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ANTI-DOPING | CLEAN SPORT

IPSC officially became WADA Code Signatory in June 2021.

What is Doping?

Doping — the practice of enhancing athletic performance through prohibited substances or artificial means — is as old as competitive sport itself. In the context of sport, doping refers specifically to the use of banned substances or methods that give athletes an unfair advantage over their competitors.

It is important to understand that doping extends well beyond a positive urine test for a prohibited substance. Formally, doping is defined as the occurrence of one or more of the 11 Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) established under the World Anti-Doping Code and the IPSC Anti-Doping Rules.

These violations encompass a broad range of offences, from the presence of prohibited substances in an athlete’s sample to tampering with the testing process itself.

As a recognized Anti-Doping Organization (ADO), IPSC is firmly committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity in the sport of Practical Shooting — keeping it Clean, Fair, and Safe for every competitor.

“Every athlete has the right to clean sport!”

The Principle of Strict Liability

The principle of strict liability is applied in situations where urine/blood samples collected from an athlete have produced adverse analytical results.

It means that each athlete is strictly liable for the substances found in his or her bodily specimen, and that an anti-doping rule violation occurs whenever a prohibited substance (or its metabolites or markers) is found in bodily specimen, whether or not the athlete intentionally or unintentionally used a prohibited substance or was negligent or otherwise at fault.

Questions and Answers on Strict Liability in Anti-Doping can be found on WADA’s website

 

The Consequences of Doping

An athlete runs very high risks by consuming doping substances or by using prohibited methods. This may result in very severe health but also sporting, financial, legal and social consequences.

Physical and Mental Health

Physical health: depending on the substance, the dosage and the consumption frequency, doping products may have particularly negative side effects on health. Some damages for the body are irreversible and may lead that the athlete’s life be in great danger.

Psychological health: some doping substances may not be detrimental to the body but exercise an impact on mental health. It has been scientifically evidenced that anxiety, obsessive disorders, addiction, substance dependency, behaviour changes, depression, withdrawal, loss of self-identity or psychosis are direct consequences from doping, among others.

Social consequences

Some of social consequences of doping include:

  • Damage to reputation and image, which can be permanent with media attention, and future clean performances can be met with skepticism.
  • Damage to future career prospects.
  • Isolation from peers and sport.
  • Damaged relationships with friends and family.
  • Effects on emotional and psychological well-being.
  • Loss of standing, fame, respect and credibility.

Financial consequences

The financial consequences of doping can include:

  • Fines that an Anti-Doping Organization (ADO) may have included in their anti-doping rules including costs associated with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV).
  • Loss of income/financial support, such as government funding, other forms of financial support and by not participating in the competitions.
  • Loss of financial support due to withdrawal of sponsor.
  • Requirement to reimburse sponsor, if included in the contract.
  • Reimbursement of prize money.
  • Impact of damaged reputation on future career prospects.

Sporting consequences

The sanctions for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) can include:

  • Provisional Suspension. The athlete or other person is temporarily banned from participating in any competition or activity while waiting for the results management process to be complete or until the final decision is rendered.
  • Ineligibility. The athlete or other person is not allowed to compete or participate in any other activity, such as training, coaching, or even access to funding due to an ADRV. This period of ineligibility can be for up to 4 years or even life depending on the circumstances of the ADRV.
  • Disqualification of results. The athlete’s results during a particular period, competition or event are invalidated, which comes with forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.
  • Public Disclosure. The Anti-Doping Organization (ADO) informs the general public of the ADRV.
  • Fines.

Legal consequences

In addition to the sport, health, social and financial consequences listed above, doping can come with other legal consequences, such as:

  • Some countries have gone beyond the World Anti-Doping Code and made using a prohibited substance a criminal offence (e.g. Austria, Italy, France).
  • In some countries, ADRVs related to trafficking, possession or administering a prohibited substance or some substances on the Prohibited List are considered a criminal offence.

For more information, visit Anti-Doping Education and Learning

 

Why is Doping in Sport Prohibited?

The use of doping substances or doping methods to enhance performance is fundamentally wrong and is detrimental to the overall spirit of sport. Drug misuse can be harmful to an athlete’s health and to other athletes competing in the sport. It severely damages the integrity, image and value of sport, whether or not the motivation to use drugs is to improve performance. To achieve integrity and fairness in sport, a commitment to clean sport is critical.

 

What Constitutes an Anti-Doping Rule Violation?

An Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) is when an Athlete or Athlete Support Person commits a doping offense and subsequently there are consequences or sanctions to that person.

