The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) is objecting to new steroid testing rules that will apply to footballers in England’s Premier League beginning in July 2009. The Barclay’s Premier League has been touted as the most watched sporting league and the most lucrative professional football (soccer) league. The new anti-doping rules will subject 30 top players to as many as 5 random drug tests throughout the year.

At issue is the new “whereabouts ruling” requiring tested players to provide anti-doping officials with advance notification of their whereabouts for a particular hour each day even on vacations and during the offseason.

“We feel to invade the privacy of a player’s home is a step too far,” said Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA)A chief executive Gordon Taylor.

“If we complain about anything to do with drug-testing people think we might have something to hide, but football’s record is extremely good and there has been a virtual absence of any performance-enhancing drugs over decades.

“We do appreciate that football is a major spectator sport and we wish to co-operate, but football should not be treated in the same way as individual sports that do have a problem with drugs, such as athletics, cycling and weightlifting.

“For most of the year, the whereabouts of players is always known - either at their training ground or matches.”

UK Sports, the United Kingdom’s anti-doping agency, wants to the Premier League to have steroid testing, at least “in-competition“, consistent with that of World Ant-Doping Agency code. But out-of-competition recreational cocaine use is still permitted.