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Flyball is a team sport for dogs that was invented in California in the late 70's. In the early 80's the sport became so popular that the North American Flyball Association (NAFA) was formed. They are the worldwide authority for Flyball. It is the fastest growing dog sport with over 13,000 dogs registered in 176 different breeds, including mixed. Flyball is a relay race with 4 dogs on a team. The course consists of a starting line, 4 hurdles spaced 10 feet apart and a box. The first hurdle is 6 feet from the start line and the box is 15 feet from the last hurdle for an overall course length of 51 feet. The dog jumps over the hurdles and steps on a spring-loaded box that shoots out a tennis ball. The dog catches the tennis ball and then runs back over the hurdles. When the one dog crosses the finish line, the next dog starts the course. The first team to have all 4 dogs run without errors wins the heat. The height of the hurdles is dependent on the height of the dogs in the team - 4" below the shoulder height of the shortest dog. 8" is the minimum height and 16" is the maximum height. The current world record is held by Spring Loaded of Madison Heights, Michigan. The dogs earn points toward flyball titles based on the team’s run time: · Less than 32 seconds: Each dog receives 1 point · Less than 28 seconds: Each dog receives 5 points · Less than 24 seconds: Each dog receives 25 points The titles the dogs can earn are as follows:
North American Flyball Association
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