Trial Chairperson and
Trial Secretary Guidelines
Trial Chairperson and
Trial Secretary Guidelines
Only NADAC sanctioned groups will be
permitted to host agility trials for the purpose of offering classes for NADAC
certification. An agility club or group of individuals whose goals are to
promote the sport of agility for all breeds, including mixed breeds, may apply
to NADAC for approval as a sanctioned group.
In addition to a completed application form,
which can be obtained from our website at www.nadac.com,
a club or group seeking to become a NADAC group must submit proof of insurance,
a copy of the club/group’s by-laws or mission statement (in lieu of by-laws), a
list of a minimum of ten people experienced in agility and knowledgeable of
NADAC who are available to assist with trials, and a complete list of equipment
that meets NADAC’s specifications.
There is a $25.00 fee to become a
sanctioned group and an annual renewal fee of $25.00 is due on January 1st of
each year.
Club/groups that have never successfully hosted an agility trial may be required to host a fun match and have a NADAC representative approve the club/group’s equipment.
Club/groups must appoint a member to act as
a contact person. This person shall be the liaison between NADAC and the
club/group, and is required to maintain a valid e-mail address and join the
NADAC Club E-List. (www.NADACClubs@yahoogroups.com)
It is advised that clubs contact NADAC as soon as they have determined a trial date. An e-mail request to NADACBecky@aol.com will secure the date and ensure that it is listed on the Calendar of Events. Once a trial is listed on the calendar, whether pending or confirmed, the club may then contact judges. It is assumed that the club will honor all trials within 300 miles of their trial site and not request dates that conflict with trials in the prior year. As of 2008, a numbered week system will be implemented.
If you are hosting a Jumping Class trial or a Mixed Format trial which includes classes with jumps, the recommended agility trial area is 12,000 square feet (100’ x 120’) of unobstructed ring space per ring. A minimum area of 8,000 square feet of unobstructed ring space is REQUIRED. The minimum width of any ring shall be 70 feet.
If you are hosting a Non-Jumping Class trial, the recommended trial area is 10,000 square feet of unobstructed ring space per ring. A minimum area of 6,000 square feet of unobstructed ring space is REQUIRED. The minimum width of any ring shall be 70 feet.
The trial area should be of a non-slip surface which will provide a safe footing for the dogs competing.
Ample area close by should be available for crating and an exercise area, a warm up area, and an area for spectators to view the agility ring. If possible, the spectator’s viewing area should be separate from the crating, exercise, and warm up areas.
Rope or adequate fencing to prevent spectators from interfering with the course area before or during the trial should surround the agility ring.
It is recommended that an area be set aside for a warm up area for the dogs prior to their competing. The warm up area should have adequate space for several obstacles for the dogs to use for warm up purposes. It should be clear that the warm up area is provided for warm ups and is not for schooling. The warm up equipment is never to be used by non-entered dogs.
Other amenities such as convenience for
parking, camping, motels, shade, restrooms, food options, etc. should be
considered when selecting a site.
A written application to host a trial must be submitted at least sixteen (16) weeks in advance of the proposed trial date.
A fee of $10.00 per class to be offered each day is due at the time an application is submitted. Upon receipt of the trial application, the NADAC office will verify the date and update the NADAC web site with the new trial’s information for exhibitors to view.
Club/groups who have hosted trials the previous calendar year will be given priority for the corresponding numbered week the following year. Once a club/group has given up a date for one year, it is open for another club/group.
Club/groups may not host trials within 300 miles of each other on the same dates, unless permission has been granted by the show giving club/groups that are requesting the same dates.
Before publishing any dates for a sanctioned trial, including club/group newsletters, the trial date must be listed on the Calendar of Events on the NADAC web site. If a club/group publishes their trial dates prior the date being listed on the Calendar of Events, please indicate “Pending approval from NADAC”.
If the club needs to make changes to the trial application after submitting it to NADAC, or after it is approved by NADAC, please inform NADAC immediately. Don’t wait until the premium is submitted! Changes can be accommodated (different classes, different location, etc.) but advance notificati0n will make the premium approval process go much smoother.
In addition, please check the Calendar of Events on the NADAC website once in a while to make sure that the trial information and club’s points of contact are correctly listed.
As soon as a club’s trial date is listed on the NADAC Calendar of Events as “pending” or “confirmed”, the club is cleared to contact judges. A current Judges’ List is available on NADAC’s web site.
Judges are not allowed to judge within three months of any assignment that is within 200 miles of a previous assignment, nor are they allowed to take an assignment for the same club more than once during any one-year period. Please be sure to double check with each judge you contact as to whether or not they may have accepted any assignments that would conflict with this policy.
