Irish athletes have a sophisticated understanding of cheating in sport, with most agreeing that not all types are as serious as others, new research has revealed. John Downes reports.
The survey of 42 high-level Irish athletes, funded by the Irish Sports Council's anti-doping committee, also shows that performance-enhancing drugs are more likely to be used in individual track and field sports than in team sports such as soccer.
This is because they do not necessarily help the whole team to perform better, unless the whole team is involved.
Male and female athletes from a variety of sports, including football, rowing, boxing and track-and-field, were interviewed for the study, which is due to be presented at the Psychological Society of Ireland's 35th annual conference tomorrow.
"Cheating is perceived as a continuum of behaviour, and three levels of behaviour in particular were identified," the report's authors, from University College Dublin and the Centre for Sports Science and Health in Dublin City University, state.
"It was clear that doping and intentional actions, particularly that which harmed another player, were seen as falling at the serious end of the continuum, while smart play was seen as being less serious."
Other factors that influence behaviour include the rules of the sport in question. For example, within track-and-field sports, it was felt that the clarity of the rules reduced the possibility of "minor cheating".
A number commented on the way in which some rules in team sports, such as Gaelic football, allow "for a certain amount of interpretation", but stressed the importance of consistency and fairness in applying the rules.