General·International Regulations·WADA
World Anti-Doping Code 2015 (with 2019 amendments)
The text of the 2015 Code with the amendments in force from 1 June 2019; a limited, technical amendment concerning the manner in which certain endogenous substances are reported.
| In force from | 1 June 2019 |
| Published by | World Anti-Doping Agency |
| Structure | 2015 Code together with the 2019 amendments |
| Status | Superseded — replaced by the 2021 edition |
What is the World Anti-Doping Code?
The World Anti-Doping Code is the foundational instrument of the global anti-doping system: it defines anti-doping rule violations, sets the burden and standard of proof, enumerates sanctions and the conditions for reducing and increasing them, and organises the procedure for results management, hearings and appeals. All International Federations, National Olympic Committees and National Anti-Doping Organizations that have accepted it are required to bring their own rules into conformity with it; the International Standards — from the Prohibited List to testing, therapeutic use exemptions, results management, education and privacy — set out the technical detail of its implementation.
About the 2015 edition with the 2019 amendmentsChanges from the 2015 edition with the 2018 amendments
Key changes from the previous edition
- Reporting of endogenous substances as an Atypical FindingThis amendment provided that certain endogenous substances be reported as an Atypical Finding rather than as an "Adverse Analytical Finding"; a distinction that alters the course of the proceedings and of provisional suspension.
Who this document matters to
Every athlete doping case, in any sport, ultimately returns to this text; the anti-doping rules of the international federations are nothing other than the implementation of this Code within that sport. Three points are decisive in a defence: liability in doping is strict, and proof of intent or fault is not required; the burden and standard of proof are defined in the Code itself and are not the same as the criminal standards; and each case is governed by the edition that was in force at the time the violation occurred, unless a later edition is more favourable to the accused.