What are the rules?
Key Learnings
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The full list of prohibited substances and methods is updated every year and it is the player’s responsibility to know what is allowed and what is banned.
The golden rule for all athletes is the principle of strict liability, which implies that athletes take full responsibility for what they ingest.
As an athlete you cannot refuse or disrupt a doping control test.
Sanctions for violating anti-doping regulations may range from a reprimand to a lifetime ban.
Betting on basketball is strictly forbidden for basketball players.
Never share inside information
Always report to FIBA any fact or suspicion concerning match fixing by using the reporting tool on FIBA’s website.
Every person in sport, in every role, has the right to participate in an environment that is fun, safe, and healthy, and to be treated with respect, dignity and fairness.
All forms of harassment, vilification, and abuse, be it physical, professional, or sexual, and inflicting, facilitating, or tolerating any non-accidental physical or mental injuries are strictly prohibited by FIBA.
Anyone with knowledge of abusive conduct (not only the person suffering it) has the right and moral obligation to notify and formally complain.

Protecting the integrity of the sport

As an athlete it is important to understand  that you must comply with several obligations even off the court. For instance, betting can affect you differently than the average person. Since you have influence over games and access to information that other people do not,  specific rules and regulations apply to you:

  • You are not authorized to bet on basketball (even indirectly through another person)
  • You are not authorized to bet on any sport at a multi-sport event in which you participate

Additionally, you need to be aware of the danger of competition manipulation. The competition manipulation or Match-fixing is an intentional arrangement, act or omission aimed at an improper alteration of the result or the course of a sport competition in order to remove all or part of the unpredictable nature of the aforementioned sport competition. Manipulate a competition kills the competition and can destroy your career if you don’t make the good choices:

It is not rare for basketball players to be approached by someone (through social media or after a training session or a game) proposing money against player’s commitment to act in a certain manner during a basketball game. These persons might not ask for something that appears to be significative at first (e.g. commit a technical fault at a specified time) but accepting this will allow match-fixers to blackmail players into committing additional and potentially more serious alteration of a game.

For the sake of clarity, any predetermined act improperly influencing a game will be sanctioned by FIBA and the sanctions can range from financial fines to life ban from basketball. Additionally, it is important that you always report to FIBA any fact or suspicion concerning match fixing by using the reporting tool on FIBA’s website. A failure to report can be sanctioned, even if you are not involved personally.

 By educating yourself about the provisions of the Code of Ethics and Integrity you can safeguard yourself from making mistakes that could harm your career. If you have any questions on  integrity, do not hesitate to ask questions or contact your national federation or FIBA. It is always better to ask for advice than to unintentionally break the law.