A Spectator's Guide to Flyball at Crufts

A Spectator's Guide to Flyball at Crufts

You're at Crufts, or watching on Channel 4, and the flyball comes on. Two lanes, eight dogs, a crowd going absolutely mental. Tennis balls are flying, lights are flashing, and the whole thing is over in about 16 seconds.

What just happened?

If you've never watched flyball at Crufts before, it can look like pure chaos. But once you know what to look for, it's one of the best things on all weekend. By the end of this, you'll know what's happening, what to watch for, and why the crowd loses it when a team shaves a tenth off their time.

How Flyball Works: The Basics

Flyball is a relay race between two teams of four dogs, racing side by side in parallel lanes. Each dog does the same thing:

1. Sprints down a lane over four jumps
2. Hits a spring-loaded box that fires out a tennis ball
3. Catches the ball
4. Turns and races back over the four jumps
5. Crosses the start/finish line so the next dog can go

First team to get all four dogs home without any faults wins the heat. At Crufts, heats are decided as best of three, so a team needs to win two runs to progress.

The whole race, from the first dog leaving to the fourth dog finishing, takes roughly 15-18 seconds at Crufts level. The all-time Crufts record is 14.27 seconds, set by Belgian team Roadrunners Beep Beep in 2023.

What to Watch For

The difference between a good flyball team and a great one comes down to details that happen in fractions of a second. Here's what to keep your eyes on.

The Box Turn

This is the hardest thing to get right in flyball, and the biggest gap between top teams and everyone else.

When a dog reaches the box at the end of the lane, they don't just grab the ball and turn around. The best dogs perform a swimmer's turn: they hit the box with their feet, push off, and they're already facing back up the lane before they've fully collected the ball. Same idea as a swimmer pushing off the wall at the end of a length.

Watch the box turns closely. A dog that hits the box cleanly and spins off in one movement will be noticeably faster than one that arrives, grabs the ball, then turns around as a separate step. At Crufts level, the box turn is worth fractions of a second, and in a sport decided by fractions, that's a big deal.

A bad box turn can also cause the ball to fly out sideways, or the dog might not trigger the box properly and come away without the ball. Both count as faults.

The Changeovers (Passes)

This is where flyball gets really tactical.

The pass is the moment where one dog crosses the start/finish line coming back, and the next dog is released going out. In a perfect pass, the two dogs cross nose-to-nose at the line, with the outgoing dog already at full speed as the returning dog arrives.

Here's the catch: the outgoing dog cannot cross the line before the returning dog does. If they do, it's an early pass, and that dog has to run again at the end. The electronic timing system tracks these crossings to the thousandth of a second.

The best teams at Crufts will aim for passes where the gap between the two dogs is almost nothing — maybe a tenth of a second. Getting this right across all four changeovers in a race can be worth over half a second of total time. Getting it wrong means re-runs, lost momentum, and often a lost heat.

Watch the passes and you'll see some teams are clearly sharper than others. Tight passes look thrilling. Sloppy passes, where there's a visible gap between dogs, cost time and can swing the result.

The Fault Lights

At each end of the lane, you'll see a set of lights (similar to traffic lights in some setups). These are part of the electronic judging system (EJS) and they track everything: start times, passes, and finish times.

If a fault occurs (early pass, missed jump, dropped ball), a fault light comes on. When this happens, the team has to re-run the dog that made the mistake after all four dogs have completed their runs. This adds time and pressure, because the other team is usually already finished and waiting.

Common faults you'll see at Crufts:

• Early pass: the most common fault. A dog is released a fraction too early.
• Missed jump: a dog runs around a jump instead of over it, usually because they're overexcited.
• Dropped ball: the dog lets go of the ball before crossing the finish line.
• No ball: the dog doesn't trigger the box properly or doesn't pick up the ball.

When you see a team suddenly running a fifth dog after the fourth has come home, that's a re-run to correct a fault.

Jump Heights

You might notice that the jumps look surprisingly low — sometimes barely above the ground. That's intentional.

Jump heights in flyball are set by the team's height dog, the smallest dog in the line-up. Having a smaller dog on the team means lower jumps for every dog, which means faster times for the bigger, faster dogs. This is why you'll often see three Border Collies or Whippets running alongside one much smaller dog like a Jack Russell, a Papillon, or a Shetland Sheepdog.

It's all within the rules, and it's a real part of the strategy. The height dog still has to run the full course cleanly and quickly. A slow height dog costs the team more time than the lower jumps save. Getting that balance right is the tricky bit.

