The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) claim the plan would be "an invasion of privacy".

Under the World Anti-Doping Association's (WADA) new code, a pool of 30 elite players will be forced to undergo up to five tests a year - not including those carried out after matches.

The move is to bring sportsmen such as footballers into line with Olympic athletes, who must provide details on their location for an hour each day, including holidays.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said the players' union opposed some of the new regulations.

Taylor told PA Sport: "We feel that to invade the privacy of a player's home would be a step too far.

"If we complain about anything to do with drug-testing then 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, and that goes back 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."

Taylor said the PFA would take the matter up with the Football Association and drug-testing body UK Sport.

The FA insisted details of the new drug-testing policy had not been finalised.

An FA spokesman said: "The introduction of a national testing pool in each country is a requirement of the WADA code, but there are still discussions to be had between the FA and UK Sport on the size, composition and testing requirements for English football's pool."

The FA's drug-testing programme is the biggest in British sport, with 1,600 tests conducted every season.

Andy Parkinson, UK Sport's head of operations for a drug-free sport, insisted the new rules were not aimed at making life difficult for footballers but trying to "protect their sport".

"Players have licence to take anything they want in the summer as they disappear off our radar," he said.

"I'm not arguing they do take things - but when England didn't qualify for the last European Championships, they didn't reappear until six weeks later before pre-season training. They could have done anything.

"Under this, they could be in Barbados and we can still test them.

"We are not evil regulators out to make life difficult for footballers. We're trying to protect their sport."

Testers currently pick two players at random for a urine sample after every match.

Among those punished for drug offences in the past are former Chelsea goalkeeper Mark Bosnich, sacked by the club and handed a nine-month ban in 2003 after testing positive for cocaine.

Another Chelsea player, Adrian Mutu, was also suspended by the FA for seven months in 2004 after failing a drugs test.

The FA claim they will still be able to ban players for cocaine use for up to six months in the future, even if the test was out of competition.

"This is borne out of a belief that footballers should be drug-free at all times," said a spokesman.