League Rules

Agility League Rules and Guidelines Spring 2008

Rules and Guidelines (1.1 - 2.12)

1.1 Agility League Overview
Purpose: To simulate the competition environment, increase the competitive ability of club members and have some fun together.
General Description: An agility competition for a designated period, held one evening per week, consisting of two runs per evening. The competition consists of one Standard Run and one Game for each handler/dog pairing on the team.

1.2 Eligibility
The Agility League is open to any dog/handler team that are trial ready.
Dogs must be at least 18 months old to compete and must be able to perform all obstacles safely.
Bitches in season, dogs that are aggressive, or ill should not compete.
A handler with multiple dogs in League must run each dog on a separate team.

1.3 Competition Level1.3 Competition Level
The Standard courses will be designed for the Advance/Open Level with 15-20 obstacles. Games will come from a variety of sources. All dog/handler pairings run the same courses each League evening.

1.4 League time frame
Tuesday, May 27 through Tuesday - July 15 with July 1st off and one day allowance for inclement weather.
Rain or shine, unless the weather is dangerous (lightning).
6:30-9:30 PM including set-up and break-down of equipment.
Two hours or less is the time goal for the competition. (7PM-9PM)

1.5 Organization of the League
The League Coordinator (Elana Aaserud - PACE) is responsible for providing the following information about the League play:

Arrange for times and dates
Solicit Teams and Site Leaders
Course maps, with instructions and scoring sheets
The scoring basis for each game
Standard Course Times, if used
Rules of competition

The Site Leader will: Jen Scheidt @ Sherwood Barks

Schedule Teams for officiating, hospitality, and course building
Accumulate Team scores and send the weekly results to the League Scorekeeper in a timely manner
Resolve any problems at the site
Coordinate providing supplies for the events

The Team Leader will:

Organize and guide the team

The League Scorekeeper will:

Receive the weekly scores from the Site Leader
Post the accumulated scores at the end of each week on the Sherwood Barks & PACE websites

1.6 Team Organization
A minimum of 3 teams each with 4 members in order to proceed with the League. The maximum number of teams will be 7 (28 dog/handler pairings).
Absences: If one dog/handler pair is absent the three remaining scores shall count for the day. If two dog/handler pairs are absent then one of the two present shall run twice and all three scores shall count for the day.

1.7 Communication
The teams will communicate via an email list which will be set up. The courses, rules, etc. will be posted on PACE (www.paceagility.org). and Sherwood Barks (www.sherwoodbarks.com) websites. Special updates will be posted on a special “announcements only” email list. Results will be posted on the websites.

1.9 Course Preview and Practice
The courses are available on the PACE web site (www.paceagility.org) for review and practice. The courses may be set up for training. Practicing the courses is not allowed at the competition site, the day of the event. A practice jump shall be provided off the regular course.

2.1 Selection of a Judge, Scribe and Timer
Each session will have a team or teams providing the officiating. They will provide a Judge, Scribe and Timer. The Teams will be responsible to select members. Anyone may stand as a judge.
A judge may run his/her own dog at the session. The restriction is that another judge must judge the competing judge’s entire jump height. The judge’s word on any call is final and only the judge may assess course faults.

2.2 Jumping standards and Course Times
The handler may choose the jump height at which the dog performs and must continue to jump at this height, throughout the series. This may be any height that the equipment can accommodate and is agreed on by the participants. It is not necessary to measure dogs. There normally is a Standard Course Time (SCT). (See the SCT section)

2.3 Agility Obstacles
Below is a list of equipment, which may be used for all courses: Substitutions are allowed, if equipment is not available.

Dog walk
A-Frame
Teeter
Table
Tunnels
Chute
Tire
Weave Poles
Jumps (Wing, Ascending & Double)

2.4 Obstacle Performance
Safety is of vital importance. All course setups may be adjusted to allow safe performance.

Contact Equipment
Safety zones shall be painted in accordance with the rules of any of the major agility organizations. Contacts shall be judged on the down ramp only, except for the teeter, where both the up and downside shall be judged. The obstacle must be completed in order to avoid a Failure to Perform (FTP) penalty. However, if the dog jumped off in an uncontrolled, or unsafe manner, or if the dog appears not to be confident enough to perform the obstacle, the judge may tell the handler to go on, without a retry. This will result in the FTP penalty, but will not be assessed the minor penalty in addition. Making contact on the incorrect ramp will be assessed as an off course. Fly offs on the teeter are assessed only if the dog leaves the obstacle in a blatantly unsafe manner. This is a judge’s call.

Table
If used, the dog must jump onto the table and assume a position of the handler’s choosing, either a down or sit for a period of five seconds. If performing a down, both elbows need to be touching the table. If the dog leaves the position or leaves the table the count is restarted. There is a 5 fault penalty for the first time the dog jumps off the table. Dogs jumping 16" or less will perform a table of 10”. Dogs jumping greater than 16” will perform a table of 22”.

