Flyball Crufts 2026: Day-by-Day Schedule, Teams & TV

Fly Ball Crufts 2026: Full Schedule, Teams & Tickets

Every year, thousands of people search for fly ball Crufts (the sport is usually written as one word, flyball) to find out when the racing happens, how to get tickets, and which teams will compete. This guide covers everything spectators need to know in one place. For the full story on the teams, records and tournament format, see our complete Crufts flyball guide.

The fly ball competition at Crufts 2026 runs from the NEC in Birmingham with a knockout tournament building to a Sunday final.

You're at Crufts 2026, 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 Link Broken 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.

What Is Fly Ball at Crufts?

Fly ball (two words) is how many newcomers search for the sport before they realise the proper name is flyball (one word). At Crufts, fly ball teams race four dogs down parallel lanes in a relay knockout tournament. If you are looking for fly ball at Crufts, you are in the right place: this page covers the full schedule, teams, tickets and how to watch.

How Flyball Works at Crufts: Rules and Format

Link Broken 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.

Crufts Flyball 2026 Schedule and Format

Crufts 2026 runs from Thursday 5 March to Sunday 8 March at the NEC in Birmingham. Flyball takes place in the Main Arena and is one of the headline spectator events each day. The format is a single-elimination knockout, not the round-robin system used at regular tournaments. This means every heat is win-or-go-home, which makes the pacing faster and the stakes higher.

Daily Flyball Schedule at Crufts 2026

• Thursday 5 March — qualifying heats and early rounds. Teams are seeded based on seed times submitted in advance.
• Friday 6 March — quarter-finals and early semi-finals. The field halves quickly, and by Friday evening only the fastest eight teams remain.
• Saturday 7 March — semi-finals and consolation races. Teams knocked out earlier race for placement positions.
• Sunday 8 March — Crufts Flyball Final at approximately 14:00. The top two teams race best-of-three for the championship. This is the session that gets the most TV coverage on Channel 4.

Times can shift slightly based on how quickly other arena events finish, so arrive 20 minutes early for your chosen session. The full schedule is published on the Kennel Club Crufts website roughly two weeks before the show opens.

Crufts Flyball Format: What Makes It Different

At a normal BFA tournament, teams race in divisions of similar speed and accumulate points across multiple rounds. At Crufts, the format is pure knockout from the first heat. Teams submit a seed time beforehand, and the bracket is drawn to avoid the fastest teams meeting early. Each heat is best-of-three runs, so a team must win two runs to progress. If a run is tied or both teams fault, it is rerun immediately. There is no time to recover from a bad start: one dropped ball or one early pass can end your Crufts campaign.

The lane surface at the NEC is a rubberised sports floor, which gives good grip but can be slippery if it gets dusty. Teams are allowed a short warm-up period before their first heat, but not between rounds. Handlers need to keep their dogs calm in the holding area, which is loud and busy, so preparation and temperament matter as much as raw speed.

Crufts Flyball 2026 Results

The 2026 flyball final takes place on Sunday 8 March in the Main Arena at the NEC Birmingham. The championship is decided over a best-of-three final between the two remaining teams from the knockout bracket. Official results, race times, and full team lineups are published by the British Flyball Association after the event.

If you missed the final, Channel 4 broadcast the Sunday afternoon session, and the Crufts YouTube channel carries full replays of all four days.

Recent Crufts Flyball Champions

Below is a quick look at the teams that have won Crufts flyball over the last few years.

• 2025 — Roadrunners Beep Beep (Belgium), third consecutive final appearance.
• 2024 — Watson's Legacy (Stoke-on-Trent), beat the Belgians in the final.
• 2023 — Roadrunners Beep Beep (Belgium), all-time record 14.27 seconds and first non-UK winner.
• 2022 — Tails We Win (UK), dominant domestic performance.

The 2026 champion will be added here once the BFA confirms the official race results and champion team name.

What to Watch For at Crufts Flyball

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 Link Broken: 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 Link Broken, 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:

• Link Broken: fast, driven, and the backbone of most competitive teams.
• Link Broken and Whippet crosses: pure speed. Some of the fastest individual dogs in flyball.
• Link Broken: powerful and surprisingly quick. Common in UK flyball.
• Link Broken: ball-obsessed and quick. Often appear as height dogs or regular runners.

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

• Link Broken: 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.

Teams Competing at Crufts Flyball 2026

Crufts flyball is invitation-only. Teams qualify through the BFA seed list and are invited by the Kennel Club based on their rankings. The exact lineup for 2026 will be confirmed in late January, but the teams that usually feature are the fastest in British flyball.

