Reglamento de Agility De la Fédération Cynologique Internationale para el añoñ 2023.

FEDERATION CYNOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE (AISBL)

Place Albert 1er, 13, B – 6530 Thuin (Belgique), tel : +32.71.59.12.38, Internet : http://www.fci.be

AGILITY REGULATIONS OF THE

FEDERATION CYNOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE

January 1st, 2023

Contents

  1. FCI REGULATIONS 3

    1. introduction 3

    2. categories 3

    3. courses 3

      1. general 3

      2. FCI course design 4

      3. FCI trials 4

    4. fci obstacles 5

    5. Judging 8

      1. faults 8

      2. marking on specific obstacles 9

      3. elimination 10

      4. force majeure 11

    6. results 11

    7. organising an FCI international competition 11

    8. trials / classes 12

      1. international agility trials sanctioned by the FCI 12

      2. national agility trails sanctioned by the FCI-NCO 13

      3. ineligible to enter 13

  2. FCI AGILITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 14

    1. organisation 14

    2. trials 14

    3. Applications 15

    4. Ring equipment 16

    5. Veterinary control 16

    6. Record book or license 16

    7. Judges 16

    8. Specifications 16

  1. FCI REGULATIONS

FCI National Canine Organisations (NCO) are invited to promote the FCI AGILITY ideal, and the regulations defined by the FCI.

The main purpose of the FCI agility regulations is to set a standard for FCI international competitions and to serve as a basis for FCI international judging guidelines and equipment standards. FCI NCOs should use them as a basis for developing their own regulations, differing only to accommodate local needs.

FCI agility regulations and guidelines must be applied in FCI events and international events.

    1. INTRODUCTION

FCI Agility is a dog competition open to all healthy and physically fit dogs.

The aim of agility is for dogs to negotiate different obstacles in a set order and within a set time. It is an educational and sporting activity intended to assess and enhance the dog's intelligence, and to improve its integration into society.

It requires a good communication between dog and handler, leading to a perfect mutual understanding. Competitors must therefore be familiar with elementary training and basic obedience.

    1. CATEGORIES

In FCI international competitions, four categories exist:

S (Small) : for dogs measuring less than 35 cm at the withers

M (Medium) : for dogs measuring 35 cm or more and less than 43 cm at the withers

I (Intermediate) : for dogs measuring 43 cm or more and less than 48 cm at the withers

L (Large) : for dogs measuring 48 cm or more at the withers

NOTE: Dogs can only enter one category. It is recommended that the height of the dogs competing in ‘S’, ‘M’ and ‘I’ is registered in the record book or license. An FCI-NCO approved agility judge who signs the entry in the record book can measure the dogs.

    1. COURSES

An FCI agility course is built using as many types of obstacles as possible. The dog must negotiate the obstacles in the correct order and complete the course within a predetermined time. The way in which obstacles are placed determines the degree of difficulty of the course and the speed that can be achieved. Each FCI course should require a balance of skill and speed.

      1. GENERAL

        • The ring in which an FCI agility course is built must measure at least 20 m x 40 m. The area containing the ring must measure at least 24 m x 40 m. When two rings are used, it is advisable to have a closed partition between them or to separate them by a distance of at least 10 m.

        • The actual length of the course must be between 100 m and 220 m and, depending on the class, require dogs to traverse at least 15 obstacles but no more than 22. No less than 7 of the obstacles must be jumps. A standard competition set must contain at least 14 hurdles.

        • The minimum distance on the dog’s path between consecutive obstacles must not be less than 5m. The maximum straight-line distance between consecutive obstacles must not be more than 7m and the maximum distance on the dog’s path between consecutive obstacles must not be more than 9m. All distances should be measured from the nominal point that the dog leaves the obstacle to the nominal point that the dog arrives at the next obstacle. For hurdles, these are centres of the bars. For a tunnel, contacts, weaves, etc. it is the nominal entry/exit points of those obstacles.

        • The handler must be able to pass each obstacle on either side; there must be a minimum of 1 m between each obstacle (with the exception of a tunnel under the A-frame or the dog- walk).

        • Weave poles, tyre and wall can be negotiated only once in the course.

        • The spread hurdle, tyre and long jump must always be placed to allow a straight approach from the previous obstacle.