WADA defines the following ten Anti-Doping Rule Violations:

  1. Presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites or markers in an athlete’s sample
  2. Use or attempted use by an athlete of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method
  3. Evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection
  4. Whereabouts failures (any combination of three missed tests and/or filing failures within a 12-month period by an athlete)
  5. Tampering or attempted tampering with any part of doping control
  6. Possession of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method
  7. Trafficking or attempted trafficking in any prohibited substance or prohibited method
  8. Administration or attempted administration to any athlete in-competition of 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.
  9. Complicity (assisting, encouraging, aiding, abetting, conspiring, covering up or any other type of intentional complicity involving an Anti-Doping Rule Violation)
  10. Prohibited Association

 

Rights and Responsibilities

IPSC Athtletes and the Athlete’s Support Personnel must abide by the WADA Code in terms of:

  • Be knowledgeable of and comply with these Anti-Doping Rules.
  • Be available for sample collection at all times.
  • Take responsibility, in the context of anti-doping, for what they ingest and Use.
  • Inform medical personnel of they obligation not to Use Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods and to take responsibility to make sure that any medical treatment received does not violate these Anti-Doping Rules.
  • Disclose to IPSC and their National Anti-Doping Organization any decision by a non-Signatory finding that the Athlete committed an anti-doping rule violation within the previous ten (10) years.
  • Cooperate with Anti-Doping Organizations investigating anti-doping rule violations.
  • Cooperate in full with Anti-Doping Organizations investigating anti-doping rule violations failure to do so may result in a charge of misconduct under IPSC’s disciplinary rules.
  • Disclose the identity of their Athlete Support Personnel upon request by IPSC or a Member Association, or any other Anti-Doping Organization with authority over the Athlete.
  • Do not engage in Offensive conduct towards a Doping Control official or other Person involved in Doping Control by an Athlete, if this does not otherwise constitute Tampering, it may result in a charge of misconduct under IPSC’s disciplinary rules.

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What do athletes and athlete support personnel need to know about anti-doping?

Athletes, their support personnel and others who are subject to anti-doping rules all have rights and responsibilities under the World Anti-Doping Code (Code). Part Three of the Code outlines all of the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in the anti-doping system.

Athletes’ Rights

Ensuring that athletes are aware of their rights and that these rights are respected is vital to the success of clean sport. WADA’s Athlete Committee (now Athlete Council) drafted the Athletes’ Anti-Doping Rights Act (Act). This Act is made up of two parts. Part one sets out rights that are found in the Code and International Standards. Part two sets out recommended athlete rights that are not found in the Code or International Standards but are rights that athletes recommend that Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) adopt for best practice.

Athlete rights outlined in the Code include:

  • Equal opportunities in their pursuit of sport, free of participation by other athletes who dope
  • Equitable and fair testing programs
  • A Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) application process
  • To be heard, to have a fair hearing within a reasonable time by a fair, impartial and operationally independent hearing panel, with a timely reasoned decision specifically including an explanation of the reasons of the decision
  • Right to appeal the hearing decision
  • Any ADO that has jurisdiction over them will be accountable for its action and an athlete shall have the ability to report any compliance issue
  • Ability to report Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) through an anonymous mechanism and not be subjected to threats or intimidation
  • Receiving anti-doping education
  • Fair handling of their personal information by ADOs in accordance with the International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information (ISPPPI) and any local applicable law
  • To pursue damages from another athlete whose actions have damaged that athlete by the commission of an ADRV
  • During the sample collection process, right to:
    • See the identification of the Doping Control Officer (DCO)
    • Request additional information about the sample collection process, about the authority under which it will be carried out and on the type of sample collection
    • Hydrate
    • Be accompanied by a representative and, if available, an interpreter
    • Request a delay in reporting to the doping control station for valid reasons (International Standard for Testing and Investigations Art. 5.4.4)
    • Request modifications for athletes with impairments (if applicable)
    • Be informed of their rights and responsibilities
    • Receive a copy of the records of the process
    • Have further protections for “protected persons” because of their age or lack of legal capacity
    • Request and attend the B sample analysis (in the case of an Adverse Analytical Finding)

 

Athletes’ Responsibilities

Athletes’ rights to clean sport come with corresponding responsibilities, and athletes may be tested in- and out-of-competition, anytime, anywhere and with no advance notice.

