization. In addition, WADA must
review an International Federation’s decision to
grant a TUE that is referred to it by the Athlete’s
National Anti-Doping Organization. WADA may
review any other TUE decisions at any time,
whether upon request by those affected or on its
own initiative. If the TUE decision being reviewed
meets the criteria set out in the International
Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions, WADA
will not interfere with it. If the TUE decision does
not meet those criteria, WADA will reverse it.31

4.4.7

Any TUE decision by an International Federation(or by a National Anti-Doping Organization where
it has agreed to consider the application on
behalf of an International Federation) that is notreviewed by WADA, or that is reviewed by WADA
but is not reversed upon review, may be appealedby the Athlete and/or the Athlete’s National
Anti-Doping Organization, exclusively to CAS.32

31 [Comment to Article 4.4.6: WADA
shall be entitled to charge a fee to cover
the costs of: (a) any review it is required
to conduct in accordance with Article

4.4.6; and (b) any review it chooses
to conduct, where the decision being
reviewed is reversed.]

32 [Comment to Article 4.4.7: In suchcases, the decision being appealedis the International Federation’s TUE
decision, not WADA’s decision not toreview the TUE decision or (having
reviewed it) not to reverse the TUE
decision. However, the time to appeal

the TUE decision does not begin to run
until the date that WADA communicates
its decision. In any event, whether thedecision has been reviewed by WADA
or not, WADA shall be given notice of
the appeal so that it may participate if
it sees fit.]
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ARTICLE 4 The Prohibited List
ARTICLE 5 Testing and Investigations

Doping Control

4.5

4.4.8

A decision by WADA to reverse a TUE decision
may be appealed by the Athlete, the National
Anti-Doping Organization and/or the International
Federation affected, exclusively to CAS.

4.4.9

A failure to render a decision within a reasonable
time on a properly submitted application for
grant/recognition of a TUE or for review of a
TUE decision shall be considered a denial of theapplication thus triggering the applicable rightsof review/appeal.

Monitoring Program
WADA, in consultation with Signatories and governments,
shall establish a monitoring program regarding
substances which are not on the Prohibited List, butwhich WADA wishes to monitor in order to detect
potential patterns of misuse in sport. In addition, WADA
may include in the monitoring program substances thatare on the Prohibited List, but which are to be monitored
under certain circumstances—e.g., Out-of-Competition
Use of some substances prohibited In-Competition only or
the combined Use of multiple substances at low doses(“stacking”)—in order to establish prevalence of Use or
to be able to implement adequate decisions in regards
to their analysis by laboratories or their status within theProhibited List.
WADA shall publish the substances that will bemonitored.33 Laboratories will report the instances ofreported Use or detected presence of these substances
to WADA. WADA shall make available to International
Federations and National Anti-Doping Organizations, on
at least an annual basis, aggregate information by sport
regarding the monitored substances. Such monitoring
program reports shall not contain additional details that

33 [Comment to Article 4.5: In order toimprove the efficiency of the monitoring
program, once a new substance isadded to the published monitoring

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program, laboratories may re-processdata and Samples previously analyzed
in order to determine the absence orpresence of any new substance.]could link the monitoring results to specific Samples.
WADA shall implement measures to ensure that strict
anonymity of individual Athletes is maintained withrespect to such reports. The reported Use or detected
presence of a monitored substance shall not constitutean anti-doping rule violation.

ARTICLE 5 TESTING AND INVESTIGATIONS
5.1

Purpose of Testing and Investigations
Testing and investigations may be undertaken for any
anti-doping purpose.34
5.1.1

5.2

Testing shall be undertaken to obtain analyticalevidence as to whether the Athlete has violated
Article 2.1 (Presence of a Prohibited Substance or
its Metabolites or Markers in an Athlete’s Sample)
or Article 2.2 (Use or Attempted Use by an Athleteof a Prohibited Substance or a Prohibited Method)of the Code.

Authority to Test
Any Athlete may be required to provide a Sample at any
time and at any place by any Anti-Doping Organization
with Testing authority over him or her.35 Subject to thelimitations for Event Testing set out in Article 5.3:

34 [Comment to Article 5.1: Where
Testing is conducted for anti-doping
purposes, the analytical results anddata may be used for other legitimate

purposes under the Anti-Doping
Organization’s rules. See, e.g.,
Comment to Article 23.2.2.]

35 [Comment to Article 5.2: Additional
authority to conduct Testing may
be conferred by means of bilateralor multilateral agreements among
Signatories. Unless the Athlete has
identified a sixty-minute Testing
window during the following describedtime period, or otherwise consented
to Testing during that period, before
Testing an Athlete between the hours of

11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., an Anti-Doping
Organization should have serious andspecific suspicion that the Athlete may
be engaged in doping. A challenge towhether an Anti-Doping Organization
had sufficient suspicion for Testing
during this time period shall not be a
defense to an anti-doping rule violation
based on such test or attempted test.]
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Doping Control

ARTICLE 5 Testing and Investigations

5.2.1

Each National Anti-Doping Organization shall have
In-Competition and Out-of-Competition Testing
authority over all Athletes who are nationals,
residents, license-holders or members of sportorganizations of that country or who are present
in that National Anti-Doping Organization’s country.

5.2.2

Each International Federation shall have InCompetition and Out-of-Competition Testing
authority over all Athletes who are subject to
its rules, including those who participate inInternational Events or who participate in Events
governed by the rules of that International
Federation, or who are members or licenseholders of that International Federation or its
member National Federations, or their members.

5.2.3

Each Major Event Organization, including theInternational Olympic Committee and theInternational Paralympic Committee, shall have
In-Competition Testing authority for its Eventsand Out-of-Competition Testing authority over all
Athletes entered in one of its future Events or who
have otherwise been made subject to the Testing
authority of the Major Event Organization for a
future Event.

5.2.4

WADA shall have In-Competition and Out-ofCompetition Testing authority as set out in Article
20.7.10.

5.2.5

Anti-Doping Organizations may test any Athleteover whom they have Testing authority who has
not retired, including Athletes serving a period
of Ineligibility.

5.2.6

If an International Federation or Major Event
Organization delegates or contracts any part ofTesting to a National Anti-Doping Organization
directly or through a National Federation, that
National Anti-Doping Organization may collectadditional Samples or direct the laboratory
to perform additional types of analysis at the
National Anti-Doping Organization’s expense. If

World Anti-Doping Code 2021

additional Samples are collected or additional
types of analysis are performed, the International
Federation or Major Event Organization shallbe notified.
5.3

Event Testing
5.3.1

Except as otherwise provided below, only asingle organization shall have authority to
conduct Testing at Event Venues during an Event
Period. At International Events, the internationalorganization which is the ruling body for the Event(e.g., the International Olympic Committee for
the Olympic Games, the International Federation
for a World Championship and Panam Sports for
the Pan American Games) shall have authority to
conduct Testing. At National Events, the National
Anti-Doping Organization of that country shallhave authority to conduct Testing. At the requestof the ruling body for an Event, any Testing during
the Event Period outside of the Event Venues shallbe coordinated with that ruling body.36

5.3.2

If an Anti-Doping Organization, which would
otherwise have Testing authority but is not
responsible for initiating and directing Testing at
an Event, desires to conduct Testing of Athletes
at the Event Venues during the Event Period, theAnti-Doping Organization shall first confer withthe ruling body of the Event to obtain permission
to conduct and coordinate such Testing. If theAnti-Doping Organization is not satisfied withthe response from the ruling body of the Event,the Anti-Doping Organization may, in accordancewith procedures described in the International
Standard for Testing and Investigations, ask
WADA for permission to conduct Testing and to36 [Comment to Article 5.3.1: Someruling bodies for International Events
may be doing their own Testing outsideof the Event Venues during the Event

Period and thus want to coordinatethat Testing with National Anti-Doping
Organization Testing.]

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Doping Control

ARTICLE 5 Testing and Investigations

determine how to coordinate such Testing. WADA
shall not grant approval for such Testing before
consulting with and informing the ruling body for
the Event. WADA’s decision shall be final and not
subject to appeal. Unless otherwise provided in
the authorization to conduct Testing, such tests
shall be considered Out-of-Competition tests.
Results Management for any such test shall be
the responsibility of the Anti-Doping Organization
initiating the test unless provided otherwise in
the rules of the ruling body of the Event.37
5.4

5.5

Testing Requirements
5.4.1

Anti-Doping Organizations shall conduct test
distribution planning and Testing as requiredby the International Standard for Testing
and Investigations.

5.4.2

Where reasonably feasible, Testing shall becoordinated through ADAMS in order to maximize
the effectiveness of the combined Testing effort
and to avoid unnecessary repetitive Testing.

Athlete Whereabouts Information
Athletes who have been included in a Registered Testing
Pool by their International Federation and/or National
Anti-Doping Organization shall provide whereabouts
information in the manner specified in the International
Standard for Testing and Investigations and shall be
subject to Consequences for Article 2.4 violations asprovided in Article 10.3.2. The International Federations

37 [Commentto
Article5.3.2:
Before giving approval to a National
Anti-Doping Organization to initiate
and conduct Testing at an International
Event, WADA shall consult with theinternational organization which is theruling body for the Event. Before giving
approval to an International Federation
to initiate and conduct Testing at a
National Event, WADA shall consult with

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the National Anti-Doping Organizationof the country where the Event takes
place. The Anti-Doping Organization“initiating and directing Testing” may,
if it chooses, enter into agreementswith a Delegated Third Party to which
it delegates responsibility for Sample
collection or other aspects of the
Doping Control process.]and National Anti-Doping Organizations shall coordinate
the identification of such Athletes and the collectionof their whereabouts information. Each International
Federation and National Anti-Doping Organization shallmake available through ADAMS a list which identifies
those Athletes included in its Registered Testing Poolby name. Athletes shall be notified before they areincluded in a Registered Testing Pool and when they are
removed from that pool. The whereabouts information
they provide while in the Registered Testing Pool will beaccessible through ADAMS to WADA and to other AntiDoping Organizations having authority to test the Athlete
as provided in Article 5.2. Whereabouts information shallbe maintained in strict confidence at all times; shall be
used exclusively for purposes of planning, coordinating or
conducting Doping Control, providing information relevantto the Athlete Biological Passport or other analyticalresults, to support an investigation into a potential antidoping rule violation, or to support proceedings alleging
an anti-doping rule violation; and shall be destroyed after
it is no longer relevant for these purposes in accordancewith the International Standard for the Protection ofPrivacy and Personal Information.
Anti-Doping Organizations may, in accordance with theInternational Standard for Testing and Investigations,collect whereabouts information from Athletes who are
not included within a Registered Testing Pool and impose
appropriate and proportionate non-Code Article 2.4
consequences under their own rules.
5.6

Retired Athletes Returning to Competition
5.6.1

If an International- or National-Level Athlete
in a Registered Testing Pool retires and thenwishes to return to active participation in sport,
the Athlete shall not compete in International
Events or National Events until the Athlete has
made himself or herself available for Testing,by giving six-months prior written notice totheir International Federation and National
Anti-Doping Organization. WADA, in consultation
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ARTICLE 5 Testing and Investigations
ARTICLE 6 Analysis of Samples

Doping Control

with the relevant International Federation andNational Anti-Doping Organization, may grant an
exemption to the six-month written notice rule
where the strict application of that rule would
be unfair to an Athlete. This decision may be
appealed under Article 13.38
5.6.1.1 Any competitive results obtainedin violation of Article 5.6.1 shall be
Disqualified unless the Athlete canestablish that he or she could not havereasonably known that this was an
International Event or a National Event.
5.6.2

5.7

If an Athlete retires from sport while subject to aperiod of Ineligibility, the Athlete must notify theAnti-Doping Organization that imposed the period
of Ineligibility in writing of such retirement. If theAthlete then wishes to return to active competitionin sport, the Athlete shall not compete inInternational Events or National Events until the
Athlete has made himself or herself available for
Testing by giving six-month prior written notice(or notice equivalent to the period of Ineligibility
remaining as of the date the Athlete retired, if
that period was longer than six (6) months) to the
Athlete’s International Federation and National
Anti-Doping Organization.

Investigations and Intelligence Gathering
Anti-Doping Organizations shall have the capability to
conduct, and shall conduct, investigations and gather
intelligence as required by the International Standard for
Testing and Investigations.

38 [Comment to Article 5.6.1: Guidancefor determining whether an exemption

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is warranted will be provided by WADA.]ARTICLE 6 ANALYSIS OF SAMPLES
Samples shall be analyzed in accordance with the following
principles:
6.1

Use of Accredited, Approved Laboratories andOther Laboratories
For purposes of directly establishing an Adverse Analytical
Finding under Article 2.1, Samples shall be analyzed only in
WADA-accredited laboratories or laboratories otherwise
approved by WADA. The choice of the WADA-accredited or
WADA-approved laboratory used for the Sample analysis
shall be determined exclusively by the Anti-Doping
Organization responsible for Results Management.39
6.1.1

As provided in Article 3.2, facts related to antidoping rule violations may be established byany reliable means. This would include, forexample, reliable laboratory or other forensic
testing conducted outside of WADA-accredited orapproved laboratories.

39 [Comment to Article 6.1: For costand geographic access reasons, WADA
may approve laboratories which are not
WADA-accredited to perform particularanalyses, for example, analysis of blood
which should be delivered from thecollection site to the laboratory within
a set deadline. Before approving any
such laboratory, WADA will ensure it
meets the high analytical and custodial

standards required by WADA. Violationsof Article 2.1 may be establishedonly by Sample analysis performed
by a WADA-accredited laboratory or
another laboratory approved by WADA.
Violations of other Articles may beestablished using analytical resultsfrom other laboratories so long as theresults are reliable.]

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6.2

ARTICLE 6 Analysis of Samples

Purpose of Analysis of Samples and Data
Samples and related analytical data or Doping Control
information shall be analyzed to detect Prohibited
Substances and Prohibited Methods identified on
the Prohibited List and other substances as may bedirected by WADA pursuant to Article 4.5, or to assist an
Anti-Doping Organization in profiling relevant parametersin an Athlete’s urine, blood or other matrix, including for
DNA or genomic profiling, or for any other legitimate antidoping purpose.40

6.3

Research on Samples and Data
Samples, related analytical data and Doping Control
information may be used for anti-doping research
purposes, although no Sample may be used for researchwithout the Athlete’s written consent. Samples andrelated analytical data or Doping Control information used
for research purposes shall first be processed in sucha manner as to prevent Samples and related analytical
data or Doping Control information being traced back to aparticular Athlete.41 Any research involving Samples andrelated analytical data or Doping Control information shalladhere to the principles set out in Article 19.

48

40 [Comment to Article 6.2: For
example, relevant Doping Controlrelated information could be used todirect Target Testing or to support ananti-doping rule violation proceedingunder Article 2.2, or both. See also
Comments to Articles 5.1 and 23.2.2.]

41 [Comment to Article 6.3: As isthe case in most medical or scientificcontexts, use of Samples and related
information for quality assurance,
quality
improvement,
methodimprovement and development or toestablish reference populations is
not considered research. Samples
and related information used for suchpermitted non-research purposes mustalso first be processed in such a manneras to prevent them from being traced
back to the particular Athlete, having
due regard to the principles set out in
Article 19, as well as the requirementsof the International Standard forLaboratories
andInternational
Standard for the Protection of Privacy
and Personal Information.]

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6.4

Standards for Sample Analysis and Reporting 42
Laboratories shall analyze Samples and reportresults in conformity with the International Standard
for Laboratories.
6.4.1

6.5

Laboratories at their own initiative and expense
may analyze Samples for Prohibited Substancesor Prohibited Methods not included on thestandard Sample analysis menu, or as requestedby the Anti-Doping Organization that initiated anddirected Sample collection. Results from any suchanalysis shall be reported to that Anti-Doping
Organization and have the same validity andConsequences as any other analytical result.

Further Analysis of a Sample Prior to or During
Results Management
There shall be no limitation on the authority of a laboratory
to conduct repeat or additional analysis on a Sample
prior to the time an Anti-Doping Organization notifies an
Athlete that the Sample is the basis for an Article 2.1 antidoping rule violation charge. If after such notification theAnti-Doping Organization wishes to conduct additional
analysis on that Sample, it may do so with the consent of
the Athlete or approval from a hearing body.

6.6

Further Analysis of a Sample After it has been Reported
as Negative or has Otherwise not Resulted in an
Anti-Doping Rule Violation Charge
After a laboratory has reported a Sample as negative, or
the Sample has not otherwise resulted in an anti-doping
rule violation charge, it may be stored and subjected
to further analyses for the purpose of Article 6.2 at any

42 [Comment to Article 6.4: The
objective of this Article is to extend
the principle of “Intelligent Testing”
to the Sample analysis menu so as
to most effectively and efficiently
detect doping. It is recognized that theresources available to fight doping arelimited and that increasing the Sample
analysis menu may, in some sports
and countries, reduce the number ofSamples which can be analyzed.]World Anti-Doping Code 2021

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ARTICLE 6 Analysis of Samples

time exclusively at the direction of either the Anti-Doping
Organization that initiated and directed Sample collection
or WADA. Any other Anti-Doping Organization withauthority to test the Athlete that wishes to conduct
further analysis on a stored Sample may do so with thepermission of the Anti-Doping Organization that initiatedand directed Sample collection or WADA, and shall be
responsible for any follow-up Results Management. Any
Sample storage or further analysis initiated by WADA oranother Anti-Doping Organization shall be at WADA’s orthat organization’s expense. Further analysis of Samples
shall conform with the requirements of the International
Standard for Laboratories.
6.7

Split of A or B Sample
Where WADA, an Anti-Doping Organization with Results
Management authority and/or a WADA-accredited
laboratory (with approval from WADA or the Anti-Doping
Organization with Results Management authority) wishes
to split an A or B Sample for the purpose of using thefirst part of the split Sample for an A Sample analysis andthe second part of the split Sample for confirmation, thenthe procedures set forth in the International Standard forLaboratories shall be followed.

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6.8

WADA’s Right to Take Possession of Samples and Data
WADA may, in its sole discretion at any time, with or without
prior notice, take physical possession of any Sample andrelated analytical data or information in the possessionof a laboratory or Anti-Doping Organization. Upon request
by WADA, the laboratory or Anti-Doping Organization inpossession of the Sample or data shall immediately grant
access to and enable WADA to take physical possessionof the Sample or data.43 If WADA has not provided priornotice to the laboratory or Anti-Doping Organization before
taking possession of a Sample or data, it shall provide
such notice to the laboratory and to each Anti-Doping
Organization whose Samples or data have been taken by
WADA within a reasonable time after taking possession.
After analysis and any investigation of a seized Sample ordata, WADA may direct another Anti-Doping Organization
with authority to test the Athlete to assume Results
Management responsibility for the Sample or data if apotential anti-doping rule violation is discovered.44

43 [Comment to Article 6.8: Resistanceor refusal to WADA taking physicalpossession of Samples or data could
constitute Tampering, Complicity oran act of non-compliance as provided
in the International Standard for
Code Compliance by Signatories,
and could also constitute a violationof the International Standard forLaboratories. Where necessary, thelaboratory and/or the Anti-Doping
Organization shall assist WADA in
ensuring that the seized Sample or data
are not delayed in exiting the applicablecountry.]

44 [Comment to Article 6.8: WADA
would not, of course, unilaterally takepossession of Samples or analytical
data without good cause related to apotential anti-doping rule violation,
non-compliance by a Signatory or
doping activities by another Person.

However, the decision as to whether
good cause exists is for WADA to makein its discretion and shall not be subject
to challenge. In particular, whether
there is good cause or not shall not be
a defense against an anti-doping ruleviolation or its Consequences.]

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Doping Control

ARTICLE 7 Results Management: Responsibility, Initial
Review, Notice and Provisional Suspensions

ARTICLE 7 RESULTS MANAGEMENT:RESPONSIBILITY, INITIAL REVIEW, NOTICEAND PROVISIONAL SUSPENSIONS 45
Results Management under the Code (as set forth in Articles 7,
8 and 13) establishes a process designed to resolve anti-doping
rule violation matters in a fair, expeditious and efficient manner.
Each Anti-Doping Organization conducting Results Management
shall establish a process for the pre-hearing administration ofpotential anti-doping rule violations that respects the principles
set forth in this Article. While each Anti-Doping Organization ispermitted to adopt and implement its own Results Management
process, Results Management for every Anti-Doping Organization
shall at a minimum meet the requirements set forth in theInternational Standard for Results Management.
7.1

Responsibility for Conducting Results Management
Except as otherwise provided in Articles 6.6, 6.8 and7.1.3 through 7.1.5 below, Results Management shallbe the responsibility of, and shall be governed by, theprocedural rules of the Anti-Doping Organization that
initiated and directed Sample collection (or, if no Sample
collection is involved, the Anti-Doping Organization which
first provides notice to an Athlete or other Person of apotential anti-doping rule violation and then diligently

45 [Comment to Article 7: Various
Signatories have created their own
approaches to Results Management.
While the various approaches havenot been entirely uniform, many have
proven to be fair and effective systems
for Results Management. The Code does
not supplant each of the Signatories’
Results Management systems. This
Article and the International Standard
for Results Management do, however,specify basic principles in order toensure the fundamental fairness of theResults Management process whichmust be observed by each Signatory.
The specific anti-doping rules of each
Signatory shall be consistent with

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these basic principles. Not all antidoping proceedings which have been
initiated by an Anti-Doping Organizationneed to go to hearing. There may
be cases where the Athlete or other
Person agrees to the sanction which
is either mandated by the Code or
which the Anti-Doping Organizationconsiders appropriate where flexibility
in sanctioning is permitted. In all cases,a sanction imposed on the basis ofsuch an agreement will be reported
to parties with a right to appeal under
Article 13.2.3 as provided in Article
14 and published as provided in
Article 14.3.]

pursues that anti-doping rule violation). Regardlessof which organization conducts Results Management,
it shall respect the Results Management principles
set forth in this Article, Article 8, Article 13 and theInternational Standard for Results Management, and each
Anti-Doping Organization’s rules shall incorporate andimplement the rules identified in Article 23.2.2 without
substantive change.
7.1.1

If a dispute arises between Anti-Doping
Organizations over which Anti-Doping Organization
has Results Management responsibility, WADA
shall decide which organization has such
responsibility. WADA’s decision may be appealed
to CAS within seven (7) days of notification of
the WADA decision by any of the Anti-Doping
Organizations involved in the dispute. The appeal
shall be dealt with by CAS in an expedited mannerand shall be heard before a single arbitrator.
Any Anti-Doping Organization seeking to conduct
Results Management outside of the authority
provided in this Article 7.1 may seek approval to
do so from WADA.

7.1.2

Where a National Anti-Doping Organizationelects to collect additional Samples pursuant
to Article 5.2.6, then it shall be considered
the Anti-Doping Organization that initiated anddirected Sample collection. However, where the
National Anti-Doping Organization only directs
the laboratory to perform additional types ofanalysis at the National Anti-Doping Organization’s
expense, then the International Federation or
Major Event Organization shall be considered
the Anti-Doping Organization that initiated anddirected Sample collection.

7.1.3

In circumstances where the rules of a National
Anti-Doping Organization do not give the National
Anti-Doping Organization authority over anAthlete or other Person who is not a national,
resident, license holder, or member of a sport

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ARTICLE 7 Results Management: Responsibility, Initial
Review, Notice and Provisional Suspensions

Doping Control

organization of that country, or the National
Anti-Doping Organization declines to exercise
such authority, Results Management shall be
conducted by the applicable International
Federation or by a third party with authority over
the Athlete or other Person as directed by therules of the International Federation. For Results
Management purposes, for a test or a further
analysis conducted by WADA on its own initiative,
or an anti-doping rule violation discovered by
WADA, WADA shall designate an Anti-Doping
Organization with authority over the Athlete orother Person.46
7.1.4

For Results Management relating to a Sample
initiated and taken during an Event conductedby a Major Event Organization, or an anti-doping
rule violation occurring during such Event, theMajor Event Organization for that Event shallassume Results Management responsibility to atleast the limited extent of conducting a hearing
to determine whether an anti-doping ruleviolation was committed and, if so, the applicable
Disqualifications under Articles 9 and 10.1, any
forfeiture of any medals, points, or prizes fromthat Event, and any recovery of costs applicableto the anti-doping rule violation. In the event the
Major Event Organization assumes only limited
Results Management responsibility, the caseshall be referred by the Major Event Organization
to the applicable International Federation forcompletion of Results Management.

46 [Commentto
Article7.1.3:The Athlete’s or other Person’s
International Federation has been
made the Anti-Doping Organization oflast resort for Results Management toavoid the possibility that no Anti-Doping
Organization would have authority

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to conduct Results Management. An
International Federation is free toprovide in its own anti-doping rules that
the Athlete’s or other Person’s National
Anti-Doping Organization shall conduct
Results Management.]

7.1.5

WADA may direct an Anti-Doping Organization
with Results Management authority to conduct
Results Management in a particular case. If that
Anti-Doping Organization refuses to conduct
Results Management within a reasonable deadline
set by WADA, such refusal shall be consideredan act of non-compliance, and WADA may direct
another Anti-Doping Organization with authority
over the Athlete or other Person, that is willing to
do so, to take Results Management responsibility
in place of the refusing Anti-Doping Organizationor, if there is no such Anti-Doping Organization,
any other Anti-Doping Organization that is willingto do so. In such case, the refusing Anti-Doping
Organization shall reimburse the costs andattorney fees of conducting Results Management
to the other Anti-Doping Organization designatedby WADA, and a failure to reimburse costs andattorney’s fees shall be considered an act of noncompliance.47

7.1.6

Results Management in relation to a potential
whereabouts failure (a filing failure or a missedtest) shall be administered by the International
Federation or the National Anti-Doping
Organization with whom the Athlete in question
files whereabouts information, as provided in theInternational Standard for Results Management.
The Anti-Doping Organization that determines afiling failure or a missed test shall submit that
information to WADA through ADAMS, where
it will be made available to other relevant AntiDoping Organizations.