        • The course may include up to a maximum of 5 tunnel performances.

        • Spread hurdles must not be used in FCI Agility/Jumping 1.

        • The weave poles must be used on every course.

      1. FCI COURSE DESIGN

The design of the course is left entirely to the judge’s imagination, but the natural handling side must change at least twice.

A well-designed course allows the dog to go round easily and smoothly, and should tests different skills and abilities of both the dog and handler. The aim is to get the correct balance between the control over the dog (avoiding faults on the obstacles) and the speed with which the course may be negotiated.

From the position of the numbers, it must be clear from which side of the obstacle it has to be negotiated (except for a U-shaped tunnel where the number can be placed in the middle to indicate that either side can be taken).

Before the start of a competition, the judge should inspect the obstacles put at his disposal and when he has checked that they meet the FCI standards, he hands over his course design to the organising committee who then set up the course. The judge checks the course and has the length measured precisely.

Courses must be built using obstacles that conform to designs approved by the FCI. When building the course, the judge uses these obstacles at his discretion. The following obstacles should be at the judge’s disposal:

14 hurdles with poles, 1 tyre, 1 wall, 1 dog-walk, 1 A-frame, 1 see-saw, weave poles, 1 long jump,

4 tube tunnels (one of these must be 3 - 4 meters long). Electronic contact zones can be used.

An FCI Agility course must have three different types of contact obstacles (except in situations where “force majeure” occurs): a maximum of four contact obstacles may be used in an FCI Agility 2 or Agility 3 course (at the judge’s discretion).

The difference between FCI Agility 1, Agility 2 and Agility 3 should be:

  • the length of the course and its degree of difficulty

  • the speed chosen to determine the SCT.

      1. FCI TRIALS

No practise is allowed on the course, but competitors are allowed to walk the course without their dogs before the trial begins.

Before starting the trial, the judge can brief the handlers, explaining to them the nature of the competition, the standard course time, the maximum course time, the way the trial will be marked, and reminding them of the rules.

  1. Determining the Standard Course Time (SCT)

In trials at FCI international agility competitions (including FCI events AWC, EO, JOAWC), the SCT is determined by time of the fastest dog with the fewest course faults

+ 15% and rounded up to the nearest second.

In trials at national competitions the SCT (in seconds) can be determined by dividing the length of the course (in meters) by a chosen speed (in m/s). The speed chosen depends on the standard of the competition, the degree of difficulty of the course and the surface the dog must run on.

Example: A course is 160 m long and the chosen speed 4.0 m/s. The SCT is thus 40 seconds (160 ÷ 4.0).

  1. Determining the Maximum Course Time (MCT)

The MCT is determined by dividing the length of the course by 2.5 m/s in agility, 3.0 m/s in jumping.

  1. Trial procedure

The handler cannot start the dog before the judge has signalled that he is ready. If the dog is still on the lead, then the dog’s lead and collar should be taken off. For safety reasons, dogs must never wear these during a trial. The handler is not allowed to have anything in his hands during a trial.

The handler is allowed to position himself anywhere on the course. The time will start as soon as the dog crosses the start line.

A variety of commands and signals are allowed during the run.

The handler must ensure that the dog traverses the obstacles in the correct order without touching the dog or the obstacles. The handler must not negotiate the obstacles himself or go under or over them.

The run is finished and the time is stopped, when the dog crosses the finish line by negotiating the last obstacle in the correct direction.

The handler puts the dog back on the lead and leaves the ring.

Handler and dog are under the judge’s supervision from the moment they enter the ring until both of them have left the ring.

    1. FCI OBSTACLES

The obstacles approved by the FCI are:

Jumps Contacts Others

  • Hurdles - Dog-walk - Tube Tunnel

  • Wall - See-saw - Weave Poles

  • Tyre - A-frame

  • Long Jump

Obstacles may under no circumstances be unsafe for the dogs. They must comply with the following specifications and be in accordance with the enclosed drawings.

The colours of the contact zones may not be white, black or brown. Electronic contact zones may be used as additional information for the judge only.

Hurdles: Single hurdle

Height: L: 55 to 60 cm - I: 45 to 50 cm - M: 35 to 40 cm - S: 25 to 30 cm Width: minimum 120 cm - maximum 130 cm

Hurdles are set up with one pole made from wood or safe synthetic materials; metal is not allowed. The poles have a diameter of 3 to 5 cm and must have contrasting colours in at least 3 segments.

