17. Amendment And Interpretation

17.1 Amendment

The Commission shall be responsible for monitoring and reviewing the operation of the Rules and considering any amendment to the Rules under the Act. From time to time National Sporting Organisations and Participants will be asked by the Commission to provide comment in relation to the operation of the Rules.

17.2 Interpretation

17.2.1 The comments annotating various provisions of the Rules shall be used to interpret the Rules.

17.2.2 The Rules shall be interpreted as an independent and autonomous text implementing the Code.

17.2.3 The headings used in the Rules are for convenience only and shall not be deemed part of the substance of the Rules or to affect in any way the language of the provisions to which they refer.

17.2.4 Where the term “days” is used in these Rules, the Code or an International Standard, it shall mean calendar days unless otherwise specified.

17.2.5 The Rules shall not apply retroactively to matters pending before the date they entered into effect. However, anti-doping rule violations committed before the Rules came into effect will continue to count as “First Violations” or “Second Violations” for purposes of determining sanctions under Rule 10 where anti- doping rule violations have been committed under these Rules.

17.2.6 The INTRODUCTION and the DEFINITIONS shall be considered integral parts of the Rules.

17.2.7 The Rules have been adopted pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Act and Code and shall be interpreted in a manner that is consistent with applicable provisions of the Code.