Four Counties Flyballers

The Sport Explained

In Flyball, two teams race against each other in adjoining lanes.  It is a relay race in which each team’s four dogs race in turn over four hurdles to retrieve a ball from a specially designed flyball ‘box’. The dogs must press the front of the boxes in order to activate the trigger mechanism that releases the ball. When the ball is ‘thrown’, the dog catches it and, returning back over the hurdles and across the start/finish line, takes it to its handler.

When the first dog returns, the next dog is released and so on until all four dogs have run.  The leg is won by the first team to get its four dogs and four balls back over the finish line without fault. Any dog which makes a mistake re-runs as the last dog if the team captain thinks it needs the practice or can still win the leg against the opposing team.

There can be a maximum of six dogs and six handlers in a flyball team. Dogs can be swapped in and out, but only four dogs run in any one leg. Each team also has a box loader who stands at the back of the box to re-set the mechanism after a dog has triggered the box and taken the previous ball back to its handler. Box loaders are critical to the team's performance and have to be very nimble fingered to reload the box in time for the next dog.

 There is also a ball collector in each team. This person collects the balls from the handlers at the top of the course and / or any loose balls that could distract a dog.

A whole run of four dogs takes less than 30 seconds, so it is very important not to make mistakes. A team will be faulted for a dog crossing the start line too early, missing a hurdle, or returning over the finish line without a ball. If any of these faults occur, the offending dog must re-run - costing the team additional time.

Flyball Variations

There are two different forms of Flyball: "BFA" flyball and Kennel Club "Crufts" flyball. The BFA flyball box has, until recently, been totally different to the Crufts flyball box.  In KC flyball the jump height is fixed at 12" whereas BFA hurdle height is adjusted according to the measured height of the smallest dog running a particular leg.   KC racing is started by a whistle, whereas in BFA racing the start is controlled by a sequence of lights.  A BFA sanctioned race usually consists of five legs whereas Crufts races are run as the ‘best of three’ legs.

History and BFA Membership

The international sport of Flyball Racing was first started in the USA and the North American Flyball Association (NAFA) formed in the 1980s.   Flyball came to Britain in the early 90's when a group of enthusiasts founded the British Flyball Association (BFA).

BFA membership currently costs £xx pa.  As a BFA member you can take part in BFA sanctioned races and will receive the newsletter ‘Flyball Record’.

Dogs are awarded points at BFA sanctioned competitions towards a flyball ‘title’.  The points are cumulative and certificates are presented for dogs gaining a pre-determined level of points. The awards are as follows:

Each leg raced is timed and points are awarded to each dog depending on the time it takes for the whole team to complete the course without faults. The points system for each leg completed is as follows:-

Under 22 seconds - 25 points
22 - 25.99 seconds - 10 points
26 - 29.99 seconds - 5 points
30+ seconds - no points

BFA Competition Format

Competitions are usually classed as "open", although "starters" and other fun classes are also held.  In most competitions teams are seeded according to their recent fastest times. If the team has not run in competition during the preceding three months, then a seed time must be declared by the team captain. Thus all teams can be put into an appropriate ‘division’ to compete with teams of a similar standing.

The Course

The standard course used in all BFA competitions consists of a start line which is 6' away from the first of four hurdles equally spaced with 10' between them. The front of the flyball box is 15' from the last hurdle – thus the overall length of the Flyball course is 51'.  Markers are placed at 5' intervals back from the start line to enable handlers to best judge when to release his/her dog to achieve ‘nose to nose’ crossovers on the start line.  The two adjacent racing lanes are designated ‘red’ and ‘blue’; teams will usually alternate between them in successive races.

The Hurdles

The white painted hurdles used in Flyball are usually made from plywood but can also be made from polycarbonate – the latter being lighter in weight and easier to clean and store. However, if used outdoors in a windy area then the plywood jumps are better as they are less likely to blow over!  A good compromise is to have a wooden hurdle base and side pieces and use removable polycarbonate height slats.

BFA Jump Height

The jump height for the team is 4" below the shoulder height of the smallest dog running in the leg - such "height" dogs having been officially measured. The jumps are adjustable with the minimum height being 7" up to a maximum height of 13". Hurdle height can be adjusted using 1", 2", 3" and 4" removable slats.  The top 1" slat is topped with a nominal 1" of protective foam to protect the dogs’ legs as they jump over; if they hit the jump with any force the top slat is designed to break.

The BFA Box

Boxes are of varying shapes and may have one, two or three holes for the ball; however they are all of a similar size and must comply with the guide lines set out in the BFA rules. Having triggered the box to release the tennis ball, a dog will ideally execute a ‘swimmers turn’ and push off using its hind feet.

Anyone can box load as long as they are current BFA members. The box loader’s job is made harder if a team competes with a multiple, rather than a single, hole box. Some dogs naturally turn left and others right; this makes a difference as to which hole is loaded. The box loader needs to know which hole each dog uses and the team’s running order for any particular leg – especially if dogs are swapped in or out.  He/she also has to watch if the team gets a fault light(s) and for which dog(s) they have to reload.

The box loader must keep his/her hands behind their back and stand upright during the racing except when loading the balls.  Box loaders may use verbal encouragement.

The Balls

Standard tennis balls are used, although "mini." and "midi" balls are acceptable for smaller dogs. The balls must be uniformly firm and unpunctured; a ‘known’ consistency makes it easier for the dog to catch a ball ejected from the box and to hold it during the return run.

Electronic Starting and Crossover Lights

BFA flyball is such a fast sport that it is almost impossible to judge false starts and early crossovers by eye. An electronic ‘coloured lights’ system is used to detect and highlight these racing ‘errors’ as well as to provide very accurate timing for both lanes.

The Start

Once the judge has confirmed that all parties concerned are ready to race, he/she signals to the person operating the lights to start the race. A button is pressed and a series of amber lights come on in sequence. The first dog is released with the aim that it crosses the start line as the lights turn to green. If the dog crosses too early, the race is stopped. Both teams are allowed one false start per leg. If another false start occurs the race continues but the offending dog has to run again as fifth dog for his team.

Crossovers

As speed is of the essence, it is important that the dogs "cross" nose to nose on the start line. It takes a great deal of practice to build up the dog's confidence and for the handler to know when and from what distance to let the dog go. For example, some handlers will release their dogs 50' back from the start line when the preceding dog is jumping the first jump on the return run.

Ring Party

Well established clubs, and /or those with plenty of volunteer helpers, volunteer to host flyball competitions.  Even so, there is a requirement that participating teams provide a ‘ring party’ to carry out the various jobs involved in supervising another division’s racing – viz. line judges, recorders and box judges for each lane.  

 Our Philosophy

Flyball is really just for fun

We enter our dogs to compete and run

And if they win we’re really thrilled

but just to enter is to be fulfilled

Acknowledgement: The Ball Busters