Wing width: minimum 40 cm – maximum 60 cm.

The inner upright of the wing must be at least 1 m high.

The start of the taper to the outside upright of the wing must be at least 75 cm high. The hurdle wings must not be connected or fixed to each other.

Rectangular or triangular shaped wings are not allowed – neither are filled wings. Dogs must not be able to go under or through any part of the wing.

No part (pole holders or cups), removable or permanent, may protrude from the inner upright of the wing.

Spread hurdle

Two single hurdles (as above) can be placed together to form a spread hurdle. The poles are placed in ascending order with a difference in height of 15 to 25 cm. The length of the pole on the back hurdle must be 10 to 20 cm longer than the pole on the front hurdle. The use of breakaway poles is permitted.

Height: L: 55 to 60 cm - I: 45 to 50 cm - M: 35 to 40 cm - S: 25 to 30 cm The total depth must not exceed: L: 50 cm – I: 45 cm - M: 40 cm - S: 30 cm

No part (pole holders or cups), removable or permanent, may protrude from the inner upright of the wing.

Wall: Height: L: 55 to 60 cm - I: 45 to 50 cm - M: 35 to 40 cm - S: 25 to 30 cm Width: minimum 120 cm - maximum 130 cm

Depth: approximately 20 cm at the bottom and at least 10 cm at the top.

The wall must consist of separate closed elements – telescopic walls are not allowed. It must have 3 to 5 displaceable units at the top. The bottom or the sides of the displaceable units must be closed.

The shape of the units at the top of the wall:

These units must be half rounded (see example). The depth of the units must be the same as the rest of the wall.

The pillars must be 100 to 120 cm high and must not be connected to the wall elements. Width and depth of the pillars: minimum 20 cm - maximum 40 cm. If the pillars are round, their diameter must be 30 to 40 cm.

Tyre: Aperture diameter: 50 cm to 60 cm

Height of aperture centre from the ground: L: 80 cm – I: 70 cm - M and S: 55 cm. Width of the tyre/hoop: minimum 8 cm – maximum 12 cm

The tyre must be able to break away into 2 to 4 parts when a force equivalent to a weight of 8 kg is exerted on it.

The tyre must have a consistent shape, constructed using an impact absorbing material.

The tyre is fixed into position (height) by two uprights on either side of the tyre. The construction must provide sufficient stability to ensure that the obstacle is not tipped over too easily. There should be no beam across the top.

Long jump: Two to four units comprise a long jump. The overall length is:

  • L: 120 to 150 cm (4 units)
  • I: 90 to 110 cm (3 to 4 units)
  • M: 70 to 90 cm (3 units)
  • S: 40 to 50 cm (2 units)

Width of the jump: 120 cm at the front, possibly 150 cm at the back.

The units are placed in ascending order. Height of the lowest unit: 15 cm. Height of the highest unit: 28 cm. Depth of each unit: 15 cm, rising in height. The angle of inclination of the units must be such that the front edge of each unit is no higher than the back edge of the previous unit.

All the planks (but not necessarily the feet) of the long jump must be made of wood or safe synthetic material (metal not allowed).

Corner poles, height 120 to 130 cm – diameter 3-5 cm, must be placed at all four corners (not fixed to any of the units). The top of these poles should be covered to protect dog and handler if necessary. The marker poles are not considered to be part of the obstacle; they are only a judging aid.

Dog-walk: Height: minimum 120 cm – maximum 130 cm

Plank and ramp length: minimum 360 cm – maximum 380 cm Plank and ramp width: 30 cm

Contact zones: The last 90 cm from the bottom of each ramp must have a different colour (on the sides as well).

The surface of the obstacle must be non-slippery. Each ramp must have anti-slippery slats at regular intervals (about every 25 cm) to avoid slipping and making the climb easier, but not within 10 cm of the start of a contact zone. These slats must be 2 cm wide and 0.5 to 1 cm thick and must not have sharp edges.

The bottom of the contact zone must be filled (no gaps) and not flattened too much (no sharp edges).

