What is doping and anti-doping?

Doping is the use of substances or methods banned in sport. Doping is cheating because it gives one athlete an advantage over others. Doping is also extremely dangerous to your health and can destroy your reputation.

Anti-doping is a set of rules designed to protect athletes’ rights to participate in sport free of performance enhancing drugs. It is anti-doping that keeps sport fair and keeps the playing field level. When athletes choose not to dope, we say they compete clean.

ANTI-DOPING And softball

Softball takes a position of zero tolerance toward doping in sport and works closely with Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) in Australia and the WBSC internationally to ensure a drug-free environment in our sport.

Anti-doping rules apply to all participants of our sport from elite to grassroots. All members must be aware of, and have a basic understanding of, their obligations regarding anti-doping. The SIA website has a range of information and resources to assist, including:

Softball Australia's anti-doping policy is the Australian National Anti-Doping Policy, effective 1 January 2021, and can be found on the Sport Integrity Australia website. The Australian National Anti-Doping Policy reflects the set of anti-doping rules across all sports in Australia.

To report a breach of anti-doping rules, submit directly to Sport Integrity Australia here.

EDUCATION, RESOURCES AND AWARENESS

When it comes to sport integrity, it is critical that our athletes and support personnel are aware of their rights and responsibilities. There are a range of tools and resources available to help keep participants informed.

INTEGRITY ELEARNING

Sport Integrity Australia eLearning offers online courses relating to sport integrity, including doping, match fixing, illicit drugs, and ethical decision-making courses. Specific anti-doping courses are also available for coaches, support persons, medical practitioners, and parents.

Athletes required to complete education can submit their ‘eLearning certificate’ to integrity@softball.org.au

SPORT INTEGRITY APP

The Sport Integrity app is a one-stop shop for all sport integrity needs, designed with athletes in mind.

The app allows users to check whether their medications are banned in sport, find low risk supplements to reduce their chance of testing positive accidentally, and check whether they need a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE). The app also provides direction on how to raise concerns about things like doping, match-fixing, harassment, or illicit drug use. It features further information on eLearning modules, whereabouts and testing information and gives users the opportunity to provide feedback to Sport Integrity Australia.

The app is free and can be downloaded from the Apple and Android app stores.

PROHIBITED LIST OF SUBSTANCES AND METHODS

The Prohibited List outlines the substances and methods that are prohibited in sport. The World Anti-Doping Agency updates it annually. Remember that individual products or brands are not named on the Prohibited List. Athletes should check the status of all medications before they use them on Global DRO.

CHECKING YOUR SUBSTANCES

Global DRO allows users to check whether the most commonly prescribed and over-the-counter medicines in Australia are permitted or prohibited in sport.

If an athlete requires use of a prohibited substance to treat a medical condition, the athlete needs to be aware of the TUE requirements. For more information on a TUE visit the Sport Integrity Australia website.

SPORT INTEGRITY AUSTRALIA ANTI-DOPING RULE VIOLATIONS

Being subject to an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) can be a confusing and stressful time. Sport Integrity Australia has created resources for both athletes, and also for Administrators and Coaches.

Anti-Doping Rule Violation Handbook: A guide for athletes

This resource has been developed to outlines all the information athletes need when faced with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation.

The handbook offers end-to-end guidelines around this complex process, from when an athlete first receives their notification of an AAF (Adverse Analytical Finding) through to the sanction consequences and their return to training.

Importantly, the handbook outlines what resources are available to athletes during this difficult time and also ways they can take care of their physical and mental health.

The handbook was developed in partnership with the Athlete Advisory Group and includes valuable insights and stories from Australian sanctioned athletes who have been through the same process.

Anti-Doping Rule Violation Handbook: A guide for athletes

Anti-Doping Rule Violation Guide for Sports (Valid to 31 December 2026)

This resource has been developed for administrators, team managers and coaches, to step through the key processes, roles and responsibilities involved in an ADRV.

It aims to simplify what can be a complex process by clearly outlining what sports must do, while also providing practical, proactive tips to help manage these situations as effectively as possible.

The guide has been developed to increase awareness, transparency and confidence in the anti-doping process from a sport administration perspective.

It complements the long standing ADRV Handbook: A Guide for Athletes, ensuring both administrators and athletes are supported with fit for purpose resources.

The guide also emphasises the importance of wellbeing and education when supporting individuals throughout the ADRV process, recognising the significant personal and organisational impacts these matters can have.

2026 SIA Anti-doping Rule Violation Guide for Sports (Valid to 31 December 2026)

For more information on ARDV's visit Sport Integrity Australia