Whereabouts

RTP and CAP Athlete Requirements

An important part of USADA’s testing program is the ability to test athletes without any advance notice in an out-of-competition setting. To maximize testing resources and minimize the burden on athletes, USADA has created a Registered Testing Pool (RTP) and a Clean Athlete Program (CAP). Athletes in the RTP and CAP are subject to different Whereabouts requirements and compliance criteria.

Athletes are subject to testing 365 days a year and do not have “off-seasons” or cutoff periods in which testing does not occur. Whereabouts information (dates, times, locations, etc.) is information submitted to USADA by an athlete that allows the athlete to be located for out-of-competition testing.

Registered Testing Pool

Athletes who have been identified and notified of their inclusion in the USADA Registered Testing Pool (RTP) are responsible for maintaining current and accurate Whereabouts information at all times. This Whereabouts information is used to facilitate out-of-competition testing, which is critical to an effective anti-doping program.

Clean Athlete Program

Athletes who have been notified that they are part of the Clean Athlete Program (CAP) are subject to limited Whereabouts requirements as part of USADA’s strategic testing plan, which in part, is designed to make Whereabouts requirements for athletes proportional to testing.

How are athletes added to the RTP?

The requirements to include athletes in a Registered Testing Pool or other testing pool are driven by the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) International Standard for Testing and Investigations (ISTI).

Some examples of reasons why an athlete would be included in an RTP can include:

Athletes ranked highly in their sport, competing as an international-level athlete, part of a national team, receiving USOPC funding, living or competing abroad, etc…;
Athletes in high risk sport-disciplines for doping based on a sport-specific risk assessment;
Athletes serving a period of Ineligibility or a Provisional Suspension;
Athletes who were high priority for Testing before they retired from the sport and who now wish to return from retirement to active participation in the sport;
Other individualized factors that require out-of-competition testing on an Athlete, thus requiring Whereabouts information.

question:
How does an athlete know if they must submit Whereabouts information?

Athletes will be notified if they are included in the USADA RTP or the CAP and are required to submit Whereabouts information. As outlined in the World Anti-Doping Code, International Standard for Testing & Investigations, and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) National Anti-Doping Policy, elite athletes who have been identified and notified that they are part of the USADA RTP or CAP are responsible for directly keeping USADA informed of their Whereabouts. Athletes who have not been notified of their responsibility to submit Whereabouts information are not required to submit any Whereabouts information, although they can still be tested out-of-competition by USADA.

Athlete Connect App

With the Athlete Connect application, athletes and their support personnel can file and update Whereabouts from their mobile or desktop, complete education requirements, and quickly navigate to Global DRO and USADA’s many other resources. Click below for answers to common questions and step-by-step guides for Athlete Connect.

Athlete whereabouts
Support Booking

Athletes and their support personnel can now obtain personal video call assistance from a USADA staff member when updating or filing Whereabouts in the Athlete Connect application. These support calls can help testing pool athletes when they have questions or need assistance with anything Whereabouts-related.

These support video calls are available:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Mountain Time
In 15 minute increments that can be booked back-to-back

Click the button below to schedule your video call. A confirmation email with a link to the video call will be sent upon booking.

Please note: Individuals with Apple devices will need to enable screen sharing settings.

Comparing
RTP and CAP

Athletes in the RTP and CAP are subject to varying compliance criteria. The following section outlines the different requirements for each pool. At least once a year, athletes in either pool must also complete Athlete’s Advantage®, an online education tutorial that provides information related to anti-doping requirements for RTP and CAP athletes. Athletes must complete the tutorial prior to providing and/or confirming personal information.

	USADA Registered Testing Pool (RTP)	Clean Athlete Program (CAP)
Who is included?	Athletes identified by USADA for inclusion Athletes who fail to comply with expectations while in the Clean Athlete Program Athletes in their International Federation’s Registered Testing Pool Sanctioned Athletes	May include athletes who are selected for a national team or are representing Team USA at international competitions Athletes identified by USADA for inclusion Athletes with specific competition results
What are the Whereabouts requirements?	Required to file and update Whereabouts in compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code and the International Standard for Testing & Investigations. Required information includes: Daily overnight location Daily 60-minute time slot Training locations and times Competitions Other regularly scheduled activities, such as school and/or work locations Update Whereabouts information as soon as locations and schedules change	Required to submit basic contact information quarterly. Required information includes: A primary overnight location Typical training location(s) Competition schedule Ensure basic summary information in Athlete Connect is accurate at all times. No “daily” updating required when their schedule changes from what was submitted to USADA No 60-minute time slot required
Testing	Subject to unannounced out-of-competition testing at any time and at any location, as well as in-competition testing	May be selected for testing based on in-competition v. out-of-competition risk, as well as training and competition schedules
Compliance	Subject to Whereabouts Failures in compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code and International Standard for Testing & Investigations	Non-compliance may result in the athlete being moved to the RTP for a minimum period of nine months NOT subject to Whereabouts failures

Frequently Asked Questions

Got Questions?

