Glossary

Flyball

A relay sport in which teams of four dogs race over hurdles to a box, catch a ball it releases, and run back to the line, judged on speed and accuracy.

Also called: fly ball, flyball racing, flyball team, NAFA flyball

Flyball is a relay race for dogs. Each team has four dogs, who run in turn over a row of low hurdles, press a pedal on a box that releases a tennis ball, catch it, and race back over the hurdles to the start line. The next dog goes as soon as the one before crosses the line, and a dog that drops the ball or misses a jump has to run again. The fastest team that makes no errors wins.

Hurdle height is set by the shortest dog on the team, which lets small dogs compete with large ones. Dogs of any breed or mix can take part, and the sport is popular with ball-loving herding dogs and terriers.

Flyball is noisy and exciting, and dogs must have good recall and manners around other dogs. Dogs should be fit and checked by a veterinarian before joining a team.

Last reviewed November 8, 2026

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Related terms

Dog agility A timed sport in which a handler directs a dog over an obstacle course of jumps, tunnels, weave poles and ramps, open to purebred and mixed-breed dogs. Dock diving A sport in which dogs run along a dock and leap into a pool, judged on how far or how high they jump, often chasing a toy. Lure coursing A sport in which dogs chase a mechanically pulled lure across a field in a pattern that simulates running prey, mainly for sighthounds.