WHEA DISCIPLINE RULES
World Heavy Events Association discipline rules:
1. Genaral info
1.1.Association name
In these rules the World Heavy Events Association is called association.
1.2. To who are the rules for
Via there rules any (person)member of the association (under the association jurisdiction via membership or anti-doping contract) can be sanctioned in case of any action, that is founded against the association rules or unsportsmanship behavior or any other, intended action against the association or the events it represent, that causes the association or the events damage or bad reputation.
1.3. Commitment
1.3.1 The members of the association along with other persons under the association jurisdiction (athletes, coaches, doctors, sportsleaders, staff etc.) are committed to obey the rules and specifications of the association which are valid at each time.
They also commit to act in a way, which forwards the association goals and principles via good, sporty behavior in any action related to the association or the events it represent. Accordingly they commit to the ethical starting point of sports, where athletes, teams etc are aiming to the best possible performance and the also commit to it, that any participant of the team (athlete, coach etc) can not bet personally or via advogate about own competition happening.
1.3.2 The association has committed to obey the World Anti-Doping Code, which is approved and maintained by WADA and its international norms, which are valid at each time. See more from: www.wada-ama.org.
Each national federation of the association is also committed to obey their national laws and anti-doping rules which are WADA based and approved and maintained by national federations NADO (National Anti-Doping Organization) along with the association rules, discipline rules and norms.
1.3.3 Athletes or other persons, who are taking part to the actions under the association jurisdiction are committed via the association rules #10. to obey the anti-doping rules which are valid at each time in the association. The anti-doping rules which are valid are mentioned at 1.3.2 in these rules.
1.3.4 Along with the rules mentioned in 1.3.3, the athletes and other persons under the association jurisdiction, that are taking part to any sport under the association are obliged to obey the rules, which are given in these discipline rules inside of the association, including anti-doping matters.
1.3.5 Anti-doping contract
Any athlete, who is competing in an event under the association jurisdiction must pay the yearly licence fee to the association and approve the anti-doping contract on the license purchase system (Suomisport).
By approving the anti-doping contract the athlete commits to the anti-doping rules and to these discipline rules, which are valid in the association at each time. See 1.3.3. and 1.3.4.
By approving the anti-doping contract the athlete commits to doping-testing and sanctions, which are commanded in these rules due doping violation. During the anti-doping contract the athlete can be doping-tested where ever, when ever, without pre-notice overture by the association, WADA, or NADO.
An athlete can not take part to a competition under the association jurisdiction before he/she have taken care of the license fee of the year and approving the anti-doping contract mentioned in these rules to the association.
If the association has commanded or commands a ban in sports due doping violation to the athlete, who has approved an anti-doping contract, the athlete commits to pay a sanction fee of 2000€ to the association until he/she can take part to any action under the association jurisdiction, even the ban would have been ended consecutive.
1.3.6. An athlete, who has been banned in sports due doping violation must be a member of the association and he/she must have valid anti-doping contract during the returning testing.
1.4 Person
Any member taking part the competition actions under the association jurisdiction can be called a term “person” in these rules.
1.5. Official
Any member as sports leader, official, coach, referee etc taking par the competition actions under the association jurisdiction can be called a term “official” in these rules
1.6. Athlete
Any athlete taking part the competition actions under the association jurisdiction in strongest man-, strongest woman-, pole fitness/pole dancing/pole art-, highland games-, grip sport-, fitness-, diamondgirl or any other competition under the association jurisdiction can be called with a term “athlete” in these rules.
1.7. Event or Competition
Via term event or competition is mentioned any sport mentioned in these rules (1.6.) or any competition, partial competition, qualification, local, national or international championship or any other action related to the events the association represents.
1.8 Application of the rules in national or international actions
These rules are in application in all actions and cases under the association jurisdiction and in other cases concerning the association.
1.9 Other rules and sanctions
Along what is mentioned apartly in these rules, in the actions under the association jurisdiction any valid rule or sanction given priorly or later will be followed.
1.10 Paying the doping-test
If the A-test result is positive, the athlete is responsible about any expenses concerning the B-test analysis if the athlete has request B-test.
1.11 Decision making and enforcement of the sanctions
Unless other mentioned in these rules, sacntions based on these rules along with rules based on WADA rules if decided and enforced by the board of the association in international cases. Concerning Finland the doping sanctions are decided by FINCIS as stated in national rules.
1.12 Opportunity for hearing
Before making the decision the board must deliver in written or via email a request of explanation to the relevant in case. The athlete can give the explanation in written (email) and to be heared in the board meeting before the decision is made.
The explanation must be delivered in written or by email during seven (7) days from the delivery of the request. From special reason the athlete can apply more time for explanation.
If the relevant has not used his/her right to give an explanation in written (email) or to be heared in board meeting in time, the decision will be made without hearing, unless the relevant gives reliable report about overpowering barrier about the reason for not giving the explanation until the board meeting date. In this case the procedure must be moved and the relevant has to have an opportunity for the explanation or to be heared in the board meeting.
World Heavy Events Association hearing panel is the association´s board.
1.13 Informing the reason for the sanction.
The board must inform the reason for the sanction to the relevant along with the appealing body and it´ s address.
1.14 Appealing to the association meeting
An athlete, official or other person has the right to complain to the association meeting about the sanction after advised, except in case where the sanction is done by the anti-doping rules.
The complaining must be done in written during 30 days from geting advised. The complaining must include the reason or reasons, which have lead to the complaining. If in the complaining, some other person etc is mentioned, the mentioned one must be heared if possible. After the association meeting the board must give written information (email) to the relevant without unnecassary delay.
1.15 Changing the rules
The board can make changes to these rules, when needed. The changes must be informed in the members letter. The changes becomes valid once they are confirmed at the association meeting.
