If you follow anti-doping news, you have likely encountered an “alphabet soup” of terminology, from acronyms like “ADRV” and “AAF,” to terms like “provisional suspension” and “non-analytical” matters. Results management is one of the more newsworthy areas of anti-doping, and where the terminology and rules tend to be the most technical and the most scrutinized. The following definitions are intended to help make sense of it all.
Results Management
Results management is the process that begins when USADA (or another anti-doping organization) receives laboratory results from a urine or blood test, or information about a possible anti-doping rule violation (ADRV). It encompasses the initial review and notification of potential ADRVs, the enforcement of provisional suspensions, the assertion of violations and proposed consequences, and any related hearing processes.
USADA is responsible for results management and adjudication for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movement. As a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code (the Code), USADA adheres to rules created and maintained by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that are designed to harmonize anti-doping rules around the world. In addition to the Code, USADA adheres to the WADA Prohibited List and a number of international standards, including the International Standard for Results Management.
Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF)
Most cases resulting in a rule violation stem from an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF), which is a report from a WADA-accredited laboratory identifying the presence of a prohibited substance and/or its metabolites or markers in a sample. This is commonly known as a positive test.
When a prohibited substance is detected in an athlete’s “A” sample, USADA receives the laboratory report and notifies the athlete, the athlete’s National Governing Body (NGB), the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), the athlete’s International Federation (IF), and WADA. The athlete may request laboratory analysis of their “B” sample and has the right to attend that process along with their representatives. Once USADA receives the “B” sample analysis from the laboratory, a copy is provided to the athlete, and the NGB, USOPC, IF, and WADA are also made aware of the results.
Provisional Suspensions
A provisional suspension is a temporary bar on an athlete or other person from participating in or activity authorized or organized by a Code signatory or a club or member organization of a Code. Provisional suspensions also bar athletes or other persons from competitions authorized or organized by any professional league or any international- or national-level event organization such as the NCAA. It is imposed upon an athlete receiving notification of a positive test or other ADRV, and it remains in place until the case is resolved.
Under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing (the USADA Protocol), provisional suspensions are automatically imposed in all cases. In non-analytical cases and AAFs involving only Specified Substances, the athlete or athlete support person may opt out of the provisional suspension if they choose.
Non-Analytical Case
Unlike an AAF, a non-analytical case does not stem from a positive urine or blood sample. Instead, it originates from and is substantiated by other evidence of doping or rule violations by an athlete or athlete support personnel—for example, an investigation triggered by a confidential tip.
Non-analytical cases are significant because they have led to the discovery of large performance-enhancing drug (PED) trafficking operations, the identification of designer drugs, and other doping methods that are difficult to detect through testing alone.
More information on non-analytical cases can be found here.
Specified and Non-Specified Substances and Methods
Not all prohibited substances and methods carry the same default sanction. A positive test for a non–Specified Substance carries a default period of ineligibility of four years for a first violation, along with a loss of results. The default sanction for a Specified Substance is two years with a loss of results.
The following types of substances are classified as non–Specified Substances on the Prohibited List:
- Anabolic agents
- Peptide hormones, such as erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs)
- Growth hormone, growth hormone releasing peptides (GHRPs) and related substances, and mimetics
- Certain hormone and metabolic modulators, such as agents modifying myostatin function(s) and insulins
- Non-specified stimulants
All remaining substances on the Prohibited List are considered Specified Substances. All prohibited methods are non–Specified, except for intravenous infusions and/or injections, which are Specified Methods.
It is important to note that Specified Substances and Methods are not considered less significant or less dangerous than other doping substances or methods. Rather, they are substances and methods more likely to have been consumed or used for a purpose other than the enhancement of sport performance.
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
When an athlete is charged with an ADRV, they may accept the proposed sanction or request a hearing before an independent arbitrator. With the agreement of the athlete, USADA, and WADA, a case may proceed directly to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). CAS is an independent institution based in Lausanne, Switzerland, that provides arbitration and mediation services for sports-related disputes, including ADRVs. In rare circumstances, a CAS decision may be further appealed to the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland. In all cases, the athlete, USADA, WADA, and the relevant IF retain the right to appeal a decision to CAS.
More Questions?
You can refer to USADA’s Clean Sport Handbook for more information or contact the USADA Education Team with questions at Education@USADA.org.
