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
4" below the shoulder height of the smallest dog on the team.
There is a minimum height of 8" and a maximum height of 16".
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.