The legs of the dog-walk must not protrude above the top of the obstacle. The legs and other supporting structures must not prevent the tunnel from being placed safely under the dog-walk.

See-saw: Height: 60 cm measured from the ground to the top of the plank at the central pivot point. The pivot point of the see-saw must not be more than 10 cm beneath the top of the plank.

Plank length: minimum 360 cm – maximum 380 cm Plank width: 30 cm

Contact zone: same as the dog walk.

The ends of the plank must not be dangerous to dog or handler. The bottom of the contact zone must be filled (no gaps) and not flattened too much (no sharp edges). The obstacle must be stable, and the surface must be non-slippery. However, anti- slippery slats are not allowed. The see-saw must be properly balanced (must not tip too fast or too slow) and allow small dogs to tip it without problems.

Check: The see-saw must tip between 2 and 3 seconds when a weight of 1 kg is placed in the centre of the down contact zone of the obstacle. If this is not the case, then adjustments must be made.

A-frame: Height: The apex of the two ramps must be 170 cm from the ground for all dogs.

Ramp length: minimum 265 cm – maximum 275 cm

Ramp width: 90 cm minimum, which may be increased at the bottom to 115 cm Contact zone: The last 106 cm from the bottom of each ramp must have a different colour (on the sides as well).

The surface of the obstacle must be non-slippery. Each ramp must have ant-slippery slats at regular intervals (about every 25 cm) to avoid slipping and making the climb easier, but not within 10 cm of the start of a contact zone. These slats must be 2 cm wide and 0.5 to 1 cm thick and must not have sharp edges.

The bottom of the contact zone must be filled (no gaps) and not flattened too much (no sharp edges).

The top of the A-frame must not present any danger to the dogs and must be covered if necessary.

The supporting structures must not prevent the tunnel from being placed safely under the A-frame.

Tube tunnel: Diameter: 60 cm - Length: 300 to 600 cm

The tunnel must be flexible, and it is recommended that it should be made from a uniformly surfaced material in a light colour.

Tube tunnels must always be pulled out to their full length.

When securing the tunnel, the strapping or webbing must follow the contours of the tunnel and not cause it to become misshaped or its diameter to be reduced.

The minimum number of bags to secure the tunnel is 1 bag/meter (i.e. 6 bags for a 6 m tunnel).

Weave poles: Number of poles: 12

The poles are rigid and have a diameter of 3 to 5 cm. The height of the poles is 100 to 120 cm, and they are placed 60 cm apart (measured between poles).

The poles must be made of wood or safe synthetic materials; metal is not allowed. The frame must be no thicker than 0.8 cm in total (frame plus side supports) and no wider than 8 cm. The brackets/cups that hold the weave poles in place must be solidly fixed to the frame and not higher than 10 cm. The side supports of the frame must not be in the way of the dog when it is weaving normally.

Start–Finish: If timing equipment is used, it must be placed as close as possible to the first and last obstacle; it defines the start and finish lines. If not, the first and last obstacles define the start and finish lines.

If a dog runs by the first obstacle, then it will be faulted with a refusal and the manual time will start as the dog passes the start line (this is the line of the first hurdle extending out to the limits of the ring on both sides).

There should be enough room (at least 6 m) for the dog to jump in a natural line at the start and at the finish.

The first and the last obstacle can be any of the jumps (hurdle, wall, tyre or long jump).

If it is not possible to place the timing system safely on the wall, tyre or long jump, then the obstacle in question must be a hurdle (the first obstacle must be a single hurdle while the last obstacle must be either a single hurdle or the spread hurdle).

    1. Judging

No competitor shall impugn the decision of the judge whose decisions are final. Faults are incurred for:

  • failure to negotiate the course correctly.

  • failure to complete the course within the SCT.

      1. FAULTS

        1. Exceeding the SCT:

The number of time faults is equal to the amount by which the course time exceeds the SCT. The course time must be measured with a precision of 0.01 seconds.

        1. Faults on the course:

All faults are in units of five (5 faults).

A handler who gains an advantage by touching his dog or an obstacle will be faulted: 5 faults each time it occurs.

The following faults are relevant to the obstacle that the dog is supposed to negotiate:

  1. Knockdowns:

When negotiating an obstacle, it is a fault each time any part of the obstacle (pole, wing, tile…) is knocked down (5 faults).

