Depending on their sport and performance level, athletes and teams are assigned by Swiss Sport Integrity or their International Sports Federation to what are known as whereabouts pools. Their main purpose is to help test planning. Assignment to a whereabouts pool entails important obligations:

Whereabouts Reporting

Obligations of TUE Pool

Athletes and teams are assigned to one of a number of whereabouts pools. The classifications used by Swiss Sport Integrity are determined by Art. 4.3 of the Regulatory Statutes for Testing and Investigations (available in German and French).

Athletes, or a person nominated as responsible for a team, are notified by Swiss Sport Integrity in writing about their inclusion in a whereabouts pool. The same applies if they cease to belong to a whereabouts pool. Members of a team can check under Whereabouts Pools for Teams whether or not they are covered by a whereabouts pool.

In Switzerland, a distinction is made between a variety of whereabouts pools. For athletes, there are the National Registered Testing Pool (NRTP), the National Testing Pool (NTP), and other Testing Pools. For teams, a distinction is made between the Team Sports I, Team Sports II, and Team Sports III whereabouts pools.

Whereabouts Pools for Athletes

National Registered Testing Pool NRTP

Athletes are assigned to the National Registered Testing Pool (NRTP) by Swiss Sport Integrity in conjunction with the relevant National Sports Federation. In addition to detailed whereabouts information, athletes in the NRTP must specify a daily time slot of 60 minutes in which they are required to be at the place indicated.

Athletes are assigned to the National Testing Pool (NTP) by Swiss Sport Integrity in conjunction with the relevant National Sports Federation. Athletes in the NTP are required to provide Swiss Sport Integrity with detailed whereabouts information.

Athletes are assigned to Other Testing Pools by Swiss Sport Integrity in conjunction with the relevant National Sports Federation. Athletes in Other Testing Pools are required to provide Swiss Sport Integrity with detailed whereabouts information on the basis of individual agreements.

All other licensed athletes, and participants in competitions organized by Swiss Olympic or one of its member federations, who have not been allocated to a whereabouts pool may be tested but are not subject to any particular requirements concerning whereabouts filings.

The following provisions apply to athletes who have retired and who were previously assigned to a whereabouts pool: In the event of a comeback at their current performance level, they are not permitted to compete until they have belonged for at least six months to a whereabouts pool determined by Swiss Sport Integrity. Other provisions issued by International Sports Federations take precedence over those of the Doping Statute and the Regulatory Statutes. It is the athletes' responsibility to contact their International Sports Federation in this regard.

Whereabouts Pools for Teams

The administrators of teams that have been assigned to a whereabouts pool are responsible for providing full information to the members of their team. Players become subject to the provisions on whereabouts pools as soon as they play for the team in question. This means that, before they play for the team for the first time, it must be determined whether or not they are using prohibited substances or methods for medical reasons, and must therefore comply with the provisions governing therapeutic use exemptions (TUE).

The Team Sports I whereabouts pool is made up of the following Swiss national teams selected by Swiss Sport Integrity. Team administrators are obliged to submit the whereabouts information defined for this pool.

Ice-hockey

• Men’s National Team A
• Women’s National Team A

Football

• Men’s National Team A
• Women’s National Team A

Handball

• Men’s National Team A
• Women’s National Team A

Floorball

• Men’s National Team A
• Women’s National Team A

Volleyball

• Men’s National Team A
• Women’s National Team A

The Team Sports II whereabouts pool is made up of the following teams selected by Swiss Sport Integrity. Team administrators are obliged to submit the whereabouts information defined for this pool.

Ice Hockey

• National League

Football

• Men's Super League

The Team Sports III whereabouts pool is made up of following teams selected by Swiss Sport Integrity. Team administrators are obliged to submit the whereabouts information defined for this pool.

Volleyball

• NLA Men
• NLA Women

Football

• Women's Super League

Handball

• NLA Men

Floorball

• NLA Men
• NLA Women

American Football

• NLA Men
• Men’s National Team A

Rugby

• NLA Men (15)
• Men’s National Team A (15)

No particular reporting requirements apply to any other team sports athletes who actually play for a team but who are not assigned to any of the whereabouts pools. They may be tested at any time, however.

If you have any feedback or questions, you can contact us at any time.

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