FIVB Medical and Anti-Doping Regulations 2023
The current version is the edition of 23 June 2023; the definition of anti-doping rule violations and the rules for establishing them were set out in greater detail, and a reporting duty concerning athlete support personnel was brought into the text.
| In force from | 23 June 2023 |
| Issued by | Fédération Internationale de Volleyball — 2023 edition |
| Structure | Medical section + anti-doping rules and definitions annex |
| Status | Current version — the governing medical and anti-doping regulations |
What are the FIVB Medical and Anti-Doping Regulations?
The Medical and Anti-Doping Regulations of the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) bring together two instruments in a single text: the medical rules for events — including the injury reporting procedure — and the Anti-Doping Rules, which implement the World Anti-Doping Code in volleyball. The federation may delegate part or all of doping control to a third party such as the International Testing Agency (ITA), and adjudication and results management to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but responsibility for compliance remains its own.
About the June 2023 editionChanges from January 2021
Key changes from the previous edition
- Anti-doping rule violations set out in detail, and strict liabilityThe article on violations was rewritten so as to determine more precisely the circumstances and conduct that constitute a violation, with renewed express provision that proof of intent, fault, negligence or knowing use is not required.
- Rules for establishing useIt was made clear that use or attempted use alone of a prohibited substance or method suffices to constitute a violation, and that use may be established on the basis of reliable analytical data from the A sample, without confirmation by the B sample. The organisation responsible for results management may also, at its own discretion, analyse the B sample even without a request from the athlete.
- Distinction between sample-collection violationsThe difference between "failing to submit to sample collection" — which may be intentional or negligent — and "evading" and "refusing" was clarified.
- Complicity and athlete support personnelIt was expressly provided that complicity or attempted complicity includes physical and psychological assistance, and anti-doping organisations were placed under a duty to report athlete support personnel who meet the prescribed criteria.
Who this document matters to
Every doping case involving Iranian volleyball players is adjudicated on the basis of this text. The decisive point in a defence: liability is strict, and establishing a violation requires no proof of intent, fault or negligence on the athlete's part. The medical regulations likewise impose obligations on the team doctor and the federation at international events.