47 [Comment to Article 7.1.5: Where
WADA directs another Anti-Doping
Organization to conduct Results
Management or other Doping Control

activities, this is not considered
a “delegation” of such activities
by WADA.]World Anti-Doping Code 2021

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ARTICLE 7 Results Management: Responsibility, Initial
Review, Notice and Provisional Suspensions

Doping Control

7.2

Review and Notification Regarding Potential
Anti-Doping Rule Violations
Review and notification with respect to a potential antidoping rule violation shall be carried out in accordancewith the International Standard for Results Management.

7.3

Identification of Prior Anti-Doping Rule Violations
Before giving an Athlete or other Person notice of apotential anti-doping rule violation as provided above, theAnti-Doping Organization shall refer to ADAMS and contact
WADA and other relevant Anti-Doping Organizations
to determine whether any prior anti-doping ruleviolation exists.

7.4

Principles Applicable to Provisional Suspensions 48
7.4.1

Mandatory Provisional Suspension after anAdverse Analytical Finding or Adverse Passport
Finding
The Signatories described below in this paragraphshall adopt rules providing that when an Adverse
Analytical Finding or Adverse Passport Finding(upon completion of the Adverse Passport Finding

48 [Comment to Article 7.4: Before
a Provisional Suspension can beunilaterally imposed by an Anti-Doping
Organization, the internal review
specified in the Code must first becompleted. In addition, the Signatory
imposing a Provisional Suspension
shall ensure that the Athlete is given
an opportunity for a Provisional
Hearing either before or promptly
after the imposition of the Provisional
Suspension, or an expedited final
hearing under Article 8 promptly
after imposition of the Provisional
Suspension. The Athlete has a right toappeal under Article 13.2.3.

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In the rare circumstance where the
B Sample analysis does not confirm
the A Sample finding, the Athlete who
had been Provisionally Suspended
will be allowed, where circumstances
permit, to participate in subsequentCompetitions during the Event.
Similarly, depending upon the relevant
rules of the International Federation
in a Team Sport, if the team is still inCompetition, the Athlete may be able totake part in future Competitions.
Athletes and other Persons shall receive
credit for a Provisional Suspension
against any period of Ineligibility whichis ultimately imposed or accepted asprovided in Article 10.13.2.]

review process) is received for a Prohibited
Substance or a Prohibited Method, other thana Specified Substance or Specified Method, aProvisional Suspension shall be imposed promptly
upon or after the review and notification required
by Article 7.2: where the Signatory is the rulingbody of an Event (for application to that Event);
where the Signatory is responsible for teamselection (for application to that team selection);where the Signatory is the applicable International
Federation; or where the Signatory is anotherAnti-Doping Organization which has Results
Management authority over the alleged antidoping rule violation. A mandatory Provisional
Suspension may be eliminated if: (i) the Athlete
demonstrates to the hearing panel that theviolation is likely to have involved a Contaminated
Product, or (ii) the violation involves a Substanceof Abuse and the Athlete establishes entitlement
to a reduced period of Ineligibility under Article
10.2.4.1. A hearing body’s decision not to eliminate
a mandatory Provisional Suspension on account of
the Athlete’s assertion regarding a Contaminated
Product shall not be appealable.
7.4.2

Optional Provisional Suspension Based on
an Adverse Analytical Finding for Specified
Substances, Specified Methods, Contaminated
Products, or Other Anti-Doping Rule Violations
A Signatory may adopt rules, applicable to any
Event for which the Signatory is the ruling bodyor to any team selection process for which the
Signatory is responsible or where the Signatoryis the applicable International Federation or has
Results Management authority over the allegedanti-doping rule violation, permitting Provisional
Suspensions to be imposed for anti-doping ruleviolations not covered by Article 7.4.1 prior to
analysis of the Athlete’s B Sample or final hearing
as described in Article 8.

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ARTICLE 7 Results Management: Responsibility, Initial
Review, Notice and Provisional Suspensions

Doping Control

7.4.3

Opportunity for Hearing or Appeal
Notwithstanding Articles 7.4.1 and 7.4.2, aProvisional Suspension may not be imposed
unless the rules of the Anti-Doping Organization
provide the Athlete or other Person with: (a) an
opportunity for a Provisional Hearing, either before
the imposition of the Provisional Suspension
or on a timely basis after the imposition of theProvisional Suspension; or (b) an opportunity foran expedited hearing in accordance with Article 8
on a timely basis after imposition of a Provisional
Suspension. The rules of the Anti-Doping
Organization shall also provide an opportunity foran expedited appeal against the imposition of aProvisional Suspension, or the decision not to
impose a Provisional Suspension, in accordancewith Article 13.

7.4.4

Voluntary Acceptance of Provisional Suspension
Athletes on their own initiative may voluntarily
accept a Provisional Suspension if done so prior
to the later of: (i) the expiration of ten (10) days
from the report of the B Sample (or waiver of the
B Sample) or ten (10) days from the notice of any
other anti-doping rule violation, or (ii) the date on
which the Athlete first competes after such reportor notice. Other Persons on their own initiative
may voluntarily accept a Provisional Suspension if
done so within ten (10) days from the notice of theanti-doping rule violation. Upon such voluntary
acceptance, the Provisional Suspension shallhave the full effect and be treated in the samemanner as if the Provisional Suspension had been
imposed under Article 7.4.1 or 7.4.2; provided,
however, at any time after voluntarily accepting
a Provisional Suspension, the Athlete or other
Person may withdraw such acceptance, in which
event the Athlete or other Person shall not receive
any credit for time previously served during theProvisional Suspension.

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7.4.5

7.5

If a Provisional Suspension is imposed basedon an A Sample Adverse Analytical Finding anda subsequent B Sample analysis (if requestedby the Athlete or Anti-Doping Organization)
does not confirm the A Sample analysis, thenthe Athlete shall not be subject to any further
Provisional Suspension on account of a violationof Article 2.1. In circumstances where the Athlete(or the Athlete’s team as may be provided in therules of the applicable Major Event Organization
or International Federation) has been removed
from an Event based on a violation of Article
2.1 and the subsequent B Sample analysis does
not confirm the A Sample finding, if, without
otherwise affecting the Event, it is still possible
for the Athlete or team to be reinserted, theAthlete or team may continue to take part in
the Event.

Results Management Decisions
7.5.1

Results Management decisions or adjudications
by Anti-Doping Organizations, must not purport
to be limited to a particular geographic area or
sport and shall address and determine without
limitation the following issues: (i) whether ananti-doping rule violation was committed ora Provisional Suspension should be imposed,
the factual basis for such determination,and the specific Code Articles violated, and(ii) all Consequences flowing from the antidoping rule violation(s), including applicable
Disqualifications under Articles 9 and 10.10, any
forfeiture of medals or prizes, any period of
Ineligibility (and the date it begins to run) and any
Financial Consequences, except that Major Event
Organizations shall not be required to determine
Ineligibility or Financial Consequences beyond thescope of their Event.49

49 [Comment to Article 7.5.1: Results Management decisions include Provisional
Suspensions.]
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ARTICLE 7 Results Management: Responsibility, Initial
Review, Notice and Provisional Suspensions
ARTICLE 8 Results Management: Right to a Fair Hearing
and Notice of Hearing Decision

Doping Control

7.5.2

7.6

A Results Management decision or adjudication
by a Major Event Organization in connection
with one of its Events may be limited in its
scope but shall address and determine, at aminimum, the following issues: (i) whether ananti-doping rule violation was committed, thefactual basis for such determination, and thespecific Code Articles violated, and (ii) applicable
Disqualifications under Articles 9 and 10.1, withany resulting forfeiture of medals, points andprizes. In the event a Major Event Organization
accepts only limited responsibility for Results
Management decisions, it must comply with
Article 7.1.4.50

Notification of Results Management Decisions
Athletes, other Persons, Signatories and WADA shall be
notified of Results Management decisions as provided
in Article 14 and the International Standard for Results
Management.

50 [Comment to Article 7.5.2: With
the exception of Results Management
decisions by Major Event Organizations,each decision by an Anti-Doping
Organization should address whether
an anti-doping rule violation wascommitted and all Consequences
flowing from the violation, including
any Disqualifications other than
Disqualification under Article 10.1
(which is left to the ruling body for
an Event). Pursuant to Article 15,
such decision and its imposition ofConsequences shall have automaticeffect in every sport in every country.
For example, for a determination thatan Athlete committed an anti-doping

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rule violation based on an Adverse
Analytical Finding for a Sample taken
In-Competition, the Athlete’s results
obtained in the Competition would be
Disqualified under Article 9 and allother competitive results obtained by
the Athlete from the date the Sample
was collected through the durationof the period of Ineligibility are also
Disqualified under Article 10.10; if theAdverse Analytical Finding resulted
from Testing at an Event, it would
be the Major Event Organization’s
responsibility to decide whether the
Athlete’s other individual results in the
Event prior to Sample collection are
also Disqualified under Article 10.1.]

7.7

Retirement from Sport 51
If an Athlete or other Person retires while a Results
Management process is underway, the Anti-Doping
Organization conducting the Results Management process
retains authority to complete its Results Management
process. If an Athlete or other Person retires before any
Results Management process has begun, the Anti-Doping
Organization which would have had Results Management
authority over the Athlete or other Person at the time theAthlete or other Person committed an anti-doping ruleviolation, has authority to conduct Results Management.

ARTICLE 8 RESULTS MANAGEMENT:RIGHT TO A FAIR HEARING AND NOTICEOF HEARING DECISION
8.1

Fair Hearings
For any Person who is asserted to have committed ananti-doping rule violation, the Anti-Doping Organization
with responsibility for Results Management shall provide,
at a minimum, a fair hearing within a reasonable time bya fair, impartial and Operationally Independent hearing
panel in compliance with the WADA International Standard
for Results Management. A timely reasoned decision
specifically including an explanation of the reason(s) for
any period of Ineligibility and Disqualification of results
under Article 10.10 shall be Publicly Disclosed as provided
in Article 14.3.52

51 [Comment to Article 7.7: Conduct
by an Athlete or other Person before
the Athlete or other Person was subject
to the authority of any Anti-Doping
Organization would not constitute ananti-doping rule violation but could
be a legitimate basis for denying theAthlete or other Person membership ina sports organization.]

52 [Comment to Article 8.1: This
Article requires that at some pointin the Results Management process,the Athlete or other Person shall be

provided the opportunity for a timely,
fair and impartial hearing. These
principles are also found in Article 6.1of the Convention for the Protection
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8.2

ARTICLE 8 Results Management: Right to a Fair Hearing
and Notice of Hearing Decision
ARTICLE 9  Automatic Disqualification of Individual Results
ARTICLE 10 Sanctions on Individuals

Event Hearings
Hearings held in connection with Events may be conductedby an expedited process as permitted by the rules of therelevant Anti-Doping Organization and the hearing panel.53

8.3

Waiver of Hearing
The right to a hearing may be waived either expressly orby the Athlete’s or other Person’s failure to challenge an
Anti-Doping Organization’s assertion that an anti-doping
rule violation has occurred within the specific time period
provided in the Anti-Doping Organization’s rules.

8.4

Notice of Decisions
The reasoned hearing decision, or in cases where thehearing has been waived, a reasoned decision explaining
the action taken, shall be provided by the Anti-Doping
Organization with Results Management responsibility to
the Athlete and to other Anti-Doping Organizations with aright to appeal under Article 13.2.3 as provided in Article
14 and published in accordance with Article 14.3.

8.5

Single Hearing Before CAS
Anti-doping rule violations asserted against InternationalLevel Athletes, National-Level Athletes or other Persons
may, with the consent of the Athlete or other Person,
the Anti-Doping Organization with Results Management62of Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms and are principles generally
accepted in international law. This
Article is not intended to supplant each
Anti-Doping Organization’s own rules

for hearings but rather to ensure thateach Anti-Doping Organization provides
a hearing process consistent with theseprinciples.]53 [Comment to Article 8.2: For
example, a hearing could be expeditedon the eve of a major Event where
the resolution of the anti-doping ruleviolation is necessary to determine

the Athlete’s eligibility to participate
in the Event or during an Event where
the resolution of the case will affectthe validity of the Athlete’s results orcontinued participation in the Event.]

World Anti-Doping Code 2021

responsibility, and WADA, be heard in a single hearing
directly at CAS.54

ARTICLE 9 AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATIONOF INDIVIDUAL RESULTS
An anti-doping rule violation in Individual Sports in connection
with an In-Competition test automatically leads to Disqualificationof the result obtained in that Competition with all resulting
Consequences, including forfeiture of any medals, points
and prizes.55

ARTICLE 10 SANCTIONS ON INDIVIDUALS56
10.1 Disqualification of Results in the Event during which an
Anti-Doping Rule Violation Occurs
An anti-doping rule violation occurring during or inconnection with an Event may, upon the decision of theruling body of the Event, lead to Disqualification of all
54 [Comment to Article 8.5: In somecases, the combined cost of holdinga hearing in the first instance at theinternational or national level, thenrehearing the case de novo before CAS
can be very substantial. Where all of
the parties identified in this Article
are satisfied that their interests will

be adequately protected in a single
hearing, there is no need for the Athlete
or Anti-Doping Organizations to incur
the extra expense of two hearings.
An Anti-Doping Organization may
participate in the CAS hearing as anobserver.]55 [Comment to Article 9: For TeamSports, any awards received byindividual players will be Disqualified.
However, Disqualification of the teamwill be as provided in Article 11. Insports which are not Team Sports butwhere awards are given to teams,

Disqualification or other disciplinary
action against the team when one ormore team members have committed
an anti-doping rule violation shall be asprovided in the applicable rules of theInternational Federation.]

56 [Commentto
Article10:
Harmonization of sanctions has been
one of the most discussed and debatedareas of anti-doping. Harmonizationmeans that the same rules and criteria
are applied to assess the unique factsof each case. Arguments against
requiring harmonization of sanctions
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Doping Control

ARTICLE 10 Sanctions on Individualsof the Athlete’s individual results obtained in that Event
with all Consequences, including forfeiture of all medals,
points and prizes, except as provided in Article 10.1.1.57
Factors to be included in considering whether toDisqualify other results in an Event might include, forexample, the seriousness of the Athlete’s anti-doping ruleviolation and whether the Athlete tested negative in theother Competitions.
10.1.1 If the Athlete establishes that he or she bears No
Fault or Negligence for the violation, the Athlete’s
individual results in the other Competitions shallnot be Disqualified, unless the Athlete’s results in
Competitions other than the Competition in which
the anti-doping rule violation occurred werelikely to have been affected by the Athlete’s antidoping rule violation.
10.2

Ineligibility for Presence, Use or Attempted Use or
Possession of a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method
The period of Ineligibility for a violation of Article 2.1, 2.2
or 2.6 shall be as follows, subject to potential elimination,
reduction or suspension pursuant to Article 10.5, 10.6
or 10.7:64

are based on differences between
sports including, for example, thefollowing: in some sports the Athletes
are professionals making a sizable
income from the sport and in others the
Athletes are true amateurs; in those
sports where an Athlete’s career isshort, a standard period of Ineligibility
has a much more significant effecton the Athlete than in sports wherecareers are traditionally much longer.
A primary argument in favor of
harmonization is that it is simply notright that two Athletes from the same

country who test positive for the same
Prohibited Substance under similar
circumstances should receive different
sanctions only because they participate
in different sports. In addition, too muchflexibility in sanctioning has often beenviewed as an unacceptable opportunity
for some sporting organizations to be
more lenient with dopers. The lack ofharmonization of sanctions has alsofrequently been the source of conflicts
between International Federations andNational Anti-Doping Organizations.]

57 [Comment to Article 10.1: Whereas
Article 9 Disqualifies the result in asingle Competition in which the Athlete
tested positive (e.g., the 100 meterbackstroke), this Article may leadto Disqualification of all results inall races during the Event (e.g., theswimming World Championships).]World Anti-Doping Code 2021

10.2.1 The period of Ineligibility, subject to Article 10.2.4,
shall be four (4) years where:
10.2.1.1 The anti-doping rule violation does
not involve a Specified Substance or aSpecified Method, unless the Athlete
or other Person can establish thatthe anti-doping rule violation was notintentional.58
10.2.1.2 The anti-doping rule violation involvesa Specified Substance or a Specified
Method and the Anti-Doping Organization
can establish that the anti-doping ruleviolation was intentional.
10.2.2 If Article 10.2.1 does not apply, subject to Article
10.2.4.1, the period of Ineligibility shall be two(2) years.
10.2.3 As used in Article 10.2, the term “intentional”
is meant to identify those Athletes or other
Persons who engage in conduct which they knew
constituted an anti-doping rule violation or knewthat there was a significant risk that the conduct
might constitute or result in an anti-doping ruleviolation and manifestly disregarded that risk.59
An anti-doping rule violation resulting from an
Adverse Analytical Finding for a substance which isonly prohibited In-Competition shall be rebuttably
presumed to be not “intentional” if the substanceis a Specified Substance and the Athlete canestablish that the Prohibited Substance was Used
Out-of-Competition. An anti-doping rule violation
resulting from an Adverse Analytical Finding
58 [Comment to Article 10.2.1.1:
While it is theoretically possible for an
Athlete or other Person to establishthat the anti-doping rule violation was
not intentional without showing how
the Prohibited Substance entered

one’s system, it is highly unlikely thatin a doping case under Article 2.1 an
Athlete will be successful in provingthat the Athlete acted unintentionallywithout establishing the source of theProhibited Substance.]

59 [Comment to Article 10.2.3: Article
10.2.3 provides a special definition of“intentional” which is to be appliedsolely for purposes of Article 10.2.]
World Anti-Doping Code 2021

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Doping Control

ARTICLE 10 Sanctions on Individuals

for a substance which is only prohibited InCompetition shall not be considered “intentional”
if the substance is not a Specified Substanceand the Athlete can establish that the Prohibited
Substance was Used Out-of-Competition in acontext unrelated to sport performance.
10.2.4 Notwithstanding any other provision in Article
10.2, where the anti-doping rule violation involves
a Substance of Abuse:
10.2.4.1 If the Athlete can establish that any
ingestion or Use occurred Out-ofCompetition and was unrelated tosport performance, then the period
of Ineligibility shall be three (3)months Ineligibility.
In addition, the period of Ineligibility
calculated under this Article 10.2.4.1
may be reduced to one (1) month if theAthlete or other Person satisfactorily
completes a Substance of Abuse
treatment program approved by theAnti-Doping Organization with Results
Management responsibility.60 The period
of Ineligibility established in this Article
10.2.4.1 is not subject to any reduction
based on any provision in Article 10.6.
10.2.4.2 If the ingestion, Use or Possession
occurred In-Competition, and theAthlete can establish that the context
60 [Comment to Article 10.2.4.1:
The determinations as to whether
the treatment program is approved
and whether the Athlete or other
Person has satisfactorily completed
the program shall be made in thesole discretion of the Anti-Doping
Organization. This Article is intended
to give Anti-Doping Organizations theleeway to apply their own judgment

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to identify and approve legitimate
and reputable, as opposed to “sham”,
treatment programs. It is anticipated,
however, that the characteristics oflegitimate treatment programs mayvary widely and change over timesuch that it would not be practical for
WADA to develop mandatory criteria for
acceptable treatment programs.]

of the ingestion, Use or Possession was
unrelated to sport performance, then theingestion, Use or Possession shall not
be considered intentional for purposesof Article 10.2.1 and shall not provide
a basis for a finding of Aggravating
Circumstances under Article 10.4.
10.3 Ineligibility for Other Anti-Doping Rule Violations
The period of Ineligibility for anti-doping rule violations
other than as provided in Article 10.2 shall be as follows,
unless Article 10.6 or 10.7 are applicable:
10.3.1 For violations of Article 2.3 or 2.5, the period of
Ineligibility shall be four (4) years except: (i) in thecase of failing to submit to Sample collection, if
the Athlete can establish that the commission of
the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional,
the period of Ineligibility shall be two (2) years; (ii)in all other cases, if the Athlete or other Person
can establish exceptional circumstances thatjustify a reduction of the period of Ineligibility,
the period of Ineligibility shall be in a range
from two (2) years to four (4) years dependingon the Athlete or other Person’s degree of Fault;or (iii) in a case involving a Protected Person or
Recreational Athlete, the period of Ineligibility
shall be in a range between a maximum of two(2) years and, at a minimum, a reprimand and noperiod of Ineligibility, depending on the Protected
Person or Recreational Athlete’s degree of Fault.
10.3.2 For violations of Article 2.4, the period of
Ineligibility shall be two (2) years, subject toreduction down to a minimum of one (1) year,
depending on the Athlete’s degree of Fault. The
flexibility between two (2) years and one (1)year of Ineligibility in this Article is not available
to Athletes where a pattern of last-minute
whereabouts changes or other conduct raises a
serious suspicion that the Athlete was trying to
avoid being available for Testing.
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Doping Control

ARTICLE 10 Sanctions on Individuals

10.3.3 For violations of Article 2.7 or 2.8, the period
of Ineligibility shall be a minimum of four (4)years up to lifetime Ineligibility, depending on
the seriousness of the violation. An Article 2.7
or Article 2.8 violation involving a Protected
Person shall be considered a particularly serious
violation and, if committed by Athlete Support
Personnel for violations other than for Specified
Substances, shall result in lifetime Ineligibility for
Athlete Support Personnel. In addition, significant
violations of Article 2.7 or 2.8 which may also
violate non-sporting laws and regulations, shallbe reported to the competent administrative,
professional or judicial authorities.61
10.3.4 For violations of Article 2.9, the period of
Ineligibility imposed shall be a minimum of two(2) years, up to lifetime Ineligibility, depending on
the seriousness of the violation.
10.3.5 For violations of Article 2.10, the period of
Ineligibility shall be two (2) years, subject toreduction down to a minimum of one (1) year,
depending on the Athlete or other Person’s degreeof Fault and other circumstances of the case.62
10.3.6 For violations of Article 2.11, the period of
Ineligibility shall be a minimum of two (2) years,
up to lifetime Ineligibility, depending on theseriousness of the violation by the Athlete orother Person.63

68

61 [Comment to Article 10.3.3: Those
who are involved in doping Athletes orcovering up doping should be subject tosanctions which are more severe thanthe Athletes who test positive. Since
the authority of sport organizations

is generally limited to Ineligibility
for accreditation, membership andother sport benefits, reporting Athlete
Support Personnel to competentauthorities is an important step in thedeterrence of doping.]

62 [Comment to Article 10.3.5: Wherethe “other Person” referenced in
Article 2.10 (Prohibited Association
by an Athlete or Other Person) is anentity and not an individual, that entity
may be disciplined as provided in
Article 12.]63 [Comment to Article 10.3.6: Conductthat is found to violate both Article 2.5(Tampering) and Article 2.11 (Acts by an
Athlete or Other Person to Discourage

World Anti-Doping Code 2021

10.4 Aggravating Circumstances which may Increase the
Period of Ineligibility
If the Anti-Doping Organization establishes in an
individual case involving an anti-doping rule violation
other than violations under Article 2.7 (Trafficking or
Attempted Trafficking), 2.8 (Administration or Attempted
Administration), 2.9 (Complicity or Attempted Complicity)or 2.11 (Acts by an Athlete or Other Person to Discourage
or Retaliate Against Reporting) that Aggravating
Circumstances are present which justify the imposition ofa period of Ineligibility greater than the standard sanction,then the period of Ineligibility otherwise applicable shallbe increased by an additional period of Ineligibility of up totwo (2) years depending on the seriousness of the violationand the nature of the Aggravating Circumstances, unlessthe Athlete or other Person can establish that he or she
did not knowingly commit the anti-doping rule violation.64
10.5 Elimination of the Period of Ineligibility where there is
No Fault or Negligence
If an Athlete or other Person establishes in an individual
case that he or she bears No Fault or Negligence, thenthe otherwise applicable period of Ineligibility shall beeliminated.65
or Retaliate Against Reporting toAuthorities) shall be sanctioned basedon the violation that carries the more
severe sanction.]

64 [Commentto
Article10.4:
Violations
under
Articles2.7(Trafficking or Attempted Trafficking),
2.8 (Administration or Attempted
Administration),
2.9(Complicity
or Attempted Complicity) and 2.11
(Acts by an Athlete or Other Person
to Discourage or Retaliate Against

Reporting to Authorities) are notincluded in the application of Article
10.4 because the sanctions for these
violations already build in sufficient
discretion up to a lifetime ban to allow
consideration of any Aggravating
Circumstance.]

