World Bowls would like to remind all Member Federations, athletes, and stakeholders that the revised International Standard for Testing and Investigations (ISTI), published by the World Anti-Doping Agency, will come into force on 1 April 2026.

Key Update: Reduced Blood Collection Wait Time

A key change within the 2026 ISTI relates to blood sample collection following physical activity.

  • The mandatory wait time for athletes providing a blood sample for the Hematological Module of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) has been reduced from two hours to 60 minutes after training or competition.
  • This updated 60-minute wait time also applies to blood samples collected in serum tubes for analysis of substances such as:
    • Growth hormone
    • Erythropoietin receptor agonists (ERAs)
    • Other ABP modules

This adjustment is expected to improve the efficiency of testing procedures while maintaining the integrity of anti-doping processes.

Important Clarifications

  • The 60-minute wait time does not apply if the athlete has not trained or competed prior to sample collection.
  • It also does not apply to whole blood samples collected in EDTA tubes that are not used for the Hematological Module of the ABP.
  • Updates have also been made to the mandatory questions athletes are asked during blood sample collection.

Updated Documentation

To support these changes:

  • The ABP Supplementary Report Form has been replaced by the Blood Collection Supplementary Report Form
  • Updates have been implemented across:
    • ADAMS
    • DCO Central
    • Doping Control Forms

Further Information

A full summary of changes between the 2023 and 2026 ISTI, along with a redlined version of the updated standard, is available via WADA.

For any questions or further clarification, stakeholders are encouraged to contact WADA directly at testing@wada-ama.org.