Home / UKAD / The Big Picture

Top Tips for Clean Sport

exclamation

What is it?

An athlete is responsible for anything found in their system, regardless of how it got there or whether there is any intention to cheat. All athletes and athlete support personnel should make themselves aware of the risks, so they don't receive an unintentional ban from sport. Useful information for athletes can be found on the UKAD Website.

Strict Liability

Strict Liability is the underlying principle of anti-doping. Athletes are solely responsible for any prohibited substance found in their system whether there was an intention to cheat or not. It is imperative that every athlete understands their personal responsibility and that they incorporate the principle of Strict Liability into their day to day lives. Athletes need to take anti-doping seriously and fully understand the principle of strict liability. Strict liability means that you are solely responsible for any banned substance you use, attempt to use, or is found in your system, regardless of how it got there or whether there was any intention to cheat.

In anti-doping, not knowing is not an excuse!

The principle of Strict Liability does not cater for the careless or ill-informed. Athletes not knowing about the Anti-Doping Rules is not an excuse. An Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) can happen regardless of whether an Athlete deliberately uses a prohibited substance. Many Athletes have been banned after testing positive for prohibited substances through ‘inadvertent doping’. Athletes have a responsibility to check any medications or supplements that they take, and this is discussed in more detail later in this protocol, but as outlined above the principle of Strict Liability is clear. Athletes should be confident that anything they ingest or use, including food, drink, medication, supplements and herbal remedies, does not contain a prohibited substance. It is not an excuse to state that an Athlete has drunk from the wrong bottle or has taken the wrong medication. Remember Strict Liability (UKAD)

For Further Information

Please do not hesitate to ask questions about the anti-doping rules. As well as asking walesnetball@walesnetball.com and athlete support personnel, athletes may also contact UKAD directly, who will be able to answer any questions and provide guidance. They can be contacted at ukad@ukad.org.uk  or +44 (0) 207 842 3450.

Regular updates from UKAD can also be found in the news section of their website, or on their Twitter account: @ukantidoping.

Contact the International Netball Federation via their website - World Netball 

Scroll to Top