British Teams to Watch

• Focus — consistently one of the fastest UK teams. They hold multiple division records and are known for clean changeovers and excellent box turns. Always a favourite for the final.
• Top Gear — a well-drilled team with a reputation for consistency under pressure. They rarely fault at Crufts and have made the final in recent years.
• Chiltern — a strong all-round team that competes at the highest BFA divisions. Their dogs are well-conditioned and their handler discipline is tight.
• Jazz — known for fast seed times and aggressive racing. They can be erratic but when they are on form they are among the quickest in the country.
• Whippets Stripes — a team that mixes Border Collies and Whippets for speed. They have a loyal following and usually qualify comfortably for the later rounds.

International Teams at Crufts

Crufts occasionally invites international teams to compete in exhibition or invitational races. Belgian teams, particularly Roadrunners Beep Beep, hold the all-time Crufts record of 14.27 seconds and have featured in past years. Czech and Polish teams have also been invited in recent editions, bringing different training styles and box-turn techniques to the arena. These international appearances are exhibition races rather than full knockout entries, but they are some of the fastest runs you will see all weekend.

How Teams Qualify for Crufts Flyball

The qualification process runs through the British Flyball Association seed list. Teams submit their fastest recorded time from the previous 12 months, and the Kennel Club invites the top 16 to 24 teams based on those seeds. A team must be registered with the BFA and have competed in at least three BFA-sanctioned tournaments in the qualifying period. The seed time is an average of the team's best runs, not a single peak performance, so consistency matters. Teams that fault heavily or have irregular attendance struggle to make the cut, even if they have occasional fast runs.

History of Flyball at Crufts

Flyball was introduced to Crufts in 1990 as a demonstration sport and became a full championship event in 1995. Since then it has grown into one of the most popular spectator attractions at the show, regularly filling the Main Arena to capacity.

Notable Records and Moments

• The all-time Crufts record is 14.27 seconds, set by Belgian team Roadrunners Beep Beep in 2023. This remains the fastest time ever recorded at the NEC.
• The fastest British team at Crufts is Focus, who have run sub-15.5 seconds in the final on multiple occasions.
• The 2019 final between Focus and Top Gear is widely regarded as one of the best races in Crufts history, with three consecutive runs decided by less than 0.1 seconds.
• In 2020, the event was cancelled due to the pandemic. The 2021 show returned with reduced capacity and no international teams, making it a purely domestic competition for the first time since 2005.

Before flyball, the Main Arena at Crufts was dominated by obedience and breed judging. The introduction of flyball brought a new audience: younger spectators, families, and people who had never watched a dog show before. It is now common to hear handlers say they discovered flyball by accident while at Crufts for another event, which speaks to how effective the arena placement is for recruitment.

Evolution of the Competition Format

The original Crufts flyball format in the 1990s used a simple single-elimination bracket with four-dog teams and no height dog requirement. The height dog rule was introduced in 2003 to preserve breed diversity and prevent teams from stacking entirely with Border Collies. The best-of-three heat system replaced single-run heats in 2010, reducing the impact of one-off faults and giving teams a chance to recover from a bad start. The current format, including the seed-time qualification and the 16-team knockout bracket, has been in place since 2015.

Crufts Flyball 2026 Results

Crufts 2026 ran from 5-8 March at the NEC Birmingham. The flyball competition followed the single-elimination knockout format, with 16 teams starting on Thursday and the final taking place on Sunday afternoon in the Main Arena. Official timings and the full bracket are published by the British Flyball Association after the event.

If you are looking for the official race times, heat sheets, and final placements, the BFA website is the primary source. Channel 4 broadcast the Sunday final, and highlights and replays are usually available on the Crufts YouTube channel.

Where to Find Official Results

• British Flyball Association (BFA) publishes seed lists, tournament results, and rankings. This is the most reliable place to confirm heat times and final positions.
• Kennel Club Crufts website publishes the overall schedule and sometimes a summary of winners across all disciplines.
• Crufts YouTube channel carries full replays and highlights for each day, including the Sunday flyball final.
• Channel 4 on-demand offers the Sunday afternoon broadcast through its streaming service for viewers with a UK TV licence.

What Results Look Like

Flyball results at Crufts are straightforward but there is more detail than you might expect. Each heat produces a winning team and a race time. The time is the total from the first dog crossing the start line to the fourth dog crossing the finish line. If a dog faults, the team reruns that dog and the time continues until the clean run is complete. This means the published time includes any reruns, so a team's raw speed and their official time can differ.

The BFA also tracks seed times for each team throughout the season. A team's Crufts seed time is based on their best average from the previous 12 months, so the teams that reach the final are not just the fastest on the day, but the most consistent over the year.

Once the 2026 results are fully compiled, this section will be updated with the winning team, final race times, and any records set during the competition.

Tips for Watching Flyball 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 Crufts Flyball 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.

Crufts Flyball Tickets and Entry: What Spectators Need to Know

Crufts is the biggest dog show in the world, and tickets sell out for the most popular days. If you are going specifically for flyball, you need to plan ahead because the best arena seats fill up hours before the first heat.

