What is Flyball? "It's
the ultimate game of fetch!"
Flyball
is a fast-paced sport for dogs and their handlers. It is a relay race
with four to six dogs on a team, each with one human handler. The
course is 51 feet long and consists of a start/finish line, four hurdles
and a spring-loaded box that shoots out a tennis ball.
The hurdles' height varies for each team. It
is set 5" below the shoulder height of the smallest dog on the
team. There is a minimum height of 7" and a maximum height
of 14". A race sets two teams of four dogs running side
by side. It is normally won by best three of five heats (although
other race formats are run). A team completes a heat by sending
all four dogs through the course without errors. The start dog
begins by crossing the start line on a green light controlled by the
head judge. The dog proceeds to jump over the four hurdles,
trigger the box, catch the ball and return over all four hurdles.
Once he crosses the start/finish line, the next dog may go.
The team which completes in the fastest time wins that heat.
The sport of flyball is governed by the North American
Flyball Association (N.A.F.A.). There are over 900 teams registered
with NAFA, and growing every year. For futher information
on flyball, from training tips to famous quotes about it, visit
the NAFA website.