65 [Comment to Article 10.5: This
Article and Article 10.6.2 apply only tothe imposition of sanctions; they are
not applicable to the determination ofwhether an anti-doping rule violation
has occurred. They will only apply

in exceptional circumstances, forexample, where an Athlete could provethat, despite all due care, he or she wassabotaged by a competitor. Conversely,
No Fault or Negligence would not
apply in the following circumstances:

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10.6 Reduction of the Period of Ineligibility based on
No Significant Fault or Negligence10.6.1 Reduction of Sanctions in Particular Circumstances
for Violations of Article 2.1, 2.2 or 2.6.
All reductions under Article 10.6.1 are mutually
exclusive and not cumulative.
10.6.1.1 Specified Substances or Specified
Methods
Where the anti-doping rule violation
involves a Specified Substance (otherthan a Substance of Abuse) or Specified
Method, and the Athlete or other Person
can establish No Significant Fault or
Negligence, then the period of Ineligibility
shall be, at a minimum, a reprimandand no period of Ineligibility, and at a
maximum, two (2) years of Ineligibility,
depending on the Athlete’s or other
Person’s degree of Fault.
10.6.1.2 Contaminated Products
In cases where the Athlete or other
Person can establish both No Significant
Fault or Negligence and that thedetected Prohibited Substance (otherthan a Substance of Abuse) came from(a) a positive test resulting from amislabeled or contaminated vitaminor nutritional supplement (Athletes
are responsible for what they ingest(Article 2.1) and have been warned
against the possibility of supplement
contamination); (b) the Administrationof a Prohibited Substance by the
Athlete’s personal physician or trainer
without disclosure to the Athlete(Athletes are responsible for theirchoice of medical personnel andfor advising medical personnel thatthey cannot be given any Prohibited

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Substance); and (c) sabotage of theAthlete’s food or drink by a spouse,coach or other Person within the
Athlete’s circle of associates (Athletes
are responsible for what they ingest
and for the conduct of those Persons towhom they entrust access to their foodand drink). However, depending on theunique facts of a particular case, anyof the referenced illustrations could
result in a reduced sanction under
Article 10.6 based on No Significant
Fault or Negligence.]

a Contaminated Product, then the period
of Ineligibility shall be, at a minimum, areprimand and no period of Ineligibility,
and at a maximum, two (2) years
Ineligibility, depending on the Athlete orother Person’s degree of Fault.66
10.6.1.3 Protected Persons or Recreational
Athletes
Where the anti-doping rule violation
not involving a Substance of Abuse iscommitted by a Protected Person or
Recreational Athlete, and the Protected
Person or Recreational Athlete canestablish No Significant Fault or
Negligence, then the period of Ineligibility
shall be, at a minimum, a reprimandand no period of Ineligibility, and at a
maximum, two (2) years Ineligibility,
depending on the Protected Person or
Recreational Athlete’s degree of Fault.
66 [Comment to Article 10.6.1.2: Inorder to receive the benefit of this
Article, the Athlete or other Person
must establish not only that thedetected Prohibited Substance camefrom a Contaminated Product, butmust also separately establish No
Significant Fault or Negligence. It
should be further noted that Athletes
are on notice that they take nutritional
supplements at their own risk. The
sanction reduction based on No
Significant Fault or Negligence has
rarely been applied in Contaminated
Product cases unless the Athlete has
exercised a high level of caution before
taking the Contaminated Product. In
assessing whether the Athlete canestablish the source of the Prohibited

Substance, it would, for example, besignificant for purposes of establishingwhether the Athlete actually Used
the Contaminated Product, whether
the Athlete had declared the productwhich was subsequently determined
to be contaminated on the Doping
Control form.
This Article should not be extended
beyond products that have gone throughsome process of manufacturing. Wherean Adverse Analytical Finding resultsfrom environment contamination ofa “non-product” such as tap water orlake water in circumstances where no
reasonable person would expect any
risk of an anti-doping rule violation,
typically there would be No Fault or
Negligence under Article 10.5.]

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10.6.2 Application of No Significant Fault or Negligencebeyond the Application of Article 10.6.167
If an Athlete or other Person establishes in
an individual case where Article 10.6.1 is notapplicable, that he or she bears No Significant
Fault or Negligence, then, subject to further
reduction or elimination as provided in Article
10.7, the otherwise applicable period of Ineligibility
may be reduced based on the Athlete or other
Person’s degree of Fault, but the reduced period
of Ineligibility may not be less than one-half ofthe period of Ineligibility otherwise applicable. If
the otherwise applicable period of Ineligibility isa lifetime, the reduced period under this Article
may be no less than eight (8) years.
10.7 Elimination, Reduction, or Suspension of Period of
Ineligibility or Other Consequences for Reasons Other
than Fault
10.7.1 Substantial Assistance in Discovering
Establishing Code Violations68

or10.7.1.1 An Anti-Doping Organization with Results
Management responsibility for an antidoping rule violation may, prior to anappellate decision under Article 13 or the
expiration of the time to appeal, suspend
a part of the Consequences (other than
Disqualification and mandatory Public
Disclosure) imposed in an individual

72

67 [Comment to Article 10.6.2: Article
10.6.2 may be applied to any antidoping rule violation, except those
Articles where intent is an elementof the anti-doping rule violation (e.g.,
Article 2.5, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9 or 2.11) or anelement of a particular sanction (e.g.,
Article 10.2.1) or a range of Ineligibility
is already provided in an Article basedon the Athlete or other Person’s degreeof Fault.]

68 [Comment to Article 10.7.1: The
cooperation of Athletes, Athlete
Support Personnel and other Persons
who acknowledge their mistakes andare willing to bring other anti-doping
rule violations to light is important toclean sport.

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case where the Athlete or other Person
has provided Substantial Assistance toan Anti-Doping Organization, criminal
authority or professional disciplinary
body which results in: (i) the Anti-Doping
Organization discovering or bringing
forward an anti-doping rule violation byanother Person; or (ii) which results in acriminal or disciplinary body discoveringor bringing forward a criminal offenseor the breach of professional rules
committed by another Person and theinformation provided by the Person
providing Substantial Assistance ismade available to the Anti-Doping
Organization with Results Management
responsibility; or (iii) which results in
WADA initiating a proceeding against a
Signatory, WADA-accredited laboratory
or Athlete passport management unit
(as defined in the International Standard
for Laboratories) for non-compliancewith the Code, International Standard
or Technical Document; or (iv) with theapproval by WADA, which results in acriminal or disciplinary body bringing
forward a criminal offense or the breachof professional or sport rules arisingout of a sport integrity violation otherthan doping. After an appellate decision
under Article 13 or the expiration of time
to appeal, an Anti-Doping Organization
may only suspend a part of theotherwise applicable Consequences withthe approval of WADA and the applicable
International Federation.
The extent to which the otherwise
applicable period of Ineligibility may
be suspended shall be based on theseriousness of the anti-doping rule

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violation committed by the Athlete orother Person and the significance of
the Substantial Assistance provided
by the Athlete or other Person to theeffort to eliminate doping in sport,
non-compliance with the Code and/or sport integrity violations. No morethan three-quarters of the otherwise
applicable period of Ineligibility may besuspended. If the otherwise applicable
period of Ineligibility is a lifetime, thenon-suspended period under this
Article must be no less than eight (8)years. For purposes of this paragraph,the otherwise applicable period of
Ineligibility shall not include any period
of Ineligibility that could be added under
Article 10.9.3.2.
If so requested by an Athlete or other
Person who seeks to provide Substantial
Assistance, the Anti-Doping Organization
with Results Management responsibility
shall allow the Athlete or other Person
to provide the information to theAnti-Doping Organization subject to a
Without Prejudice Agreement.
If the Athlete or other Person fails tocontinue to cooperate and to provide
the complete and credible Substantial
Assistance upon which a suspensionof Consequences was based, theAnti-Doping Organization that suspended
Consequences shall reinstate theoriginal Consequences. If an Anti-Doping
Organization decides to reinstatesuspended Consequences or decides not
to reinstate suspended Consequences,that decision may be appealed by
any Person entitled to appeal under
Article 13.

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10.7.1.2 To further encourage Athletes and other
Persons to provide Substantial Assistanceto Anti-Doping Organizations, at therequest of the Anti-Doping Organization
conducting Results Management orat the request of the Athlete or other
Person who has, or has been asserted
to have, committed an anti-doping
rule violation, or other violation of theCode, WADA may agree at any stageof the Results Management process,including after an appellate decision
under Article 13, to what it considers
to be an appropriate suspension of
the otherwise-applicable period of
Ineligibility and other Consequences. In
exceptional circumstances, WADA may
agree to suspensions of the period of
Ineligibility and other Consequences
for Substantial Assistance greater thanthose otherwise provided in this Article,
or even no period of Ineligibility, no
mandatory Public Disclosure and/or
no return of prize money or paymentof fines or costs. WADA’s approvalshall be subject to reinstatement ofConsequences, as otherwise provided inthis Article. Notwithstanding Article 13,
WADA’s decisions in the context of this
Article 10.7.1.2 may not be appealed.
10.7.1.3 If an Anti-Doping Organization suspends
any part of an otherwise applicablesanction because of Substantial
Assistance, then notice providing
justification for the decision shallbe provided to the other Anti-Doping
Organizations with a right to appeal
under Article 13.2.3 as provided in
Article 14.

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In unique circumstances where WADA
determines that it would be in the bestinterest of anti-doping, WADA may
authorize an Anti-Doping Organization
to enter into appropriate confidentiality
agreements limiting or delaying thedisclosure of the Substantial Assistanceagreement or the nature of Substantial
Assistance being provided.
10.7.2 Admission of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation in the
Absence of Other Evidence
Where an Athlete or other Person voluntarily
admits the commission of an anti-doping ruleviolation before having received notice of a
Sample collection which could establish an antidoping rule violation (or, in the case of an antidoping rule violation other than Article 2.1, before
receiving first notice of the admitted violation
pursuant to Article 7) and that admission is the
only reliable evidence of the violation at the timeof admission, then the period of Ineligibility may
be reduced, but not below one-half of the period
of Ineligibility otherwise applicable.69
10.7.3 Application of Multiple Grounds for Reduction ofa Sanction
Where an Athlete or other Person establishes
entitlement to reduction in sanction under morethan one provision of Article 10.5, 10.6 or 10.7,
before applying any reduction or suspension
under Article 10.7, the otherwise applicable period
69 [Comment to Article 10.7.2: This
Article is intended to apply whenan Athlete or other Person comesforward and admits to an anti-doping
rule violation in circumstances where
no Anti-Doping Organization is awarethat an anti-doping rule violation
might have been committed. It is notintended to apply to circumstances

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where the admission occurs after the
Athlete or other Person believes he or
she is about to be caught. The amountby which Ineligibility is reduced should
be based on the likelihood that the
Athlete or other Person would havebeen caught had he or she not comeforward voluntarily.]of Ineligibility shall be determined in accordancewith Articles 10.2, 10.3, 10.5, and 10.6. If theAthlete or other Person establishes entitlement
to a reduction or suspension of the period of
Ineligibility under Article 10.7, then the period of
Ineligibility may be reduced or suspended, but
not below one-fourth of the otherwise applicable
period of Ineligibility.
10.8 Results Management Agreements
10.8.1 One-Year Reduction for Certain Anti-Doping
Rule Violations Based on Early Admission andAcceptance of Sanction
Where an Athlete or other Person, after being
notified by an Anti-Doping Organization of apotential anti-doping rule violation that carries
an asserted period of Ineligibility of four (4) ormore years (including any period of Ineligibility
asserted under Article 10.4), admits the violation
and accepts the asserted period of Ineligibility
no later than twenty (20) days after receiving
notice of an anti-doping rule violation charge, theAthlete or other Person may receive a one-year
reduction in the period of Ineligibility asserted by
the Anti-Doping Organization. Where the Athlete
or other Person receives the one-year reductionin the asserted period of Ineligibility under this
Article 10.8.1, no further reduction in the asserted
period of Ineligibility shall be allowed under any
other Article.70
70 [Comment to Article 10.8.1: For
example, if an Anti-Doping Organization
alleges that an Athlete has violated
Article 2.1 for Use of an anabolic steroid
and asserts the applicable period of
Ineligibility is four (4) years, then the
Athlete may unilaterally reduce theperiod of Ineligibility to three (3) years
by admitting the violation and accepting
the three-year period of Ineligibility
within the time specified in this Article,
with no further reduction allowed. This
resolves the case without any need fora hearing.]

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10.8.2 Case Resolution Agreement
Where the Athlete or other Person admits an antidoping rule violation after being confronted withthe anti-doping rule violation by an Anti-Doping
Organization and agrees to Consequences
acceptable to the Anti-Doping Organization and
WADA, at their sole discretion, then: (a) the
Athlete or other Person may receive a reduction in
the period of Ineligibility based on an assessmentby the Anti-Doping Organization and WADA of
the application of Articles 10.1 through 10.7
to the asserted anti-doping rule violation, theseriousness of the violation, the Athlete or other
Person’s degree of Fault and how promptly the
Athlete or other Person admitted the violation;and (b) the period of Ineligibility may start as
early as the date of Sample collection or thedate on which another anti-doping rule violation
last occurred. In each case, however, where this
Article is applied, the Athlete or other Person shallserve at least one-half of the agreed-upon period
of Ineligibility going forward from the earlier ofthe date the Athlete or other Person accepted
the imposition of a sanction or a Provisional
Suspension which was subsequently respected by
the Athlete or other Person. The decision by WADA
and the Anti-Doping Organization to enter or notenter into a case resolution agreement, and theamount of the reduction to, and the starting dateof the period of Ineligibility, are not matters fordetermination or review by a hearing body andare not subject to appeal under Article 13.
If so requested by an Athlete or other Person who
seeks to enter into a case resolution agreement
under this Article, the Anti-Doping Organization
with Results Management responsibility shallallow the Athlete or other Person to discuss an

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admission of the anti-doping rule violation with
the Anti-Doping Organization subject to a Without
Prejudice Agreement.71
10.9 Multiple Violations
10.9.1 Second or Third Anti-Doping Rule Violation
10.9.1.1 For an Athlete or other Person’s second
anti-doping rule violation, the period of
Ineligibility shall be the greater of:(a) A six-month period of Ineligibility; or(b) A period of Ineligibility in the range
between:(i) the sum of the period of Ineligibility
imposed for the first anti-doping ruleviolation plus the period of Ineligibility
otherwise applicable to the second antidoping rule violation treated as if it werea first violation, and(ii) twice the period of Ineligibility
otherwise applicable to the second antidoping rule violation treated as if it werea first violation.
The period of Ineligibility within thisrange shall be determined based on theentirety of the circumstances and theAthlete or other Person’s degree of Fault
with respect to the second violation.
71 [Comment to Article 10.8.2: Any
mitigating or aggravating factors
set forth in this Article 10 shallbe considered in arriving at theConsequences set forth in the caseresolution agreement, and shall not
be applicable beyond the terms ofthat agreement.
In some countries, the imposition ofa period of Ineligibility is left entirely

to a hearing body. In those countries,
the Anti-Doping Organization may notassert a specific period of Ineligibility
for purposes of Article 10.8.1 nor havethe power to agree to a specific period
of Ineligibility under Article 10.8.2. Inthese circumstances, Article 10.8.1 and10.8.2 will not be applicable but may beconsidered by the hearing body.]

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10.9.1.2 A third anti-doping rule violation will
always result in a lifetime period of
Ineligibility, except if the third violation
fulfills the condition for elimination or
reduction of the period of Ineligibility
under Article 10.5 or 10.6, or involves
a violation of Article 2.4. In theseparticular cases, the period of
Ineligibility shall be from eight (8) years
to lifetime Ineligibility.
10.9.1.3 The period of Ineligibility established in
Articles 10.9.1.1 and 10.9.1.2 may thenbe further reduced by the application of
Article 10.7.
10.9.2 An anti-doping rule violation for which an Athlete
or other Person has established No Fault or
Negligence shall not be considered a violation
for purposes of Article 10.9. In addition, an antidoping rule violation sanctioned under Article
10.2.4.1 shall not be considered a violation for
purposes of Article 10.9.
10.9.3 Additional Rules for Certain Potential Multiple
Violations
10.9.3.1 For purposes of imposing sanctions
under Article 10.9, except as provided
in Articles 10.9.3.2 and 10.9.3.3, ananti-doping rule violation will only beconsidered a second violation if theAnti-Doping Organization can establishthat the Athlete or other Person
committed the additional anti-doping
rule violation after the Athlete or other
Person received notice pursuant to
Article 7, or after the Anti-Doping
Organization made reasonable efforts
to give notice of the first anti-doping
rule violation. If the Anti-Doping
Organization cannot establish this, theviolations shall be considered together

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as one single first violation, and thesanction imposed shall be based on theviolation that carries the more severe
sanction, including the application of
Aggravating Circumstances. Resultsin all Competitions dating back to theearlier anti-doping rule violation will be
Disqualified as provided in Article 10.10.72
10.9.3.2 If
theAnti-Doping
Organization
establishes that an Athlete or other
Person committed an additionalanti-doping rule violation prior to
notification, and that the additional
violation occurred twelve (12) months
or more before or after the first-noticed
violation, then the period of Ineligibility
for the additional violation shall becalculated as if the additional violation
were a stand-alone first violation andthis period of Ineligibility is servedconsecutively, rather than concurrently,
with the period of Ineligibility imposed forthe earlier-noticed violation. Where this
Article 10.9.3.2 applies, the violations
taken together shall constitute a single
violation for purposes of Article 10.9.1.
10.9.3.3 If
theAnti-Doping
Organization
establishes that an Athlete or other
Person committed a violation of Article
2.5 in connection with the Doping
Control process for an underlying
asserted anti-doping rule violation, theviolation of Article 2.5 shall be treated
72 [Comment to Article 10.9.3.1: Thesame rule applies where, after theimposition of a sanction, the Anti-Doping
Organization discovers facts involving
an anti-doping rule violation that
occurred prior to notification for a firstanti-doping rule violation—e.g., theAnti-Doping Organization shall impose
a sanction based on the sanction that
could have been imposed if the twoviolations had been adjudicated at thesame time, including the application of
Aggravating Circumstances.]

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as a stand-alone first violation and theperiod of Ineligibility for such violation
shall be served consecutively, rather
than concurrently, with the period
of Ineligibility, if any, imposed for theunderlying anti-doping rule violation.
Where this Article 10.9.3.3 is applied,the violations taken together shallconstitute a single violation for purposesof Article 10.9.1.
10.9.3.4 If an Anti-Doping Organization establishes
that an Athlete or other Person has
committed a second or third antidoping rule violation during a period
of Ineligibility, the periods of Ineligibility
for the multiple violations shall runconsecutively, rather than concurrently.
10.9.4 Multiple Anti-Doping Rule Violations during
Ten-Year Period
For purposes of Article 10.9, each anti-doping
rule violation must take place within the sameten-year period in order to be consideredmultiple violations.
10.10 Disqualification of Results in Competitions Subsequent
to Sample Collection or Commission of an Anti-Doping
Rule Violation
In addition to the automatic Disqualification of the resultsin the Competition which produced the positive Sample
under Article 9, all other competitive results of theAthlete obtained from the date a positive Sample wascollected (whether In-Competition or Out-of-Competition),or other anti-doping rule violation occurred, throughthe commencement of any Provisional Suspension
or Ineligibility period, shall, unless fairness requires

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otherwise, be Disqualified with all of the resulting
Consequences including forfeiture of any medals, points
and prizes.73
10.11 Forfeited Prize Money
An Anti-Doping Organization or other Signatory that has
recovered prize money forfeited as a result of an antidoping rule violation shall take reasonable measures toallocate and distribute this prize money to the Athletes
who would have been entitled to it had the forfeiting
Athlete not competed. An International Federation may
provide in its rules whether or not the redistributed prize
money shall be considered for purposes of its ranking
of Athletes.74
10.12 Financial Consequences
Anti-Doping Organizations may, in their own rules, provide
for proportionate recovery of costs or financial sanctions
on account of anti-doping rule violations. However, AntiDoping Organizations may only impose financial sanctions
in cases where the maximum period of Ineligibility
otherwise applicable has already been imposed. Financial
sanctions may only be imposed where the principle
of proportionality is satisfied. No recovery of costs orfinancial sanction may be considered a basis for reducing
the Ineligibility or other sanction which would otherwise
be applicable under the Code.
73 [Comment to Article 10.10: Nothing
in the Code precludes clean Athletes orother Persons who have been damagedby the actions of a Person who hascommitted an anti-doping rule violationfrom pursuing any right which theywould otherwise have to seek damages
from such Person.]74 [Comment to Article 10.11: This
Article is not intended to impose anaffirmative duty on the Anti-Doping
Organization or other Signatory to takeany action to collect forfeited prize
money. If the Anti-Doping Organizationelects not to take any action to collectforfeited prize money, it may assign

its right to recover such money to the
Athlete(s) who should have otherwise
received the money. “Reasonablemeasures to allocate and distribute
this prize money” could include using
collected forfeited prize money asagreed upon by an International
Federation and its Athletes.]

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10.13 Commencement of Ineligibility Period
Where an Athlete is already serving a period of Ineligibility
for an anti-doping rule violation, any new period of
Ineligibility shall commence on the first day after thecurrent period of Ineligibility has been served. Otherwise,
except as provided below, the period of Ineligibility shallstart on the date of the final hearing decision providing forIneligibility or, if the hearing is waived or there is no hearing,on the date Ineligibility is accepted or otherwise imposed.
10.13.1 Delays Not Attributable to the Athlete orother Person
Where there have been substantial delays inthe hearing process or other aspects of Doping
Control, and the Athlete or other Person canestablish that such delays are not attributable to
the Athlete or other Person, the body imposing
the sanction may start the period of Ineligibility
at an earlier date commencing as early as thedate of Sample collection or the date on whichanother anti-doping rule violation last occurred.
All competitive results achieved during the period
of Ineligibility, including retroactive Ineligibility,
shall be Disqualified.75
10.13.2 Credit for Provisional Suspension or Period of
Ineligibility Served
10.13.2.1		If a Provisional Suspension is respectedby the Athlete or other Person, then the
Athlete or other Person shall receivea credit for such period of Provisional
Suspension against any period of
Ineligibility which may ultimately
be imposed. If the Athlete or other
75 [Comment to Article 10.13.1: In
cases of anti-doping rule violations
other than under Article 2.1, thetime required for an Anti-Doping
Organization to discover and develop
facts sufficient to establish an antidoping rule violation may be lengthy,

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particularly where the Athlete or other
Person has taken affirmative action to
avoid detection. In these circumstances,
the flexibility provided in this Article tostart the sanction at an earlier dateshould not be used.]

Person does not respect a Provisional
Suspension, then the Athlete or other
Person shall receive no credit forany period of Provisional Suspension
served. If a period of Ineligibility isserved pursuant to a decision thatis subsequently appealed, then the
Athlete or other Person shall receivea credit for such period of Ineligibility
served against any period of Ineligibility
which may ultimately be imposedon appeal.
10.13.2.2		If an Athlete or other Person voluntarily
accepts a Provisional Suspension inwriting from an Anti-Doping Organization
with Results Management authority andthereafter respects the Provisional
Suspension, the Athlete or other Person
shall receive a credit for such periodof voluntary Provisional Suspension
against any period of Ineligibility which
may ultimately be imposed. A copy of
the Athlete or other Person’s voluntary
acceptance of a Provisional Suspension
shall be provided promptly to eachparty entitled to receive notice of anasserted anti-doping rule violation
under Article 14.1.76
10.13.2.3		No credit against a period of Ineligibility
shall be given for any time period before
the effective date of the Provisional
Suspension or voluntary Provisional
Suspension regardless of whether the
Athlete elected not to compete or wassuspended by a team.
76 [Comment to Article 10.13.2.2:
An Athlete’s voluntary acceptance ofa Provisional Suspension is not anadmission by the Athlete and shall not
be used in any way to draw an adverse
inference against the Athlete.]

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10.13.2.4		In Team Sports, where a period of
Ineligibility is imposed upon a team,unless fairness requires otherwise,
the period of Ineligibility shall start on
the date of the final hearing decision
providing for Ineligibility or, if the hearing
is waived, on the date Ineligibility is
accepted or otherwise imposed. Any
period of team Provisional Suspension(whether imposed or voluntarily
accepted) shall be credited against the
total period of Ineligibility to be served.
10.14 Status during Ineligibility or Provisional Suspension
10.14.1 Prohibition
againstParticipation
Ineligibility or Provisional Suspension

duringNo Athlete or other Person who has been
declared Ineligible or is subject to a Provisional
Suspension may, during a period of Ineligibility orProvisional Suspension, participate in any capacity
in a Competition or activity (other than authorizedanti-doping Education or rehabilitation programs)
authorized or organized by any Signatory,
Signatory’s member organization, or a club orother member organization of a Signatory’s
member organization, or in Competitions
authorized or organized by any professional
league or any international- or national-level Eventorganization or any elite or national-level sporting
activity funded by a governmental agency.77
An Athlete or other Person subject to a period
of Ineligibility longer than four (4) years may,
77 [Comment to Article 10.14.1: For
example, subject to Article 10.14.2
below, Ineligible Athletes cannot
participate in a training camp,
exhibition or practice organized by their
National Federation or a club which isa member of that National Federationor which is funded by a governmental

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agency. Further, an Ineligible Athlete
may not compete in a non-Signatory
professional league (e.g., the National
Hockey League, the National Basketball
Association, etc.), Events organized
by a non-Signatory International
Event organization or a non-Signatory
national-level
Eventorganization

after completing four (4) years of the period of
Ineligibility, participate as an Athlete in local
sport events not sanctioned or otherwise under
the authority of a Code Signatory or member of a
Code Signatory, but only so long as the local sport
event is not at a level that could otherwise qualify
such Athlete or other Person directly or indirectly
to compete in (or accumulate points toward) a
national championship or International Event,and does not involve the Athlete or other Person
working in any capacity with Protected Persons.
An Athlete or other Person subject to a period of
Ineligibility shall remain subject to Testing andany requirement by an Anti-Doping Organization
to provide whereabouts information.
10.14.2 Return to Training
As an exception to Article 10.14.1, an Athlete
may return to train with a team or to use thefacilities of a club or other member organizationof a Signatory’s member organization during
the shorter of: (1) the last two (2) months of theAthlete’s period of Ineligibility, or (2) the last onequarter of the period of Ineligibility imposed.78
without triggering the Consequences
set forth in Article 10.14.3. The term
“activity” also includes, for example,
administrative activities, such asserving as an official, director,
officer, employee, or volunteer of theorganization described in this Article.
Ineligibility imposed in one sport shallalso be recognized by other sports (seeArticle 15.1, Automatic Binding Effect ofDecisions). An Athlete or other Person

serving a period of Ineligibility is
prohibited from coaching or serving as
an Athlete Support Person in any othercapacity at any time during the period
of Ineligibility, and doing so could also
result in a violation of 2.10 by anotherAthlete. Any performance standard
accomplished during a period of
Ineligibility shall not be recognized bya Signatory or its National Federations
for any purpose.]