The Tournament Format at Crufts

Crufts uses a single-elimination knockout format:

• Last 16: Thursday and Friday (eight matches per day)
• Quarter-Finals: Saturday afternoon
• Semi-Finals: Sunday
• Final: Sunday afternoon (the big one)

Each match is best of three runs. Win two, you advance. Lose two, you're out.

There's no group stage and no consolation bracket. If you lose in the Last 16, your Crufts is over. That creates real tension from the first round, because even the strongest teams can be knocked out by one bad heat.

By Sunday's final, you're watching the two best teams from a field of sixteen go head-to-head for the title. The crowd is usually on their feet for most of it.

How Fast is Fast?

A few benchmarks so you know what you're looking at:

Time What it means Under 15 seconds World class. You're watching one of the fastest teams on the planet. 15-16 seconds Elite. This is where most Crufts teams operate. 16-17 seconds Very competitive. Still faster than most club teams will ever run. 17-18 seconds Fast at club level, but might struggle against the top Crufts teams. 18-20 seconds Good recreational team speed.

Remember, that's the total time for all four dogs to complete their runs — roughly 4 seconds per dog, including changeovers. Each individual dog is covering about 15 metres of jumps, a box turn, and 15 metres of jumps back, all in under 4 seconds.

When you see a time flash up on screen, now you'll know whether you just watched something special.

The Dogs: Flyball Breeds You'll See at Crufts

Flyball at Crufts level is dominated by a handful of breeds and their crosses:

• Border Collies: fast, driven, and the backbone of most competitive teams.
• Whippets and Whippet crosses: pure speed. Some of the fastest individual dogs in flyball.
• Staffordshire Bull Terriers: powerful and surprisingly quick. Common in UK flyball.
• Cocker Spaniels: ball-obsessed and quick. Often appear as height dogs or regular runners.

You'll also spot smaller breeds running as height dogs:

• Jack Russells: fearless and fast for their size.
• Papillons: tiny but competitive height dogs.
• Shetland Sheepdogs: quick and agile workers.

One rule at Crufts is that each team must include at least one Kennel Club registered pedigree dog running in every heat. You can't stack a team entirely with crossbred specialists. This keeps breed diversity in the competition, which makes sense given Crufts is a pedigree dog show at heart.

Tips for Watching at the NEC

If you're heading to Crufts in person:

• Get to the Main Arena early. Flyball is in the arena off Hall 1. Seats fill up quickly because it's one of the most popular spectator events. Arrive at least 15-20 minutes before the scheduled flyball time.
• Sit near the middle. You'll get the best view of both the box turns and the changeovers from a central position.
• Watch the big screens. The action happens fast. The arena screens often show replays and timing information that you'll miss watching with the naked eye.
• It's loud. Flyball at Crufts is properly loud. Dogs barking, handlers shouting, the crowd going mad. If you or your group have noise sensitivities, be prepared.
• Stay for more than one round. The first heat might be confusing. By the second or third, you'll be following the action and picking up on the details.

Tips for Watching on TV

If you're catching it on Channel 4 or streaming:

• The Sunday final gets the most coverage. If you only watch one day, watch Sunday afternoon.
• Commentary helps. The TV commentary team usually explain the rules and format as they go, which is helpful for first-time viewers.
• YouTube livestreams show more. The Crufts YouTube channel often carries more flyball action than the edited Channel 4 broadcast, including earlier rounds.
• Watch the slow-motion replays. TV coverage often replays box turns and close changeovers in slow motion. This is where you really see the skill involved.

Common Questions From First-Time Viewers

Why do some dogs run after all four have finished?

That's a re-run. One of the four dogs had a fault (early pass, missed jump, dropped ball) so they have to run again to correct it. The team's time doesn't stop until the re-run dog crosses the finish line cleanly.

Why are the jumps so low?

Jump height is set by the smallest dog on the team (the height dog). Lower jumps mean faster times for the bigger dogs. It's a deliberate team strategy.

Why do the dogs look so different on the same team?

Flyball teams aren't breed-specific. You'll see a mix of breeds and sizes on most teams — typically fast dogs like Border Collies and Whippets alongside a smaller height dog. Each dog has a role.

Is it the same format as regular flyball competitions?

Not quite. Regular flyball tournaments use a round-robin division system where teams race multiple heats against teams of similar speed. Crufts uses a single-elimination knockout, which is higher stakes and more dramatic.

Can I take my dog to watch?

Dogs are welcome at Crufts, but they need to be entered in a competition or event to attend. Spectator dogs are not permitted. If you want to watch, you'll go without your dog.

How do I start flyball with my own dog?

If watching Crufts has inspired you, have a look at our What is Flyball? guide and Find a Team page. Most clubs welcome beginners and run taster sessions. Your dog doesn't need to be a Border Collie — any breed can play.