Click on the question to drop down the answer.

What are Whereabouts requirements?

Registered Testing Pool

Athletes who have been notified that they are part of the USADA Registered Testing Pool (RTP) are responsible for directly keeping USADA informed of their Whereabouts via quarterly Whereabouts filings and ongoing updates so as to be available for out-of-competition testing at all times.

Clean Athlete Program

Athletes who have been notified that they are part of the Clean Athlete Program (CAP) are also responsible for directly keeping USADA informed of their Whereabouts to accommodate out-of-competition testing. CAP athletes, however, are subject to less stringent Whereabouts requirements as part of USADA’s strategic testing plan, which is designed to make Whereabouts requirements for athletes proportional to testing.

For more information regarding Whereabouts requirements, click here.

When must quarterly Whereabouts filings be submitted to USADA?

Both the USADA RTP and CAP have deadlines for the submission of their Whereabouts information.

Athletes included in the RTP and CAP must complete their Whereabouts filing online and submit it by the 15th of the month ahead of each quarter.

Quarter 1 – December 15
Quarter 2 – March 15
Quarter 3 – June 15
Quarter 4 – September 15

What information should be included with a Whereabouts submission to USADA?

USADA Registered Testing Pool

Athletes included in the USADA RTP must submit two types of Whereabouts information to USADA. One type is the athlete’s quarterly Whereabouts filing, which includes: daily overnight location, daily 60-minute time slot, training locations and times, competitions, AND other regularly scheduled activities, such as school and/or work locations.
- 60-Minute Time Slot
  Any athlete who is in the USADA RTP must provide a specific 60-minute time slot every day between 5 a.m. – 11 p.m., that anchors the athlete to a specific location. The athlete chooses the 60-minute time slot to fit their schedule and during which the athlete must be available and accessible for testing at the specific location during the entire 60-minute time slot. Please note that USADA can choose to, and does, test athletes outside of their 60-minute time slot.
Athletes must also submit Whereabouts UPDATES. If an athlete’s schedule changes during the quarter from what they originally submitted, they must file an update with USADA as soon as changes are made. For example, if an athlete adds a competition to their schedule, they will likely need to add travel information and update their overnight and 60-minute time slot locations.

Clean Athlete Program

Athletes included in the USADA CAP are required to submit basic contact information each quarter. Required information includes: a primary overnight residence, training location(s) and typical times of training, and details regarding upcoming competitions.
Athletes in the USADA CAP are not required to submit daily Whereabouts updates and they are not subject to Whereabouts Failures.

How does an athlete provide Whereabouts updates to USADA?

Athletes in both the USADA RTP and CAP can submit quarterly Whereabouts filings and Whereabouts updates to USADA through:

The Athlete Connect (linked to http://athleteconnect.usada.org/) web application, accessible via desktop or mobile.
If an athlete cannot access Athlete Connect for updating, they may update their Whereabouts using the following options:
- Text your update to text@USADA.org
- Email your update to update@USADA.org

What are Whereabouts Failures?

There are two types of Whereabouts Failures: Filing Failures and Missed Tests.

Athletes in the USADA Registered Testing Pool are subject to Whereabouts Failures in compliance with the World Anti-Doping Agency Code (Code) and International Standard for Results Management. Athletes in the Clean Athlete Program are not subject to Whereabouts Failures, but may be moved to the USADA RTP for a minimum period of 9 months if found non-compliant with the Whereabouts requirements, during which time they are subject to Whereabouts Failures.

What is a Filing Failure?

Whereabouts filings must be submitted to USADA by the deadlines outlined in the Whereabouts filing section. A Filing Failure will be declared if:

A Whereabouts filing has not been submitted to USADA by the specified deadline.
A Whereabouts filing is too inaccurate or incomplete to reasonably locate the athlete for testing.
A Whereabouts filing and/or update does not include all the required information. For example, not including a designated 60-minute time slot, your apartment number or gate code, if applicable, or regularly scheduled activities.
An athlete is attempted at the listed location provided on the Whereabouts filing and is not available, they are subject to a Filing Failure.

What is a Missed Test?

Athletes in the USADA RTP will receive a Missed Test if they are unavailable during the specified 60-minute time slot indicated on their Whereabouts filing when attempted for testing.

Athletes are accountable for the entire 60-minute time slot, even if a Doping Control Officer does not arrive at the beginning of the time slot. Athletes may be notified at any time during the time slot window.

How can Whereabouts Failures lead to an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV)?

Missed Test = Whereabouts Failure
Filing Failure = Whereabouts Failure
All Whereabouts Failures will be shared and combined with the athlete’s International Federation (IF), the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and USADA, and will be part of a combined Whereabouts Failure record.
Any combination of three Whereabouts Failures (Filing Failures and/or Missed Tests), declared by USADA or an IF, within any 12-month period is considered an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.