78 [Comment to Article 10.14.2:
In many Team Sports and someindividual sports (e.g., ski jumping andgymnastics), Athletes cannot effectively
train on their own so as to be ready tocompete at the end of the Athlete’s

period of Ineligibility. During thetraining period described in this Article,
an Ineligible Athlete may not compete
or engage in any activity described in
Article 10.14.1 other than training.]

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ARTICLE 10 Sanctions on Individuals
ARTICLE 11 Consequences to Teams

Doping Control

10.14.3 Violation of the Prohibition of Participation during
Ineligibility or Provisional Suspension
Where an Athlete or other Person who has been
declared Ineligible violates the prohibition against
participation during Ineligibility described in
Article 10.14.1, the results of such participation
shall be Disqualified and a new period of
Ineligibility equal in length to the original period
of Ineligibility shall be added to the end of theoriginal period of Ineligibility. The new period of
Ineligibility, including a reprimand and no period
of Ineligibility, may be adjusted based on the
Athlete or other Person’s degree of Fault and othercircumstances of the case. The determination ofwhether an Athlete or other Person has violated
the prohibition against participation, and whether
an adjustment is appropriate, shall be madeby the Anti-Doping Organization whose Results
Management led to the imposition of the initialperiod of Ineligibility. This decision may be
appealed under Article 13.
An Athlete or other Person who violates theprohibition against participation during a
Provisional Suspension described in Article
10.14.1 shall receive no credit for any period ofProvisional Suspension served and the results ofsuch participation shall be Disqualified.
Where an Athlete Support Person or other Person
assists a Person in violating the prohibition against
participation during Ineligibility or a Provisional
Suspension, an Anti-Doping Organization withauthority over such Athlete Support Person
or other Person shall impose sanctions for aviolation of Article 2.9 for such assistance.

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10.14.4 Withholding
IneligibilityofFinancial

SupportduringIn addition, for any anti-doping rule violation
not involving a reduced sanction as describedin Article 10.5 or 10.6, some or all sport-related
financial support or other sport-related benefits
received by such Person will be withheld by
Signatories, Signatories’ member organizations
and governments.
10.15 Automatic Publication of Sanction
A mandatory part of each sanction shall include automatic
publication, as provided in Article 14.3.

ARTICLE 11 CONSEQUENCES TO TEAMS
11.1 Testing of Team Sports
Where more than one member of a team in a Team Sporthas been notified of an anti-doping rule violation under
Article 7 in connection with an Event, the ruling body for
the Event shall conduct appropriate Target Testing of theteam during the Event Period.
11.2 Consequences for Team Sports
If more than two members of a team in a Team Sport arefound to have committed an anti-doping rule violation
during an Event Period, the ruling body of the Event shall
impose an appropriate sanction on the team (e.g., lossof points, Disqualification from a Competition or Event, orother sanction) in addition to any Consequences imposed
upon the individual Athletes committing the anti-doping
rule violation.

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ARTICLE 11 Consequences to Teams
ARTICLE 12 Sanctions by Signatories Against Other Sporting Bodies
ARTICLE 13 Results Management: Appeals

11.3 Event Ruling Body or International Federation may
Establish Stricter Consequences for Team Sports
The ruling body for an Event may elect to establish rules
for the Event which impose Consequences for Team Sports
stricter than those in Article 11.2 for purposes of the
Event.79 Similarly, an International Federation may elect toestablish rules imposing stricter Consequences for TeamSports within its authority than those in Article 11.2.

ARTICLE 12 SANCTIONS BY SIGNATORIESAGAINST OTHER SPORTING BODIES
Each Signatory shall adopt rules that obligate each of its member
organizations and any other sporting body over which it has
authority to comply with, implement, uphold and enforce the Codewithin that organization’s or body’s area of competence. When a
Signatory becomes aware that one of its member organizations
or other sporting body over which it has authority has failed tofulfill such obligation, the Signatory shall take appropriate action
against such organization or body.80 In particular, a Signatory’s
action and rules shall include the possibility of excluding all,or some group of, members of that organization or body from
specified future Events or all Events conducted within a specified
period of time.81

90

79 [Comment to Article 11.3: For
example, the International Olympic
Committee could establish rules which
would require Disqualification of ateam from the Olympic Games basedon a lesser number of anti-doping
rule violations during the period of
the Games.]

80 [Comment to Article 12: This Article
is not intended to impose an affirmative
duty on the Signatory to actively monitor
each of its member organizations foracts of non-compliance, but rather only
requires the Signatory to take action
when it becomes aware of such acts.]

81 [Comment to Article 12: This Article
makes it clear that the Code does not
restrict whatever disciplinary rights
between organizations may otherwise

exist. For sanctions against Signatories
for non-compliance with the Code, see
Article 24.1]

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ARTICLE 13 RESULTS MANAGEMENT:APPEALS82
13.1 Decisions Subject to Appeal
Decisions made under the Code or under rules adopted
pursuant to the Code may be appealed as set forth below
in Articles 13.2 through 13.4 or as otherwise provided in
the Code or International Standards. Such decisions shallremain in effect while under appeal unless the appellate
body orders otherwise.
13.1.1 Scope of Review Not Limited
The scope of review on appeal includes all issues
relevant to the matter and is expressly not limited
to the issues or scope of review before the initialdecision maker. Any party to the appeal may
submit evidence, legal arguments and claims thatwere not raised in the first instance hearing solong as they arise from the same cause of action
or same general facts or circumstances raised or
addressed in the first instance hearing.83
82 [Comment to Article 13: The objectof the Code is to have anti-doping
matters resolved through fair andtransparent internal processes with afinal appeal. Anti-doping decisions by
Anti-Doping Organizations are madetransparent in Article 14. Specified
Persons and organizations, including

WADA, are then given the opportunity
to appeal those decisions. Note thatthe definition of interested Persons
and organizations with a right to appeal
under Article 13 does not include
Athletes, or their National Federations,
who might benefit from having anothercompetitor Disqualified.]

83 [Comment to Article 13.1.1: The
revised language is not intended tomake a substantive change to the 2015
Code, but rather for clarification. For
example, where an Athlete was charged
in the first instance hearing only with

Tampering but the same conduct could
also constitute Complicity, an appealing
party could pursue both Tampering andComplicity charges against the Athlete
in the appeal.]

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ARTICLE 13 Results Management: Appeals

13.1.2 CAS Shall Not Defer to the Findings Being
Appealed
In making its decision, CAS shall not givedeference to the discretion exercised by the bodywhose decision is being appealed.84
13.1.3 WADA Not
Remedies85

RequiredtoExhaustInternal

Where WADA has a right to appeal under Article
13 and no other party has appealed a final
decision within the Anti-Doping Organization’s
process, WADA may appeal such decision directly
to CAS without having to exhaust other remedies
in the Anti-Doping Organization’s process.
13.2 Appeals from Decisions Regarding Anti-Doping Rule
Violations, Consequences, Provisional Suspensions,
Implementation of Decisions and Authority
A decision that an anti-doping rule violation wascommitted, a decision imposing Consequences or not
imposing Consequences for an anti-doping rule violation,
or a decision that no anti-doping rule violation wascommitted; a decision that an anti-doping rule violation
proceeding cannot go forward for procedural reasons(including, for example, prescription); a decision by
WADA not to grant an exception to the six-months noticerequirement for a retired Athlete to return to competition
under Article 5.6.1; a decision by WADA assigning
Results Management under Article 7.1; a decision by
an Anti-Doping Organization not to bring forward an
Adverse Analytical Finding or an Atypical Finding as an

92

84 [Comment to Article 13.1.2:
CAS proceedings are de novo. Prior

proceedings do not limit the evidence or
carry weight in the hearing before CAS.]

85 [Comment to Article 13.1.3: Wherea decision has been rendered before
the final stage of an Anti-Doping
Organization’s process (for example,
a first hearing) and no party elects toappeal that decision to the next level ofthe Anti-Doping Organization’s process(e.g., the Managing Board), then WADA
may bypass the remaining steps in theAnti-Doping Organization’s internal
process and appeal directly to CAS.]World Anti-Doping Code 2021

anti-doping rule violation, or a decision not to go forwardwith an anti-doping rule violation after an investigationin accordance with the International Standard for Results
Management; a decision to impose, or lift, a Provisional
Suspension as a result of a Provisional Hearing; an
Anti-Doping Organization’s failure to comply with Article
7.4; a decision that an Anti-Doping Organization lacks
authority to rule on an alleged anti-doping rule violation
or its Consequences; a decision to suspend, or notsuspend, Consequences or to reinstate, or not reinstate,
Consequences under Article 10.7.1; failure to comply with
Articles 7.1.4 and 7.1.5; failure to comply with Article
10.8.1; a decision under Article 10.14.3; a decision by
an Anti-Doping Organization not to implement anotherAnti-Doping Organization’s decision under Article 15; anda decision under Article 27.3 may be appealed exclusively
as provided in this Article 13.2.
13.2.1 Appeals Involving International-Level Athletes orInternational Events
In cases arising from participation in an
International Event or in cases involving
International-Level Athletes, the decision may be
appealed exclusively to CAS.86
13.2.2 Appeals Involving Other Athletes or Other Persons
In cases where Article 13.2.1 is not applicable, thedecision may be appealed to an appellate body inaccordance with rules established by the National
Anti-Doping Organization. The rules for suchappeal shall respect the following principles:• a timely hearing;•	a fair, impartial, and Operationally Independentand Institutionally Independent hearing panel;•	the right to be represented by counsel at the
Person’s own expense; and86 [Comment to Article 13.2.1:
CAS decisions are final and binding
except for any review required bylaw applicable to the annulment or
enforcement of arbitral awards.]

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ARTICLE 13 Results Management: Appeals• a timely, written, reasoned decision.
If no such body as described above is in place andavailable at the time of the appeal, the Athlete orother Person shall have a right to appeal to CAS.
13.2.3 Persons Entitled to Appeal
13.2.3.1 Appeals Involving International-Level
Athletes or International Events
In cases under Article 13.2.1, thefollowing parties shall have the right toappeal to CAS: (a) the Athlete or other
Person who is the subject of the decision
being appealed; (b) the other party to
the case in which the decision was
rendered; (c) the relevant International
Federation; (d) the National Anti-Doping
Organization of the Person’s country ofresidence or countries where the Person
is a national or license holder; (e) theInternational Olympic Committee orInternational Paralympic Committee,
as applicable, where the decision may
have an effect in relation to the Olympic
Games or Paralympic Games, including
decisions affecting eligibility for the
Olympic Games or Paralympic Games;and (f) WADA.
13.2.3.2 Appeals Involving Other Athletes or
Other Persons
In cases under Article 13.2.2, theparties having the right to appeal to theappellate body shall be as provided in the
National Anti-Doping Organization’s rules
but, at a minimum, shall include thefollowing parties: (a) the Athlete or other
Person who is the subject of the decision
being appealed; (b) the other party to
the case in which the decision was
rendered; (c) the relevant International

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Federation; (d) the National Anti-Doping
Organization of the Person’s country ofresidence or countries where the Person
is a national or license holder; (e) theInternational Olympic Committee orInternational Paralympic Committee,
as applicable, where the decision
may have an effect in relation to the
Olympic Games or Paralympic Games,
including decisions affecting eligibility
for the Olympic Games or Paralympic
Games, and (f) WADA. For cases under
Article 13.2.2, WADA, the International
Olympic Committee, the International
Paralympic Committee, and the relevantInternational Federation shall also
have the right to appeal to CAS withrespect to the decision of the appellate
body. Any party filing an appeal shallbe entitled to assistance from CAS toobtain all relevant information from theAnti-Doping Organization whose decision
is being appealed and the information
shall be provided if CAS so directs.
13.2.3.3 Duty to Notify
All parties to any CAS appeal mustensure that WADA and all other parties
with a right to appeal have been given
timely notice of the appeal.
13.2.3.4 Appeal Deadline for Parties Other
than WADA
The deadline to file an appeal for parties
other than WADA shall be as provided in
the rules of the Anti-Doping Organization
conducting Results Management.
13.2.3.5 Appeal Deadline for WADA
The filing deadline for an appeal filed by
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ARTICLE 13 Results Management: Appeals(a) Twenty-one (21) days after the last
day on which any other party having aright to appeal could have appealed,or(b) Twenty-one (21) days after WADA’s
receipt of the complete file relating to
the decision.87
13.2.3.6 Appeal from Imposition of Provisional
Suspension
Notwithstanding any other provision
herein, the only Person who may appeal
from the imposition of a Provisional
Suspension is the Athlete or other Person
upon whom the Provisional Suspension
is imposed.
13.2.4 Cross Appeals and other Subsequent Appeals
Allowed88
Cross appeals and other subsequent appeals by
any respondent named in cases brought to CAS
under the Code are specifically permitted. Any
party with a right to appeal under this Article 13
must file a cross appeal or subsequent appeal at
the latest with the party’s answer.

96

87 [Comments to Article 13.2.3:
Whether governed by CAS rules orArticle 13.2.3, a party’s deadline toappeal does not begin running until

receipt of the decision. For that reason,
there can be no expiration of a party’s
right to appeal if the party has notreceived the decision.]

88 [Comment to Article 13.2.4: This
provision is necessary because since2011, CAS rules no longer permit an
Athlete the right to cross appeal whenan Anti-Doping Organization appeals

a decision after the Athlete’s time forappeal has expired. This provisionpermits a full hearing for all parties.]

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13.3 Failure to Render a Timely Decision by an
Anti-Doping Organization89
Where, in a particular case, an Anti-Doping Organization
fails to render a decision with respect to whether an antidoping rule violation was committed within a reasonable
deadline set by WADA, WADA may elect to appeal directly
to CAS as if the Anti-Doping Organization had rendereda decision finding no anti-doping rule violation. If the
CAS hearing panel determines that an anti-doping ruleviolation was committed and that WADA acted reasonably
in electing to appeal directly to CAS, then WADA’s costs
and attorney fees in prosecuting the appeal shall bereimbursed to WADA by the Anti-Doping Organization.
13.4 Appeals Relating to TUEs
TUE decisions may be appealed exclusively as provided in
Article 4.4.
13.5 Notification of Appeal Decisions
Any Anti-Doping Organization that is a party to an appeal
shall promptly provide the appeal decision to the Athlete
or other Person and to the other Anti-Doping Organizations
that would have been entitled to appeal under Article
13.2.3 as provided under Article 14.
13.6 Appeals from Decisions under Article 24.1
A notice that is not disputed and so becomes a final
decision under Article 24.1, finding a Signatory noncompliant with the Code and imposing consequences
89 [Comment to Article 13.3: Given
the different circumstances of eachanti-doping rule violation investigation
and Results Management process, it
is not feasible to establish a fixed time
period for an Anti-Doping Organization
to render a decision before WADA may
intervene by appealing directly to CAS.
Before taking such action, however,
WADA will consult with the Anti-Doping

Organization and give the Anti-Doping
Organization an opportunity to explain
why it has not yet rendered a decision.
Nothing in this Article prohibits anInternational Federation from also
having rules which authorize it toassume authority for matters in which
the Results Management performedby one of its National Federations has
been inappropriately delayed.]World Anti-Doping Code 2021

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ARTICLE 13 Results Management: Appeals
ARTICLE 14 Confidentiality and Reporting

Doping Control

for such non-compliance, as well as conditions for
Reinstatement of the Signatory, may be appealed to
CAS as provided in the International Standard for CodeCompliance by Signatories.
13.7 Appeals from Decisions Suspending or Revoking
Laboratory Accreditation
Decisions by WADA to suspend or revoke a laboratory’s
WADA accreditation may be appealed only by thatlaboratory with the appeal being exclusively to CAS.

ARTICLE 14 CONFIDENTIALITY ANDREPORTING
The principles of coordination of anti-doping results, public
transparency and accountability and respect for the privacy of
all Athletes or other Persons are as follows:
14.1 Information Concerning Adverse Analytical Findings,
Atypical Findings, and other Asserted Anti-Doping
Rule Violations
14.1.1 Notice of Anti-Doping Rule Violations to Athletes
and other Persons
The form and manner of notice of an asserted
anti-doping rule violation shall be as provided
in the rules of the Anti-Doping Organization with
Results Management responsibility.
14.1.2 Notice of Anti-Doping Rule Violations to
National Anti-Doping Organizations, International
Federations and WADA
The Anti-Doping Organization with Results
Management responsibility shall also notify
the Athlete’s National Anti-Doping Organization,
International Federation and WADA of theassertion of an anti-doping rule violation
simultaneously with the notice to the Athlete orother Person.

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14.1.3 Content of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation Notice
Notification shall include: the Athlete’s or other
Person’s name, country, sport and discipline
within the sport, the Athlete’s competitive level,
whether the test was In-Competition or Outof-Competition, the date of Sample collection,
the analytical result reported by the laboratory
and other information as required by theInternational Standard for Results Management,or, for anti-doping rule violations other than
Article 2.1, the rule violated and the basis of theasserted violation.
14.1.4 Status Reports
Except with respect to investigations which have
not resulted in a notice of an anti-doping ruleviolation pursuant to Article 14.1.1, the AntiDoping Organizations referenced in Article 14.1.2
shall be regularly updated on the status andfindings of any review or proceedings conductedpursuant to Article 7, 8 or 13 and shall be provided
with a prompt written reasoned explanation ordecision explaining the resolution of the matter.
14.1.5 Confidentiality
The recipient organizations shall not disclose thisinformation beyond those Persons with a needto know (which would include the appropriate
personnel at the applicable National Olympic
Committee, National Federation, and team in aTeam Sport) until the Anti-Doping Organization
with Results Management responsibility has madePublic Disclosure as permitted by Article 14.3.90
90 [Comment to Article 14.1.5: Each
Anti-Doping Organization shall provide,in its own anti-doping rules, proceduresfor the protection of confidential
information and for investigating

and disciplining improper disclosureof confidential information by any
employee or agent of the Anti-Doping
Organization.]

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ARTICLE 14 Confidentiality and Reporting

14.2 Notice of Anti-Doping Rule Violation or Violations ofIneligibility or Provisional Suspension Decisions andRequest for Files
14.2.1 Anti-doping rule violation decisions or decisions
related to violations of Ineligibility or Provisional
Suspension rendered pursuant to Article 7.6,
8.4, 10.5, 10.6, 10.7, 10.14.3 or 13.5 shall include
the full reasons for the decision, including, if
applicable, a justification for why the maximum
potential sanction was not imposed. Where
the decision is not in English or French, theAnti-Doping Organization shall provide an English
or French summary of the decision and the
supporting reasons.
14.2.2 An Anti-Doping Organization having a right toappeal a decision received pursuant to Article
14.2.1 may, within fifteen (15) days of receipt,
request a copy of the full case file pertaining to
the decision.
14.3 Public Disclosure
14.3.1 After notice has been provided to the Athlete
or other Person in accordance with theInternational Standard for Results Management,
and to the applicable Anti-Doping Organizationsin accordance with Article 14.1.2, the identityof any Athlete or other Person who is notified
of a potential anti-doping rule violation, theProhibited Substance or Prohibited Method andnature of the violation involved, and whether
the Athlete or other Person is subject to a
Provisional Suspension may be Publicly Disclosedby the Anti-Doping Organization with Results
Management responsibility.
14.3.2 No later than twenty (20) days after it has been
determined in an appellate decision under
Article 13.2.1 or 13.2.2, or such appeal has
been waived, or a hearing in accordance with
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an anti-doping rule violation has not otherwise
been timely challenged, or the matter has
been resolved under Article 10.8, or a new
period of Ineligibility, or reprimand, has been
imposed under Article 10.14.3, the Anti-Doping
Organization responsible for Results Management
must Publicly Disclose the disposition of theanti-doping matter including the sport, the antidoping rule violated, the name of the Athlete
or other Person committing the violation, theProhibited Substance or Prohibited Method
involved (if any) and the Consequences imposed.
The same Anti-Doping Organization must also
Publicly Disclose within twenty (20) days theresults of appellate decisions concerning antidoping rule violations, including the information
described above.91
14.3.3 After an anti-doping rule violation has been
determined to have been committed in anappellate decision under Article 13.2.1 or 13.2.2
or such appeal has been waived, or in a hearing
in accordance with Article 8 or where such
hearing has been waived, or the assertion ofan anti-doping rule violation has not otherwise
been timely challenged, or the matter has been
resolved under Article 10.8, the Anti-Doping
Organization responsible for Results Management
may make public such determination or decisionand may comment publicly on the matter.
14.3.4 In any case where it is determined, after ahearing or appeal, that the Athlete or other
Person did not commit an anti-doping ruleviolation, the fact that the decision has been
91 [Comment to Article 14.3.2:
Where Public Disclosure as required
by Article 14.3.2 would result in a
breach of other applicable laws, theAnti-Doping Organization’s failure
to make the Public Disclosure will

not result in a determination of noncompliance with Code as set forth in
Article 4.2 of the International Standard
for the Protection of Privacy andPersonal Information.]

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ARTICLE 14 Confidentiality and Reporting

appealed may be Publicly Disclosed. However, thedecision itself and the underlying facts may not
be Publicly Disclosed except with the consent of
the Athlete or other Person who is the subject ofthe decision. The Anti-Doping Organization with
Results Management responsibility shall use
reasonable efforts to obtain such consent, andif consent is obtained, shall Publicly Disclose thedecision in its entirety or in such redacted form
as the Athlete or other Person may approve.
14.3.5 Publication shall be accomplished at a minimumby placing the required information on theAnti-Doping Organization’s website and leaving
the information up for the longer of one (1) monthor the duration of any period of Ineligibility.
14.3.6 Except as provided in Articles 14.3.1 and 14.3.3,
no Anti-Doping Organization or WADA-accredited
laboratory, or official of either, shall publicly
comment on the specific facts of any pendingcase (as opposed to general description ofprocess and science) except in response to publiccomments attributed to, or based on information
provided by the Athlete, other Person or theirentourage or other representatives.
14.3.7 The mandatory Public Disclosure required in
14.3.2 shall not be required where the Athlete
or other Person who has been found to havecommitted an anti-doping rule violation is a
Minor, Protected Person or Recreational Athlete.
Any optional Public Disclosure in a case involving
a Minor, Protected Person or Recreational
Athlete shall be proportionate to the facts andcircumstances of the case.
14.4 Statistical Reporting
Anti-Doping Organizations shall, at least annually, publish
publicly a general statistical report of their Doping Control
activities, with a copy provided to WADA. Anti-Doping
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name of each Athlete tested and the date of each Testing.
WADA shall, at least annually, publish statistical reportssummarizing the information that it receives from AntiDoping Organizations and laboratories.
14.5 Doping Control Information Database and Monitoringof ComplianceTo enable WADA to perform its compliance monitoringrole and to ensure the effective use of resources andsharing of applicable Doping Control information among
Anti-Doping Organizations, WADA shall develop andmanage a Doping Control information database, suchas ADAMS, and Anti-Doping Organizations shall report
to WADA through such database Doping Control-related
information, including, in particular,a) Athlete Biological Passport data for International-Level
Athletes and National-Level Athletes,b) Whereabouts information for Athletes including thosein Registered Testing Pools,c) TUE decisions, andd) Results Management decisions,as required under the applicable International Standard(s).
14.5.1 To facilitate coordinated test distribution
planning, avoid unnecessary duplication in
Testing by various Anti-Doping Organizations, andto ensure that Athlete Biological Passport profiles
are updated, each Anti-Doping Organization shallreport all In-Competition and Out-of-Competition
tests to WADA by entering the Doping Control forms
into ADAMS in accordance with the requirements
and timelines contained in the International
Standard for Testing and Investigations.
14.5.2 To facilitate WADA’s oversight and appeal rights
for TUEs, each Anti-Doping Organization shallreport all TUE applications, decisions andsupporting documentation using ADAMS in
accordance with the requirements and timelines

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ARTICLE 15 Implementation of Decisions

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contained in the International Standard for
Therapeutic Use Exemptions.
14.5.3 To facilitate WADA’s oversight and appeal
rights for Results Management, Anti-Doping
Organizations shall report the following
information into ADAMS in accordance withthe requirements and timelines outlined in theInternational Standard for Results Management:(a) notifications of anti-doping rule violations andrelated decisions for Adverse Analytical Findings;(b) notifications and related decisions for otheranti-doping rule violations that are not Adverse
Analytical Findings; (c) whereabouts failures; and(d) any decision imposing, lifting or reinstating a
Provisional Suspension.
14.5.4 The information described in this Article will
be made accessible, where appropriate andin accordance with the applicable rules, tothe Athlete, the Athlete’s National Anti-Doping
Organization and International Federation, andany other Anti-Doping Organizations with Testing
authority over the Athlete.92
14.6 Data Privacy93
Anti-Doping Organizations may collect, store, process
or disclose personal information relating to Athletes
and other Persons where necessary and appropriate
to conduct their Anti-Doping Activities under the Code104

92 [Comment to Article 14.5: ADAMS is
operated, administered and managed
by WADA, and is designed to beconsistent with data privacy laws andnorms applicable to WADA and otherorganizations using such system.
Personal
information
regardingAthletes or other Persons maintainedin ADAMS is and will be treated instrict confidence and in accordancewith the International Standard for
the Protection of Privacy and Personal
Information.]

