IFAF is committed to strengthening the integrity of the sport and protecting clean athletes.
This work encompasses the fight against doping (see the Anti-Doping section of the website) and any other forms of cheating in sport alongside the strengthening of ethics with improvements in transparency, good governance and accountability.
According to the legal definition, 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 sports competition in order to remove all or part of the unpredictable nature of the sports competition with a view to obtaining an undue benefit for oneself or for others.” (Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions – the Macolin Convention: 2014).
Key issues related to competition manipulation include:
Fixing – Fixing means any improper alteration of a competition to win money through sports betting or to ensure that a third party wins their bet. Betting-related competition manipulation is not solely restricted to affecting the result of a competition, but can also be linked to other minor and marginal occurrences during its course, which is often referred to as spot-fixing. For instance, deliberately making an invalid attempt or fixing the results in the heats, etc.
Inside Information – Inside information is all private information (tactics, injuries, etc.) to which athletes, officials and support personnel have access. This information must not be shared as it may be used for betting purposes.
Tanking – Deliberately losing, know as Tanking, is to gain an undue sporting advantage in a competition. For instance, when athletes lose an event on purpose to compete against easier opponents in the latter phases of a competition.
Sports Betting & Betting Prohibition – Betting on sport is not a negative pursuit. The problems occur only when athletes, their entourage or officials bet on their own sport or, in the worst case this betting leads to the manipulation of competitions. A betting prohibition means that accredited persons are not allowed to bet on their competitions, disciplines at the World Athletics Series Events or other competitions and disciplines at a multi-sports event such as the Olympic Games.
Don’t bet on your own event or on any other competition within the sport of American football (in all disciplines) where you are participating.
Don’t seek to or actually manipulate a competition or fix a result.
Don’t share inside information with anyone.
Don’t accept any undue benefits. These could include but are not limited to gifts, money, accommodation.
Always report an approach to manipulate a competition. Having knowledge of but not reporting, can lead to consequences. If there are suspicions of unethical behaviour, report these too.
Always cooperate fully with any investigation carried out by IFAF and / or its partners into suspected competition manipulation.
