Flyball is a kind of relay racing for dogs. Two teams race each other to collect a tennis ball from the box located at the far end of the racing lane. The first team to get all dogs correctly home in the fastest time three times out of five is declared the winner.
A team is made up of four dogs and handlers, together
with a team member who acts as a box loader. The dogs and handlers wait at the
top of a flyball lane, which comprises four jumps set at ten feet apart, and
leads to the flyball box where the box loader is ready.
When the race starts, the first dog crosses the start-finish line as the green
light is lit and goes over the jumps to reach the box. At the box end the dog
triggers the release mechanism with its paws and collects the tennis ball
As the dog reaches the start-finish line, the second dog is about to cross, and
ideally they pass nose to nose. As the first dog returns to his handler with the
ball, the second dog is well on his way down the flyball lane to get another
ball. When the second dog returns, the third dog goes, then the fourth.
If a dog misses a jumps or jumps, then that dog will have to run again at the
end. If a dog returns without a tennis ball, then again that dog will have to
run at the end.