93 [Comment to Article 14.6: Eachgovernment should put in placelegislation,
regulation,
policiesor administrative practices for:cooperation and sharing of information

with
Anti-Doping
Organizations;sharing of data among Anti-Doping
Organizations as provided in theCode(…)].

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and International Standards (including specifically theInternational Standard for the Protection of Privacy
and Personal Information), and in compliance withapplicable law.

ARTICLE 15 IMPLEMENTATION OF
DECISIONS
15.1 Automatic Binding Effect of Decisions by Signatory
Anti-Doping Organizations
15.1.1 A decision of an anti-doping rule violation
made by a Signatory Anti-Doping Organization,
an appellate body (Article 13.2.2) or CAS shall,
after the parties to the proceeding are notified,
automatically be binding beyond the parties tothe proceeding upon every Signatory in every
sport with the effects described below:
15.1.1.1 A decision by any of the above-describedbodies imposing a Provisional Suspension(after a Provisional Hearing has occurredor the Athlete or other Person has either
accepted the Provisional Suspension
or has waived the right to a Provisional
Hearing, expedited hearing or expedited
appeal offered in accordance with Article
7.4.3) automatically prohibits the Athlete
or other Person from participation (asdescribed in Article 10.14.1) in all sports
within the authority of any Signatory
during the Provisional Suspension.
15.1.1.2 A decision by any of the abovedescribed bodies imposing a period
of Ineligibility (after a hearing has
occurred or been waived) automaticallyprohibits the Athlete or other Personfrom participation (as described in
Article 10.14.1) in all sports within theWorld Anti-Doping Code 2021

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ARTICLE 15 Implementation of Decisions

authority of any Signatory for the period
of Ineligibility.
15.1.1.3 A decision by any of the abovedescribed bodies accepting an antidoping rule violation automaticallybinds all Signatories.
15.1.1.4 A decision by any of the above-describedbodies to Disqualify results under Article
10.10 for a specified period automatically
Disqualifies all results obtained within
the authority of any Signatory during thespecified period.
15.1.2 Each Signatory is under the obligation torecognize and implement a decision and its
effects as required by Article 15.1.1, without
any further action required, on the earlier ofthe date the Signatory receives actual notice ofthe decision or the date the decision is placed
into ADAMS.
15.1.3 A decision by an Anti-Doping Organization,
an appellate body or CAS to suspend, or lift,
Consequences shall be binding upon each
Signatory without any further action required,on the earlier of the date the Signatory receives
actual notice of the decision or the date thedecision is placed into ADAMS.
15.1.4 Notwithstanding any provision in Article 15.1.1,
however, a decision of an anti-doping ruleviolation by a Major Event Organization made in an
expedited process during an Event shall not bebinding on other Signatories unless the rules ofthe Major Event Organization provide the Athlete
or other Person with an opportunity to an appeal
under non-expedited procedures.94

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94 [Comment to Article 15.1.4: By way
of example, where the rules of the Major
Event Organization give the Athlete orother Person the option of choosing an
expedited CAS appeal or a CAS appeal
under normal CAS procedure, the final
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decision or adjudication by the Major
Event Organization is binding on other
Signatories regardless of whether the
Athlete or other Person chooses the
expedited appeal option.]15.2 Implementation of Other Decisions by
Anti-Doping Organizations
Signatories may decide to implement other anti-doping
decisions rendered by Anti-Doping Organizations notdescribed in Article 15.1.1 above, such as a Provisional
Suspension prior to a Provisional Hearing or acceptanceby the Athlete or other Person.95
15.3 Implementation of Decisions by Body thatis not a Signatory
An anti-doping decision by a body that is not a Signatory
to the Code shall be implemented by each Signatory if the
Signatory finds that the decision purports to be within theauthority of that body and the anti-doping rules of thatbody are otherwise consistent with the Code.96
95 [Comment to Articles 15.1 and 15.2:
Anti-Doping Organization decisions
under Article 15.1 are implemented
automatically by other Signatories
without the requirement of any decisionor further action on the Signatories’
part. For example, when a National
Anti-Doping Organization decides toProvisionally Suspend an Athlete, thatdecision is given automatic effect at theInternational Federation level. To beclear, the “decision” is the one made by
the National Anti-Doping Organization,
there is not a separate decision to bemade by the International Federation.
Thus, any claim by the Athlete that theProvisional Suspension was improperly
imposed can only be asserted
against the National Anti-Doping
Organization.
ImplementationofAnti-Doping Organizations’ decisions
under Article 15.2 is subject to each
Signatory’s discretion. A Signatory’s
implementation of a decision under
Article 15.1 or Article 15.2 is notappealable separately from any appealof the underlying decision. The extent
of recognition of TUE decisions ofother Anti-Doping Organizations shallbe determined by Article 4.4 and theInternational Standard for Therapeutic
Use Exemptions.]

96 [Comment to Article 15.3: Where
the decision of a body that has not
accepted the Code is in some respects
Code compliant and in other respects
not Code compliant, Signatories
should attempt to apply the decision inharmony with the principles of the Code.
For example, if in a process consistent
with the Code a non-Signatory has
found an Athlete to have committed ananti-doping rule violation on account of
the presence of a Prohibited Substancein the Athlete’s body but the period of
Ineligibility applied is shorter than the

period provided for in the Code, thenall Signatories should recognize thefinding of an anti-doping rule violationand the Athlete’s National Anti-Doping
Organization
shouldconductahearing consistent with Article 8 todetermine whether the longer period
of Ineligibility provided in the Codeshould be imposed. A Signatory’s
implementation of a decision or its
decision not to implement a decision
under Article 15.3, is appealable under
Article 13.]World Anti-Doping Code 2021

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ARTICLE 16 Doping Control for Animals Competing in SportARTICLE 17 Statute of Limitations

ARTICLE 16 DOPING CONTROL FOR
ANIMALS COMPETING IN SPORT
16.1 In any sport that includes animals in Competition, theInternational Federation for that sport shall establish andimplement anti-doping rules for the animals included inthat sport. The anti-doping rules shall include a list ofProhibited Substances, appropriate Testing procedures
and a list of approved laboratories for Sample analysis.
16.2 With respect to determining anti-doping rule violations,
Results Management, fair hearings, Consequences, andappeals for animals involved in sport, the International
Federation for that sport shall establish and implement
rules that are generally consistent with Articles 1, 2, 3, 9,
10, 11, 13 and 17 of the Code.

ARTICLE 17 STATUTE OF LIMITATIONSNo anti-doping rule violation proceeding may be commenced
against an Athlete or other Person unless he or she has been
notified of the anti-doping rule violation as provided in Article 7,
or notification has been reasonably attempted, within ten (10)years from the date the violation is asserted to have occurred.

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PART TWOEDUCATION
AND RESEARCH

PART

2

Education andResearch

ARTICLE 18 Education

ARTICLE 18 EDUCATION
18.1 Principles
Education programs are central to ensure harmonized,
coordinated and effective anti-doping programs at theinternational and national level. They are intended topreserve the spirit of sport and the protection of Athletes’
health and right to compete on a doping free level playing
field as described in the Introduction to the Code.
Education programs shall raise awareness, provide
accurate information and develop decision-making
capability to prevent intentional and unintentional antidoping rule violations and other breaches of the Code.
Education programs and their implementation shall instill
personal values and principles that protect the spiritof sport.
All Signatories shall, within their scope of responsibility
and in cooperation with each other, plan, implement,
monitor, evaluate and promote Education programs inline with the requirements set out in the International
Standard for Education.
18.2 Education Program and Plan by Signatories
Education programs as outlined in the International
Standard for Education shall promote the spirit of sportand have a positive and long-term influence on the
choices made by Athletes and other Persons.
Signatories shall develop an Education plan as requiredin the International Standard for Education. Prioritizationof target groups or activities shall be justified based on aclear rationale of the Education Plan.97
97 [Comment to Article 18.2: The
Risk Assessment that Anti-Doping
Organizations are required to conduct
under the International Standard for
Testing and Investigations provides
a framework relating to the risk of

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doping within sports. Such assessment
can be used to identify priority target
groups for Education programs. WADA
also provides Education resources
for Signatories to use to support theirprogram delivery.]Signatories shall make their Education plans available
to other Signatories upon request in order to avoid
duplication of efforts where possible and to support therecognition process outlined in the International Standard
for Education.
An Anti-Doping Organization’s Education program shall
include the following awareness, information, valuesbased and Education components which shall at aminimum be available on a website.98• Principles and values associated with clean sport•	Athletes’, Athlete Support Personnel’s and other groups’
rights and responsibilities under the Code• The principle of Strict Liability•	Consequences of doping, for example, physicaland mental health, social and economic effects,
and sanctions• Anti-doping rule violations• Substances and Methods on the Prohibited List
• Risks of supplement use• Use of medications and Therapeutic Use Exemptions•	Testing procedures, including urine, blood and theAthlete Biological Passport•	Requirements of the Registered Testing Pool, including
whereabouts and the use of ADAMS• Speaking up to share concerns about doping
98 [Comment to Article 18.2: Where,
for example, a particular National
Anti-Doping Organization does nothave its own website, the required
information may be posted on thewebsite of the country’s National
Olympic
Committeeorotherorganization responsible for sport
in the country.]

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ARTICLE 18 Education

18.2.1 Education Pool and Target Groups Establishedby Signatories
Signatories shall identify their target groups andform an Education pool in line with the minimum
requirements outlined in the International Standard
for Education.99
18.2.2 Education Program Implementation by
Signatories
Any Education activity directed at the Education
pool shall be delivered by a trained and authorized
Person according to the requirements set out in
the International Standard for Education.100
18.2.3 Coordination and Cooperation
WADA shall work with relevant stakeholders to
support the implementation of the International
Standard for Education and act as a central
repository for information and Education
resources and/or programs developed by WADA
or Signatories. Signatories shall cooperate witheach other and governments to coordinate
their efforts.

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99 [Comment to Article 18.2.1: The
Education pool should not be limited
to National- or International-Level
Athletes and should include all Persons,

including youth, who participate
in sport under the authority of any
Signatory, government or other sports
organization accepting the Code.]

100 [Comment to Article 18.2.2: The
purpose of this provision is to introduce
the concept of an Educator. Education
shall only be delivered by a trained andcompetent Person, similar to Testing
whereby only trained and appointed
Doping Control officers can conduct
tests. In both cases, the requirement
for trained personnel is to safeguard

the Athlete and maintain consistent
standards of delivery. Further details
on instituting a simple accreditation
program for Educators are outlinedin the WADA Model Guidelines for
Education, including best practice
examples of interventions that canbe implemented.]

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On a national level, Education programs shallbe coordinated by the National Anti-Doping
Organization, working in collaboration with
their respective national sports federations,
National Olympic Committee, National Paralympic
Committee, governments and Educational
institutions. This coordination shall maximize
the reach of Education programs across sports,
Athletes and Athlete Support Personnel andminimize duplication of effort.
Education programs aimed at International-Level
Athletes shall be the priority for International
Federations. Event-based Education shall be a
mandatory element of any anti-doping programassociated with an International Event.
All Signatories shall cooperate with eachother and governments to encourage relevant
sports organizations, Educational institutions,and professional associations to develop andimplement appropriate Codes of Conduct thatreflect good practice and ethics related to sport
practice regarding anti-doping. Disciplinary
policies and procedures shall be clearly articulated
and communicated, including sanctions which
are consistent with the Code. Such Codes ofConduct shall make provision for appropriate
disciplinary action to be taken by sports bodies toeither support the implementation of any doping
sanctions, or for an organization to take its own
disciplinary action should insufficient evidence
prevent an anti-doping rule violation beingbrought forward.

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ARTICLE 19 Research

ARTICLE 19 RESEARCH
19.1 Purpose and Aims of Anti-Doping ResearchAnti-doping research contributes to the development
and implementation of efficient programs within Doping
Control and to information and Education regarding
doping-free sport.
All Signatories and WADA shall, in cooperation with eachother and governments, encourage and promote suchresearch and take all reasonable measures to ensure thatthe results of such research are used for the promotionof the goals that are consistent with the principles of
the Code.
19.2 Types of Research
Relevant anti-doping research may include, for example,
sociological, behavioral, juridical and ethical studies
in addition to scientific, medical, analytical, statisticaland physiological investigation. Without limiting theforegoing, studies on devising and evaluating the efficacy
of scientifically-based physiological and psychologicaltraining programs that are consistent with the principlesof the Code and respectful of the integrity of the humansubjects, as well as studies on the Use of emerging
substances or methods resulting from scientificdevelopments should be conducted.
19.3 Coordination of Research and Sharing of Results
Coordination of anti-doping research through WADA isessential. Subject to intellectual property rights, theresults of such anti-doping research shall be provided
to WADA and, where appropriate, shared with relevant
Signatories and Athletes and other stakeholders.
19.4 Research Practices
Anti-doping research shall comply with internationallyrecognized ethical practices.

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19.5 Research Using Prohibited Substances and Prohibited
Methods
Research efforts should avoid the Administration ofProhibited Substances or Prohibited Methods to Athletes.
19.6 Misuse of Results
Adequate precautions should be taken so that the resultsof anti-doping research are not misused and applied for
doping purposes.

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PART THREE

ROLES ANDRESPONSIBILITIESAll Signatories and WADA shall act in a spirit of partnershipand collaboration in order to ensure the success of thefight against doping in sport and the respect of the Code.101

101 [Comment:
Responsibilities
for Signatories and Athletes orother Persons are addressed invarious Articles in the Code and the
responsibilities listed in this part are
additional to these responsibilities.]

PART

3

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ARTICLE 20 Additional Roles and Responsibilities
of Signatories and WADA

ARTICLE 20 ADDITIONAL ROLESAND RESPONSIBILITIES OF SIGNATORIESAND WADA
Each Anti-Doping Organization may delegate aspects of Doping
Control or anti-doping Education for which it is responsible
but remains fully responsible for ensuring that any aspect itdelegates is performed in compliance with the Code. To theextent such delegation is made to a Delegated Third Party thatis not a Signatory, the agreement with the Delegated Third Party
shall require its compliance with the Code and International
Standards.102
20.1 Roles and Responsibilities of the International
Olympic Committee
20.1.1 To adopt and implement anti-doping policies andrules for the Olympic Games which conform with
the Code and the International Standards.
20.1.2 To require, as a condition of recognition by
the International Olympic Committee, that
International Federations and National Olympic
Committees within the Olympic Movement are incompliance with the Code and the International
Standards.
20.1.3 To withhold some or all Olympic funding and/or other benefits from sport organizations thatare not in compliance with the Code and/or theInternational Standards, where required under
Article 24.1.

102 [Comment to Article 20: Obviously,
an Anti-Doping Organization is not
responsible for a failure to comply
with the Code by its non-Signatory
Delegated Third Parties if the DelegatedThird Party’s’ failure is committed inconnection with services provided to adifferent Anti-Doping Organization. For
example, if FINA and FIBA both delegate
aspects of Doping Control to the same
non-Signatory Delegated Third Party,

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and the provider fails to comply with
the Code in performing the services for
FINA, only FINA and not FIBA would be
responsible for the failure. However,Anti-Doping
Organizations
shallcontractually require Delegated Third
Parties to whom they have delegatedanti-doping responsibilities to reportto the Anti-Doping Organization any
finding of non-compliance by the
Delegated Third Parties.]20.1.4 To take appropriate action to discourage noncompliance with the Code and the International
Standards (a) by Signatories, in accordance with
Article 24.1 and the International Standard for
Code Compliance by Signatories, and (b) by anyother sporting body over which it has authority,in accordance with Article 12.
20.1.5 To authorize and facilitate the Independent
Observer Program.
20.1.6 To require all Athletes preparing for orparticipating in the Olympic Games, and all
Athlete Support Personnel associated with such
Athletes, to agree to and be bound by anti-doping
rules in conformity with the Code as a conditionof such participation or involvement.
20.1.7 Subject to applicable law, as a condition of such
position or involvement, to require all of its
board members, directors, officers, and those
employees (and those of appointed DelegatedThird Parties), who are involved in any aspectof Doping Control, to agree to be bound by antidoping rules as Persons in conformity with theCode for direct and intentional misconduct, or to
be bound by comparable rules and regulations
put in place by the Signatory.
20.1.8 Subject to applicable law, to not knowingly employ
a Person in any position involving Doping Control(other than authorized anti-doping Education
or rehabilitation programs) who is ProvisionallySuspended or is serving a period of Ineligibility
under the Code or, if a Person was not subject
to the Code, who has directly and intentionallyengaged in conduct within the previous six (6)years which would have constituted a violationof anti-doping rules if Code-compliant rules had
been applicable to such Person.

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ARTICLE 20 Additional Roles and Responsibilities
of Signatories and WADA

20.1.9 To vigorously pursue all potential anti-doping
rule violations within its authority including
investigation into whether Athlete Support
Personnel or other Persons may have been
involved in each case of doping.
20.1.10 To plan, implement, evaluate and promote antidoping Education in line with the requirements of
the International Standard for Education.
20.1.11 To accept bids for the Olympic Games only fromcountries where the government has ratified,
accepted, approved or acceded to the UNESCO
Convention, and (where required under Article
24.1.9) to not accept bids for Events fromcountries where the National Olympic Committee,
the National Paralympic Committee and/or
the National Anti-Doping Organization is not incompliance with the Code or the International
Standards.
20.1.12 To cooperate with relevant national organizations
and agencies and other Anti-Doping Organizations.
20.1.13 To respect the operational independence oflaboratories as provided in the International
Standard for Laboratories.
20.1.14 To adopt a policy or rule implementing Article
2.11.
20.2 Roles and Responsibilities of the International
Paralympic Committee
20.2.1 To adopt and implement anti-doping policies andrules for the Paralympic Games which conformwith the Code and the International Standards.
20.2.2 To require, as a condition of membershipof the International Paralympic Committee,that International Federations and National
Paralympic Committees within the Paralympic
Movement are in compliance with the Code andthe International Standards.

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20.2.3 To withhold some or all Paralympic funding and/or other benefits from sport organizations thatare not in compliance with the Code and/or theInternational Standards, where required under
Article 24.1.
20.2.4 To take appropriate action to discourage noncompliance with the Code and the International
Standards (a) by Signatories, in accordance with
Article 24.1 and the International Standard for
Code Compliance by Signatories, and (b) by anyother sporting body over which it has authority,in accordance with Article 12.
20.2.5 To authorize and facilitate the Independent
Observer Program.
20.2.6 To require all Athletes preparing for orparticipating in the Paralympic Games, and all
Athlete Support Personnel associated with such
Athletes, to agree to and be bound by anti-doping
rules in conformity with the Code as a conditionof such participation or involvement.
20.2.7 Subject to applicable law, as a condition of such
position or involvement, to require all of its
board members, directors, officers, and those
employees (and those of appointed DelegatedThird Parties), who are involved in any aspectof Doping Control, to agree to be bound by antidoping rules as Persons in conformity with theCode for direct and intentional misconduct, or to
be bound by comparable rules and regulations
put in place by the Signatory.
20.2.8 Subject to applicable law, to not knowingly employ
a Person in any position involving Doping Control(other than authorized anti-doping Education
or rehabilitation programs) who is ProvisionallySuspended or is serving a period of Ineligibility
under the Code or, if a Person was not subject
to the Code, who has directly and intentionallyengaged in conduct within the previous six (6)years which would have constituted a violation
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ARTICLE 20 Additional Roles and Responsibilities
of Signatories and WADA

of anti-doping rules if Code-compliant rules had
been applicable to such Person.
20.2.9 To plan, implement, evaluate and promote antidoping Education in line with the requirements of
the International Standard for Education.
20.2.10 To vigorously pursue all potential anti-doping
rule violations within its authority including
investigation into whether Athlete Support
Personnel or other Persons may have been
involved in each case of doping.
20.2.11 To cooperate with relevant national organizations
and agencies and other Anti-Doping Organizations.
20.2.12 To respect the operational independence oflaboratories as provided in the International
Standard for Laboratories.
20.3 Roles and Responsibilities of International Federations
20.3.1 To adopt and implement anti-doping policies
and rules which conform with the Code andInternational Standards.
20.3.2 To require, as a condition of membership,that the policies, rules and programs of their
National Federations and other members are incompliance with the Code and the International
Standards, and to take appropriate action to
enforce such compliance; areas of complianceshall include but not be limited to: (i) requiringthat their National Federations conduct
Testing only under the documented authorityof their International Federation and use their
National Anti-Doping Organization or other
Sample collection authority to collect Samples
in compliance with the International Standard
for Testing and Investigations; (ii) requiringthat their National Federations recognize theauthority of the National Anti-Doping Organizationin their country in accordance with Article 5.2.1
and assist as appropriate with the National

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Anti-Doping Organization’s implementation of
the national Testing program for their sport; (iii)
requiring that their National Federations analyze
all Samples collected using a WADA-accreditedor WADA-approved laboratory in accordance with
Article 6.1; and (iv) requiring that any national
level anti-doping rule violation cases discoveredby their National Federations are adjudicated by
an Operationally Independent hearing panel inaccordance with Article 8.1 and the International
Standard for Results Management.
20.3.3 To require all Athletes preparing for orparticipating in a Competition or activity
authorized or organized by the International
Federation or one of its member organizations,and all Athlete Support Personnel associated withsuch Athletes, to agree to and be bound by antidoping rules in conformity with the Code as acondition of such participation or involvement.
20.3.4 Subject to applicable law, as a condition of such
position or involvement, to require all of its
board members, directors, officers, and those
employees (and those of appointed DelegatedThird Parties), who are involved in any aspectof Doping Control, to agree to be bound by antidoping rules as Persons in conformity with theCode for direct and intentional misconduct, or to
be bound by comparable rules and regulations
put in place by the Signatory.
20.3.5 Subject to applicable law, to not knowingly employ
a Person in any position involving Doping Control(other than authorized anti-doping Education
or rehabilitation programs) who is ProvisionallySuspended or is serving a period of Ineligibility
under the Code or, if a Person was not subject
to the Code, who has directly and intentionallyengaged in conduct within the previous six (6)years which would have constituted a violation

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ARTICLE 20 Additional Roles and Responsibilities
of Signatories and WADA

of anti-doping rules if Code-compliant rules had
been applicable to such Person.
20.3.6 To require Athletes who are not regular membersof the International Federation or one of its
member National Federations to be available for
Sample collection and to provide accurate andup-to-date whereabouts information as part of
the International Federation’s Registered Testing
Pool consistent with the conditions for eligibility
established by the International Federation or, as
applicable, the Major Event Organization.103
20.3.7 To require each of their National Federations toestablish rules requiring all Athletes preparing
for or participating in a Competition or activity
authorized or organized by a National Federationor one of its member organizations, and all
Athlete Support Personnel associated with such
Athletes, to agree to be bound by anti-doping
rules and the Results Management authority ofAnti-Doping Organization in conformity with theCode as a condition of such participation.
20.3.8 To require National Federations to report any
information suggesting or relating to an antidoping rule violation to their National Anti-Doping
Organization and International Federation andto cooperate with investigations conducted by
any Anti-Doping Organization with authority to
conduct the investigation.
20.3.9 To take appropriate action to discourage noncompliance with the Code and the International
Standards (a) by Signatories, in accordance with
Article 24.1 and the International Standard for
Code Compliance by Signatories, and (b) by
any other sporting body over which they haveauthority, in accordance with Article 12.
103 [Comment to Article 20.3.6: This
would include, for example, Athletes

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from professional leagues.]

20.3.10 To authorize and facilitate the Independent
Observer Program at International Events.
20.3.11 To withhold some or all funding to their memberor recognized National Federations that are
not in compliance with the Code and/or theInternational Standards.
20.3.12 To vigorously pursue all potential anti-doping
rule violations within their authority including
investigation into whether Athlete Support
Personnel or other Persons may have been
involved in each case of doping, to ensure proper
enforcement of Consequences, and to conduct
an automatic investigation of Athlete Support
Personnel in the case of any anti-doping ruleviolation involving a Protected Person or Athlete
Support Person who has provided support tomore than one Athlete found to have committed
an anti-doping rule violation.
20.3.13 To plan, implement, evaluate and promote antidoping Education in line with the requirements of
the International Standard for Education, including
requiring National Federations to conductanti-doping Education in coordination with theapplicable National Anti-Doping Organization.
20.3.14 To accept bids for World Championships andother International Events only from countries
where the government has ratified, accepted,
approved or acceded to the UNESCO Convention,and (where required under Article 24.1.9) to not
accept bids for Events from countries where
the National Olympic Committee, the National
Paralympic Committee and/or the National
Anti-Doping Organization is not in compliancewith the Code or the International Standards.
20.3.15 To cooperate with relevant national organizations
and agencies and other Anti-Doping Organizations.

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ARTICLE 20 Additional Roles and Responsibilities
of Signatories and WADA

20.3.16 To cooperate fully with WADA in connection withinvestigations conducted by WADA pursuant to
Article 20.7.14.
20.3.17 To have disciplinary rules in place and require
National Federations to have disciplinary rules
in place to prevent Athlete Support Personnel who
are Using Prohibited Substances or Prohibited
Methods without valid justification from providing
support to Athletes within the International
Federation’s or National Federation’s authority.
20.3.18 To respect the operational independence oflaboratories as provided in the International
Standard for Laboratories.
20.3.19 To adopt a policy or rule implementing Article
2.11.
20.4 Roles and Responsibilities of National Olympic
Committees and National Paralympic Committees
20.4.1 To ensure that their anti-doping policies andrules conform with the Code and the International
Standards.
20.4.2 To require, as a condition of membership,that the policies, rules and programs of their
National Federations and other members are incompliance with the Code and the International
Standards, and to take appropriate action to
enforce such compliance.
20.4.3 To respect the autonomy of the National
Anti-Doping Organization in their country andnot to interfere in its operational decisions
and activities.
20.4.4 To require National Federations to report any
information suggesting or relating to an antidoping rule violation to their National Anti-Doping
Organization and International Federation andto cooperate with investigations conducted by
any Anti-Doping Organization with authority to
conduct the investigation.

