Flyball

A total of seven qualifiers will be held and these will be overseen by the Crufts working party. Qualifiers will be hosted independently or by a BFA/UKFL host team and will be run during a BFA/UKFL show at an approved BFA/UKFL venue or at a Kennel Club approved venue. Teams, dogs and handlers do not need to be registered with the BFA or UKFL but must abide by the Crufts qualifier rules and any regulations listed on the entry schedule.

Each team will consist of six handlers and dogs, four of which will run at any one time. Each team can also have a team captain, a box loader and an additional person to act as runner/ball collector. A team may name a seventh dog and handler on the entry form for a qualifier. This dog and handler will act as an emergency reserve for the team at the Crufts final should they be required.

A club can enter more than one team and qualify more than one team for the finals at Crufts. No team member or dog can enter/compete in more than one team. 

Qualifiers will be based on a single or double elimination system.

All dogs entering the qualifiers must be a minimum of 18 months old at the time of the qualifier and be registered on The Kennel Club Breed Register or Activity Register.

At least one dog in each team must be a designated breed dog. The designated breed dog must be registered with The Kennel Club on the Breed Register or on the Activity Register as a Kennel Club registered breed. Teams should reflect the diversity of breeds in the sport and not consist of solely one breed.

There must be at least one designated breed dog running in each heat and at the finals at Crufts.

The two highest placed teams at each qualifier will be invited to compete in the flyball competition at Crufts, for which an entry fee will be charged. The current Crufts champion and runner up from the previous year will also be invited back to the Crufts final. Dogs and handlers for invited teams must be declared by the closing date of the final qualifier.

The Crufts final will be a team competition (knockout), also known as a single eliminator.  In this competition the best of three runs will decide the winners which will to go into the next round.

• Jumps will have an inside width of 30”
• Jump bases will be 5” high, with a total height of 9 inches  
• The 1” top slat will be flexible/breakable and have rounded edges. There will be padding on top of the top slat
• Heats will be stopped and restarted for any knocked down jump

• Each team is responsible for providing its own flyball box, which should be safe and fit for purpose
• The flyball box must meet the following specifications:

1. All boxes are to have a pressure pedal to mechanically release the trigger/launcher system
2. Boxes may be decorated and/or painted any colour. Logos and/or lettering are permitted
3. When triggered, the flyball box must eject the ball. The ball must be able to travel at least 24" from all points of release toward the start/finish line
4. The box cannot exceed 30” in width, nor exceed 20” in height
5. Mats or grabbing devices to hold the box in place cannot raise the box more than ½" higher than the maximum allowed height
6. The body of the box cannot exceed 30” in depth, excluding the base upon which the box loader stands
7. The box cannot exceed these dimensions at any time during racing, excluding carrying handles and stakeholders

Please note, boxes should be constructed with the comfort and wellbeing of the dog in mind. Sharp edges must be avoided and adequate padding and protection should be used. The officiating judge has the right to refuse the use of any flyball box they deem to be unfit for use and teams cannot use any external modification that could be classed as training aids; they will be asked to remove them before they can carry on racing. 

Each club shall provide its own supply of balls. Approved balls may be of any size, colour or design and must bounce and roll. Balls may not contain a noise maker (e.g. squeakers or bells) and must not be covered in a skin (e.g. rabbit skin etc.). The ball must be able to travel the requisite distance as defined in the box rules section. All non-tennis balls must be approved by the Crufts flyball steward before being used.

Interference is defined as obstructing the other team from running/completing its race.

If a dog or any team member interferes with the opposing team during a heat and prevents them from completing their heat, the judge will stop the heat and the team causing the interference will forfeit the heat. Interference can be in the racing lane or in all bound areas and in the areas where dogs are waiting to run.

A dog chasing a loose ball into the other team’s area is not necessarily interference however the whistle will be blown to stop the race for safety and the race restarted. A distraction will be called for a loose ball in the other team’s lane if the dogs get distracted and it interferes with their racing.

Only handlers and dogs who are members of the original team, including the named reserve, and named on the qualifier entry form, will be allowed to compete at Crufts and no further changes will be allowed. Please note, of the seven named dogs, a maximum of six will be expected to attend the Crufts final.

Entry to Crufts qualifiers will be done via google form. Schedules will be available for entry at least 12 weeks prior to the date of the qualifier with a closing date of 8 week prior to the qualifiers. A qualifier will be deemed as entered when the entry and payment are received. An email confirmation will be sent. Teams that have qualified for Crufts at previous qualifiers, will not be eligible to attend a further qualifier.

Objections must be made to either the show secretary before the end of the competition or submitted by email within seven days of the qualifier. All objections must be accompanied with an objection fee of £35 and include a statement detailing the objection, quoting the relevant rules and contact information.

No sponsorship at the finals at Crufts is permitted to be featured on the flyball boxes and any sponsorship of clothing is subject to approval from the Crufts working party and, in any case, will be limited to one small breast pocket logo.