  1. Refusals:

The following are faulted with a refusal (5 faults): e.g. a dog that stops in front of an obstacle; a dog that turns away from or runs by an obstacle, or goes under the pole of a jump; a dog that puts its head or a paw in a tunnel and comes back out again; a dog that jumps over a tunnel or hurdle wing; a dog that takes the long jump from the side; a dog that runs under or jumps over a contact obstacle.

A dog can only be faulted with a refusal (for stopping in front of an obstacle, turning away from an obstacle or running by an obstacle) when it is on the side of the obstacle from which it should be negotiated.

  1. Contact zones:

On the dog-walk and A-frame, the dog must touch the down contact zone with at least one paw or part of paw. On the see-saw, the dog must touch both the up and down contact zones with at least one paw or part of a paw. Failure to do so: 5 faults each time it occurs. The dog is considered to have left the obstacle when all four paws are on the ground.

Refusals must be corrected; failure to do so results in elimination.

Other faults: knockdowns or missing a contact zone - the dog is penalised, but it continues its run.

 

      1. MARKING ON SPECIFIC OBSTACLES

Each attempt to negotiate an obstacle must be judged.

        1. Spread hurdle

Judged in the same way as single hurdles.

        1. Tyre

If the tyre breaks away when the dog refuses it = elimination

If the tyre breaks away when the dog goes through it = 5 faults

        1. Long jump

Running past, jumping in from or out to the side, and not traversing the complete obstacle is penalised with a refusal (5 faults).

Knocking down one of the units is penalised with a fault (5 faults). No other contacts are faulted.

The dog or handler is not faulted when they touch or knock down one of the marker poles of the long jump, even when this causes one of the units to fall.

        1. Dog-walk

The dog must touch the ascending ramp with all four paws. Failure to do so will result in an elimination.

The dog that alights from the obstacle before touching the descending ramp with four paws is penalised with a refusal (5 faults).

        1. See-saw

The dog that jumps off the obstacle before passing the pivot point with four paws is penalised with a refusal (5 faults).

The see-saw must touch the ground before the dogs alights from the obstacle, otherwise it is penalised with a fault (5 faults).

        1. A-frame

The dog must touch the ascending ramp with all four paws. Failure to do so will result in an elimination.

The dog that alights from the obstacle before touching the descending ramp with four paws is penalised with a refusal (5 faults).

The dog that passes the top of the A-frame and touch the ground before having touched the descending ramp is eliminated.

        1. Tunnels

When approaching the obstacle from the side, any incorrect attempt to negotiate the tunnel (e.g., jumping over it) is penalised with a refusal (5 faults).

        1. Weave poles

The first pole must be to the left of the dog, the second on the right and so on.

Each incorrect entry is penalised with a refusal, even when the dog approaches from the side (5 faults). For further errors a dog is only penalised once, with a fault (5 faults). Every mistake must be corrected immediately, or the dog can be taken back to the beginning. Back-weaving (more than 2 gates) results in elimination.

The obstacle must be completed correctly before negotiating the next obstacle; failure to do so results in elimination on the next obstacle.

      1. ELIMINATION

  • Unseemly behaviour towards the judge.

  • Harsh handling of the dog.

  • Exceeding the Maximum Course Time.

  • Three refusals.

  • Taking or touching obstacles out of sequence (including going under or over an obstacle; however, going under the A-frame or the dog walk is allowed in the case of a refusal of a tunnel placed under the obstacle).

  • Taking an obstacle in the wrong direction.

  • If the dog destroys an obstacle before it negotiates it or if it has to re-negotiate it later in the course in such a way that it cannot be negotiated correctly.

  • If the handler knocks down/destroys an obstacle.

  • The handler negotiates an obstacle, goes over or under it.

  • The handler holds something in his hand.

  • The handler starts/stops the timing system.

  • Replacing the dog at the start after it has crossed the start line (unless instructed by the judge).

  • Dog wearing a collar.

  • The handler retires (unless instructed by the judge).

  • Dog fouls or leaves the ring or is no longer under control.

  • Dog snapping constantly at the handler.

  • Starting the run before the handler has got permission from the judge to start.

  • The handler trains on the course before/after the run.