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20.4.5 To require, as a condition of participation in the
Olympic Games and Paralympic Games that,at a minimum, Athletes who are not regularmembers of a National Federation be available
for Sample collection and to provide whereabouts
information as required by the International
Standard for Testing and Investigations assoon as the Athlete is identified on the long
list or subsequent entry document submitted
in connection with the Olympic Games orParalympic Games.
20.4.6 To cooperate with their National Anti-Doping
Organization and to work with their government
to establish a National Anti-Doping Organization
where one does not already exist, provided that,in the interim, the National Olympic Committee
or its designee shall fulfill the responsibility ofa National Anti-Doping Organization. For thosecountries that are members of a Regional
Anti-Doping Organization, the National Olympic
Committee, in cooperation with the government,
shall maintain an active and supportive role with
their respective Regional Anti-Doping Organization.
20.4.7 To require each of their National Federations
to establish rules (or other means) requiring
all Athletes preparing for or participating in aCompetition or activity authorized or organized
by a National Federation or one of its member
organizations, and all Athlete Support Personnel
associated with such Athletes, to agree to andbe bound by anti-doping rules and Anti-Doping
Organization Results Management authority inconformity with the Code as a condition of suchparticipation or involvement.
20.4.8 Subject to applicable law, as a condition of such
position or involvement, to require all of its
board members, directors, officers, and those
employees (and those of appointed DelegatedThird Parties), who are involved in any aspect

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ARTICLE 20 Additional Roles and Responsibilities
of Signatories and WADA

of Doping Control, to agree to be bound by antidoping rules as Persons in conformity with theCode for direct and intentional misconduct, or to
be bound by comparable rules and regulations
put in place by the Signatory.
20.4.9 Subject to applicable law, to not knowingly employ
a Person in any position involving Doping Control(other than authorized anti-doping Education
or rehabilitation programs) who is ProvisionallySuspended or is serving a period of Ineligibility
under the Code or, if a Person was not subject
to the Code, who has directly and intentionallyengaged in conduct within the previous six (6)years which would have constituted a violationof anti-doping rules if Code-compliant rules had
been applicable to such Person.
20.4.10 To withhold some or all funding, during any period
of Ineligibility, to any Athlete or Athlete Support
Person who has violated anti-doping rules.
20.4.11 To withhold some or all funding to their memberor recognized National Federations that are
not in compliance with the Code and/or theInternational Standards.
20.4.12 To plan, implement, evaluate and promote antidoping Education in line with the requirements of
the International Standard for Education, including
requiring National Federations to conductanti-doping Education in coordination with theapplicable National Anti-Doping Organization.
20.4.13 To vigorously pursue all potential anti-doping
rule violations within their authority including
investigation into whether Athlete Support
Personnel or other Persons may have been
involved in each case of doping.
20.4.14 To cooperate with relevant national organizations
and agencies and other Anti-Doping Organizations.
20.4.15 To have disciplinary rules in place to prevent
Athlete Support Personnel who are Using Prohibited

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Substances or Prohibited Methods without valid
justification from providing support to Athletes
within the National Olympic Committee’s or
National Paralympic Committee’s authority.
20.4.16 To respect the operational independence oflaboratories as provided in the International
Standard for Laboratories.
20.4.17 To adopt a policy or rule implementing Article
2.11.
20.4.18 To take appropriate action to discourage noncompliance with the Code and the International
Standards (a) by Signatories, in accordance with
Article 24.1 and the International Standard for
Code Compliance by Signatories and (b) by anyother sporting body over which it has authority,in accordance with Article 12.
20.5 Roles and Responsibilities of National Anti-Doping
Organizations104
20.5.1 To be independent in their operational decisions
and activities from sport and government,
including without limitation by prohibiting any
involvement in their operational decisions or
activities by any Person who is at the same time
involved in the management or operations of any
International Federation, National Federation,
Major Event Organization, National Olympic
Committee, National Paralympic Committee, orgovernment department with responsibility for
sport or anti-doping.105
104 [Comment to Article 20.5: Forsome smaller countries, a numberof the responsibilities described inthis Article may be delegated by their
National Anti-Doping Organization to a
Regional Anti-Doping Organization.]

105 [Comment to Article 20.5.1: This
would not, for example, prohibit a
National Anti-Doping Organization fromacting as a Delegated Third Party fora Major Event Organization or otherAnti-Doping Organization.]

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ARTICLE 20 Additional Roles and Responsibilities
of Signatories and WADA

20.5.2 To adopt and implement anti-doping rules andpolicies which conform with the Code and theInternational Standards.
20.5.3 To cooperate with other relevant nationalorganizations and agencies and otherAnti-Doping Organizations.
20.5.4 To encourage reciprocal
Anti-Doping Organizations.

Testing

between

20.5.5 To promote anti-doping research.
20.5.6 Where funding is provided, to withhold some or
all funding, during any period of Ineligibility, to
any Athlete or Athlete Support Person who has
violated anti-doping rules.
20.5.7 To vigorously pursue all potential anti-doping
rule violations within their authority including
investigation into whether Athlete Support
Personnel or other Persons may have been
involved in each case of doping and to ensure
proper enforcement of Consequences.
20.5.8 To plan, implement, evaluate and promote antidoping Education in line with the requirements of
the International Standard for Education.
20.5.9 Each National Anti-Doping Organization shallbe the authority on Education within theirrespective countries.
20.5.10 Subject to applicable law, as a condition of such
position or involvement, to require all of its
board members, directors, officers, and those
employees (and those of appointed DelegatedThird Parties), who are involved in any aspectof Doping Control, to agree to be bound by antidoping rules as Persons in conformity with theCode for direct and intentional misconduct, or to
be bound by comparable rules and regulations
put in place by the Signatory.
20.5.11 Subject to applicable law, to not knowingly employ
a Person in any position involving Doping Control

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(other than authorized anti-doping Education
or rehabilitation programs) who is ProvisionallySuspended or is serving a period of Ineligibility
under the Code or, if a Person was not subject
to the Code, who has directly and intentionallyengaged in conduct within the previous six (6)years which would have constituted a violationof anti-doping rules if Code-compliant rules had
been applicable to such Person.
20.5.12 To conduct an automatic investigation of Athlete
Support Personnel within their authority inthe case of any anti-doping rule violation by aProtected Person and to conduct an automaticinvestigation of any Athlete Support Person
who has provided support to more than one
Athlete found to have committed an anti-doping
rule violation.
20.5.13 To cooperate fully with WADA in connection withinvestigations conducted by WADA pursuant to
Article 20.7.14.
20.5.14 To respect the operational independence oflaboratories as provided in the International
Standard for Laboratories.
20.5.15 To adopt a policy or rule implementing Article
2.11.
20.5.16 To take appropriate action to discourage noncompliance with the Code and the International
Standards (a) by Signatories, in accordance with
Article 24.1 and the International Standard for
Code Compliance by Signatories and (b) by anyother sporting body over which it has authority,in accordance with Article 12.
20.6 Roles and Responsibilities of Major Event Organizations
20.6.1 To adopt and implement anti-doping policies andrules for its Events which conform with the Codeand the International Standards.

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of Signatories and WADA

20.6.2 To take appropriate action to discourage noncompliance with the Code and the International
Standards (a) by Signatories, in accordance with
Article 24.1 and the International Standard for
Code Compliance by Signatories, and (b) by anyother sporting body over which it has authority,in accordance with Article 12.
20.6.3 To authorize and facilitate the Independent
Observer Program.
20.6.4 To require all Athletes preparing for orparticipating in the Event, and all Athlete Support
Personnel associated with such Athletes, toagree to and be bound by anti-doping rules inconformity with the Code as a condition of suchparticipation or involvement.
20.6.5 Subject to applicable law, as a condition of such
position or involvement, to require all of its
board members, directors, officers, and those
employees (and those of appointed DelegatedThird Parties), who are involved in any aspectof Doping Control, to agree to be bound byanti-doping rules as Persons in conformity with
the Code for direct and intentional misconduct, or
to be bound by comparable rules and regulations
put in place by the Signatory.
20.6.6 Subject to applicable law, to not knowingly employ
a Person in any position involving Doping Control(other than authorized anti-doping Education
or rehabilitation programs) who is ProvisionallySuspended or is serving a period of Ineligibility
under the Code or, if a Person was not subject
to the Code, who has directly and intentionallyengaged in conduct within the previous six (6)years which would have constituted a violationof anti-doping rules if Code-compliant rules had
been applicable to such Person.
20.6.7 To vigorously pursue all potential anti-doping
rule violations within its authority including
investigation into whether Athlete Support

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Personnel or other Persons may have been
involved in each case of doping.
20.6.8 To plan, implement, evaluate and promote antidoping Education in line with the requirements of
the International Standard for Education.
20.6.9 To accept bids for Events only from countries
where the government has ratified, accepted,
approved or acceded to the UNESCO Convention,and (where required under Article 24.1.9) to not
accept bids for Events from countries where
the National Olympic Committee, the National
Paralympic Committee and/or the National
Anti-Doping Organization is not in compliancewith the Code or the International Standards.
20.6.10 To cooperate with relevant national organizations
and agencies and other Anti-Doping Organizations.
20.6.11 To respect the operational independence oflaboratories as provided in the International
Standard for Laboratories.
20.6.12 To adopt a policy or rule implementing Article 2.11.
20.7 Roles and Responsibilities of WADA
20.7.1 To accept the Code and commit to fulfill its roles
and responsibilities under the Code througha declaration approved by WADA’s Foundation
Board.106
20.7.2 To adopt and implement policies and procedures
which conform with the Code and the International
Standards.
20.7.3 To provide support and guidance to Signatories
in their efforts to comply with the Code andthe International Standards and monitor suchcompliance in accordance with Article 24.1 of
the Code and the International Standard for CodeCompliance by Signatories.
106 [Comment to Article 20.7.1: WADA
cannot be a Signatory because of its rolein monitoring Signatory compliancewith the Code.]World Anti-Doping Code 2021

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ARTICLE 20 Additional Roles and Responsibilities
of Signatories and WADA

20.7.4 To approve International Standards applicable tothe implementation of the Code.
20.7.5 To accredit and reaccredit laboratories to
conduct Sample analysis or to approve others to
conduct Sample analysis.
20.7.6 To develop and publish guidelines and models ofbest practice.
20.7.7 To submit to the WADA Executive Committee forapproval, upon the recommendation of the WADA
Athletes Committee the Athletes’ Anti-Doping
Rights Act which compiles in one place those
Athletes’ rights which are specifically identified
in the Code and International Standards, andother agreed upon principles of best practicewith respect to the overall protection of Athletes’
rights in the context of anti-doping.
20.7.8 To promote, conduct, commission, fund andcoordinate anti-doping research and to promoteanti-doping Education.
20.7.9 To design and conduct an effective Independent
Observer Program and other types of Eventadvisory programs.
20.7.10 To conduct, in exceptional circumstances and at
the direction of the WADA Director General, Testingon its own initiative or as requested by otherAnti-Doping Organizations, and to cooperate with
relevant national and international organizations
and agencies, including but not limited to,facilitating inquiries and investigations.107
20.7.11 To approve, in consultation with International
Federations, National Anti-Doping Organizations,and Major Event Organizations, defined Testing
and Sample analysis programs.
107 [Comment to Article 20.7.10:
WADA is not a Testing agency, but
it reserves the right, in exceptional
circumstances, to conduct its own

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tests where problems have beenbrought to the attention of the relevant
Anti-Doping Organization and have notbeen satisfactorily addressed.]20.7.12 Subject to applicable law, as a condition of such
position or involvement, to require all of its
board members, directors, officers, and those
employees (and those of appointed DelegatedThird Parties), who are involved in any aspectof Doping Control, to agree to be bound by antidoping rules as Persons in conformity with theCode for direct and intentional misconduct, or to
be bound by comparable rules and regulations
put in place by the Signatory.
20.7.13 Subject to applicable law, to not knowingly employ
a Person in any position involving Doping Control(other than authorized anti-doping Education
or rehabilitation programs) who is ProvisionallySuspended or is serving a period of Ineligibility
under the Code or, if a Person was not subject
to the Code, who has directly and intentionallyengaged in conduct within the previous six (6)years which would have constituted a violationof anti-doping rules if Code-compliant rules had
been applicable to such Person.
20.7.14 To initiate its own investigations of anti-doping
rule violations, non-compliance of Signatories
and WADA-accredited laboratories, and otheractivities that may facilitate doping.
20.8 Cooperation Regarding Third Party Regulations
Signatories shall cooperate with each other, WADA andgovernments to encourage professional associations
and institutions with authority over Athlete Support
Personnel who are otherwise not subject to the Code to
implement regulations prohibiting conduct which would
be considered an anti-doping rule violation if committed
by Athlete Support Personnel who are subject to the Code.

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ARTICLE 21 Additional Roles and Responsibilities
of Athletes and Other Persons

ARTICLE 21 ADDITIONAL ROLESAND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ATHLETESAND OTHER PERSONS
21.1 Roles and Responsibilities of Athletes
21.1.1 To be knowledgeable of and comply with allapplicable anti-doping policies and rules adopted
pursuant to the Code.
21.1.2 To be available for Sample collection at all
times.108
21.1.3 To take responsibility, in the context of antidoping, for what they ingest and Use.
21.1.4 To inform medical personnel of their obligation
not to Use Prohibited Substances and Prohibited
Methods and to take responsibility to make surethat any medical treatment received does not
violate anti-doping policies and rules adopted
pursuant to the Code.
21.1.5 To disclose to their National Anti-Doping
Organization and International Federation any
decision by a non-Signatory finding that the
Athlete committed an anti-doping rule violation
within the previous ten (10) years.
21.1.6 To cooperate with Anti-Doping Organizations
investigating anti-doping rule violations.109

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108 [Comment to Article 21.1.2: Withdue regard to an Athlete’s human rights
and privacy, legitimate anti-doping
considerations sometimes require
Sample collection late at night or

early in the morning. For example, it
is known that some Athletes Use low
doses of EPO during these hours so that
it will be undetectable in the morning.]

109 [Comment to Article 21.1.6: Failure
to cooperate is not an anti-doping ruleviolation under the Code, but it may be

the basis for disciplinary action under a
Signatory’s rules.]World Anti-Doping Code 2021

21.1.7 To disclose the identity of their Athlete Support
Personnel upon request by any Anti-Doping
Organization with authority over the Athlete.
21.2 Roles and Responsibilities of Athlete Support Personnel
21.2.1 To be knowledgeable of and comply with all antidoping policies and rules adopted pursuant to
the Code and which are applicable to them or the
Athletes whom they support.
21.2.2 To cooperate with the Athlete Testing program.
21.2.3 To use their influence on Athlete values andbehavior to foster anti-doping attitudes.
21.2.4 To disclose to their National Anti-Doping
Organization and International Federation any
decision by a non-Signatory finding that they
committed an anti-doping rule violation within
the previous ten (10) years.
21.2.5 To cooperate with Anti-Doping Organizations
investigating anti-doping rule violations.110
21.2.6 Athlete Support Personnel shall not Use or
Possess any Prohibited Substance or Prohibited
Method without valid justification.111
110 [Comment to Article 21.2.5: Failure
to cooperate is not an anti-doping ruleviolation under the Code, but it may be

the basis for disciplinary action under a
Signatory’s rules.]111 [Comment to Article 21.2.6: In
those situations where Use or personal
Possession of a Prohibited Substanceor Prohibited Method by an Athlete
Support Person without justification is
not an anti-doping rule violation under
the Code, it should be subject to othersport disciplinary rules. Coaches andother Athlete Support Personnel areoften role models for Athletes. They
should not be engaging in personal
conduct which conflicts with their
responsibility to encourage their
Athletes not to dope.]

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ARTICLE 21 Additional Roles and Responsibilities
of Athletes and Other Persons
ARTICLE 22 Involvement of Governments

21.3 Roles and Responsibilities of Other Persons Subject
to the Code21.3.1 To be knowledgeable of and comply with all antidoping policies and rules adopted pursuant to
the Code and which are applicable to them.
21.3.2 To disclose to their National Anti-Doping
Organization and International Federation any
decision by a non-Signatory finding that they
committed an anti-doping rule violation within
the previous ten (10) years.
21.3.3 To cooperate with Anti-Doping Organizations
investigating anti-doping rule violations.
21.4 Roles and Responsibilities of Regional
Anti-Doping Organizations
21.4.1 To ensure member countries adopt andimplement rules, policies and programs which
conform with the Code.
21.4.2 To require, as a condition of membership, thata member country sign an official Regional
Anti-Doping Organization membership form
which clearly outlines the delegation of antidoping responsibilities to the Regional AntiDoping Organization.
21.4.3 To cooperate with other relevant national andregional organizations and agencies and otherAnti-Doping Organizations.
21.4.4 To encourage reciprocal Testing between
National Anti-Doping Organizations and Regional
Anti-Doping Organizations.
21.4.5 To promote and assist with capacity building
among relevant Anti-Doping Organizations.
21.4.6 To promote anti-doping research.
21.4.7 To plan, implement, evaluate and promote antidoping Education in line with the requirements of
the International Standard for Education.

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ARTICLE 22 INVOLVEMENT
OF GOVERNMENTS112
Each government’s commitment to the Code will be evidenced
by its signing the Copenhagen Declaration on Anti-Doping inSport of 3 March 2003, and by ratifying, accepting, approving or
acceding to the UNESCO Convention.
The Signatories are aware that any action taken by a governmentis a matter for that government and subject to the obligations
under international law as well as to its own laws and regulations.
While governments are bound only by the requirements of therelevant international intergovernmental treaties (and notablyof the UNESCO Convention), the following Articles set forth
the expectations of the Signatories to support them in theimplementation of the Code.
22.1 Each government should take all actions and measuresnecessary to comply with the UNESCO Convention.
22.2 	Each government should put in place legislation,
regulation, policies or administrative practices for:cooperation and sharing of information with Anti-Doping
Organizations; sharing of data among Anti-Doping
Organizations as provided in the Code; unrestrictedtransport of urine and blood Samples in a manner thatmaintains their security and integrity; and unrestrictedentry and exit of Doping Control officials and unrestricted
access for Doping Control officials to all areas where
International-Level Athletes or National-Level Athletes
112 [Comment to Article 22: Most
governments cannot be parties to, or
be bound by, private non-governmental
instruments such as the Code. For
that reason, governments are notasked to be Signatories to the Codebut rather to sign the Copenhagen
Declaration and ratify, accept, approveor accede to the UNESCO Convention.
Although the acceptance mechanisms
may be different, the effort to combat

doping through the coordinated andharmonized program reflected in the
Code is very much a joint effort between
the sport movement and governments.
This Article sets forth what the
Signatories clearly expect fromgovernments.
However,these
are simply “expectations” since
governments are only “obligated” toadhere to the requirements of the
UNESCO Convention.]

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ARTICLE 22 Involvement of Governments

live or train to conduct no advance notice Testing, subject
to applicable border control, immigration and accessrequirements and regulations.
22.3	
Each government should adopt rules, regulations or
policies to discipline officials and employees who are
involved in Doping Control, sport performance or medicalcare in a sport setting, including in a supervisory capacity,
for engaging in activities which would have constituted aviolation of anti-doping rules if Code-compliant rules had
been applicable to such Persons.
22.4	Each government should not permit any Person to be
involved in any position involving Doping Control, sport
performance or medical care in a sport setting, including
in a supervisory capacity, where such Person: (i) is serving
a period of Ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation
under the Code, or (ii) if not subject to the authority ofan Anti-Doping Organization, and where Ineligibility has
not been addressed in a Results Management process
pursuant to the Code, has been convicted or found ina criminal, disciplinary or professional proceeding tohave engaged in conduct which would have constituted
a violation of anti-doping rules if Code-compliant rules
had been applicable to such Person, in which case thedisqualifying status of such Person should be in force forthe longer of six (6) years from the criminal, professional
or disciplinary decision or the duration of the criminal,
disciplinary or professional sanction imposed.
22.5	Each government should encourage cooperation between
all of its public services or agencies and Anti-Doping
Organizations to timely share information with Anti-Doping
Organizations which would be useful in the fight against
doping and where to do so would not otherwise belegally prohibited.
22.6	
Each government should respect arbitration as thepreferred means of resolving doping-related disputes,
subject to human and fundamental rights and applicablenational law.

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22.7	Each government that does not have a National
Anti-Doping Organization in its country should work with
its National Olympic Committee to establish one.
22.8	
Each government should respect the autonomy of a
National Anti-Doping Organization in its country or a
Regional Anti-Doping Organization to which its country
belongs and any WADA-accredited or approved laboratory
in its country and not interfere in their operational
decisions and activities.
22.9	
Each government should not limit or restrict WADA’s
access to any doping Samples or anti-doping records orinformation held or controlled by any Signatory, memberof a Signatory or WADA-accredited or approved laboratory.
22.10	Failure by a government to ratify, accept, approveor accede to the UNESCO Convention may result inineligibility to bid for and/or host Events as provided in
Articles 20.1.11, 20.3.14 and 20.6.9, and the failure bya government to comply with the UNESCO Convention
thereafter, as determined by UNESCO, may result inmeaningful consequences by UNESCO and WADA asdetermined by each organization.

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ARTICLE 22 Involvement of Governments

PART FOURACCEPTANCE,COMPLIANCE,MODIFICATION AND
INTERPRETATION

PART

4

Acceptance, Compliance,
Modification and Interpretation

ARTICLE 23 Acceptance and Implementation

ARTICLE 23 ACCEPTANCE AND
IMPLEMENTATION
23.1 Acceptance of the Code23.1.1 The following entities may be Signatories to the
Code: the International Olympic Committee,
International Federations, the International
Paralympic Committee, National Olympic
Committees, National Paralympic Committees,
Major Event Organizations, National Anti-Doping
Organizations and other organizations having
significant relevance in sport.
23.1.2 TheInternational
Olympic
Committee;
International
Federations
recognizedby
the International Olympic Committee; theInternational Paralympic Committee; National
Olympic Committees; National Paralympic
Committees; National Anti-Doping Organizations;and Major Event Organizations recognized by one
or more of the aforementioned entities shallbecome Signatories by signing a declaration of
acceptance or by another form of acceptancedetermined to be acceptable by WADA.
23.1.3 Any other entity described in Article 23.1.1 may
submit an application to WADA to become a
Signatory which will be reviewed under a policy
adopted by WADA. WADA’s acceptance of suchapplications shall be subject to conditions andrequirements established by WADA in suchpolicy.113 Upon acceptance of an application by
WADA, the applicant’s becoming a Signatory is
subject to the applicant signing a declaration
113 [Comment to Article 23.1.3:
For example, these conditions andrequirements would include financial
contributions by the entity to cover
WADA’s administrative, monitoring

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and compliance costs that may
be attributable to the application
process and the entity’s subsequent
Signatory status.]

of acceptance of the Code and an acceptance ofthe conditions and requirements established by
WADA for such applicant.
23.1.4 A list of all acceptances will be made public
by WADA.
23.2 Implementation of the Code23.2.1 The Signatories shall implement applicable Codeprovisions through policies, statutes, rules orregulations according to their authority andwithin their relevant spheres of responsibility.
23.2.2 The following Articles as applicable to the scopeof the Anti-Doping Activity which the Anti-Doping
Organization performs must be implemented by
Signatories without substantive change (allowing
for any non-substantive changes to the language
in order to refer to the organization’s name,sport, section numbers, etc.):114• Article 1 (Definition of Doping)• Article 2 (Anti-Doping Rule Violations)• Article 3 (Proof of Doping)•	
Article 4.2.2 (Specified Substances or Specified
Methods)• Article 4.2.3 (Substances of Abuse)•	
Article 4.3.3 (WADA’s Determination of theProhibited List)• Article 7.7 (Retirement from Sport)•	
Article 9 (Automatic Disqualification ofIndividual Results)
114 [Comment to Article 23.2.2:
Nothing in the Code precludes an
Anti-Doping
Organizationfromadopting and enforcing its own specificdisciplinary rules for conduct byAthlete Support Personnel related todoping but which does not, in and of

itself, constitute an anti-doping ruleviolation under the Code. For example,
a National or International Federation
could refuse to renew the license ofa coach when multiple Athletes havecommitted anti-doping rule violations
while under that coach’s supervision.]

