NAFA Region 19 Flyball
Colorado, New Mexico & Wyoming
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Judging Responsibilities

Please read and keep to refresh your memory before you take a judging chair in the flyball ring.  If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know.  Also available as a Word file. 

Basic Judging Responsibilities

Line Judge:


  • Pick up clipboard with time sheet from scoring table.
  • Check race number and lane assignment on time sheet to be sure you have the correct one.
  • Make a mental note of the height dog’s jump height.
  • Make sure the jumps are set at the appropriate height.
  • Get the line-up from the team captain and circle the corresponding numbers for each dog on the time sheet.
  • Double check to make certain that the height dog is running and that all the jumps are set at the right height.
  • When the Head Judge is ready to begin the race, he will check with you to see that you are also ready.  Watch for his signal and nod your head to him if you are ready.
  • When the race starts watch the EJS for the false start signal (red light at top).  Raise flag if the team you are watching has false started. 
  • Watch each dog to make sure it goes over jumps, not around.  Flag if not.
  • Watch each dog to make sure it goes over all the jumps in order.  Flag if not.
  • Make sure each dog carries the ball back over all the jumps in order.  Flag if not.
  • Make sure each dog is not dropping the ball before crossing the finish line. (if the ball leaves the dog’s mouth before the line, even if it rolls across the line it is a Flag.)
  • Watch EJS for early pass indicator as each dog crosses the line.  (red light = Flag)  Always watch closely in case there is a question about a pass or a dropped ball.  If there is no EJS, you are responsible for calling early passes. 
  • Watch to make sure that no part of the handler’s body or item in  the handler’s hand crosses the line (red light = Flag)
  • Watch for any malfunction of the EJS and notify the Head Judge of oddities (for example, if the red light comes on well after the start dog has passed through and it clearly wasn’t a false start, ask the Head Judge to inspect the lights at the end of the heat).
  • As each heat starts, look to make sure the line-up hasn’t changed.  If a substitution has been made, get the information from the Team Captain and once again make sure that the jumps are set at the appropriate height.
  • If a team has made several faults (flags) make sure that they rerun the dogs in the right order.  Flagged dogs must rerun only after the whole team has run and in the order that that they were flagged.  Running out of order earns another Flag for the team.
  • At the end of each heat, watch for the judge’s signal as to win or loss and note the result on the time sheet by circling W or L.  Also record the team’s time for the heat or the appropriate acronym for a no-finish.
  • Turn in the completed time sheets to the scoring table or give them to the Head Judge at the end of the race.
  • Pick up new time sheets for the next race.


Box Judge:


  • Watch for the Head Judge’s signal that the race is about to begin and nod your head to him or her if you are ready.
  • Make sure the approaching dog jumps all the jumps in order as it nears the box.  Raise your Flag if the dog goes around a jump.
  • Make sure the dog triggers the box BEFORE taking the ball (taking the ball first and then triggering the box or taking the ball without triggering the box is “stealing” and gets a Flag).
  • Make sure the dog takes the ball that was triggered from the box (not a loose one lying on the floor or one carried to the box in its mouth).  Retrieval of the wrong ball gets a Flag.
  • Make sure the dog carries the ball across the jumps.  A dog may drop the ball and not be faulted as long as he retrieves the dropped ball and carries it across all the jumps in the right order.  If he skips a jump or fails to carry the ball over a particular jump, raise the Flag.
  • Make sure the boxloader is using official balls (do not Flag, but notify the judge after the race if you see something unusual or hear a funny noise -- squeaky balls, bells, etc.).
  • Make sure the boxloader loads a ball into the box before the dog gets there.  If there is no ball in the box, it’s a Flag.
  • Make sure the boxloader stands at the box and gives no signal to the dog other than verbal encouragement.  Except for when he is bending over to load a ball or retrieve a loose ball, he should be standing straight up with arms at his sides or behind his back and must give no hand signals or any other signals to the dog.  He may not touch the dog at all during racing (it’s okay during the warm-up period).  Raise Flag if the boxloader touches the dog during racing.
  • Make sure the boxloader remains on the box until the Head Judge has indicated that the heat is over.  Leaving the box early can be a distraction to the other team. Notify the Head Judge if boxloaders are leaving the box early.  He may give one warning to the boxloaders or may simply tell you to Flag them for that behavior.


WHEN IN DOUBT:  These are just the basic rules for line and box judges.  There will certainly be situations that are unexpected and that may seem to fall into some kind of gray area.  Do not hesitate to ask the Head Judge any time you are uncertain, whether you raised the Flag or not.  If you ask him immediately after the heat in which the incident occurred, you both can remember what happened and make any necessary adjustments.  Do not wait or leave the incident as a question in your mind.