Overview
An important part of USA Powerlifting's testing program is the ability to test athletes without any advance notice in an out-of-competition setting. 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 the information submitted by an athlete that allows the athlete to be located for out-of-competition testing.
When must Whereabouts Information be submitted?
There are two types of whereabouts information that need to be submitted. One is regularly scheduled whereabouts filings, filled out online, that are due on the following dates:
-
Quarter 1 – December 15
-
Quarter 2 – March 15
-
Quarter 3 – June 15
-
Quarter 4 – September 15
Additionally, athletes must submit whereabouts filing information whenever regularly scheduled plans change.
How does an athlete provide whereabouts updates?
Athletes can submit whereabouts changes to USA Powerlifting through a number of methods:
What Information Must the Athlete Provide?
Residence: The Athlete must provide for each day of the quarter the full address where he/she will be sleeping overnight. If circumstances change such that the athlete will be sleeping at a different location for one or more nights, that information must be updated on the ALF.
Regular Activities: The Athlete must provide the name and address of each location where he/she will train, work, go to school, or any other regular activity and the usual time frames for those activities.
60-Minute Window:
Any athlete who is in the testing pool must provide a specific 60-minute time slot every day between 6 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 must be available and accessible for testing at a specific location during the entire 60-minute time slot. Please note that USA Powerlifting can choose to, and does test athletes outside of their 60-minute window. Athletes must submit to testing at any time.
Whereabouts Failures
Filing Failure
Whereabouts filings must be submitted by the deadlines outlined in the whereabouts filing section. A filing failure will be declared if:
-
A whereabouts filing has not been submitted by the specified deadline
-
A whereabouts filing does not contain a specific 60-minute time slot and location where the athlete will be available for testing each day
-
A whereabouts filing is inaccurate or incomplete in order to reasonably locate the athlete for testing
Missed Test
-
Athletes 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.
You are responsible for keeping your ALF current. Keep your copy of the form that is emailed to you, you will have an Edit link in the email to make any changes to your whereabouts for the quarter.
Any questions can be sent to: jcraig@usapowerlifting.com