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Modification and Interpretation

ARTICLE 23 Acceptance and Implementation
ARTICLE 24 Monitoring and Enforcing Compliancewith the Code and UNESCO Convention• Article 10 (Sanctions on Individuals)• Article 11 (Consequences to Teams)•	
Article 13 (Appeals) with the exception of
13.2.2, 13.6, and 13.7
•	
Article 15.1 (Automatic Binding Effectof Decisions)• Article 17 (Statute of Limitations)• Article 26 (Interpretation of the Code)• Appendix 1 – Definitions
No additional provision may be added to a
Signatory’s rules which changes the effectof the Articles enumerated in this Article. A
Signatory’s rules must expressly acknowledge
the Commentary of the Code and endow theCommentary with the same status that it has in
the Code. However, nothing in the Code precludesa Signatory from having safety, medical, eligibility
or Code of Conduct rules which are applicable forpurposes other than anti-doping.115
23.2.3 In implementing the Code, Signatories areencouraged to use the models of best practicerecommended by WADA.
23.3 Implementation of Anti-Doping Programs
Signatories shall devote sufficient resources in order toimplement anti-doping programs in all areas that arecompliant with the Code and the International Standards.
115 [Comment to Article 23.2.2: For
example, an International Federation
could decide, for reputational andhealth reasons, to have a Code of
Conduct rule prohibiting an Athlete’s
Use or Possession of cocaine Out-ofCompetition. In an anti-doping Sample
collection Out-of-Competition, such
International Federation would be able
to have the laboratory test for cocaine
as part of the enforcement of its Codeof Conduct policy. On the other hand,

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the International Federation’s Code of
Conduct could not impose additionalsanctions for the Use of cocaine InCompetition since that is alreadycovered by the sanction scheme
established in the Code. Other possible
examples include rules governing theuse of alcohol or oxygen. Similarly, anInternational Federation could use datafrom a Doping Control test to monitor
eligibility relating to transgender andother eligibility rules.]ARTICLE 24 MONITORING AND
ENFORCING COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE
AND UNESCO CONVENTION
24.1 Monitoring and Enforcing Compliance with the Code116
24.1.1 Compliance by Signatories with the Code andthe International Standards shall be monitored
by WADA in accordance with the International
Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories.
24.1.2 To facilitate such monitoring, each Signatory
shall report to WADA on its compliance with
the Code and the International Standards as
and when required by WADA. As part of thatreporting, the Signatory shall accurately provide
all of the information requested by WADA andshall explain the actions it is taking to correct
any Non-Conformities.
24.1.3 Failure by a Signatory to provide accurate
information in accordance with Article 24.1.2
itself constitutes an instance of Non-Conformity
with the Code, as does failure by a Signatory tosubmit accurate information to WADA whererequired by other Articles of the Code or by theInternational Standard for Code Compliance by
Signatories or other International Standard.
24.1.4 In cases of Non-Conformity (whether with
reporting obligations or otherwise), WADA shallfollow the corrective procedures set out in theInternational Standard for Code Complianceby Signatories. If the Signatory or its delegate
fails to correct the Non-Conformities within thespecified timeframe, then (following approval ofsuch course by WADA’s Executive Committee)
WADA shall send a formal notice to the Signatory,
116 [Comment to Article 24.1: Definedterms specific to Article 24.1 are

set forth at the end of Appendix 1 to
the Code.]World Anti-Doping Code 2021

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ARTICLE 24 Monitoring and Enforcing Compliancewith the Code and UNESCO Convention

alleging that the Signatory is non-compliant,specifying the consequences that WADA proposes
should apply for such non-compliance from thelist of potential consequences set forth in Article
24.1.12, and specifying the conditions that WADA
proposes the Signatory should have to satisfy
in order to be Reinstated to the list of Codecompliant Signatories. That notice will be publicly
reported in accordance with the International
Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories.
24.1.5 If the Signatory does not dispute WADA’s allegationof non-compliance or the consequences orReinstatement conditions proposed by WADA
within twenty-one (21) days of receipt of theformal notice, the non-compliance alleged will
be deemed admitted and the consequences
and Reinstatement conditions proposed will bedeemed accepted, the notice will automatically
become and will be issued by WADA as a final
decision, and (without prejudice to any appeal
filed in accordance with Article 13.6) it will be
enforceable with immediate effect in accordancewith Article 24.1.9. The decision will be publicly
reported as provided in the International Standard
for Code Compliance by Signatories or other
International Standards.
24.1.6 If the Signatory wishes to dispute WADA’s
allegation of non-compliance, and/or theconsequences and/or the Reinstatement
conditions proposed by WADA, it must notify
WADA in writing within twenty-one (21) days of
its receipt of the notice from WADA. In that event,
WADA shall file a formal notice of dispute with
CAS, and that dispute will be resolved by the CAS
Ordinary Arbitration Division in accordance with
the International Standard for Code Complianceby Signatories. WADA shall have the burdenof proving to the CAS Panel, on the balance of
probabilities, that the Signatory is non-compliant(if that is disputed). If the CAS Panel decides that

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WADA has met that burden, and if the Signatory
has also disputed the consequences and/or theReinstatement conditions proposed by WADA, theCAS Panel will also decide, by reference to therelevant provisions of the International Standard
for Code Compliance by Signatories: (a) whatconsequences should be imposed from the listof potential consequences set out in Article
24.1.12 of the Code; and (b) what conditions the
Signatory should be required to satisfy in order tobe Reinstated.
24.1.7 WADA will publicly report the fact that the casehas been referred to CAS for determination. Eachof the following Persons shall have the right tointervene and participate as a party in the case,provided it gives notice of its intervention withinten (10) days of such publication by WADA:
24.1.7.1 the International Olympic Committee
and/or the International Paralympic
Committee (as applicable), and the
National Olympic Committee and/or the
National Paralympic Committee (asapplicable), where the decision may
have an effect in relation to the Olympic
Games or Paralympic Games (including
decisions affecting eligibility to attend/
participate in the Olympic Games orParalympic Games); and24.1.7.2 an International Federation, where
the decision may have an effect onparticipation in the International
Federation’s World Championships
and/or other International Events and/or on a bid that has been submitted
for a country to host the International
Federation’s World Championships and/or other International Events.
Any other Person wishing to participate
as a party in the case must apply to CAS

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ARTICLE 24 Monitoring and Enforcing Compliancewith the Code and UNESCO Convention

within ten (10) days of publication by
WADA of the fact that the case has beenreferred to CAS for determination. CAS
shall permit such intervention (i) if allother parties in the case agree; or (ii) if
the applicant demonstrates a sufficientlegal interest in the outcome of the caseto justify its participation as a party.
24.1.8 CAS’s decision resolving the dispute will be
publicly reported by CAS and by WADA. Subject
to the right under Swiss law to challenge thatdecision before the Swiss Federal Tribunal, thedecision shall be final and enforceable withimmediate effect in accordance with Article
24.1.9.
24.1.9 Final decisions issued in accordance with
Article 24.1.5 or Article 24.1.8, determiningthat a Signatory is non-compliant, imposing
consequences for such non-compliance, and/or setting conditions that the Signatory has tosatisfy in order to be Reinstated to the list ofCode-compliant Signatories, and decisions by
CAS further to Article 24.1.10, are applicableworldwide, and shall be recognized, respected
and given full effect by all other Signatories inaccordance with their authority and within theirrespective spheres of responsibility.
24.1.10 If a Signatory wishes to dispute WADA’s allegationthat the Signatory has not yet met all of theReinstatement conditions imposed on it andtherefore is not yet entitled to be Reinstated to thelist of Code-compliant Signatories, the Signatory
must advise WADA in writing within twenty-one(21) days of its receipt of the allegation from
WADA. In that event, WADA shall file a formal
notice of dispute with CAS, and the dispute will be
resolved by the CAS Ordinary Arbitration Divisionin accordance with Articles 24.1.6 to 24.1.8.
WADA shall have the burden to prove to the CAS

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Panel, on the balance of probabilities, that the
Signatory has not yet met all of the Reinstatement
conditions imposed on it and therefore is not
yet entitled to be Reinstated. Subject to the rightunder Swiss law to challenge CAS’s decision
before the Swiss Federal Tribunal, CAS’s decision
shall be final and enforceable with immediate
effect in accordance with Article 24.1.9.
24.1.11 The various requirements imposed on Signatories
by the Code and the International Standards shallbe classified either as Critical, or as High Priority,
or as General, in accordance with the International
Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories,
depending on their relative importance to thefight against doping in sport. That classification
shall be a key factor in determining whatconsequences should be imposed in the eventof non-compliance with such requirement(s), in
accordance with Article 10 of the International
Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories.
The Signatory has the right to dispute theclassification of the requirement, in which case
CAS will decide on the appropriate classification.
24.1.12 The following consequences may be imposed,
individually or cumulatively, on a Signatory thathas failed to comply with the Code and/or theInternational Standards, based on the particular
facts and circumstances of the case at hand, andthe provisions of Article 10 of the International
Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories:
24.1.12.1 Ineligibility or withdrawal of
WADA privileges:(a) in accordance with the relevant
provisions of WADA’s Statutes, theSignatory’s Representatives being ruled
ineligible for a specified period to hold
any WADA office or any position as amember of any WADA board or committee
or other body (including but not limited

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to WADA’s Foundation Board, theExecutive Committee, and any Standing
Committee) (although WADA may
exceptionally permit Representatives of
the Signatory to remain as members of
WADA expert groups where there is noeffective substitute available);(b) the Signatory being ruled ineligible tohost any event organized or co-hosted or
co-organized by WADA;(c) the Signatory’s Representatives being
ruled ineligible to participate in any
WADA Independent Observer Programor WADA Outreach program or other
WADA activities;(d) withdrawal of WADA funding to the
Signatory (whether direct or indirect)
relating to the development of specificactivities or participation in specificprograms; and24.1.12.2 the Signatory’s Representatives being
ruled ineligible for a specified period
to hold any office of or position as amember of the board or committees orother bodies of any other Signatory (or its
members) or association of Signatories.
24.1.12.3 Special Monitoring of some or all of the
Signatory’s Anti-Doping Activities, until
WADA considers that the Signatory is in aposition to implement such Anti-Doping
Activities in a compliant manner without
such monitoring.
24.1.12.4 Supervision and/or Takeover of someor all of the Signatory’s Anti-Doping
Activities by an Approved Third Party, until
WADA considers that the Signatory is in aposition to implement such Anti-Doping

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Activities itself in a compliant mannerwithout such measures:(a) If the non-compliance involves
non-compliant rules, regulations and/or legislation, then the Anti-Doping
Activities in issue shall be conductedunder other applicable rules (of one ormore other Anti-Doping Organizations,e.g., International Federations or
National Anti-Doping Organizations orRegional Anti-Doping Organizations) thatare compliant, as directed by WADA. In
that case, while the Anti-Doping Activities(including any Testing and Results
Management) will be administered by
the Approved Third Party under and inaccordance with those other applicable
rules at the cost of the non-compliant
Signatory, any costs incurred by theAnti-Doping Organizations as a resultof the use of their rules in this mannershall be reimbursed by the noncompliant Signatory.
(b) If it is not possible to fill the gap in
the Signatory’s Anti-Doping Activities inthis way (for example, because national
legislation prohibits it, and the National
Anti-Doping Organization has not secured
an amendment to that legislation orother solution), then it may be necessary
as an alternative measure to exclude
Athletes who would have been coveredby the Signatory’s Anti-Doping Activities
from participating in the Olympic
Games/Paralympic Games/other Events,
in order to protect the rights ofclean Athletes and to preserve publicconfidence in the integrity of competitionat those events.

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24.1.12.5 A Fine.
24.1.12.6 Suspension or loss of eligibility toreceive some or all funding and/or
other benefits from the International
Olympic Committee or the International
Paralympic Committee or any other
Signatory for a specified period (with orwithout the right to receive such funding
and/or other benefits for that period
retrospectively following Reinstatement).
24.1.12.7 Recommendation to the relevant publicauthorities to withhold some or all
public and/or other funding and/or
other benefits from the Signatory for a
specified period (with or without the rightto receive such funding and/or otherbenefits for that period retrospectively
following Reinstatement).117
24.1.12.8 Where the Signatory is a National
Anti-Doping Organization or a National
Olympic Committee acting as a
National
Anti-Doping
Organization,
the Signatory’s country being ruled
ineligible to host or co-host and/or to
be awarded the right to host or co-hostan International Event (e.g., Olympic
Games, Paralympic Games, any other
Major Event Organization’s Event, WorldChampionships, regional or continental
championships, and/or any other
International Event):(a) If the right to host or co-host a WorldChampionship and/or other International
Event(s) has already been awarded to the
117 [Comment to Article 24.1.12.7:
Public authorities are not Signatories
to the Code. In accordance with Article
11(c) of the UNESCO Convention,
however, State Parties shall, where

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appropriate, withhold some or all
financial or other sport-related support
from any sports organization or AntiDoping Organization that is not incompliance with the Code.]country in question, the Signatory thatawarded that right must assess whether
it is legally and practically possible towithdraw that right and re-assign the
Event to another country. If it is legallyand practically possible to do so, thenthe Signatory shall do so.
(b) Signatories shall ensure thatthey have due authority under theirstatutes, rules and regulations, and/or hosting agreements, to comply withthis requirement (including a rightin any hosting agreement to cancel
the agreement without penalty where
the relevant country has been ruled
ineligible to host the Event).
24.1.12.9 Where the Signatory is a National
Anti-Doping Organization or a National
Olympic Committee or a National
Paralympic Committee, exclusion of
the following Persons from participationin or attendance at the Olympic Gamesand the Paralympic Games and/or otherspecified Events, World Championships,
regional or continental championships
and/or any other International Events fora specified period:(a) the National Olympic Committee and/or the National Paralympic Committeeof the Signatory’s country;(b) the Representatives of that country
and/or of the National Olympic Committee
and/orthe
National
Paralympic
Committee of that country; and/or(c) the Athletes and Athlete Support
Personnel affiliated to that country and/or to the National Olympic Committee
and/or to the National Paralympic

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ARTICLE 24 Monitoring and Enforcing Compliancewith the Code and UNESCO Convention
ARTICLE 25 Modification and Withdrawal

Committee and/or to the National
Federation of that country.
24.1.12.10 Where the Signatory is an International
Federation, exclusion of the following
Persons from participation in or
attendance at the Olympic Gamesand the Paralympic Games and/or
other Events for a specified period: theRepresentatives of that International
Federation and/or the Athletes andAthlete Support Personnel participatingin the International Federation’s
sport (or in one or more disciplines ofthat sport).
24.1.12.11 Where the Signatory is a Major Event
Organization:(a) Special Monitoring or Supervision or
Takeover of the Major Event Organization’s
Anti-Doping Activities at the next
edition(s) of its Event; and/or(b) Suspension or loss of eligibility toreceive funding and other benefits from
and/or the recognition/membership/
patronage (as applicable) of theInternational Olympic Committee, theInternational Paralympic Committee,
the Association of National Olympic
Committees, or other patron body;and/or(c) loss of recognition of its Event as aqualifying event for the Olympic Gamesor the Paralympic Games.
24.1.12.12 Suspension of recognition by the Olympic
Movement and/or of membership of the
Paralympic Movement.

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24.1.13 Other Consequences
Governments and Signatories and associations of
Signatories may impose additional consequences
within their respective spheres of authority for
non-compliance by Signatories, provided that thisdoes not compromise or restrict in any way theability to apply consequences in accordance withthis Article 24.1.118
24.2 Monitoring Compliance with the UNESCO Convention
Compliance with the commitments reflected in the
UNESCO Convention will be monitored as determinedby the Conference of Parties to the UNESCO Convention,
following consultation with the State Parties and WADA.
WADA shall advise governments on the implementationof the Code by the Signatories and shall advise Signatories
on the ratification, acceptance, approval or accession to
the UNESCO Convention by governments.

ARTICLE 25 MODIFICATION
AND WITHDRAWAL
25.1 Modification
25.1.1 WADA shall be responsible for overseeing theevolution and improvement of the Code. Athletes
and other stakeholders and governments shallbe invited to participate in such process.
118 [Comment to Article 24.1.13: For
example, the International Olympic
Committee may decide to impose
symbolic or other consequenceson an International Federation or a
National Olympic Committee pursuant
to the Olympic Charter, such as
withdrawal of eligibility to organize

an International Olympic Committee
Session or an Olympic Congress; while
an International Federation may decideto cancel International Events that werescheduled to be held in the country of anon-compliant Signatory, or move themto another country.]

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ARTICLE 25 Modification and Withdrawal
ARTICLE 26 Interpretation of the CodeARTICLE 27 Transitional Provisions

25.1.2 WADA shall initiate proposed amendments to theCode and shall ensure a consultative process toboth receive and respond to recommendations
and to facilitate review and feedback from Athletes
and other stakeholders and governments on
recommended amendments.
25.1.3 Amendments to the Code shall, after appropriate
consultation, be approved by a two-thirds
majority of the WADA Foundation Board including
a majority of both the public sector and Olympic
Movement members casting votes. Amendments
shall, unless provided otherwise, go into effectthree (3) months after such approval.
25.1.4 Signatories shall modify their rules to incorporate
the 2021 Code on or before 1 January 2021,
to take effect on 1 January 2021. Signatories
shall implement any subsequent applicableamendment to the Code within one (1) year of
approval by the WADA Foundation Board.119
25.2 Withdrawal of Acceptance of the CodeSignatories may withdraw acceptance of the Code after
providing WADA six-months written notice of their intent
to withdraw. Signatories shall no longer be considered incompliance once acceptance has been withdrawn.
119 [Comment to Articles 25.1.3
and 25.1.4: Under Article 25.1.3, newor changed obligations imposed on
Signatories automatically go into effectthree (3) months after approval unlessprovided otherwise. In contrast, Article
25.1.4 addresses new or changed
obligations imposed on Athletes orother Persons which can only be
enforced against individual Athletes or

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other Persons by changes to the antidoping rules of the relevant Signatory(e.g., an International Federation). For
that reason, Article 25.1.4 provides for alonger period of time for each Signatory
to conform its rules to the 2021 Codeand take any necessary measures toensure the appropriate Athletes andother Persons are bound by the rules.]ARTICLE 26 INTERPRETATION
OF THE CODE
26.1	
The official text of the Code shall be maintained by WADA
and shall be published in English and French. In the eventof any conflict between the English and French versions,
the English version shall prevail.
26.2	The comments annotating various provisions of the Codeshall be used to interpret the Code.
26.3	
The Code shall be interpreted as an independent andautonomous text and not by reference to the existing law
or statutes of the Signatories or governments.
26.4	
The headings used for the various Parts and Articlesof the Code are for convenience only and shall not be
deemed part of the substance of the Code or to affect inany way the language of the provisions to which they refer.
26.5	
Where the term “days” is used in the Code or an
International Standard, it shall mean calendar days unlessotherwise specified.
26.6	
The Code shall not apply retroactively to matters pending
before the date the Code is accepted by a Signatory
and implemented in its rules. However, pre-Code antidoping rule violations would continue to count as “First
violations” or “Second violations” for purposes ofdetermining sanctions under Article 10 for subsequentpost-Code violations.
26.7	
The Purpose, Scope and Organization of the World AntiDoping Program and the Code and Appendix 1, Definitions,shall be considered integral parts of the Code.

ARTICLE 27 TRANSITIONAL PROVISIONS
27.1 General Application of the 2021 CodeThe 2021 Code shall apply in full as of 1 January 2021 (the“Effective Date”).

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ARTICLE 27 Transitional Provisions

27.2 Non-Retroactive except for Articles 10.9.4 and 17 orUnless Principle of “Lex Mitior” Applies
Any anti-doping rule violation case which is pending asof the Effective Date and any anti-doping rule violationcase brought after the Effective Date based on an antidoping rule violation which occurred prior to the Effective
Date shall be governed by the substantive anti-doping
rules in effect at the time the alleged anti-doping ruleviolation occurred, and not by the substantive antidoping rules set out in this 2021 Code, unless the panel
hearing the case determines the principle of “lex mitior”
appropriately applies under the circumstances of thecase. For these purposes, the retrospective periods inwhich prior violations can be considered for purposes ofmultiple violations under Article 10.9.4 and the statuteof limitations set forth in Article 17 are procedural rules,
not substantive rules, and should be applied retroactively
along with all of the other procedural rules in the 2021
Code (provided, however, that Article 17 shall only beapplied retroactively if the statute of limitations period
has not already expired by the Effective Date).
27.3 Application to Decisions Rendered Prior to the2021 CodeWith respect to cases where a final decision finding ananti-doping rule violation has been rendered prior to
the Effective Date, but the Athlete or other Person is still
serving the period of Ineligibility as of the Effective Date,
the Athlete or other Person may apply to the Anti-Doping
Organization which had Results Management responsibility
for the anti-doping rule violation to consider a reductionin the period of Ineligibility in light of the 2021 Code. Suchapplication must be made before the period of Ineligibility
has expired. The decision rendered by the Anti-Doping
Organization may be appealed pursuant to Article 13.2.
The 2021 Code shall have no application to any antidoping rule violation case where a final decision findingan anti-doping rule violation has been rendered and theperiod of Ineligibility has expired.

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27.4 Multiple Violations Where the First Violation Occurs
Prior to 1 January 2021
For purposes of assessing the period of Ineligibility for asecond violation under Article 10.9.1, where the sanction
for the first violation was determined based on pre-2021
Code rules, the period of Ineligibility which would havebeen assessed for that first violation had 2021 Code rules
been applicable, shall be applied.120
27.5 Additional Code Amendments
Any additional Code amendments shall go into effect asprovided in Article 27.1.
27.6 Changes to the Prohibited List
Changes to the Prohibited List and Technical Documents
relating to substances or methods on the Prohibited List
shall not, unless they specifically provide otherwise, beapplied retroactively. As an exception, however, whena Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method has been
removed from the Prohibited List, an Athlete or other
Person currently serving a period of Ineligibility on
account of the formerly Prohibited Substance or Prohibited
Method may apply to the Anti-Doping Organization which
had Results Management responsibility for the antidoping rule violation to consider a reduction in the period
of Ineligibility in light of the removal of the substance or
method from the Prohibited List.
120 [Comment to Article 27.4: Other
than the situation described in Article
27.4, where a final decision finding ananti-doping rule violation has been
rendered prior to the existence of
the Code or under the Code in force

before the 2021 Code and the period
of Ineligibility imposed has been
completely served, the 2021 Code may
not be used to re-characterize the priorviolation.]

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APPENDIX 1

DEFINITIONSAPPENDIX 1 Definitions

DEFINITIONS121
ADAMS: The Anti-Doping Administration and Management
System is a Web-based database management tool for data entry,
storage, sharing, and reporting designed to assist stakeholders
and WADA in their anti-doping operations in conjunction withdata protection legislation.
Administration: Providing, supplying, supervising, facilitating,or otherwise participating in the Use or Attempted Use byanother Person of a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method.
However, this definition shall not include the actions of bona fide
medical personnel involving a Prohibited Substance or Prohibited
Method Used for genuine and legal therapeutic purposes orother acceptable justification and shall not include actions
involving Prohibited Substances which are not prohibited in Outof-Competition Testing unless the circumstances as a wholedemonstrate that such Prohibited Substances are not intended
for genuine and legal therapeutic purposes or are intended toenhance sport performance.
Adverse Analytical Finding: A report from a WADA-accredited
laboratory or other WADA-approved laboratory that, consistent
with the International Standard for Laboratories, establishes in a
Sample the presence of a Prohibited Substance or its Metabolites
or Markers or evidence of the Use of a Prohibited Method.
Adverse Passport Finding: A report identified as an Adverse
Passport Finding as described in the applicable International
Standards.
Aggravating Circumstances: Circumstances involving, or actions
by, an Athlete or other Person which may justify the imposition ofa period of Ineligibility greater than the standard sanction. Suchcircumstances and actions shall include, but are not limited to:
the Athlete or other Person Used or Possessed multiple Prohibited
Substances or Prohibited Methods, Used or Possessed a Prohibited
Substance or Prohibited Method on multiple occasions orcommitted multiple other anti-doping rule violations; a normal
individual would be likely to enjoy the performance-enhancing
121 [Comment to Definitions: Definedterms shall include their plural and

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possessive forms, as well as thoseterms used as other parts of speech.]effects of the anti-doping rule violation(s) beyond the otherwise
applicable period of Ineligibility; the Athlete or Person engaged
in deceptive or obstructive conduct to avoid the detection or
adjudication of an anti-doping rule violation; or the Athlete orother Person engaged in Tampering during Results Management.
For the avoidance of doubt, the examples of circumstances andconduct described herein are not exclusive and other similar
circumstances or conduct may also justify the imposition of alonger period of Ineligibility.
Anti-Doping Activities: Anti-doping Education and information,
test distribution planning, maintenance of a Registered Testing
Pool, managing Athlete Biological Passports, conducting Testing,organizing analysis of Samples, gathering of intelligence andconduct of investigations, processing of TUE applications,
Results Management, monitoring and enforcing compliance with
any Consequences imposed, and all other activities related toanti-doping to be carried out by or on behalf of an Anti-Doping
Organization, as set out in the Code and/or the International
Standards.
Anti-Doping Organization: WADA or a Signatory that is responsible
for adopting rules for initiating, implementing or enforcing any
part of the Doping Control process. This includes, for example, theInternational Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic
Committee, other Major Event Organizations that conduct Testingat their Events, International Federations, and National AntiDoping Organizations.
Athlete: Any Person who competes in sport at the international
level (as defined by each International Federation) or the national
level (as defined by each National Anti-Doping Organization). An
Anti-Doping Organization has discretion to apply anti-doping
rules to an Athlete who is neither an International-Level Athlete
nor a National-Level Athlete, and thus to bring them within thedefinition of “Athlete.” In relation to Athletes who are neither
International-Level nor National-Level Athletes, an Anti-Doping
Organization may elect to: conduct limited Testing or no Testingat all; analyze Samples for less than the full menu of Prohibited
Substances; require limited or no whereabouts information;or not require advance TUEs. However, if an Article 2.1, 2.3 or
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whom an Anti-Doping Organization has elected to exercise its
authority to test and who competes below the international or
national level, then the Consequences set forth in the Code must
be applied. For purposes of Article 2.8 and Article 2.9 and for
purposes of anti-doping information and Education, any Person
who participates in sport under the authority of any Signatory,
government, or other sports organization accepting the Code isan Athlete.122
Athlete Biological Passport: The program and methods ofgathering and collating data as described in the International
Standard for Testing and Investigations and International Standard
for Laboratories.
Athlete Support Personnel: Any coach, trainer, manager, agent,
team staff, official, medical, paramedical personnel, parent or
any other Person working with, treating or assisting an Athlete
participating in or preparing for sports Competition.
Attempt: Purposely engaging in conduct that constitutes a
substantial step in a course of conduct planned to culminate
in the commission of an anti-doping rule violation. Provided,
however, there shall be no anti-doping rule violation based solely
on an Attempt to commit a violation if the Person renounces the
Attempt prior to it being discovered by a third party not involvedin the Attempt.
Atypical Finding: A report from a WADA-accredited laboratoryor other WADA-approved laboratory which requires further
investigation as provided by the International Standard forLaboratories or related Technical Documents prior to thedetermination of an Adverse Analytical Finding.
122 [Comment to Athlete: Individuals
who participate in sport may fall in oneof five categories: 1) International-Level
Athlete, 2) National-Level Athlete, 3)
individuals who are not Internationalor National-Level Athletes but overwhom the International Federation
or National Anti-Doping Organization
has chosen to exercise authority,
4) Recreational Athlete, and 5)
individuals over whom no International

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Federation or National Anti-Doping
Organization has, or has chosen to,
exercise authority. All International- or
National-Level Athletes are subject tothe anti-doping rules of the Code, withthe precise definitions of internationaland national level sport to be set
forth in the anti-doping rules of theInternational Federations and National
Anti-Doping Organizations.]Atypical Passport Finding: A report described as an Atypical
Passport Finding as described in the applicable International
Standards.
CAS: The Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Code: The World Anti-Doping Code.
Competition: A single race, match, game or singular sport
contest. For example, a basketball game or the finals of the
Olympic 100-meter race in athletics. For stage races andother sport contests where prizes are awarded on a daily orother interim basis the distinction between a Competition
and an Event will be as provided in the rules of the applicable
International Federation.
Consequences of Anti-Doping Rule Violations (“Consequences”):
An Athlete’s or other Person’s violation of an anti-doping rule may
result in one or more of the following: (a) Disqualification means
the Athlete’s results in a particular Competition or Event areinvalidated, with all resulting Consequences including forfeitureof any medals, points and prizes; (b) Ineligibility means the
Athlete or other Person is barred on account of an anti-doping
rule violation for a specified period of time from participating
in any Competition or other activity or funding as provided in
Article 10.14; (c) Provisional Suspension means the Athlete orother Person is barred temporarily from participating in any
Competition or activity prior to the final decision at a hearing
conducted under Article 8; (d) Financial Consequences means afinancial sanction imposed for an anti-doping rule violation or torecover costs associated with an anti-doping rule violation; and(e) Public Disclosure means the dissemination or distributionof information to the general public or Persons beyond those
Persons entitled to earlier notification in accordance with Article
14. Teams in Team Sports may also be subject to Consequences
as provided in Article 11.
Contaminated Product: A product that contains a Prohibited
Substance that is not disclosed on the product label or in
information available in a reasonable Internet search.
Decision Limit: The value of the result for a threshold substancein a Sample, above which an Adverse Analytical Finding shall bereported, as defined in the International Standard for Laboratories.

