The PFA has continued to cooperate and work with the Football Association to ensure that our members are aware of their responsibilities under the current FA Doping Control Regulations.
Below is a player’s short guide to the FA Doping Control Regulations which have been produced by the PFA and the FA to assist members in complying with the regulations for the 2008/09 season.
The guide stresses the importance of Whereabouts information and also who has responsibility to provide this Whereabouts information to the FA. The club has to provide squad details, training times and venues. If there are any changes to this information for the squad as a whole then the club has responsibility to inform the FA. However, if an individual player is not going to be present at the club training session then it is their responsibility to advise the FA of this and also provide an address where they will be later that day for at least 60 minutes.
The player can request that the club inform the FA of the change of their whereabouts information however, if the club fail to do so it is still the individual who will be liable for a missed test. Three missed tests in an 18 month period will result in a minimum suspension of 3 months.
Premier League players will also have blood testing alongside urine testing during the 2008/09 season.
If any members have any queries regarding the Doping Control Regulations and the changes they should contact John Bramhall or Richard Jobson on 0161 236 0575.
Player’s Short Guide to FA Doping Control Regulations
Season 2008-2009
This leaflet is designed to help you understand FA Doping Control Regulations. Please read all the information carefully.
If you are
NOT going to be at a club training session (eg. if you're ill at home or at another appointment) you
must:
1. Tell The FA
This must be before the start of the training session, by one of the following contact methods:
Fax: 0844 980 8211
SMS: 07800 140062
Email: whereabouts@thefa.com
Tel: 0844 980 8210 (24hr messaging service)
2. Give The FA a full address where you will be for at least 60-minutes later that day.
This is so that The FA have the option to drug test you. Your 60 minutes cannot start any earlier than two hours after you have told the FA about your absence.
3. Be at the address at the time you have stated, and stay there for at least an hour.
If you are not there when a Doping Control Official arrives to test you, you will get a
missed test strike. If you get three missed test strikes in 18 months you could be suspended for at least
3 months.
This is your responsibility, not your club’s!
When you are approached by a Doping Official to take a drug test,
never refuse the test. If you refuse or don’t take the test, you could be suspended for at least 2 years.
It is always better to take the test, no matter what your reason is for wanting to refuse.
If you are notified of a drug test by a Doping Control Official, always go to the Doping Control Station
immediately. If you don't, you could face a fine or a suspension from football.
If you are registered with a Premier League club you may have to take a blood drug test. This might be after a match or training, and could be collected
as well as a urine test.
Downloads:
Players education posters
Player Advice - English version
Player Advice - French version
Player Advice - Spanish version
Players are banned from taking social drugs at all times (both in-competition and out-of-competition). If you test positive for a social drug after a match, you could face a suspension of at least two years, even if you took the drug a few days earlier.
It’s when you are tested not when you took the drug that counts.
If you need to take a medicine that’s on the banned list, you must get your doctor to help you fill-in a TUE form and get it sent off to either UK Sport or UEFA (your club medical staff will tell you which one). Unless you have a life-threatening injury/illness, you should never take the medicine without first making sure that your TUE has been approved.
TUEs are only approved for a certain amount of time, so if you're still taking the medicine when your TUE has run out you might face a suspension.
Be careful, if you take a banned medicine and don’t have a valid TUE, you could face a suspension of at least two years.
Be extremely careful with supplements, as recent studies have shown some to contain anabolic steroids that are not listed on the label. Always check with your club medical staff before taking any supplement but remember, its still your responsibility to ensure that you don’t take any banned drugs.
If you test positive for a banned drug you will face a suspension from football, even if it was contained in a contaminated supplement.
These notes have been produced by The Football Association and the PFA to assist you in complying with FA Regulations during the coming season. The above information is valid for season 2008-2009
.
