Goalball UK Anti Doping Policy
1. General Principles
1.1 The policy of Goalball UK is to promote goalball as a drug free sport. We believe in Clean Sport and work in partnership with UK Anti-Doping and our International Federation to ensure that the integrity of our sport is protected. Doping in sport is cheating. It is fundamentally contrary to the spirit of sport, endangers the health of athletes and of those who emulate and aspire to become athletes and undermines the otherwise positive impact of sport in society.
1.2 Goalball UK is committed to educating and informing all athletes, coaches, and athlete support personnel and others under the jurisdiction of our sport about the dangers of doping and ensuring a sport that is free from the misuse of banned substances and methods.
1.3 Goalball UK is committed to the following:
1.3.1 To uphold and preserve the ethics of sport.
1.3.2 To safeguard the physical health and integrity of the athletes.
1.3.3 To ensure that all athletes have an opportunity to compete equally.
1.3.4 It is a requirement of participation in the sport that all athletes, support personnel and other persons under the jurisdiction of Goalball UK comply with the anti-doping rules set out below.
2. Anti-Doping Rules
2.1 The anti-doping rules of Goalball UK are the UK Anti-Doping Rules published by UK Anti-Doping Limited (or its successor), as amended from time to time. Such rules shall take effect and be construed as rules of Goalball UK.
2.2 If you are a member of Goalball UK, then the anti-doping rules apply to you regardless of what level you participate at. You can find the UK Anti-Doping Rules here UK Anti-Doping Rules 2021.
2.3 The UK Anti-Doping rules shall apply to and shall bind all Athletes, Athlete Support Personnel, and other Persons under the jurisdiction of Goalball UK. Those to whom these Rules apply include:
2.3.1 All Athletes, Athlete Support Personnel and other Persons who are members of or licensed by Goalball UK.
2.3.2 All Athletes, Support Personnel and other Persons participating in such capacity in Events, Competitions and other activities organised, convened, authorised, or recognised by Goalball UK.
2.3.3 All Athlete Support Personnel and other Persons working with, treating, or assisting an Athlete participating in a professional or sporting capacity; and
2.3.4 Any other Athlete, Athlete Support Personnel, or other Persons who, by virtue of an accreditation, membership, licence, contractual arrangement or otherwise, is subject to the jurisdiction of Goalball UK for the purposes of anti-doping, whether or not such person(s) is or are resident in the UK.
2.4 Athletes, Coaches, Athlete Support Personnel, and other Persons must accept these rules as a condition of participation and shall be bound by them. It is the personal responsibility of each athlete and athlete support personnel to acquaint him/herself/themselves and comply with the UK Anti-Doping Rules.
2.5 Athletes, Coaches, Athlete Support Personnel, and other Persons shall be deemed to have made him/herself/themselves familiar with and hereby agrees to be bound by the UK Anti-Doping Rules and to submit to the authority of UK Anti-Doping and any other appropriate body in the application and enforcement of those Rules.
2.6 Athletes, Coaches, Athlete Support Personnel, and other Persons agree to cooperate fully with any World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping investigations or proceeding, whether conducted by UK Anti-Doping or any other competent body.
3. Medication
3.1 If medication is needed it is the responsibility of the athlete to check that it does not contain any banned substances on the Prohibited List.
3.2 If the athlete is competing in national or international competitions it should be explained to GPs, or health professionals that the athlete may be subject to anti-doping testing and therefore all medications need to be checked against the Prohibited List before being prescribed.
3.3 Further details of the Prohibited List here.
3.4 Athletes and health professionals can further check medications on the UK Anti-Doping page Checking Your Medication.
3.5 Information and checking the prohibited status of specific medications based on the current World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List is available by using the Global DRO website.
4. Therapeutic Use Exemptions
4.1 Athlete health and welfare is vital. If an athlete has an illness or condition that requires him/her/them to take medication containing ingredients listed on the Prohibited List, then he/she/they are required to obtain a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE).
