How sanctions work

Standard ban lengths under the WADA Code

The World Anti-Doping Code sets default periods of ineligibility that depend on the violation, the substance and whether the athlete can show the violation was not intentional. Reductions and increases follow set rules.

• USADA explains that substances more likely to be used for doping carry a four year sanction, and that other substances have a default sanction of two years.¹
• In the Mario Vuskovic case CAS applied a rule providing four years unless the athlete proves the violation was not intentional, and imposed four years because no mitigating factors were submitted.²
• Three whereabouts failures in 12 months is a violation. Christian Coleman's ban was reduced by CAS from two years to 18 months, and Mikael Ymer received 18 months.^3,4
• Refusal of a test and tampering each carry four years. The AIU started Kibiwott Kandie's sanction at eight years for the two violations and reduced it to seven for early admission.⁵
• An early admission and acceptance within 20 days can earn a one year reduction. The AIU applied this to Ruth Chepngetich, reducing four years to three.⁶
• Aggravating circumstances can lengthen a ban. In April 2026 CAS reduced Rhonex Kipruto's ban from six to five years, finding the circumstances warranted one extra year instead of two.⁷
• Substances of abuse such as cocaine have a default of three months for out of competition use, which can be reduced to one month after an approved treatment programme, as in Nick Kyrgios's 2026 case.⁸
• A new 2027 Code was approved on 5 December 2025 and comes into force on 1 January 2027. WADA's summary says it introduces a flat two month period for a first substance of abuse violation and restructures Article 10.2.^9,10,11

Sources

1. USADA, #AskUSADA: What are the consequences of a doping violation? (17 December 2025)
2. Court of Arbitration for Sport, Four year period of ineligibility imposed on Mario Vuskovic, CAS media release (27 August 2024)
3. Court of Arbitration for Sport, CAS media release 7528, Christian Coleman (16 April 2021)
4. Court of Arbitration for Sport, Mikael Ymer declared ineligible for 18 months after three whereabouts failures (17 July 2023)
5. Athletics Integrity Unit, Former world record holder Kandie banned for seven years for refusing anti-doping test and tampering (25 June 2026)
6. Athletics Integrity Unit, AIU bans Chepngetich for 3 years (23 October 2025)
7. Court of Arbitration for Sport, CAS partially amends sanction for Rhonex Kipruto (Kenya) (16 April 2026)
8. International Tennis Integrity Agency, Nick Kyrgios accepts one month suspension under tennis anti-doping rules (3 September 2026)
9. WADA, 2027 Code and International Standards (23 October 2026)
10. WADA, Summary of major changes, 2027 World Anti-Doping Code (13 February 2026)
11. WADA, World Anti-Doping Code (20 October 2026)