flyball links

NAFA (North American Flyball Assn.)

U-FLI (United Flyball League Int'l)

Flyball Dogs

Newspaper article about flyball

Flyball Infographic

what is flyball?

In flyball, four dogs race on a team, side-by-side against another flyball team. And team is very much at the heart of it all-you'll see competitors cheering for their teammates' dogs as loudly as their own.

Each dog must leave his handler to complete a series of four hurdles in succession before triggering a spring-loaded box that launches a tennis ball. The dog must then catch the tennis ball and return over all four hurdles to cross the electronically timed start/finish line immediately before the next dog in the line-up passes them. The first flyball team to complete the course, with all four dogs running error-free, wins the heat.

Flyball has grown over the years and now includes teams from all over the world. Racing that was once judged by the human eye is now gauged by a sophisticated system of lights and computers

Flyball boxes, still made by hand, have evolved from crude tuna-can launchers to sophisticated works of engineering designed for safety and efficiency.

With technological evolution came a similar evolution in the speed and precision of the sport. Just this last May, Touch-N-Go out of Las Vegas was the first team to run under 15 seconds and set a new world record of 14.963!

Flyball tournaments are divided into divisions so teams compete against other teams of equal ability. So all dogs - purebred and mixed-breed, short and tall - are valuable in competition. Prizes are awarded to teams for winning divisions and individual dogs are awarded points toward titles, which accumulate throughout their Flyball careers.

Most of all, Flyball provides a job and exciting exercise for dogs who crave stimulation and an outlet for their energy. Come check it out, and see if Flyball is right for you and your best friend!

The santa barbara supersonic flyball racing team competes regionally throughout the year. Our individual dogs have earned Flyball titles ranging from "Flyball Dog" to "Flyball Grand Champion."

But the most important thing we gain from competition and training is a delightful bond with our dogs and teammates.

We practice flyball together as a team year 'round each and every week refining our dogs' skills. Come check us out if you want to see what it's all about, or if you'd like to get some information on how to join a class and eventually become a part of our competitive team.

For information email us at info@sbsupersonic.org or download our santa barbara supersonic flyball brochure.

a humorous look at flyball