2. SANCTIONS
2.1 Unsportsmanship behavior during the competition
An athlete or official, who´s unsportsmanship behavior during competition happening in the competition arena or competition venue is apted to give bad impression about the events the association represent must be officially noted by the judge of the competition or a member of the board. If the improper behavior continues the judge or the board representare may close the athlete from the competition or remove the official from the venue.
2.2. Removing from the competition
The judge(s) of the competition and member(s) of the board can, by majority vote remove immeaditely an athlete or official from the competition, if any bad behavior by athlete or official is severe enough that, it is worth of disqualification instead or noting.
2.3. Report
If an athlete or official has been removed from the competition, the decision makers must make a writen report to the board. If the board sees via the report, that the unsportsmanship behavior is severe enough for sanctions, the board must start the actions by these rules to investigate the case and to make the decision. The sanction can be official warning or ban (ineligibility) from the sports for maximum of one year.
2.4 Unsportmanship behavior during the competition event or during competition trip.
Unsportmanship behavior by an athlete or official in the home country or abroad in the competition under the association jurisdiction or any other happening organized by the association, the person in charge about the happening must report the board about any unsportsmanship behavior.
The board may give a ban from the sports for maximum of two years in national or/and international competition actions depending on how severe the the violation has been. In the first time for the relevant the board may give a written notice.
2.5 Violation concerning the ban in sports.
An athlete or other person, who have been sanctioned to the ban in the sports can not participate in any form to any competition- or any other action under the jurisdiction of any party which have committed to the national or international code or any action which is organized under the permit of that committed organization.
2.6. Forbitten co-operation
The association rule about forbitten co-operation is identical to WADA´s rules 10.12 https://www.wada-ama.org/sites/default/files/resources/files/wada-2015-world-anti-doping-code.pdf
2.6.1 Any athlete or other person under the association jurisdiction can not take part to any competition happening, where is a person with the ban (ineligibility) from the sports particiapating.
2.6.2.1 An athlete or other person, who is under the association jurisdiction, who is taking part to a competition which is not committed to the CODE must personally make sure (in a proeved way, if needed afterwords), that to the competition no one under ban (ineligibility) from the sports is taking part as an athlete, support person or as an official.
2.6.2.2 An athlete or other person under the association jurisdiction can not appeal to that, he/she did not know that to the happening, there is a banned person taking part.
A person, who violates the association rules 2.5 and 2.6 can be sanctioned by the board to maximum of 4 years ban (ineligibility) from the sports due the forbitten co-operation violation.
2.7 Absence, intended violation, bullying, wrong accusation, disgrace, dishonesty
The board may, concerning the sort of the violation to give the athlete or official in case a written note or ban (ineligibility) from the sports for time or lifetime if:
a: he/she don´t take part to a competition without approved reason, which he/she have entered.
b:he/she leaves the competition venue before the awarding without exceptional reason (like urgent need to go to the hospital). Taking part to the awarding is mandatory to each athlete no matter of the placing. The athlete might get invited to a doping test also after the awarding.
c: he/she boycott´s the awarding in any other way.
d: he/she is found to violate the rules is purpose or to insubordination against the association or a judge or official, who have been doing his mission in the competition under the association jurisdiction.
e: an athlete verbally, by gesture or physically threatens any official in mission at the competition.
f: if the person, who is a member of the association is founded quilty to severe insult like wrong accusation, bullying or dishonetly against any athlete or official under the association jurisdiction.
2.8 To disrepute the association or the event the association represents or competition official or other competitor.
If a person, who is a member in the association is found to act unsportsmanlike towards the association or sports or competition official or other competitor via his/her comments, published articles, tv- or radioprograms or via internet (including social media) and it is seen as disrepute to the association or the events it represent, the relevant can be sanctioned to ban (ineligibility) from the sports for fixed duration. If the board sees, that the actions towards the association or the events it represent has been remarkably harmful, the relevant can be santioned to lifetime ban (ineligibility) from the sports by the board.
2.9 Betting
An athlete or other person (coach, sports leader or other official), who himself or via advocate bets about own competition happening is sanctioned to two years ban (ineligibility) from the sports from the date, when the board has made the decision about this violation.
2.10 Repeating a procedure, what is sanctioned in these rules.
If relevant repeats his violation for the second time (or continues it) after he/she has been sanctioned on grounds of these rules the sanction must be twice compared to what was sanctioned in the first time. This doubling is in effect also with violations under the anti-doping rules.
3. THE IMPACT OF THE SANCTIONS
3.1 Ban (ineligibility) from the sports
Ban (ineligibility) from the sports regards competing, coaching, acting as an official, doctor or any other official in all actions under the association jurisdiction.
3.1.1 If the ban (ineligibility) from the sports is sanctioned due the doping violation, the ban (ineligibility) from the sports is as wide as stated in the anti-doping rules, which are obeyed in the association rules and dicipliny rules.
3.2.2 The name of the person, who has sanctioned to a ban (ineligibility) from the sports is published without delay after the board has done it´s decision about the sanction. The person´s name is published in the news channels of the association along with the other news sources.
4. ARBITRATE
4.1 About the sanction by the board in doping violation
A decision made by the board, which have been done based on anti-doping rules can be arbitrated as stated in the anti-doping rules.
4.2 About the association meeting decision
The decisions made in the association meeting can be arbitrated as stated in the association rules.
5.VALIDATION AND INCEPTION OF THE DISCIPLINE RULES
These rules have been validated the first time in the founding meeting of the association and they are valid since 1st, Jan. 2017 and last time updated to follow the current rules 16th, Nov 2021. The association dicipline rules have been updated 15th, Sept.2023.
World Heavy Events Association
Jyrki Rantanen
Chairman