Global governing body FIFA and European authorities UEFA called on the World Anti-Doping Agency to reconsider over out-of-competition drug testing rule on Tuesday.

The football governing bodies are asking for special privileges for football players to avoid the 365-days-a-year testing standard met by athletes in other sports.

But WADA director general David Howman said the rule, which took effect on Jan. 1, could not be negotiated until the end of the year and football would have to fall into line.

The whereabouts rule forms part of the 2009 WADA code and was enforced after lengthy consultation with international sports federations, including FIFA.

It requires all elite-level athletes named in registered testing pools to give drug-testers three months' notice of their location for one hour each day.

In a statement after Tuesday's UEFA Executive Committee meeting, the football authorities teamed up to ask WADA to reconsider the rule "in a spirit of collaboration in the fight against doping."

More than 25,000 doping tests are carried out in world football annually, with an average of 10 players testing positive each year from 2004-08.

They also called for players to get an exemption during their off season, which typically runs from mid-May through the end of June.

(Xinhua News Agency March 25, 2009)