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Delegated Third Party: Any Person to which an Anti-Doping
Organization delegates any aspect of Doping Control or antidoping Education programs including, but not limited to, third
parties or other Anti-Doping Organizations that conduct Sample
collection or other Doping Control services or anti-doping
Educational programs for the Anti-Doping Organization, or
individuals serving as independent contractors who perform
Doping Control services for the Anti-Doping Organization (e.g.,
non-employee Doping Control officers or chaperones). Thisdefinition does not include CAS.
Disqualification: See
Violations above.

ConsequencesofAnti-Doping

Rule

Doping Control: All steps and processes from test distribution
planning through to ultimate disposition of any appeal and theenforcement of Consequences, including all steps and processes
in between, including but not limited to, Testing, investigations,whereabouts, TUEs, Sample collection and handling, laboratory
analysis, Results Management and investigations or proceedings
relating to violations of Article 10.14 (Status During Ineligibility
or Provisional Suspension).
Education: The process of learning to instill values and develop
behaviors that foster and protect the spirit of sport, and toprevent intentional and unintentional doping.
Event: A series of individual Competitions conducted together
under one ruling body (e.g., the Olympic Games, WorldChampionships of an International Federation, or Pan American
Games).
Event Period: The time between the beginning and end of an
Event, as established by the ruling body of the Event.
Event Venues: Those venues so designated by the ruling bodyfor the Event.
Fault: Fault is any breach of duty or any lack of care appropriate
to a particular situation. Factors to be taken into considerationin assessing an Athlete’s or other Person’s degree of Fault
include, for example, the Athlete’s or other Person’s experience,
whether the Athlete or other Person is a Protected Person,
special considerations such as impairment, the degree of riskthat should have been perceived by the Athlete and the level of

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care and investigation exercised by the Athlete in relation to whatshould have been the perceived level of risk. In assessing theAthlete’s or other Person’s degree of Fault, the circumstancesconsidered must be specific and relevant to explain the Athlete’s
or other Person’s departure from the expected standard of
behavior. Thus, for example, the fact that an Athlete would lose
the opportunity to earn large sums of money during a period
of Ineligibility, or the fact that the Athlete only has a short timeleft in a career, or the timing of the sporting calendar, would not
be relevant factors to be considered in reducing the period of
Ineligibility under Article 10.6.1 or 10.6.2.123
Financial Consequences: See Consequences of Anti-Doping Rule
Violations above.
In-Competition: The period commencing at 11:59 p.m. on the
day before a Competition in which the Athlete is scheduled
to participate through the end of such Competition and the
Sample collection process related to such Competition.
Provided, however, WADA may approve, for a particular sport,
an alternative definition if an International Federation provides
a compelling justification that a different definition is necessary
for its sport; upon such approval by WADA, the alternative
definition shall be followed by all Major Event Organizations forthat particular sport.124
123 [Comment to Fault: The criterion
for assessing an Athlete’s degree ofFault is the same under all Articles
where Fault is to be considered.
However, under Article 10.6.2, noreduction of sanction is appropriate

unless, when the degree of Fault isassessed, the conclusion is that No
Significant Fault or Negligence on thepart of the Athlete or other Person
was involved.]

124 [Comment to In-Competition:
Having a universally accepted definition
for In-Competition provides greater
harmonization among Athletes acrossall sports, eliminates or reduces
confusion among Athletes about therelevant timeframe for In-Competition
Testing, avoids inadvertent Adverse

Analytical Findings in between
Competitions during an Event andassists in preventing any potential
performance enhancement benefits
from Substances prohibited Out-ofCompetition being carried over to theCompetition period.]

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Independent Observer Program: A team of observers and/or auditors, under the supervision of WADA, who observe andprovide guidance on the Doping Control process prior to or
during certain Events and report on their observations as part of
WADA’s compliance monitoring program.
Individual Sport: Any sport that is not a Team Sport.
Ineligibility: See
Violations above.

ConsequencesofAnti-Doping

Rule

Institutional Independence: Hearing panels on appeal shallbe fully independent institutionally from the Anti-Doping
Organization responsible for Results Management. They must
therefore not in any way be administered by, connected or
subject to the Anti-Doping Organization responsible for Results
Management.
International Event: An Event or Competition where theInternational Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic
Committee, an International Federation, a Major Event
Organization, or another international sport organization is theruling body for the Event or appoints the technical officials for
the Event.
International-Level Athlete: Athletes who compete in sport
at the international level, as defined by each International
Federation, consistent with the International Standard for Testing
and Investigations.125
International Standard: A standard adopted by WADA in supportof the Code. Compliance with an International Standard (asopposed to another alternative standard, practice or procedure)
shall be sufficient to conclude that the procedures addressedby the International Standard were performed properly.
125 [Comment
toInternationalLevel Athlete: Consistent with theInternational Standard for Testing
and Investigations, the International
Federation is free to determine thecriteria it will use to classify Athletes
as International-Level Athletes, e.g., byranking, by participation in particularInternational Events, by type of license,
etc. However, it must publish those170

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criteria in clear and concise form, sothat Athletes are able to ascertain
quickly and easily when they will
become classified as InternationalLevel Athletes. For example, if thecriteria include participation incertain International Events, then theInternational Federation must publish alist of those International Events.]

International Standards shall include any Technical Documents
issued pursuant to the International Standard.
Major Event Organizations: The continental associations of
National Olympic Committees and other international multisport organizations that function as the ruling body for any
continental, regional or other International Event.
Marker: A compound, group of compounds or biologicalvariable(s) that indicates the Use of a Prohibited Substance or
Prohibited Method.
Metabolite: Any substance produced by a biotransformation
process.
Minimum Reporting Level: The estimated concentration of a
Prohibited Substance or its Metabolite(s) or Marker(s) in a Sample
below which WADA-accredited laboratories should not reportthat Sample as an Adverse Analytical Finding.
Minor: A natural Person who has not reached the age ofeighteen years.
National Anti-Doping Organization: The entity(ies) designatedby each country as possessing the primary authority andresponsibility to adopt and implement anti-doping rules, direct
the collection of Samples, manage test results and conduct
Results Management at the national level. If this designation
has not been made by the competent public authority(ies), theentity shall be the country’s National Olympic Committee orits designee.
National Event: A sport Event or Competition involving
International- or National-Level Athletes that is not anInternational Event.
National-Level Athlete: Athletes who compete in sport at
the national level, as defined by each National Anti-Doping
Organization, consistent with the International Standard for
Testing and Investigations.
National Olympic Committee: The organization recognized by theInternational Olympic Committee. The term National Olympic
Committee shall also include the National Sport Confederationin those countries where the National Sport Confederation

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APPENDIX 1 Definitions

assumes typical National Olympic Committee responsibilities in
the anti-doping area.
No Fault or Negligence: The Athlete or other Person’s establishingthat he or she did not know or suspect, and could not reasonably
have known or suspected even with the exercise of utmost
caution, that he or she had Used or been administered theProhibited Substance or Prohibited Method or otherwise violated
an anti-doping rule. Except in the case of a Protected Person or
Recreational Athlete, for any violation of Article 2.1, the Athlete
must also establish how the Prohibited Substance entered theAthlete’s system.
No Significant Fault or Negligence: The Athlete or other Person’s
establishing that any Fault or Negligence, when viewed in the
totality of the circumstances and taking into account the criteria
for No Fault or Negligence, was not significant in relationship tothe anti-doping rule violation. Except in the case of a Protected
Person or Recreational Athlete, for any violation of Article 2.1,
the Athlete must also establish how the Prohibited Substanceentered the Athlete’s system.
Operational Independence: This means that (1) board members,
staff members, commission members, consultants andofficials of the Anti-Doping Organization with responsibility for
Results Management or its affiliates (e.g., member federationor confederation), as well as any Person involved in theinvestigation and pre-adjudication of the matter cannot be
appointed as members and/or clerks (to the extent that suchclerk is involved in the deliberation process and/or drafting of any
decision) of hearing panels of that Anti-Doping Organization withresponsibility for Results Management and (2) hearing panels
shall be in a position to conduct the hearing and decision-making
process without interference from the Anti-Doping Organizationor any third party. The objective is to ensure that members of thehearing panel or individuals otherwise involved in the decisionof the hearing panel, are not involved in the investigation of, ordecisions to proceed with, the case.
Out-of-Competition: Any period which is not In-Competition.
Participant: Any Athlete or Athlete Support Person.
Person: A natural Person or an organization or other entity.

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Possession: The actual, physical Possession, or the constructive
Possession (which shall be found only if the Person has exclusive
control or intends to exercise control over the Prohibited Substanceor Prohibited Method or the premises in which a Prohibited
Substance or Prohibited Method exists); provided, however, that
if the Person does not have exclusive control over the Prohibited
Substance or Prohibited Method or the premises in which a
Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method exists, constructive
Possession shall only be found if the Person knew about thepresence of the Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method andintended to exercise control over it. Provided, however, there
shall be no anti-doping rule violation based solely on Possession
if, prior to receiving notification of any kind that the Person has
committed an anti-doping rule violation, the Person has taken
concrete action demonstrating that the Person never intended
to have Possession and has renounced Possession by explicitly
declaring it to an Anti-Doping Organization. Notwithstanding
anything to the contrary in this definition, the purchase (including
by any electronic or other means) of a Prohibited Substance or
Prohibited Method constitutes Possession by the Person who
makes the purchase.126
Prohibited List: The list identifying the Prohibited Substances andProhibited Methods.
Prohibited Method:
Prohibited List.

Any method so described on theProhibited Substance: Any substance, or class of substances, so
described on the Prohibited List.
126 [Comment to Possession: Under
this definition, anabolic steroids foundin an Athlete’s car would constitute a
violation unless the Athlete establishes
that someone else used the car; in thatevent, the Anti-Doping Organizationmust establish that, even though the
Athlete did not have exclusive control
over the car, the Athlete knew about
the anabolic steroids and intended tohave control over them. Similarly, inthe example of anabolic steroids foundin a home medicine cabinet under thejoint control of an Athlete and spouse,
the Anti-Doping Organization must
establish that the Athlete knew theanabolic steroids were in the cabinet
and that the Athlete intended toexercise control over them. The actof purchasing a Prohibited Substancealone constitutes Possession, even
where, for example, the product does
not arrive, is received by someone else,
or is sent to a third-party address.]

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APPENDIX 1 Definitions

Protected Person: An Athlete or other natural Person who at thetime of the anti-doping rule violation: (i) has not reached the ageof sixteen (16) years; (ii) has not reached the age of eighteen (18)years and is not included in any Registered Testing Pool and has
never competed in any International Event in an open category;or (iii) for reasons other than age has been determined to lacklegal capacity under applicable national legislation.127
Provisional Hearing: For purposes of Article 7.4.3, an expedited
abbreviated hearing occurring prior to a hearing under Article
8 that provides the Athlete with notice and an opportunity to beheard in either written or oral form.128
Provisional Suspension: See Consequences of Anti-Doping Rule
Violations above.
Publicly Disclose: See Consequences of Anti-Doping Rule
Violations above.
Recreational Athlete: A natural Person who is so defined by therelevant National Anti-Doping Organization; provided, however,
the term shall not include any Person who, within the five years(5) prior to committing any anti-doping rule violation, has beenan International-Level Athlete (as defined by each International
Federation consistent with the International Standard for Testing
and Investigations) or National-Level Athlete (as defined byeach National Anti-Doping Organization consistent with theInternational Standard for Testing and Investigations), has

174

127 [Comment to Protected Person:
The Code treats Protected Persons
differently than other Athletes or
Persons in certain circumstances
based on the understanding that,
below a certain age or intellectual
capacity, an Athlete or other Person
may not possess the mental capacity
to understand and appreciate theprohibitions against conduct containedin the Code. This would include, forexample, a Paralympic Athlete with adocumented lack of legal capacity due
to an intellectual impairment. The term
“open category” is meant to exclude
competition that is limited to junior orage group categories.]

128 [Comment to Provisional Hearing:
A Provisional Hearing is only apreliminary proceeding which may
not involve a full review of the factsof the case. Following a Provisional
Hearing, the Athlete remains entitledto a subsequent full hearing on the
merits of the case. By contrast, an“expedited hearing”, as that term isused in Article 7.4.3, is a full hearing on
the merits conducted on an expedited
time schedule.]

World Anti-Doping Code 2021

represented any country in an International Event in an open
category or has been included within any Registered Testing
Pool or other whereabouts information pool maintained by any
International Federation or National Anti-Doping Organization.129
Regional Anti-Doping Organization: A regional entity designatedby member countries to coordinate and manage delegatedareas of their national anti-doping programs, which may include
the adoption and implementation of anti-doping rules, theplanning and collection of Samples, the management of results,
the review of TUEs, the conduct of hearings, and the conduct ofEducational programs at a regional level.
Registered Testing Pool: The pool of highest-priority Athletes
established separately at the international level by International
Federations and at the national level by National Anti-Doping
Organizations, who are subject to focused In-Competition and Outof-Competition Testing as part of that International Federation’sor National Anti-Doping Organization’s test distribution plan andtherefore are required to provide whereabouts information asprovided in Article 5.5 and the International Standard for Testing
and Investigations.
Results Management: The process encompassing the timeframe
between notification as per Article 5 of the International Standard
for Results Management, or in certain cases (e.g., AtypicalFinding, Athlete Biological Passport, whereabouts failure), suchpre-notification steps expressly provided for in Article 5 of theInternational Standard for Results Management, through the
charge until the final resolution of the matter, including the endof the hearing process at first instance or on appeal (if an appeal
was lodged).

129 [Comment to Recreational Athlete:
The term “open category” is meant to

exclude competition that is limited tojunior or age group categories.]

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APPENDIX 1 Definitions

Sample or Specimen: Any biological material collected for the
purposes of Doping Control.130
Signatories: Those entities accepting the Code and agreeing to
implement the Code, as provided in Article 23.
Specified Method: See Article 4.2.2.
Specified Substance: See Article 4.2.2.
Strict Liability: The rule which provides that under Article 2.1
and Article 2.2, it is not necessary that intent, Fault, Negligence,or knowing Use on the Athlete’s part be demonstrated by theAnti-Doping Organization in order to establish an anti-doping
rule violation.
Substance of Abuse: See Article 4.2.3.
Substantial Assistance: For purposes of Article 10.7.1, a Person
providing Substantial Assistance must: (1) fully disclose in a signed
written statement or recorded interview all information he or
she possesses in relation to anti-doping rule violations or otherproceeding described in Article 10.7.1.1, and (2) fully cooperatewith the investigation and adjudication of any case or matter
related to that information, including, for example, presenting
testimony at a hearing if requested to do so by an Anti-Doping
Organization or hearing panel. Further, the information provided
must be credible and must comprise an important part of any
case or proceeding which is initiated or, if no case or proceeding
is initiated, must have provided a sufficient basis on which acase or proceeding could have been brought.
Tampering: Intentional conduct which subverts the Doping
Control process but which would not otherwise be included in
the definition of Prohibited Methods. Tampering shall include,
without limitation, offering or accepting a bribe to perform or
fail to perform an act, preventing the collection of a Sample,
affecting or making impossible the analysis of a Sample,
falsifying documents submitted to an Anti-Doping Organization
or TUE committee or hearing panel, procuring false testimony

130 [Comment to Sample or Specimen:
It has sometimes been claimed that thecollection of blood Samples violates the

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tenets of certain religious or culturalgroups. It has been determined that
there is no basis for any such claim.]

from witnesses, committing any other fraudulent act upon
the Anti-Doping Organization or hearing body to affect Results
Management or the imposition of Consequences, and any othersimilar intentional interference or Attempted interference withany aspect of Doping Control.131
Target Testing: Selection of specific Athletes for Testing basedon criteria set forth in the International Standard for Testing
and Investigations.
Team Sport: A sport in which the substitution of players ispermitted during a Competition.
Technical Document: A document adopted and publishedby WADA from time to time containing mandatory technicalrequirements on specific anti-doping topics as set forth in an
International Standard.
Testing: The parts of the Doping Control process involving test
distribution planning, Sample collection, Sample handling, andSample transport to the laboratory.
Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE): A Therapeutic Use Exemption
allows an Athlete with a medical condition to Use a Prohibited
Substance or Prohibited Method, but only if the conditions set out
in Article 4.4 and the International Standard for Therapeutic Use
Exemptions are met.
Trafficking: Selling, giving, transporting, sending, delivering or
distributing (or Possessing for any such purpose) a Prohibited
Substance or Prohibited Method (either physically or by any
electronic or other means) by an Athlete, Athlete Support Person
or any other Person subject to the authority of an Anti-Doping
Organization to any third party; provided, however, this definition
131 [Comment to Tampering: For
example, this Article would prohibit
altering identification numbers on a
Doping Control form during Testing,breaking the B bottle at the time of B
Sample analysis, altering a Sample by
the addition of a foreign substance, or
intimidating or attempting to intimidate
a potential witness or a witness who
has provided testimony or informationin the Doping Control process.
Tampering
includesmisconduct

which occurs during the Results
Management process. See Article
10.9.3.3. However, actions taken as
part of a Person’s legitimate defense
to an anti-doping rule violation charge
shall not be considered Tampering.
Offensive conduct towards a Doping
Control official or other Person involved
in Doping Control which does nototherwise constitute Tampering shallbe addressed in the disciplinary rulesof sport organizations.]
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APPENDIX 1 Definitions

shall not include the actions of bona fide medical personnel
involving a Prohibited Substance Used for genuine and legal
therapeutic purposes or other acceptable justification, andshall not include actions involving Prohibited Substances
which are not prohibited in Out-of-Competition Testing unlessthe circumstances as a whole demonstrate such Prohibited
Substances are not intended for genuine and legal therapeutic
purposes or are intended to enhance sport performance.
UNESCO Convention: The International Convention against
Doping in Sport adopted by the 33rd session of the UNESCO
General Conference on 19 October 2005, including any and allamendments adopted by the States Parties to the Convention
and the Conference of Parties to the International Convention
against Doping in Sport.
Use: The utilization, application, ingestion, injection or
consumption by any means whatsoever of any Prohibited
Substance or Prohibited Method.
WADA: The World Anti-Doping Agency.
Without Prejudice Agreement: For purposes of Articles 10.7.1.1
and 10.8.2, a written agreement between an Anti-Doping
Organization and an Athlete or other Person that allows the
Athlete or other Person to provide information to the Anti-Doping
Organization in a defined time-limited setting with theunderstanding that, if an agreement for Substantial Assistanceor a case resolution agreement is not finalized, the information
provided by the Athlete or other Person in this particular setting
may not be used by the Anti-Doping Organization against the
Athlete or other Person in any Results Management proceedingunder the Code, and that the information provided by theAnti-Doping Organization in this particular setting may not be
used by the Athlete or other Person against the Anti-Doping
Organization in any Results Management proceeding under theCode. Such an agreement shall not preclude the Anti-Doping
Organization, Athlete or other Person from using any information
or evidence gathered from any source other than during thespecific time-limited setting described in the agreement.

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DEFINITIONS SPECIFIC TO ARTICLE 24.1
Aggravating Factors: This term encompasses a deliberateattempt to circumvent or undermine the Code or the International
Standards and/or to corrupt the anti-doping system, an attempt
to cover up non-compliance, or any other form of bad faithon the part of the Signatory in question; a persistent refusal
or failure by the Signatory to make any reasonable effort tocorrect Non-Conformities that are notified to it by WADA; repeat
offending; and any other factor that aggravates the Signatory’s
non-compliance.
Approved Third Party: One or more Anti-Doping Organizations
and/or Delegated Third Parties selected or approved by WADA,
following consultation with the non-compliant Signatory, toSupervise or Takeover some or all of that Signatory’s Anti-Doping
Activities. As a last resort, if there is no other suitable bodyavailable, then WADA may carry out this function itself.
Critical: A requirement that is considered to be Critical to the fightagainst doping in sport. See further Annex A of the International
Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories.
Fine: Payment by the Signatory of an amount that reflects theseriousness of the non-compliance/Aggravating Factors, its
duration, and the need to deter similar conduct in the future.
In a case that does not involve non-compliance with any Criticalrequirements, the Fine shall not exceed the lower of (a) 10% of
the Signatory’s total annual budgeted expenditure; and (b) US$100,000. The Fine will be applied by WADA to finance further
Code compliance monitoring activities and/or anti-doping
Education and/or anti-doping research.
General: A requirement that is considered to be important to thefight against doping in sport but does not fall into the categories
of Critical or High Priority. See further Annex A of the International
Standard for Code Compliance by Signatories.
High Priority: A requirement that is considered to be High Priority
but not Critical in the fight against doping in sport. See further
Annex A of the International Standard for Code Complianceby Signatories.

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APPENDIX 1 Definitions

Non-Conformity: Where a Signatory is not complying with theCode and/or one or more International Standards and/or any
requirements imposed by the WADA Executive Committee,
but the opportunities provided in the International Standard for
Code Compliance by Signatories to correct the Non-Conformity/
Non-Conformities have not yet expired and so WADA has not yet
formally alleged that the Signatory is non-compliant.
Reinstatement: When a Signatory that was previously declared
non-compliant with the Code and/or the International Standards
is determined to have corrected that non-compliance and tohave met all of the other conditions imposed in accordance with
Article 11 of the International Standard for Code Compliance by
Signatories for Reinstatement of its name to the list of Codecompliant Signatories (and Reinstated shall be interpreted
accordingly).
Representatives: Officials, directors, officers, elected members,
employees, and committee members of the Signatory or otherbody in question, and also (in the case of a National Anti-Doping
Organization or a National Olympic Committee acting as a
National Anti-Doping Organization) Representatives of thegovernment of the country of that National Anti-Doping
Organization or National Olympic Committee.
Special Monitoring: Where, as part of the consequences imposedon a non-compliant Signatory, WADA applies a system of
specific and ongoing monitoring to some or all of the Signatory’s
Anti-Doping Activities, to ensure that the Signatory is carrying out
those activities in a compliant manner.
Supervision: Where, as part of the consequences imposed ona non-compliant Signatory, an Approved Third Party oversees
and supervises the Signatory’s Anti-Doping Activities, as directedby WADA, at the Signatory’s expense (and Supervise shall beinterpreted accordingly). Where a Signatory has been declared
non-compliant and has not yet finalized a Supervision agreementwith the Approved Third Party, that Signatory shall not implement
independently any Anti-Doping Activity in the area(s) that the
Approved Third Party is to oversee and supervise without theexpress prior written agreement of WADA.

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Takeover: Where, as part of the consequences imposed on a
non-compliant Signatory, an Approved Third Party takes over allor some of the Signatory’s Anti-Doping Activities, as directed by
WADA, at the Signatory’s expense. Where a Signatory has been
declared non-compliant and has not yet finalized a Takeover
agreement with the Approved Third Party, that Signatory shall not
implement independently any Anti-Doping Activity in the area(s)that the Approved Third Party is to take over without the expressprior written agreement of WADA.

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