The trial dates MUST be listed on the NADAC web site as either “pending” or “confirmed” before judges can be contacted. Once you have contacted and hired your judges, you are to confirm them with the NADAC office. An e-mail to nadacbecky@aol.com will suffice.
Please note: If a club/group is hosting a two ring trial and hires an Sp-1 or Sp-2 judge, they must also bring in a supervising judge. The supervising judge cannot supervise an Sp-2 judge and judge the second ring on the same day. If a supervising judge is supervising an Sp-1 judge, they may also judge the second ring as long as it is understood and agreed upon in advance, that the supervising judge will need to stop their ring in order to review course distances and times and possibly tweak the Sp-1 judge’s course.
At the present time, Judge’s are paid $1.00 per run listed in the catalog regardless of whether or not the dog actually runs. If an entry is such that there are less than 200 runs per day, a judge is to be paid a minimum of $200.00 per day of judging.
During any sanctioned NADAC trial, unless there are unforeseen, extenuating circumstances, no judge may substitute for another judge. Only the judge of record as approved by NADAC and printed in the premium may judge at that particular trial. Specifically, no additional judge may step in to allow a relative of the judge of record or the judge of record him/herself to run a dog. Extenuating circumstances may include unforeseen delays in the trial and/or a judge with a flight schedule to meet. Club/groups and judges should try to avoid this problem when making reservations. When unavoidable, arrangements for substitute judges should be made in advance and cleared through the NADAC office prior to the date of the trial.
1. Trial Chairperson. The Trial Chairperson oversees the entire running of the trial
before, during and after.
2. Trial Secretary. The Trial Secretary shall mail prepared premiums lists to
potential exhibitors, be responsible for the preparation of the show catalog
and verify the final show reports, which are sent to the NADAC office.
3. Trial Committee. The Trial Committee is comprised of club/group members and is the
governing body for the trial. The Committee is responsible for the running of
the trial including all matters other than those specifically set forth as responsibilities
of the judge(s). The Trial Committee is responsible for the reporting of, and
may be involved with the resolution of any disciplinary issues that arise.
4. NADAC approved Judge(s). The agility trial shall be officiated by one or more judges from the
NADAC approved Judges’ List. The judge or supervising judge shall be
responsible for finalizing each course before judging begins for each class.
The judge or supervising judge shall be responsible for inspecting the
equipment and verifying that it meets NADAC specifications and that the equipment
is in safe condition for the trial. The judge or supervising judge is solely
responsible for signalling faults, and for establishing the Standard Course
Times. All decisions of the Judge or Supervising Judge shall be final.
5. Timekeeper(s). There shall be an official timekeeper for each class offered at the
trial. The timekeeper is responsible for timing each dog’s performance and
keeping an accurate and consistent accounting of the timekeeping for the class.
A Timekeeper may not change during a jump height and preferably not during a
class.
6. Scribe(s). There shall be an official scribe for each class offered at the
trial. The scribe’s job shall be to closely observe the judge during each dog’s
run and mark any faults which the judge signals during that dog’s performance.
7. Gate Steward. The gate steward’s responsibility shall be to keep the dogs which
are entered in each class in order and ready to run. The gate steward should
always have a helper who assists with the handler’s collar and leads. The helper
shall try to be sure that the handlers have removed their collars and leads and
that those collars and leads are moved to an area close to the finish line,
where they are available for the handlers at the end of each run. The gate
steward should have a list of the running order for each class.
8. Table Stewards. The table stewards shall be responsible for recording each dog’s score
into the official catalog. The table stewards shall also record the time
faults, course faults, and total faults for each run in all classes. The table
stewards shall calculate class placements for each jump height and record all
qualifying rounds on the appropriate forms. The table stewards are also
responsible for ensuring that the course distances and standard course times are
recorded for each class.
9. Ring Stewards. Ring stewards are responsible for helping to set new courses,
setting poles for jump height changes, between class runs, straightening
tunnels, and resetting displaced poles.
10. Course Builders. The chief job of the course builders is to set the new course for
each class. The course builders must set the course as closely as possible to
the design submitted by the judge, without making personal interpretations or
changes without explicit permission from the judge. SP-1 and SP-2 judges are required to set
their own courses to be approved by the supervising judge of record.
NOTE: Judges are NOT to submit courses to the club/group in advance of the trial. The only exception is to fax or e-mail the first course of the trial the preceding day so it can be set in advance. The course numbers and/or lines are to be removed prior to submitting the course to the club/group.