Weave poles
No refusals or missed pole penalties shall be assessed; however, the obstacle must be completed in its entirety in order to avoid FTP (failure to complete) penalty. This means that the dog should eventually enter and exit correctly, and weave in and out of each pole. Back weaving will be assessed an Off Course, and will be judged the same as other agility organizations. Pre-starter dogs will be allowed to do 2x2's at their skill level without penalty.

Jumps
These must have a displaceable bar. Bars may be set in the traditional method.

2.5 Course Layout
A minimum of 60 by 75 feet must be available for courses.
Obstacles may be placed no closer than 12 feet apart; however, a spacing of 15-18 feet is preferred. In Standard Courses, normally, the first and last obstacle will be the start and finish line due to space constraints. This will be used to start and stop the time, once any part of the dog crosses that line. If the dog goes around the last obstacle the time is stopped and a FTP fault is assessed. If there is a fault on the last obstacle it is counted as a normal fault.
The table may be used to stop time in games.
While competing a dog must be without a collar.
Games shall be designed so that only one dog will be on the course at any given time.

2.6 Course Handling Standards
No Food or toys may be taken onto the course.
Harsh handling either verbally, or physically, is not permitted, and neither is outside assistance. Good natured team support is encouraged.
The handler may not touch the dog or obstacle, except for incidental contact. This is viewed as accidental contact that does not benefit the dog’s performance. This includes the handler knocking off a pole after the dog has cleared the jump. A bump which results in the dog changing direction towards the correct obstacle, even if accidental, will result in penalty.
There will be no refusals assessed.
Dogs fouling or leaving the ring will be eliminated.
Off course shall be assessed when a dog has committed with a paw to the incorrect obstacle, wrong end of a contact obstacle, or tunnel, or for performing the obstacle in the wrong direction.
Non-punitive training is allowed in the ring, but will result in elimination. However, the handler is allowed to complete the course. Non-punitive training includes: picking the dog up, and gently placing it back on contact equipment, moderate verbal reprimand, and touching the dog to assist it assume position on the table.

2.7 Standard Course Times and Time Faults
A Standard Course Time (SCT) shall be used as needed. The SCT will be calculated by multiplying the number of obstacles by 3.5 sec. for Open Dogs rounded up to the next second(15 obstacles X 3.5 sec. = 52.5 round up to 53 seconds, 20 obstacles X 3.5 sec. = 70 seconds). Mini Dogs, jumping 16 inches or less, will receive 10 % additional time added to the SCT. Time Faults are assessed by deducting any full seconds (time rounded down) over SCT from the 100 points available.

2.8 Standard Scoring
The team members are scored for the Individual runs using the following fault system. The faults are deducted from 100.

Missed contact zones 5 faults
Leaving contact prior to beginning ascent 5 faults
Fly-off on teeter 5 faults
First occurrence of jumping off table prior to end of count 5 faults
Anticipation of end of count on table 5 faults
Displacing top poles from jumps 5 faults
Off course 5 faults
Handler touching dog or obstacle (other than incidental) 5 faults
Failure to Perform (FTP) obstacle 20 faults
Failing to correct a missed entry or weave pole 20 faults
Refusals are not penalized
Missed weave pole entry, or missed pole not penalized
Dog fouling ring results in elimination
Harsh or abusive behavior/language results in elimination
Dog aggression elimination
Dog ceasing to work elimination
Outside assistance elimination
Food or devices on course elimination
Poor sportsmanship elimination

Additionally, any full seconds (rounded down) over Standard Course Time (SCT) will also be deducted as time faults.
The team score is the accumulated total of the best three of the four-team member's Individual scores.

2.9 Game Course Scoring
The Game event may have a SCT, but it is anticipated that most Team runs will have accumulated points. It is the intent to allow various methods to add points to the team's score and the scoring method will be detailed on the course-briefing sheet. For the Game Courses, the best three of four team member's Individual scores are added to the accumulated total, except if it is a team of two or three accumulating a score, then all scores are added to the accumulated total.

2.10 Prizes and Awards
League end awards will be made. There will be a last day BBQ/Pizza day at no additional cost to League participants.

2.11 Misconduct
Dog Aggression Policy and Handler Policy shall be used at this event.

2.12 Extra Supplies for league play (arranged by Site Leader)

2 Whistles
Scribe Clipboard
1 Stopwatch
Easel and whiteboard/pens, pencils
Tape to mark ground boxes and golf tees
Scribe Sheets, Weekly Scoring Sheets (Downloaded from website)
Courses with briefings for the week ((Downloaded from website)
Rules and Guidelines with scoring system (Downloaded from website)