Ticket Prices and Where to Buy

• Adult day ticket: approximately £25-£35 depending on the day. Weekend days cost more than Thursday.
• Child ticket (5-16): approximately £12-£18. Under 5s go free.
• Family ticket (2 adults + 2 children): roughly £65-£80. This is usually the best value if you are bringing the family.
• Buy from the official Kennel Club Crufts website. Third-party sellers often charge well over face value and may not be genuine.

Tickets go on sale in November the year before. Sunday tickets sell out first, followed by Saturday. If you want to watch the final live, book as soon as tickets are released. Thursday and Friday tickets usually remain available closer to the date.

Travel and Parking at the NEC

• The NEC is next to Birmingham International train station. Direct trains run from Birmingham New Street every 10-15 minutes and take roughly 10 minutes.
• By car, use the M42 junction 6 and follow NEC signage. On-site parking costs around £12 per day. Pre-booking is recommended because the car parks fill by mid-morning on busy days.
• From Birmingham Airport, the NEC is a 5-minute taxi ride or a 10-minute walk via the free Air-Rail Link to Birmingham International station.

Inside the NEC, the Main Arena is off Hall 1. Follow the signs from the entrance or ask any steward. The arena is fully accessible for wheelchair users, and there are designated viewing areas with good sightlines.

What to Bring

• Ear protection. The arena is loud. Dogs bark, handlers shout, and the crowd cheers constantly. Foam earplugs are enough for most adults; children should wear over-ear defenders.
• Water and snacks. There are food outlets inside the NEC, but queues are long during peak times. A bottle of water and a snack in your bag save time and money.
• Cash and card. Most vendors take cards, but some smaller stalls in the trade halls are cash-only.
• Comfortable shoes. You will walk more than you expect. The NEC is vast, and flyball is just one of dozens of events happening across multiple halls.

Common Questions About Flyball Crufts

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 Link Broken 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.

When is the Crufts flyball final?

The Crufts flyball final usually takes place on Sunday afternoon at approximately 14:00. The exact time is confirmed in the final schedule published by the Kennel Club two weeks before the show. Sunday is the busiest day, so arrive at the Main Arena at least 30 minutes early to get a seat.

How much are Crufts flyball tickets?

Day tickets for Crufts cost between £25 and £35 for adults, depending on the day. Weekend days are more expensive than Thursday. Child tickets are £12-£18. Family tickets offer the best value at around £65-£80 for two adults and two children. Book directly from the Kennel Club website to avoid inflated prices from resellers.

What teams are in the Crufts flyball 2026 final?

The final teams were confirmed in late January based on BFA seed list rankings. British teams including Focus, Top Gear, Chiltern, and Jazz were among the favourites to reach the final. International exhibition teams, particularly from Belgium, also featured. For the confirmed winner and final times, check the BFA website or the Crufts YouTube channel.

Can I take my dog to watch flyball at Crufts?

No. Only dogs entered in a competition or event are permitted inside the NEC. Spectator dogs are not allowed. If you want to watch flyball, you will need to leave your dog at home or with a sitter.

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 Link Broken? guide and Link Broken. Most clubs welcome beginners and run taster sessions. Your dog doesn't need to be a Link Broken — any Link Broken can play.

Who won Crufts flyball 2026?

The 2026 Crufts flyball final takes place on Sunday 8 March at the NEC Birmingham. It is a best-of-three knockout final in the Main Arena. Official results and the winning team name are published by the British Flyball Association after the event. This post will be updated as soon as the BFA confirms the 2026 champion.

Where can I watch the 2026 flyball final replay?

The Crufts YouTube channel carries full event replays, including all four days of flyball. Channel 4 also broadcast the Sunday afternoon final live.

How do I buy tickets for Crufts flyball 2026?

Tickets for Crufts 2026 are available from the official Crufts website and AXS. Day tickets range from about £25 to £35. Sunday tickets sell out first because the final is that afternoon.

What is flyball Crufts and why is it so popular?

Flyball Crufts is the British Flyball Association showcase event held during the Kennel Club Crufts dog show at the NEC in Birmingham. Four dogs per team race in relay over jumps, hitting a box to release a tennis ball. It is popular because it is the fastest team dog sport in the UK, and at Crufts it is shown in the Main Arena to a full crowd, with the final broadcast on Channel 4.

Is fly ball at Crufts the same as flyball?

Yes. Fly ball and flyball are the same sport. The single-word spelling, flyball, is the official term used by the British Flyball Association and at Crufts. Many people initially search for fly ball Crufts because that is how the activity sounds when spoken.

Where can I watch fly ball at Crufts 2026?

You can watch fly ball at Crufts in person at the NEC Birmingham or live on Channel 4 during the Sunday afternoon final. Full details on tickets and broadcast times are above.