General·International Regulations·WADA
2003 World Anti-Doping Code
The first edition of the World Anti-Doping Code, adopted in 2003 and in force from 2004; the document that for the first time harmonised anti-doping rules worldwide.
| Adoption | 5 March 2003 — World Anti-Doping Agency |
| In force from | 1 January 2004 |
| Structure | Code, 2003 edition |
| Status | Superseded — the first edition of the Code |
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 their mitigation and aggravation, and organises the procedure for results management, hearings and appeals. All international federations, National Olympic Committees and national anti-doping organisations that have accepted it are required to bring their own rules into conformity with it; the International Standards — from the Prohibited List to sample collection, therapeutic use exemptions, results management, education and privacy — determine the technical detail of its implementation.
About the 2003 edition
Features of this edition
- Global harmonisation of the rulesBefore this Code, each federation and each country had its own rules. This document, for the first time, imposed on all those accepting it a single definition of an anti-doping rule violation, of sanctions and of the hearing procedure.
- The three-tier structure of the World Anti-Doping ProgrammeThe Code was placed at the top, with the International Standards for technical areas and Models of Best Practice and Guidelines defined as the subsequent tiers.
- Link to the Olympic Charter and the UNESCO ConventionThe text relies on the recognition of doping prevention in the Olympic Charter and later in the International Convention against Doping in Sport (UNESCO, 2005).
Who this document matters to
Every athlete doping case, in any sport, ultimately comes back to this text; the anti-doping rules of the world federations are nothing other than the implementation of this Code in 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 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.