United States Anti-Doping Agency - World Anti-Doping Code

World Anti-Doping Code

USADA is responsible for implementation of the World Anti-Doping Code in the United States. The Code works in conjunction with five international standards for uniformed and harmonization of testing programs across the globe and is widely considered the basis for the strongest and strictest anti-doping programs in sports. The Code works in conjunction with the following international standards:

• WADA Prohibited List (Outlining the substances and methods prohibited in sport)
• The International Standard for Testing (IST) (Test Planning and Sample Collection Process)
• International Standard for Laboratories (ISL) (Standard for the caliber of laboratories that can process athlete samples.)
• International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) (The approval process for allowing athletes to obtain exemptions for prohibited substances when a legitimate medical reason exists.)
• International Standard for Protection of Privacy and Personal Information. (Privacy protections when collecting and using athlete personal information.)

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) required that all Olympic sports adopt the World Anti-Doping Code prior to August 13, 2004.

While the WADA code has been accepted by numerous sport organizations, leagues, and federations around the world, the overwhelming majority of U.S. professional sport leagues (NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, MLS); state athletic federations (boxing, UFC); as well as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are not signatories of the WADA Code and are often criticized for having less-effective anti-doping programs in comparison to the Olympic, Paralympic and Pan-American movements, as well as those professional sport programs in other countries that have become signatories of the WADA Code.