GENEVA - FIFA and UEFA on Tuesday formally rejected rules that allow anti-doping authorities to locate individual players for out of competition drugs testing.

The governing bodies of world and European football said in a joint statement that they could only allow footballers to be tested while they were with the teams, unless they were suspended or suffering from long-term injury.

Since the beginning of January, the world anti doping code requires elite athletes to give notice of their location on a chosen one-hour period each day, seven days a week.

The new rules, which had been in the offing for several months, sparked criticism from some high-profile sports figures such as British tennis star Andy Murray, who claimed their privacy was being harmed.

"The governing bodies of FIFA and UEFA formally reject the stance taken by the World Anti-Doping Agency concerning the 'whereabouts' rule and, more specifically, the individual location of team-sport athletes," the statement said.

They stressed "the fundamental differences between an individual athlete, who trains on his own, on the one hand, and a team-sport athlete, who is present at the stadium six days out of seven, and thus easy to locate, on the other hand."

"FIFA and UEFA therefore oppose the individual 'whereabouts' rule, and want to see it replaced by collective location rules, within the scope of the team and within the stadium infrastructure."

They called on WADA to "reconsider its position" on the rule.

FIFA spokesman Pekka Odriozola told AFP: "We consider that there are anough options to test players when they are with their team without the need to disturb them in their private life."

Last month, WADA chiefs were adamant that the new rules must be applied to all top athletes and ruled out changes this year.

During a seminar in Lausanne on February 24, WADA President John Fahey said the request by footballing chiefs amounted to a "part-time" approach that could jeopardise the integrity of the anti-doping test process.

FIFA, which says it is supported by other team sports such as basketball and rugby, had already signalled its defiance after an executive committee meeting last Friday by insisting on special treatment for footballers.

The footballing federations said they remained committed to fighting doping, underlining that football organises between 25,000 and 30,000 controls a year.

"We are in touch with WADA, we have not broken communication," said Odriozola.

Tuesday's announcement came after FIFA had sent two letters to WADA on the issue.