Anti-doping regulations

The 2008 version of the UEFA anti-doping regulations are now in force.

First application
The regulations, which apply to in and out-of-competition controls, will be used for the first time during May's UEFA European Under-17 Championship and UEFA European Women's Under-17 Championship final rounds in Turkey and Switzerland respectively. They will also take effect for any out-of-competition controls for UEFA EURO 2008™ as well as for the tournament itself in Austria and Switzerland, beginning on 7 June.

The main amendments, bringing these regulations into line with the UEFA Organisational Regulations, are as follows:

• Article 7.04 (new)
If, for any reason, the draw cannot be conducted at half-time, the doping control officer shall contact the team representatives and inform them of the time and place of the open draw that shall be conducted instead. The team representatives must be present for this open draw. However, should either or both of them not be at the designated place on time, the doping control officer may proceed with the draw.

• Article 10.04 and Annex A, point 3
The reference to 'glass' bottles is no longer necessary. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the only requirement is that bottles provided at the doping control station must be unopened and properly sealed.

• Article 16 – Blood testing procedure 
A minor amendment has been made concerning the blood testing procedure in order to comply with the revised FIFA and WADA rules/standards.

Information session
Given the disciplinary consequences that a player could face in the event of an anti-doping rule violation, UEFA is recommending that clubs' head team doctor organises an information session for the club staff, medical staff and, last but not least, the players themselves, since this subject concerns them in particular.

Risks and dangers
To help the organisation of players' sessions, UEFA has produced a leaflet warning players about the risks and dangers of doping. It insists that all players must be fully informed about the risks involved in taking any form of medication or food supplement. Players should also be aware that doping controls can be carried out at any time, both in and out of competition.

Anti-doping issues
The leaflet deals with the most important anti-doping issues that players should know about. It is written in a straightforward and comprehensible style. Seven language versions are available: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Russian.

Sporting ethics
Doping has become a constant preoccupation of international sports organisations and national governments. The fundamental aims of UEFA's doping controls are to uphold and preserve the ethics of sport, to safeguard the physical health and mental integrity of football players and to ensure that all competitors have an equal chance.

UEFA drive
The UEFA anti-doping regulations contain among other things: definitions of doping; details of prohibited substances; information on so-called Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE); doping control procedures and obligations for associations, clubs and players; procedures for sample analysis; and disciplinary procedures in the event of violations of anti-doping provisions. The 2008 UEFA regulations can be found in uefa.com's anti-doping section. Click here for the regulations and other essential anti-doping information. A dedicated email address for questions relating to anti-doping issues has also been set up: anti-doping@uefa.ch.