Heeeeeeeeeeeres………Flyball!

What dog sport was introduced to America by Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show?

What dog sport was invented in California in the late 1970s?

What sport is essentially a relay race over hurdles?

What sport is enjoyed by thousands of dogs and handlers worldwide?

Why flyball, of course!

History

According to the North American Flyball Association, Inc, “flyball got its start in the 1970s when Californian Herbert Wagner developed the first tennis ball launcher.” Mr, Wagner appeared on the Tonight Show and demonstrated his new apparatus to Johnny Carson and millions of American viewers. Flyball became a hit with dog enthusiasts and the first flyball competition was held in 1983.Twelve dog training clubs in the Toronto-Detroit area pioneered the joys of flyball and held a few small tournaments at local dog shows. These clubs formed the North American Flyball Association (NAFA) in 1984 and is recognized today as the sport’s top sanctioning organization. Currently, NAFA boasts 400 active clubs hosting over 300 tournaments a year and approximately 6,500 dogs in competition.

What is Flyball?

Flyball is essentially a relay race between two teams of four dogs each. The dogs race side-by-side over a 51 foot long course containing 4 jumps. The dogs race to the flyball box, release the ball and retrieve it, and then run back to the start/finish line before the next teammate can be released to race. The first team with all four dogs crossing the finish line without errors wins the heat. Teams that win the best three out of five heats win the tournament.

Electronic Judging Systems are used to track starts, passes, finishes and individual dog’s times to the thousandth of a second. Now that’s accurate!

The height all dogs on a team must jump is determined by the “height dog,” which is the smallest dog on the team. Dogs are measured at the withers and height is rounded down to the nearest inch. Four inches are then subtracted from the rounded down height to reach the team jump height. The minimum height any team can jump is eight inches and the maximum height is fourteen inches.

Who Can Compete?

All dogs, including mixed breeds who are physically capable, may compete in NAFA sanctioned tournaments and earn titles. A Competition Racing Number (CRN) must be obtained for any dog competing in NAFA events.

Titles

Dogs earn points toward titles based upon team time. A chart listing the various titles, points, and awards is pictured below.

Fastest Team on the Planet

A Michigan based team, who call themselves SpringLoaded, holds the record for the fastest time at 15.43 seconds.

Governing Organizations

North America: North American Flyball Association

United Kingdom: British Flyball Association

Australia: Australian Flyball Association

Belgium: Belgian Flyball Association

The United Flyaball League (U-fli) is another titling organization, founded in 2004, that is devoted to promoting flyball as a fun, family oriented sport. United States: www.u-fli.com

Resources

The books listed below are available from Direct Book Service; 1-800-776-2665.

Flyball Training…Start to Finish by Jacqueline Parkin

Flying High by Joan Payne

On Your Mark by Mike Randall is available from the flyball website.