Flyball
What is Flyball?
Flyball is an energetic sport full of fun that you can enjoy, either as a spectator or as a competitor with your dog. It was introduced to England in 1990 at crufts first becoming popular in America. It is a sport involving a team knockout competition with many people who have a background in agility becoming involved in the competition and display teams. Dogs seem to love this sport and handlers are normally coupled with happy excited barking. It is fun, and competitors and organisers are encouraged to treat competitions as informally as possible but taking care not to endanger the dogs or competitors.
What Does Flyball Involve?
Flyball involves several teams competing against each other and against the clock. The dogs must jump over a series of hurdles until they get to the ‘flyball box’. Once at the flyball box they have to press a pedal on the box which releases a tennis ball. The tennis ball is flung into the air. The dog must catch the tennis ball and race back over the hurdle back to his team and cross the start / finish line. Once across the line the next team member is released until all the members have successfully completed the course.
What Equipment is There?
There are four pieces of equipment used in flyball, these are:
1) Hurdles The hurdles should be 12 ins high for all classes and all sizes of dog. For safety the top rail must be flexible or padded. The hurdle should be painted white.
2) Flyball Box with the safety of the competing dogs in mind The Kennel Club has drawn up an approved design for the flyball box. The dimensions and drawing of the preferred flyball box can be found at Annex A to the H regulations. Alternative designs may be used provided the principles or safety are maintained.
3) Balls because of the risk of dogs choking on something to small or hurting themselves on something to big, the balls loaded in the flyball box must be un-punctured tennis balls.
4) Backstop Board some dogs can really go over the course fast, there has to be something there to stop them over shooting the mark, so a backstop board is put in place.
What are teams?
The size and composition of the teams is left to the discretion of the event organisers. Flyball can be for teams of several dogs or for single competitors. It normally has 4 handlers, plus the box loader and some reserves. The organisers can decide if substitutes are allowed or not. There must always be someone to load the flyball box no matter how many dogs are competing.
The dogs competing in the competitions and the composition must be declared before each race. If a club is competing in more than one race or running several teams, dogs cannot be switched from team to team.
How is it Judged?
The judge has overall responsibility for the competition and is assisted by stewards. It is the steward’s responsibility to make sure that a dog only starts his run once his teammate has crossed the line. The line can be crossed with any part of the body to release the next dog. Stewards are also placed around the course to make sure that the rules are adhered to. There will be two stewards appointed to see that the hurdles and boxes are negotiated correctly. If the judge thinks that the flyball box has malfunctioned during a race he will stop the race and organise a re-run.
Competing
Every dog must jump over the hurdles in a succession. If the dog doesn’t attempt every hurdle the steward will indicate that the dog will have to run again at the end of the race after the last team member has run. It doesn’t matter if a hurdle is knocked over as long as the dog has made a good attempt at jumping over the obstacle. Once it reaches the flyball box it must push the pedal to release the tennis ball. The person loading the box may give the dog verbal encourage but are not permitted to assist or guide the dog in any way. If the dog fails to trigger the box it must run again after the last team member.
The dogs will usually race down the coarse then catch the ball and race back again in seconds. On the occasion that a ball is missed or goes astray it adds to the fun.
All dogs that are competing in flyball must wear a smooth buckled collar. They must wear this so the handler can restrain the dog before the beginning of the race, before there turn. Handlers are not permitted to restrain there dog by any other means or scruff their dog.
Usually the best of three runs will decide which team proceeds to the next heat, but this can vary.
The area that is used for flyball needs to be fairly large as the dogs can run at terrific speeds. They will need a good run at the end of the race to slow down. Also a wide area at the end of the hurdles is needed for the dogs to catch the ball as it flies out of the box.
Rules and Regulations and Contacts
Up to date copies of the rules for the UK are available from the Kennel Club as are contact details.
