Doping in football
Whether it is fear of failure, bad advice by a coach or doctor, a need to speed up recovery, or simple ignorance, the results of doping in football are the same: players can not only lose their professional career and damage their personal reputation, they can also harm their physical and mental health for the rest of their lives.
FIFA’s anti-doping approach
FIFA’s priority is to safeguard the physical health and mental integrity of players, uphold and preserve the ethics of sport and ensure that all competitors have an equal chance.
That is why, as well as working with national associations and confederations in football, FIFA has joined forces with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and national anti-doping organisations to fight doping effectively.
FIFA sets the anti-doping rules in football in line with the WADA Code – the definitive anti-doping rulebook – and has a worldwide network of professional and trained doping control officers who help conduct doping controls in and out of competition.
The rules
FIFA’s Anti-Doping Regulations establish the doping control process and the sanctions that apply if a player is found to have broken the rules.
Learn about the latest edition of the FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations, which apply as of 1 January 2021.
Doping is when players take prohibited substances or use prohibited methods to improve their performance. WADA regularly updates its list of substances and methods that are prohibited because they enhance performance, damage a player’s health or go against the spirit of sport.
If players have a legitimate medical reason for using a prohibited substance or method that is on the list, they may be accommodated if they meet the criteria outlined in the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (ISTUE).
In order to make sure football stays clean, random doping controls are conducted. This means testing players’ blood and/or urine to make sure they are not using any prohibited substances or methods.
As a player, you have a number of responsibilities when it comes to anti-doping matters.
The revised FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations (FIFA ADR) apply as of 1 January 2021. While retaining their core principles and proven processes, the revised FIFA ADR include the changes from the new World Anti-Doping Code as well as important updates in order to address the new challenges in the fight against doping in football worldwide.
Download links to FIFA’s Anti-Doping Regulations, FIFA Anti-Doping Report 2019/20, FIFA TUE application form, and FIFA TUE Policy