What is Flyball?
Flyball is a dog sport in which teams of dogs race against each other from a start/finish line, over a line of hurdles, to a box that releases a tennis ball to be caught when the dog presses the spring-loaded pad, then back to their handlers whilst carrying the ball over the finish line.
Flyball is run in teams of four dogs, as a relay. The course consists of a start gate, four hurdles and a box which totals 51ft in length. The hurdle height is determined by the height of the smallest dog in the team.
Each dog must return its ball all the way across the start line before the next dog crosses. Ideal running is nose-to-nose at the start line. The first team to have all four dogs cross the finish line error free wins the heat. Penalties are applied to teams if the ball is dropped, if the next relay dog is released early or the dog goes out of course and misses jumps.
Most of all, Flyball is a sport that welcomes people of all ages and all walks of life to compete in a friendly, yet competitive environment, where you can camp at Competitions and be part of the country's fastest growing dog sport.
Flyball is currently the only team dog sport out there.
There are Flyball teams all over the country that will compete at UK Flyball League and British Flyball Association sanctioned tournaments throughout the year, where dogs can win points, rosettes and certificates to show their achievements. However, the main event that most teams spend all year training for is the Championships, held annually during August.
If you are interested in having a go at Flyball or have any questions about the sport, please feel free to contact me via the contact us page or facebook messenger, Sade Hampson (Team Captain).