Note: if the course is built in such a way that the dog, when running in its natural path, could take an additional obstacle after the run is finished it is not considered as an elimination.

When eliminated, the handler and dog must leave the ring as quickly as possible, unless the judge decides otherwise. Elimination must be indicated clearly (whistle, etc.) by the judge.

The judge must deal with all unexpected circumstances and must be consistent at all times.

      1. FORCE MAJEURE

Under circumstances beyond the handler’s control (e.g., poles blown down, an obstacle moves) the judge can stop the handler and when the obstacle has been rebuilt, the judge will restart the dog from the beginning.

All faults incurred before the dog was stopped still apply. Up to that point, no other faults are given. However, the handler still must negotiate the course to the best of his ability. Additional faults are incurred only after the point at which the handler was stopped.

    1. RESULTS

The following is taken into account when deciding the ranking:

  1. Total faults (course + time faults).

  2. If the total faults are the same, the fastest dog is ranked first.

Example: with SCT = 60 seconds

Dog Faults Dogs time Time faults Total faults Rank

 

7

5

58.71

0.00

5.00

2

12

0

65.00

5.00

5.00

3

18

5

57.25

0.00

5.00

1

4

0

68.32

8.32

8.32

4

15

10

59.17

0.00

10.00

5

2

5

65.00

5.00

10.00

6

 

    1. ORGANISING AN FCI INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Clubs wanting to organise an FCI international agility competition must:

  1. Have a ring of minimum 20 x 40 m

The surface must not present a danger to the dogs or handlers (no broken glass, nails, potholes, etc.)

  1. Appoint a judge approved by the National Canine Organization and the FCI to officiate.

In addition, an assistant judge may be appointed where the organisers deem it necessary, to assist the judge to officiate the course. The assistant judge may be authorised to judge specific obstacles or sequences within the course as pre-determined by the main judge.

The responsibility for all decisions made will be that of the main judge whose decisions will be final.

  1. Provide a necessary number of stewards to run a competition smoothly, which includes:

    • A scribe who notes the faults signalled by the judge, so the judge need not take his eyes off the dog.

    • Two timekeepers in charge of timing the dogs (1 official + 1 back up).

    • Two equipment stewards in charge of rebuilding obstacles.

    • Two secretaries (minimum) in charge of the scoreboard, filling in the record books and sorting out the places.

    • A ring steward to show competitors in and out of the ring.

    • A team (6 people) available to build the course according to the judge’s instructions.

  2. Obstacles, and the precision and positioning of any electronic timing, must conform to these FCI agility regulations.

    1. TRIALS / CLASSES

Two sorts of trials are organised:

  • International agility trials sanctioned by the FCI

  • National agility trials sanctioned by the FCI-NCO

      1. INTERNATIONAL AGILITY TRIALS SANCTIONED BY THE FCI

Open to all dogs over 24 months and in possession of a FCI recognised pedigree (studbook/appendix).

Dogs must be tattooed or chipped and their owners/handlers must be members of a club belonging to a National Canine Organisation affiliated to the FCI.

Competitors must have a valid record book, or a license issued by their FCI-NCO. Bitches in heat are permitted to compete in FCI international trials.

FCI-C.A.C.I.A.G is only awarded in FCI international competitions and at the trial of the highest agility level in each country.

International agility trials follow the FCI agility rules. There are two official classes:

        • FCI Agility : including contact equipment.

        • FCI Jumping : excluding contact equipment. These classes are divided into three levels:

  1. FCI Agility/Jumping 1

Open only to beginner dogs.

  1. FCI Agility/Jumping 2

Open only to dogs that have achieved the national requirements to move up to level 2 – for example: placed three times, with a clear round in Agility 1 trials.

  1. FCI Agility/Jumping 3

Open only to dogs that have achieved the national requirements to move up to level 3 – for example: placed three times, with a clear round, in the top three of Agility 2 trials.

Relegation is possible, depending on the regulations of the FCI-NCO.

The rules apply to all categories - S, M, I and L – given that the obstacles meet the specifications defined for each category.

The results obtained in the official trials are recorded in the dog’s record book or in a data record associated with the dog’s licence.

      1. NATIONAL AGILITY TRAILS SANCTIONED BY THE FCI-NCO

Open to all dogs over 18 months old, with or without pedigree.