Their clean sport responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

  • Complying with IPSC Anti-Doping Rules [and relevant policies if applicable] (in line with the World Anti-Doping Code)
  • Being available for sample collection (urine, blood or dried blood spot (DBS)), whether in-competition or out-of-competition
  • Remaining within direct observation of the Doping Control Officer (DCO) or chaperone at all times from notification until the completion of the sample collection process
  • Providing identification upon request during the sample collection process
  • Ensuring that no prohibited substance enters their body and that no prohibited method is used on them
  • Ensuring that any treatment is not prohibited according to the Prohibited List in force and checking this with the prescribing physicians, or directly with IPSC if necessary
  • Applying to IPSC if no alternative permitted treatment is possible and a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) is required
  • Reporting immediately for sample collection after being notified of being selected for doping control
  • Ensuring the accuracy of the information entered on the Doping Control Form (DCF)
  • Cooperating with ADOs investigating ADRVs
  • Not working with coaches, trainers, physicians or other athlete support personnel who are ineligible on account of an ADRV or who have been criminally convicted or professionally disciplined in relation to doping (see WADA’s Prohibited Association List)

Athlete Support Personnel Rights

Athlete support personnel and other persons also have rights and responsibilities under the Code.

These include:

  • Right to a fair hearing, before an independent hearing panel
  • Right to appeal the hearing decision
  • Rights regarding data protection, according to the ISPPPI and any local applicable law

Athlete Support Personnel Responsibilities

Athlete support personnel’s responsibilities under the Code include:

  • Using their influence on athlete values and behaviors to foster clean sport behaviors
  • Knowing and complying with all applicable anti-doping policies and rules, including IPSC’s Anti-Doping Rules [and relevant policies if applicable] (in line with the Code)
  • Cooperating with the athlete doping control program
  • Cooperating with IPSCs investigating Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs)
  • Informing the relevant IF and/or NADO if they have committed an ADRV in the last 10 years
  • Refraining from possessing a prohibited substance (or a prohibited method)*, administering any such substance or method to an athlete, trafficking, covering up an anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) or other forms of complicity and associating with a person convicted of doping
    (prohibited association). These are ADRVs applicable to athlete support personnel under Article 2 of the World Anti-Doping Code and Article 21 of IPSC’s Anti-Doping Rules.* Unless the athlete support personnel can establish that the possession is consistent with a TUE granted to an athlete or other acceptable justification. Acceptable justification would include, for example, a team doctor carrying prohibited substances for dealing with acute and emergency situations.

 

IPSC Recommendation to Athlete Support Personnel

Here are some ways athlete support personnel can support their athletes in their education on clean sport:

What are the organizations involved in protecting clean sport?

World Anti-Doping Agency

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was established in 1999 as an international independent agency to lead a collaborative worldwide movement for doping-free sport. WADA’s governance and funding are based on equal partnership between the Sport Movement and Governments of the world.
WADA’s primary role is to develop, harmonize and coordinate anti-doping rules and policies across all sports and countries. WADA’s key activities include:

  • Scientific and social science research
  • Education
  • Intelligence & investigations
  • Development of anti-doping capacity and capability
  • Monitoring of compliance with the World Anti-Doping Program.

For more information about WADA, consult WADA’s website

 

IPSC as International Federation (IF)

IPSC as an International Federation (IF) is responsible for implementing an effective and Code-compliant anti-doping program for the sport of Practical Shooting. Under the World Anti-Doping Code, IFs are required to carry out the following anti-doping activities:

  • Providing education programs
  • Analyzing the risk of doping in their sport
  • Conducting in-competition and out-of-competition testing
  • Management of Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) for international-level athletes
  • Results Management including sanctioning those who commit Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs)

If you have any anti-doping queries, please contact [email protected]

 

 

National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs)

NADOs are organizations designated by each country as possessing the primary authority and responsibility to:

  • Adopt and implement anti-doping rules at a national level
  • Plan and carry out anti-doping education
  • Plan tests and adjudicate anti-doping rule violations at a national level
  • Test athletes from other countries competing within that nation’s borders if required to

Click HERE for check the list of NADOs by country

 

 

Regional Anti-Doping Organizations (RADOs)

In a number of regions of the world, countries have pooled their resources together to create a RADO responsible for conducting anti-doping activities in the region in support of NADOs.

RADOs bring together geographically-clustered groups of countries where there are limited or no anti-doping activities, for which they take over responsibility, including:

  • Providing anti-doping education for athletes, coaches and support personnel
  • Testing athletes
  • Training of local sample collection personnel (doping control officers/chaperones)
  • An administrative framework to operate within.

 

Click HERE for check the list of RADOs

 

 

WADA

WADA Website

World Anti-Doping Code

List of Prohibited Substances and Methods

SPEAK UP! - Reporting Doping

Anti-Doping Education and Learning Platform (ADEL)

IPSC

IPSC Anti-Doping Rules

Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)

Contact IPSC Anti-Doping

ITA - REVEAL

ITA Website

REVEAL Report Doping

Therapeutic Use Exemption Submission - TIA

 

DOWNLOADS (PDF)

World Anti-Doping Code (English)

IPSC Anti-Doping Rules

Athlete's Anti-Doping Rights Act (English)

2026 Prohibited List

TUE Application Form

WADA Anti-Doping Glossary