Basketball England condemns, and is totally opposed to, the use of performance enhancing drugs and doping practices in the sport of basketball and fully supports the position of the International Olympic Committee, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), UK Anti-Doping and FIBA against the use of banned substances and methods. All players have the right to compete in sport knowing that they, and their competitors, are clean. We believe in clean sport and work in partnership with UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) and FIBA to ensure that the integrity of our sport is protected.
An Anti-Doping rule violation shall be considered a breach of the Basketball England Code of Ethics and Conduct and of the UK Anti-Doping Rules.
The use, possession and/or trafficking of banned substances, methods or the encouragement or counselling to use banned substances, or methods; and/or taking measures to mask the use of banned substances or methods by a participant in tournaments, competitions, events or fixtures over which Basketball England has jurisdiction is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
Basketball England is part of UK Anti-Doping which means ALL players competing in the Senior and Junior National Leagues, and BBL/WBBL competitions may be subjected to Drug Testing by UKAD at any time during the season.
Basketball England has in place a set of anti-doping rules that all players and player support personnel must abide by. The anti-doping rules for Basketball England are consistent with the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code), the core document that harmonises anti-doping policies, rules and regulations within sport globally.
The Anti-Doping rules of Basketball England are the rules published by UK Anti-Doping (or its successor), as amended from time to time. If you are a member of Basketball England then the anti-doping rules apply to you, regardless of what level you participate at. You can find the UK Anti-Doping Rules here.
From 1 January 2023, a new version of the Code is in effect and it’s important that all athletes and athlete support personnel are aware of how this impacts them. For more information on the changes within the 2021 Code, visit UKAD’s website here.
Under the 2021 Code, an athlete may be classified as being “International-Level”, “National-Level” or a “Recreational Athlete” based on their competition level. Further information on these different categories is available on the UKAD website.
Breaking the anti-doping rules can result in a ban from all sport. The Code outlines the Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs). Athletes and athlete support personnel need to make sure they are fully aware of these violations, and the consequences of breaking them. For more information and what this means for those individuals, click here.
For information on individuals serving a ban from sport, visit UKAD’s sanction page on their website.
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 players and player support personnel should make themselves aware of the risks, so they don’t receive an unintentional ban from sport. Useful information for players and support personnel can be found on the UKAD website. Everyone involved within basketball; players, coaches, administrators or team mates have a duty to ensure that each player is aware of their own responsibility and accountability. Each player is personally responsible for any prohibited substance found in their system – regardless of how it got there. To assist, ALL players should:
Check the status of any substance before using it
Stay up to date with the latest WADA Prohibited List of Substances and Methods.
Inform all medical personnel that you must abide by anti – doping rules and that any medical treatment you receive must not violate these rules.
All prohibited substances and methods in Code-compliant sports are outlined in the Prohibited List. The Prohibited List is managed and coordinated by WADA, found on the WADA website here. The List is updated each year, coming into effect on 1st January. It is possible for WADA to make changes to the List more than once a year, but they must communicate such changes three months before they come into effect. As this list is updated annually, athletes and athlete support personnel should make sure they check it ahead of it coming into effect. More information can be found on UKAD’s website here.
One of the major modifications to the 2022 List is that WADA will prohibit local glucocorticoid injections in-competition.
UKAD's new TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption) policy sets out guidance for how athletes and doctors should comply with the changes.
The following documents have been developed to support the policy:
CHECKING MEDICATIONS
Before taking any medication (whether from a doctor or purchased over the counter), athletes must check to make sure it doesn’t contain any prohibited substances. Medications (ingredients or brand name) can be checked online at Global DRO.
It is important to note that medications bought in one country may contain different ingredients to the same branded medication in another country. For more information on checking medications, visit UKAD’s website here.
Check out the video below from UKAD’s Athlete Commission member and British Paralympic Powerlifter, Ali Jawad, on using Global DRO.
UKAD always advises a food first approach to nutrition, as there are no guarantees that any supplement product is free from prohibited substances. Players can support their training and progress towards their targets by eating and enjoying nutritious food. With a bit of planning, it is possible to eat a delicious and healthy diet made up of a variety of food types at the right time, and in the right quantities.
Players should assess the need, the risks and the consequences before deciding to take a supplement, and if they need to use one, visit the Informed Sport website to check whether supplements have been batch-tested. More advice on managing supplement risks can be found on UKAD’s Supplement Hub here.
If a player with a legitimate medical condition needs to use a prohibited substance or method, they will need to apply for a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). This is only accepted if there are no other suitable permitted medications or treatments that can be used, and there is a strict, detailed process to determine this. Players can find out more information about the TUE process on the UKAD website here and use the TUE Wizard to find out whether they need to apply for a TUE and who to submit their application to.
Any player in either an England Age Group Squad or Senior Great Britain/ England Squad should advise all medical personnel of their obligation to abide by the UK Anti-Doping rules and that any medical treatment received must not violate these rules.
Players should feel prepared and know their rights and responsibilities when they are notified to be tested by a Chaperone or Doping Control Officer. The Doping Control Officer (DCO) will liaise with the match officials to obtain a copy of the scoresheet. They will draw at random two players from each team (i.e. any player who appears on the scoresheet). This will be done at half-time in the game using tokens that are sealed into envelopes which are then opened at the team benches 5 minutes before the end of the game. Team managers may attend the draw. Check out this video below on the testing process from start to finish. Players can find out more in the Introduction to Testing section of UKAD’s website. The section also explains about modifications to the testing process for minors or athletes with an impairment.
100% me is UKAD’s values-based education and information programme, helping players meet their anti-doping responsibilities throughout their sporting journey. We want all players to be clean, stay clean and believe all others are clean. For more information on what this means, visit UKAD’s website here.
UKAD’s 100% me Clean Sport App can also be downloaded from iOS App Store, or Google Play, for essential anti-doping information.
Protecting clean sport depends on everyone playing their part - athletes, coaches, or parents - whether on centre stage or behind the scenes. Speak out if you feel there’s something wrong - no matter how small. UKAD guarantee that your identity will always be kept 100% confidential.
There are different ways to speak out:
Email - When you feel something’s wrong, send an email. UKAD guarantee that your name and email address will be kept confidential. Email at [email protected]
Online Form - Tell us what you know via our online form on protectyoursport.co.uk. You will remain anonymous as standard, but if you choose to share your details confidentially it could help us catch those in sport who seek to cheat
24/7 Hotline - Call on 08000 32 23 32. We are here to listen. If you prefer to remain 100% anonymous you can. Or if you share your details, they will be kept confidential, and may help keep sport clean
Find out the more about speaking out and Protect Your Sport here.
Please do not hesitate to ask questions about the anti-doping rules. As well as asking Basketball England and player support personnel, players may also contact UKAD directly, who will be able to answer any questions and provide guidance. They can be contacted at [email protected] 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.
Both Basketball England and UKAD acknowledges the duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and are committed to ensuring safeguarding practice reflects statutory responsibilities, government guidance and complies with best practice and UKAD requirements.
The UKAD policy recognises that the welfare and interests of children are paramount in all circumstances. It aims to ensure that regardless of age, gender, religion or beliefs, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or socio-economic background, all children:
The full UKAD Safeguarding Policy can be found here.
Please find a summary of Anti-Doping activities Basketball England completed over the last year here