Dogs must be tattooed or chipped and their owners/handlers must be members of a club belonging to an NCO affiliated to the FCI.

Competitors must have a valid record book or a license issued by their FCI-NCO, in which trial results are recorded.

Left to the initiative of each country, these trials should hold the agility ideals high and ensure the safety of both dogs and handlers. The FCI-NCO can apply the FCI agility rules or have separate national rules. If separate rules are set up, the FCI-NCO should try to follow to the FCI rules as closely as possible.

The national rules can determine the classes and categories, as well as the criteria by which dogs move up or down between levels and other possible national specificities.

      1. INELIGIBLE TO ENTER

        • Pregnant bitches.

        • Dogs that are apparently ill, hurt or physically unfit.

        • Doped dogs.

Dogs coming from or going to a region infected with rabies must have a valid inoculation certificate against rabies.

Visiting handlers/dogs from other countries must show that they are a member of a club affiliated to an NCO recognized by the FCI and that they compete in official competitions trials in their own country.

Competing in a foreign country while the competitor has lost the right to compete in his own country, should lead to disciplinary action by his own FCI-NCO.

Competitors are expected to be on their best behaviour and properly dressed.

Harsh handling is severely condemned and results in immediate elimination. A complaint may also be lodged against the handler.

The organising club has the right to refuse any entry.

  1. FCI AGILITY WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

    1. ORGANISATION

The FCI Agility World Championships are organised annually. The winners gain the title ‘FCI Agility World Champion(s)’

Any FCI-NCO wanting to organise the ‘FCI Agility World Championships’ must apply five years in advance. Applications must be sent to the chairman of the FCI Agility Committee. As a rule, the date for the FCI World Championships is the first weekend of October. The FCI Agility Committee must approve any deviation from this date. Applications should include the following details:

  • Name of the FCI-NCO including name and address of the official running the event.

  • Place where the event is planned.

  • Description and plan of the facilities and ring chosen for the event as well as the available resources.

  • Confirmation that everything will be carried out according to the Specifications for the FCI

World Championships.

The FCI Agility World Championship is an event in which the top handlers of FCI member countries take part. The organising country should give this event the prestige befitting the ‘FCI World Championships’.

The host country provides all the necessary equipment. It is responsible for the reception of all invited competitors and officials.

To create a good atmosphere, which contributes to the success of the event, special consideration should be given to the use of a good commentator during the event.

The media (press, radio, TV etc.) should be contacted to ensure the necessary publicity to attract a large number of spectators and thereby promote FCI Agility and the pure breed dog.

The organising FCI-NCO is responsible only to the FCI for the practical organisation and it must take the appropriate measures to make sure that the event runs smoothly.

At least 6 months prior to the event, the organising FCI-NCO must invite other FCI-NCOs and the above named FCI-cooperating partners to participate. They all must be advised about closing date and maximum number of entries; they should also be requested to provide suitable and identical attire for their teams.

The FCI agility committee appoints a representative who ensures that the ‘Specifications’ regarding the FCI World Championships are respected by the organising FCI-NCO and that the FCI Agility rules and regulations are strictly applied. The organising FCI-NCO must provide a programme of the competition to the representative.

    1. TRIALS

The trials are judged according to the FCI rules and regulations. They are held in one ring, 24 x 40

m. Four judges recognized by the FCI (two from the host country) officiate. The FCI Agility World Championships consist of:

  1. 2 ‘individual’ trials

    • Agility course containing the contact equipment.

    • Jumping course without contact equipment. Courses must only contain the approved obstacles.

The two results added together determine the winner, who is called the ‘FCI Agility World Champion’. In case of a tie (for first place only), a run-off is held over a third course.

  1. 2 ‘team’ trials

    • Agility course containing the contact equipment.

    • Jumping course without contact equipment. Courses must only contain the approved obstacles.

Each participating country is allowed to enter one team, consisting of 4 dogs per category (a dog can be entered in one team only). The two results (agility and jumping) of the best 3 dogs in each run of each team are added together to determine the winning team. The winning team is called the ‘FCI Agility World Champion Team’.

After each run – individual and team – the dog’s chip number will be checked.

White dog

Before the handlers walk the course, the judge starts a white dog (that does not take part in the competition) to check the course. This occurs in each category.