NADAC is unique in its course design and philosophy. Judges are trained and instructed to adhere to the philosophy and not the course map when setting courses. They are instructed to make it work, even if it necessitates having to deviate from the “picture on paper”. Therefore, the course maps do not always exactly match what is laid out.
NADAC discourages disseminating course copies to exhibitors.
A maximum of 6 runs per day may be offered.
Of those 6 runs, 4 may include jumps. Clubs
may offer less than six runs per day.
|
Trial
Format and restrictions |
Classes
that can be offered (maximum number
of runs per 2-day weekend) |
|
Jumping
Class Trial Maximum of 4 runs each day. Regular Agility and Jumpers must be offered. You may offer Chances. |
Regular Agility (4) Jumpers (2) Chances (2) |
|
Non-Jumping
Class Trial Maximum of 6 runs each day. No class that includes jumps may be offered
at a Non-Jumping class trial. |
Touch N Go (4) Tunnelers (4) Weavers (4) |
|
Mixed
Trial Maximum of 6 runs each day. No more than 4 runs each day with jumps. Regular Agility and Jumpers must be offered. Additional classes may be offered. |
Regular (4) Jumpers (2) Chances (2) Touch N Go (2) Tunnelers (2) Weavers (2) |
|
Friday
as “add on” classes Maximum of 1-3 runs. No more than 1 run with jumps. May not exceed the maximum number of classes
allowed per 2 day trial. |
|
|
Friday
as a “full day” Maximum of 6 runs. No more than 4 runs with jumps. |
|
Club/Groups may not offer more than 2 runs of the same class per day. For example, 3 runs of Jumpers cannot be offered on any one day.
If the judge of record for a weekend trial is unable to arrive in time for Friday classes, the club/group may hire a local judge to judge Friday classes only. The local judge must adhere to the 3 month/200 mile policy. When judging Friday “add on” classes, the $200 minimum paid to judges does not apply.
On a major holiday weekend, club/groups may offer classes on a Monday. Recognized holidays are: New Year’s, Memorial Weekend, 4th of July, and Labor Day weekends.
Upon receiving approval to host a trial,
the group should submit to NADAC, a completed application form, an exact
drawing of the show ring area, and a comprehensive list of equipment available
for use in each ring. The ring size shall be given, along with a description of
any surface changes within the ring, and any trees or other possible
obstructions the judge will need to know for the purposes of course design. Please be sure to indicate the dimensions of
the actual, useable ring space.
SP-1 Judges are paid .75 cents per run and their Supervising Judge is paid .25 cents per run.
SP-2 Judges are paid .50 cents per run and their Supervising Judge is paid .50 cents per run.
Under no circumstances is any one judge approved to judge more than 350 runs with jump height changes per day. If an entry to a trial is unlimited, the host club/group should make prior arrangements for additional rings and judges should the need arise. The number of rings used and the number of runs determines the number of judges needed. The judges must have one judge per ring used and for each 350 runs of classes with jumps. (Regular, Chances, and Jumpers).
If the judge(s) agrees, clubs may offer 350 runs of jumping classes and an additional 150 runs of non-jumping classes per judge per day.
A non-jumping only trial may offer up to
500 runs per judge per day.
There is a $5 per run fine for any runs
taken by the club over and above the allowed entry limits. If it appears as though your trial will over
fill, please contact the NADAC Office.
Club/groups are required to submit a draft copy of their premium to the NADAC office for approval PRIOR to being posted or mailed to exhibitors. The premium should be sent as an e-mail attachment to NADACBecky@aol.com for approval, and must be submitted at least six (6) weeks in advance of the trial date.
The location, judge, classes, etc. should
match what the Club/group submitted with their application form. If a change must be made, it should be done
prior to submitting the premium.
The
Premium shall include the following information:
1. The name of the host club/group, and NADAC as the sanctioning organization.
2. NADAC logo/Club/Group logo should appear on the cover page.
3. The date and location of the trial.
4. The names of the Judges, their town and state. Judges must be approved by NADAC prior to submission of the premium for review.
5. The names of the supervising judge (if applicable)
6. A description of the ring surface. (grass, grass/dirt, sand, matting over concrete, bark, etc.)
7. A list of all classes offered each day. The classes must match the classes requested on the application form submitted to NADAC.
8. A listing of entry fees.
9. A statement either allowing weekend move-ups or not.
10. A description of prizes and awards.
11. A statement that the show committee has the right to refuse any entry, including a statement that anyone who is not currently in good standing with NADAC will not be allowed entry into the trial.
