• Integrity standards and anti-doping measures at this year’s FIFAe Finals

• Athletes selected for doping control testing via random or targeted methods

• Participants at the FIFAe Finals adhering to FIFA’s disciplinary code and code of ethics 

As part of the continued professionalisation of the scene, FIFAe will continue to enforce industry leading integrity standards and anti-doping measures at this year’s FIFAe Finals. The integrity and anti-doping measures first introduced in 2018 saw all participants - including players and coaches - being guided on the basis of the FIFA Disciplinary Code and the FIFA Code of Ethics.

The FIFAe Finals 2022 will see participants adhere to these provisions, coordinating closely with FIFA judicial bodies should an incident or case arise. The standards that will be in place to protect the integrity of the FIFAe Finals will be very alike to those during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. FIFAe’s equipment regulations are also now outlined alongside the ones governing football by FIFA in the same official regulations.

Doping control in accordance with WADA

Furthermore, an independent and dedicated FIFA Doping Control team has been appointed to conduct doping controls. Players will be tested for all prohibited substances listed on the Prohibited List 2022 published by WADA, during this year’s competition. Doping controls during this year’s competition will see athletes selected via randomised or targeted selection methods in accordance with theWorld Anti-Doping Code (WADC).

Should any Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV) occur, the results management will be overseen by relevant FIFA judicial bodies in accordance with existing FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations.

FIFAe Gaming Stations 3.0

In 2019, FIFAe set out to create the next generation of gaming stations together with the community and therefore worked very closely with players, teams, experts and advisors to create the best possible setting. Looking at things such as production value, the performance-based solutions, the branding and the equipment, there was collaboration between all parties involved with the focus to create an environment that gave the players the ability to perform to their best. 

A final review session involving selected players was set up in April, where another round of in-person testing took place on the new gaming stations and final comments were taken onboard and implemented, ahead of the FIFAe Finals 2022 in Copenhagen.

Gaming stations include optimised gaming chairs and seating options, increased visibility for the audience, facecams and viewing screens with statistics, general information and of course, in-game play, also optimised for a 2v2 set-up. There is also an added tablet in the back available to a team’s coach, which shows the game in real-time, but also allows for backwards movement to showcase to the players a specific statistic or point and highlight situations via drawing features which are being used for in-depth tactical usage.

Rule & format co-creation

As part of its professionalisation approach, FIFAe has also increased the involvement of community members - e.g. round table initiatives to further improve the regulations and the underlying tournament structures across all its narratives. Furthermore, the competition schedule has been extended to four days per competition in order to ensure enough preparation and down time for players to perform at their best abilities.

Lastly, innovative ideas such as an in-game drafts as part of the competition were developed together and put forward for voting amongst the participants to explore its integration for future competitions.

Refereeing Structure

FIFAe referees ensure a smooth rundown and transition during the competition, as there is a dedicated referee per gaming station. In addition, a head referee makes sure that the players kick-off at the right time and will take more complex decisions according to the rulebook or as required by individual circumstances.  FIFAe works with established referees of the scene and provides educational courses and training sessions on the rule-sets and based on examples from the past.

The rule-set has improved over time with experience, as throughout the years various operated competitions have provided a continuous learning curve. As part of this year’s approach, the FIFAe referee team will aim at communicating decisions publicly to provide transparency around any major decision.