Start procedure

Once the judge has signalled to the handler that he is ready to start, the handler has 15 seconds to start his dog - after which the timing starts automatically.

    1. Applications

For the FCI Agility World Championships, NCOs affiliated to the FCI (or those with a close relationship like the AKC, CKC and The Kennel Club of the United Kingdom) are allowed to select teams according to the following rules:

  • Owners and handlers must have the nationality of the country or must have their permanent residence in the country for which his/her dog will compete. It is up to the NCO to determine the residential status of the owner and handler. In case of dual nationality, he/she can choose either country without restriction: however, he/she can only compete for one country.

  • The dog must have been registered with the studbook/appendix of the country for which it will compete for a minimum of 6 months.

  • Each handler is allowed to compete with a maximum of four dogs

  • The dog must be 24 months or older on the day of the competition to be eligible to participate.

If difficulties arise, they must be referred to the General Board of the FCI. Each country may enter the following numbers of dogs:

  • ‘Individual’ competitions: 12 dogs, “L”, “I”, “M” or “S” (maximum 6 in one category).

  • ‘Team’ competitions: 1 team consisting of 4 dogs per category, "L", "M" , “I” and "S".

Note: The winners (same dog and handler) in ‘individual’ (L – I – M – S) of the previous FCI Championship will be selected automatically so they can defend their title. These dogs will simply be added on to the number of dogs allowed for their country.

To qualify as a competitor for the FCI World Championships, dogs must have a pedigree recognised by the FCI and have competed in an official FCI Agility 2 or Agility 3 trial.

The NCOs can consider other criteria.

The NCOs must send the entry forms, properly completed and signed, to the organising committee before the closing date. They must, at the same time, appoint a ‘team leader’ or coach who shall be responsible for the team before the organising committee.

    1. Ring equipment

Two complete agility sets, each consisting of the following obstacles:

14 hurdles with poles (diameter of the poles must be 4 to 5 cm), 1 tyre, 1 wall, 1 dog-walk, 1 A- frame, 1 see-saw, weave poles, 1 long jump, 4 tube tunnels (one of them must be 3 – 4 m long). Electronic contact zones can be used.

The delegate responsible for the event should verify that the obstacles hold the correct standard.

    1. Veterinary control

Each dog is submitted to a veterinary control before the competition starts. The inoculation certificate against rabies is checked. Dogs coming from or going to a rabies-infected region must also have a valid health certificate issued by their veterinary surgeon.

Pregnant bitches or dogs that are ill or hurt are not allowed to compete. Bitches in heat are allowed to compete; they start according to the allotted order.

    1. Record book or license

Each dog must have a record book or license, which is handed over to the organising committee before the competition starts.

    1. Judges

The FCI Agility Committee appoints four qualified judges (two of whom must be from two different countries than the organising country), recognised by FCI. The four appointed judges are responsible for judging the courses.

The main judge will have the overall responsibility on his/hers course and make the final decision. However, should the main judge wish to seek the opinion of other appointed judge, acting as the assistant judge on that course, on any matter, then he/she is free to offer advice if requested to do so. The main judge and his/her assistant judge should work together as a team to ensure that any obvious errors in judging can be avoided.

The assistant judge shall keep an eye on the dog and if something obvious is seen to have been missed by the main judge, the assistant judge must advise the main judge in the ring immediately after the run, thus enabling the correct decision to be reached.

The judge’s decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

The expenses of the judges are defined in the FCI ‘Specifications for the FCI Agility World Championships’. The organiser must provide the foreign judge with an interpreter in one of the four FCI languages (French, English, German or Spanish).

Dogs entered in all categories - S, M, I and L – are measured at the FCI Agility World Championships by three measuring judges, which are appointed by the FCI Agility Committee.

If a dog is found to be entered in the wrong category, it will be removed from the competition.

    1. Specifications

The organising committee must abide by the FCI regulations, which list all the committee’s duties and responsibilities, and implement them correctly.

The English version of these rules is the authentic one.

The changes in bold and blue characters were approved by the FCI General Committee during its online meeting, September 2020.

The text in bold has been approved by the FCI General Committee in February 2022. These amended regulations will be applied from January 1st, 2023.

AGILITY OBSTACLES

 

To see the images consult the PDF in this link.