MLB, players agree to update drug policy

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/2005-11-15-steroids-agreement_x.htm∞

A glance at baseball's drug-testing agreement

Steroid penalties
First positive test: 50-game suspension, up from 10 days.

Second positive test: 100-game suspension, up from 30 days.

Third positive test: Lifetime ban, with player having right to apply for reinstatement after two years and an arbitrator being able to review reinstatement decision. Under the previous agreement, the earliest a player could be suspended for life was for a fifth positive test.

Amphetamine penalties
(There was no testing for amphetamines in previous agreement)

First positive test: Mandatory additional testing.

Second postitive: 25-game suspension.

Third positive: 80-game suspension.

Fourth positive: Commissioner's discretion, with an arbitrator being able to review.

Testing frequency
A player will be tested during spring training physicals and at least once during the regular season, with additional random testing. Under the previous agreement, each player was tested once from the start of spring training through the end of the regular season, with additional random testing. Both the new agreement and the previous deal provided for offseason testing.

Independent administrator

A person not connected to management or the union will schedule and supervise the tests, which currently are administered by a join management-union committee.


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