Athlete Location Form

The Athlete Location Form is one of a number of administrative tools developed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for use by national anti-doping organizations in the supervision of all out-of-competition drug testing.

Prior to the growth of WADA as the most important anti-doping organization in the world, out-of-competition drug testing was administered by national sports bodies in general accordance with the direction given by international federations such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as directed by their member national organizations. These testing protocols were often administered in an irregular and inconsistent fashion from nation to nation, as there was no supreme recognized authority as to how such programs must be implemented and administered.

Soon after the creation of WADA in 1999, and the corresponding adoption of WADA's procedures as the standard by which all out-of-competition drug testing would be administered, WADA devised the Athlete Location Form and related testing procedures with the intent of providing certainty to the administering agency as to where an athlete could be located for testing at any given time. Each international sport federation or other body administering the tests could amend the form to suit the individual circumstances of the sport; out-of-competition is an expression that will have a distinct meaning in different sports, as the competitive season will vary in each.

The most important aspect of the form is the disclosure by the athlete as to the training schedule and training location every day of the week. The primary training venue, any secondary training venue, the athlete's work and study schedule, and all residences must be clearly set out for the supervising body. All training camps and competitions must also be itemized. The athlete has the ability to change any information submitted, if notice is provided in advance to the agency by way of a properly completed Change of Plan form.

The strength of the WADA procedures are in their certainty, which permits transparent enforcement. A failure to accurately set out athlete location information, with an intent to hinder or defeat an out-of-competition test, is a potential doping violation that may subject the athlete to a competition ban, as if they had tested positive.

see also Doping tests; Out-of-competition testing; U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA); World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).