12. A
statement that the show will be held under the current rules and regulations of
NADAC and that an Exhibitor’s Handbook may be obtained from the NADAC web site
at www.nadac.com or by submitting a request
to NADAC,
13. An official entry form shall be included that contains a disclaimer to be signed by the exhibitor. The entry form must be completed, dated and signed by the exhibitor. The entry will not be considered acceptable until all information has been completed and the entry form has been returned with the proper entry fees. (Exhibitors, through submission of entry, acknowledge that they are knowledgeable of NADAC rules and regulations, as explained in the current Exhibitors Handbook, and agree to abide by all rules in effect at the time of this trial.)
The Entry
Form should include:
- Choice of Proficient or
Skilled Category for the weekend. If
Skilled, there must be a place for handlers
to indicate whether or not they are taking the 4” optional jump height
reduction.
- The Divisions
for Regular Agility, Jumpers and Chances are Standard, Junior Handlers and
Veterans.
- The Divisions for the non-jumping classes (Hoopers, Touch N Go, Weaves and Tunnelers) are Standard, and Veteran/Disabled Handlers.
- Below is an example of a jump height table for an entry form. There are other ways to list the information that are equally acceptable.
Circle Category for the weekend: Skilled or Proficient
Please
indicate the Jump Height you actually want your dog to jump:
Proficient Standard Division Jump Height: 8 12 16 20 20+
Proficient Vet/JH/VH Jump Height: 4 8 12 16 16
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skilled Standard Division
Jump Height: 4 8 12 16 20
Skilled Vet/JH/VH Jump Height: 4 8 12 16
Note:
There is no 20+ height group in the Skilled Category
The
premium should also include the following information for exhibitors:
Non-Jumping Classes—Veteran or Disabled Handler. Handlers who are 60 years or older, or who have a disability that restricts mobility, may choose to enter the non-jumping classes as a Veteran Handler and receive 10% more standard course time. This option is for Veteran/Disabled handlers in the non-jumping classes only.
The Veteran/Disabled Handler division is designed for handlers who, due to age or impairment, are mobility limited and need extra time to guide their canine partners through an agility course.
When entering as a Veteran/Disabled Handler, you must enter all dogs in all classes for the entire trial in this Division and must jump 4” lower than your Proficient, Standard Division jump height requires. In the non-jumping classes, dogs will be scored and placed with their Standard Division jump height.
IMPORTANT.
Please check your dog's NADAC registration number on your trial confirmation as
soon as you receive it; also, please check the copy of the results posted
at the trial. You should report any errors to the Trial Secretary
immediately.
NADAC
records trial results as they are submitted by the host clubs/groups. The individual trial results submitted by the
club are uploaded to the files section of the NADACAgility@yahoogroups.com
list within two weeks after the NADAC office receives them from the club.
The trial results will remain on the list for at least thirty (30) days.
Please accept the responsibility to review those results, and check that your
registration number and qualifying points, as reported by the club, are
correct. You can join the www.NADACAgility@yahoogroups.com
list and set your settings to "no mail". You will be able to
view trial results and check for any possible discrepancies, without receiving
list mail. If you find an error in the reporting of your dog’s qualifying
points or registration number, please contact the host club. The host club is responsible for correcting
any errors and informing NADAC.
Levels. Points earned at a higher level of a class, prior to the completion of the lower level title, will not be banked by NADAC for future use. If a dog earns points in a level of a class that they are not eligible to title in, those points will not be added to the dog's records.
Clubs are allowed to offer priority entry
to a limited number of exhibitors who volunteer to help at trials.
However, it is expected that the clubs will at all times be as fair as they can
to all exhibitors.
If a club wishes to give priority entry to workers, NADAC asks that they limit the number to what is reasonably needed to run a trial, and then accept entries from others. For example, say you needed 25 volunteers for the weekend. On the first day you received 50 entries and reached the 25 volunteer limit. The remaining 25 exhibitors would be allowed to enter whether or not they volunteered to work.
If on day 2 you received another 10 entries
from those wishing to volunteer, and 10 from those who cannot, you should treat
them equally.
Participation in a NADAC sanctioned trial is a privilege afforded by the host club/group and may be extended or withdrawn by the host club/group’s trial committee. The organizing committee may refuse entry other than on the basis established by NADAC.
Exhibitors may withdraw from a trial and receive a refund prior to the published closing date of the trial. NADAC encourages club/groups to give refunds for injured dogs or bitches that come into heat after the closing date. It is acceptable to charge an administration fee for entries cancelled after the closing date. (10-25% is recommended).
