Substantial Assistance

Potential benefits are available for an Athlete or other Person if they co-operate with an anti-doping investigation. The benefits flow from rules about ‘Substantial Assistance’ in the in the World Anti-Doping Code 2021 (the Code).

About Substantial Assistance

Substantial Assistance is when an Athlete or other Person bound by an anti-doping policy who may have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation, co-operates with an anti-doping organisation (such as Sport Integrity Australia), a criminal authority or a professional disciplinary body and provides certain assistance and information about other people. This information will need to help by establishing Anti-Doping Rule Violations, or other offences, committed by other athletes or people.

If an Athlete or other Person provides Substantial Assistance, they may be eligible to have part of their otherwise applicable sanction suspended.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) can also agree to not publicly disclose an Anti-Doping Rule Violation or to other Consequences in exceptional circumstances, in exchange for Substantial Assistance.

There are strict rules in the Code and anti-doping policies about the eligibility and application of any possible suspension for Substantial Assistance.

How Substantial Assistance works?

Sport Integrity Australia will consider recommending that part of a sanction be suspended if we are satisfied that the person meets several criteria outlined below.

To be eligible for a suspension for Substantial Assistance an Athlete or other Person must:

• Fully disclose in a signed written statement or recorded interview all the information they know about Anti-Doping Rule Violations, or other qualifying offences.
• The information provided must be credible and must comprise an important part of any existing case. If no case is initiated, the information must provide a sufficient basis upon which to begin a case.
• Agree to fully co-operate with the investigation and adjudication of any case related to the information they provide in their statement. This may involve giving evidence at a hearing if requested to do so.

If the person fails to meet the criteria or does not continue to cooperate, they will not be eligible for a suspension of their sanction and/or their full period of ineligibility may be reinstated.

Providing information at a later date

The earlier a person co-operates and provides useful information that amounts to Substantial Assistance, the greater likelihood that they will be eligible for Substantial Assistance.

If a person delays in providing information, the same information might be given to us by someone else. If that happens, when they do decide to co-operate, they will not be entitled to any potential benefits for Substantial Assistance.

Appealing a decision about Substantial Assistance

An Athlete or other Person, the sports’ International Federation and WADA may appeal a decision to suspend part of a sanction for Substantial Assistance, or the reinstatement of an Athlete's or other Person's full period of Ineligibility, in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.