4.2 If an athlete needs to use a prohibited substance or method for therapeutic reasons, then he/she/they is required to apply for a TUE in advance of using the substance or method in question (unless there is an exceptional circumstance).
4.3 Goalball UK is obliged to inform Athletes that they would be at risk of incurring an anti-doping rule violation should they be subject to Doping Control without having first obtained a TUE (unless there is an exceptional circumstance for not doing so).
4.4 In the event of an exceptional circumstance a TUE can be sought retrospectively.
4.5 Details on obtaining a TUE can be found at UK Anti-Doping TUE website.
5. Testing
5.1 In testing its athletes, Goalball UK is committed to handling the management of results in a confidential and accountable manner. Carrying out disciplinary procedures where appropriate, using a fair and independent process as laid down by UK Anti-Doping, and their appointed sample collection agency. The disciplinary procedure for a contravention of these rules is published in full in the UK Anti-Doping Rules.
5.2 All Athletes, Athlete Support Personnel and other Persons must cooperate fully with any anti-doping investigations or proceedings, whether conducted by UK Anti-Doping or any other competent body. Failure to do so without acceptable justification may be treated as misconduct under Goalball UK’s Anti-Doping Policy and may be sanctioned accordingly.
5.3 All athletes are subject to drug testing. For the purposes of the UK Anti-Doping Rules, consent of a parent or guardian to the testing of a minor is deemed to follow automatically from the fact that the minor has been permitted by their parent/guardian to participate in goalball. Any minors participating in goalball, therefore, may be subject to anti-doping testing.
5.4 Should an athlete not on UK Anti-Doping’s National Registered Testing Pool or Domestic Testing Pool wish to retire from goalball competition and no longer be subject to anti-doping responsibilities, they must notify Goalball UK via email from their own email address will the following information.
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Address
- International competition level (i.e. GB Women, GB Men)
- Domestic club/team
- Statement to confirm retirement and from what date
This will ensure the athlete is removed from the registered testing pool. The email with athlete’s details will remain on file and shared with UK Anti-Doping upon request.
6. Intelligence and Investigations
6.1 All Athletes, Athlete Support Personnel and other Persons must cooperate fully with any anti-doping investigations or proceedings, whether conducted by UK Anti-Doping or any other competent body. Failure to do so without acceptable justification may be treated as misconduct under Goalball UK’s Code of Conduct and maybe sanctioned accordingly.
6.2 In the event that a person who is subject to Goalball UK’s jurisdiction commits an act of misconduct that relates to anti-doping but does not amount to a violation of the UK Anti-Doping Rules, Goalball UK may bring disciplinary proceedings against that person for such misconduct under Code of Conduct and they may be sanctioned accordingly.
6.3 If Goalball UK learns of any information relating in any way to an apparent Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) by an Athlete, or Athlete Support Personnel under its jurisdiction, it shall immediately report that information in full to UK Anti-Doping.
7. Anti-Doping Officer Responsibilities
7.1 Goalball UK’s Anti-Doping Officers are responsible to the Board for the management of this policy and for reviewing and recommending any revisions to it. They are also responsible for related education programmes and the agreement of a Doping Control Programme with UK Anti-Doping.
7.2 The Anti-Doping Officer is also responsible for notifying Goalball UK’s Board and UK Anti-Doping of any known infringements of these rules by Athletes or Athlete Support Personnel who may be tested inside or outside of the UK.
7.3 The National Talent Lead for Goalball will act as Goalball UK’s Anti-Doping Officer, leading the organisation’s anti-doping functions and being responsible for ensuring that it satisfies the requirements of this policy, including liaising with UK Anti- Doping as required.
8. Education
Goalball UK will implement its new Anti-Doping Education Strategy 2022-2024 to take all practicable steps to educate its athletes, staff, and athlete support personnel on the ethical values of participating in goalball as outlined above, familiarising the principles of this policy and the provisions of UK Anti-Doping Rules and in particular their own respective individual rights and responsibilities.