Flyball is a fast-paced, frenetic, strategic dog sport. It's a team relay race that almost every dog can enjoy, but does require training and good timing.

Four dogs and their handlers race on each team. Each dog must negotiate a course of four jumps to retrieve a tennis ball, returning over the four jumps, passing the next dog in the process.

Starting lights similar to those used in drag racing begin the heat - dogs may not cross the line until the green light goes on. The object of the sport is for each dog to go over the four hurdles as fast as posssible and at the far end, grab a tennis ball from a spring-loaded box.

Banking off the box to reverse direction, they race back to the start line where, nose to nose, they pass their canine teammate rocketing down the course. If a dog or handler makes an error (such as dropping a ball, going around a jump, or passing too early), that dog must re-run and usually the team loses the heat.

Each of the four dogs takes a turn running the course and when all of the dogs have passed the finish line with no errors, the team has finished the heat. The team with the fastest time wins. At tournaments, flyball teams are sorted into divisions according to expected speed, and teams only race others in their own division, so no matter how fast or slow a team is, the competition is keen.

Answers to common questions:

• The jump height is between 8 and 16 inches. The height is based on the height of the smallest dog on the team (shoulder height less 4").
• Time is monitored by electronic sensors, activated by the first dog breaking the sensor (starting line), and the time is stopped when the last dog comes back.
• A dog will have to re-run if he makes a mistake. This could be dropping the ball, missing one or more hurdles, or starting too early. The extra time is added to the total time for the team.
• Any ball (any size) can be used, so long as it will bounce and roll (like a tennis ball).
• There are 5 judges per ring(2 line, 2 box line, and one official judge).

Titles

Individual dogs earn points towards flyball titles based on the team's racing time per heat.

For heat runs in:

- less than 32 secs:
each dog on team receives 1 point
- less than 28 secs:
each dog on team receives 5 points
- less than 24 secs:
each dog on team receives 25 points