NADAC handles aggressive dog incidences and poor sportsmanlike conduct reports on an individual basis. When NADAC receives an incident report, the circumstances are evaluated and if deemed appropriate, witnesses will be contacted. Depending on the circumstances, NADAC will issue a warning letter, place the dog/person on probation, or suspend the dog/person from entering future trials.
All dogs entered in the Proficient Category
in Novice, Open or Elite jumping 4”, 8”, 12” or 16” are required to be measured
(except Veteran or Junior Handler dogs jumping 16”). Dogs jumping 20” and 20+ are not required to
be measured. Dogs in the Skilled
Category or dogs with permanent height cards do not need to be measured. Measurement forms may be obtained at http://nadac.com/Application-for-Permanent-Height-Card.htm.
Host club/groups shall offer placements to at least fourth place in each jump height for each class in each category. Club/groups may offer more placements if they choose to.
A purple qualifying ribbon shall be given for each qualifying round in each class.
Each ribbon awarded at the trial shall have the words ‘NADAC Sanctioned Trial’ and NADAC’s logo printed on it. The ribbons shall be printed with the host club/group’s name and the placement awarded.
The ribbons shall have a place on the back of each ribbon for the exhibitors to record the date of the trial, the judge’s name, and the class.
Ribbon colors shall be as follows:
|
1st |
Blue |
2nd |
Red |
3rd |
Yellow |
4th |
White |
|
5th |
Pink |
6th |
Green |
7th |
Purple |
8th |
Brown |
|
Qualifying Round: |
Purple |
|
|
|
|
||
Additional awards may be offered; however,
at no time are cash prizes allowed.
All required forms are to be submitted
within one (1) week after the date of the trial. Failure to do so may result in
a fine and/or the host club/group being placed on probation, which may affect
future trials. If unforeseen circumstances arise that may cause a delay, please
notify the NADAC office NADACSharon@aol.com,
immediately.
Scribe Sheets/marked catalog - kept by club. Scribe sheets and copies of marked catalogs are to be kept by the club/group for a period of six months.
Marked Catalog - The catalog pages must be clearly identified by listing the Club/Group Name, Trial Date, Judge(s), Class, Level, Division, and Category on each page. Course distances and Standard course times must be clearly marked on each page. The dog’s time, time faults, course faults, and total faults must be clearly indicated. The catalog must also include the dog’s NADAC Registration number, dog’s “Call Name”, and Owner’s last name for each entry for each class.
***Clubs/groups are not required to submit
copies of the fully marked Catalog. We
ask that the completed Catalog be kept on file by the club/group for a minimum
of 6 months.***
1. Exhibitor’s List - send to NADAC. A complete
list of exhibitors is due when submitting results of a trial. This list is to
include the names and addresses of the registered owner’s of the dogs entered
in the trial. Email addresses are encouraged, but not required.
2. Recording Fees - send to NADAC. The recording
fees are $1.00 per run and are due when submitting results. Fees shall be
submitted for ALL runs listed in the
catalog, including runs in
which a dog was entered but scratched or did not compete.
3. Show Report Form - send to NADAC. This form is to be filled out by the Trial Chairperson or Secretary and submitted electronically to NADACBecky@aol.com or mailed to NADAC with the Exhibitors List and recording fees.
4. Electronic submission of qualifiers is required. NADAC requires club/groups to use an approved, current/updated software program that allows the submission of results in an electronic format. The qualifying results must be submitted via an e-mail attachment within 5 days after the trial. E-mail qualifying results to NADACSharon@aol.com.
When accepting entries and inputting them into your catalog, it is imperative that the dog’s registration number is valid and correct.
Examples of valid NADAC registration numbers:
|
1T356 |
3C982 |
02-02987 |
05-06623 |
|
1A293 |
4F793 |
03-10788 |
06-01783 |
|
2B521 |
01-02351 |
04-02876 |
07-10863 |
NADAC maintains a list of dog registration numbers in the files section of the www.NADACAgility@yahoogroups.com list. The file lists the dog’s registration number, call name and owner’s first and last name. New registration numbers are added to this list monthly. Any corrections, changes, transfers in ownership are updated periodically. Please note that when verifying a registration number, the number and the dog’s call name should match. The owner’s name may be different than that listed in the file. If there is a question, please contact NADAC.
Please feel free to submit questions or share information via the
www.NADACClubs@yahoogroups.com E-group list.
You can also contact NADACSharon@aol.com or NADACBecky@aol.com with specific questions.
North
American Dog Agility Council
NADACSharon@aol.com