What is FlyballFlyball is a team sport for dogs that was invented in California in the late 70's. In the early 80's the sport became so popular that the North American Flyball Association (NAFA) was formed. In 2005 United Flyball League International (U-FLI™) was founded. Flyball is a relay race with 4 dogs on a team. The course consists of a starting line, 4 hurdles spaced 10 feet apart, and a box. The first hurdle is 6 feet from the start line and the box is 15 feet from the last hurdle for a 51 foot overall length. The dogs jump the hurdles and trigger a spring-loaded box that shoots out a tennis ball. The dog catches the tennis ball and then runs back over the 4 hurdles. When the dog crosses the starting line the next dog goes. The first team to have all 4 dogs run without errors wins the heat. Tournaments are usually organized in either a double elimination or round robin format. The hurdles' height are dependent on the height of the dogs in the team -- 4 inches below the shoulder height of the shortest dog. 8 inches is the minimum height and 16 inches is the maximum height in NAFA events. U-FLI™ uses a different measuring system where the minimum jump height is 6 inches and the maximum is 12 inches. Flyball races are fast-paced action with plenty of excitement for dogs, handlers, and especially spectators. Many teams run all 4 dogs through the course in less than 20 seconds. NAFA tournaments are divided into divisions so that teams compete against other teams of equal abilities. All dogs including mixed breeds are eligible to compete and earn titles in NAFA sanctioned tournaments. Titles are earned by a point system based on the speed of the team running with your dog in the heats. All four dogs earn the same points per heat.
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