"Flyball" Info and some FAQ's:

Table of Contents:

Introduction

F.A.Q.'s

At A Tournament

The Breed Report total #'s Statistics From 1995 to present.

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"Flyball", is The Fastest growing dog sport in America. FLYBALL is a fast and exciting relay racing team sport for dogs, dog handlers and on looking spectators. A "Flyball team" consist of four main dogs, their handlers, a boxloader person, and one to two alternate dogs with handlers. The sport is not limited to any one breed of dog, with both papered pedigrees and mixed breeds competing.

In competion, two "Flyball teams" compete against each other on two lanes. They race down 51 feet and back 51 feet, 15 feet apart. These lanes contain four jumps set at exact distances apart, and at the far end is a "Flyball box".
One side Displayed

A "Flyball box", is box set up in a way that when a dog steps on it, a tennis ball is released and sent flying out. Hence the name "Flyball".

In "Flyball" the fun begins trying to accomplish this feat, and their are rules, just like in any other sport. The dogs must complete their runs in order to get a team time. The first team done, wins the race. Three heats make a race, or sometimes the best three out of five make a race. With four to nine races run during competion.

To start, the first "Flyball dog" gets a running start but cannot pass the start/finish line before the command go, or the green lite. The second and remaining "Flyball dogs" on the team get a running pass but, cannot pass the start/finish line before the preceding dog returning passes the start/finish line.

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     Answers to some commonly asked questions are:
	If a dog misses a jump or drops the ball before it returns over the 
           start/finish line, it must rerun until it finishes or forfeits 
	   the race for the team.
        The jump height is a minimum of  8 inches to a maximum of 16 inches
 	    and is set to the smallest dog running on the main 4 dog team 
	    minus 4 inches!
		    Example: smallest dog measures to whethers 
			(shoulder height) 14", jump height for the team of
			  four dogs is 10".
	The dog handlers must stay behind the start/finish line.
        Dogs that interfere with the other team automatically lose that 
	    race for your team.
	A racquetball is sometimes used instead of the tennis 
	    ball for smaller dogs.

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At a tournament, it is just like a drag strip. A Christmas tree, for starts and laser beam sensors, to catch any early dog. It also does electronic timing.

There off At the green Light, First dog gets a running start. It jumps over the Four jumps and fetches a ball out of a flyball box and return over the four jumps. Pretty kool huh?

All 4 dogs do this correctly, faster then the team they are racing, and they will win. It is awsome to see and the excitement is there and plenty of action for all ages!

New World Records Congratulations to Instant Replay on their world record time of 16.06 and to Rocket Relay on their multibreed world record of 16.646 which were both set on the weekend of July 24 and 25 at the tournament in Kitchener, ON. Editors note...This is cut and pasted from Kathryns web page. Date of World record year is 1999 in Canada. Kathryn's Flyball Home Page the Original FLYBALL home page A wealth of Info.

(That's right! All 4 Dogs) DOWN 51' AND BACK 51'!

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The Breed Report

How Flyball is growing / our #'s

The Official Breed report Latest numbers and Individual breeds listed here.

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Copyright ©, 1996 Jim Sova _{member in the H.W.G.}