AKC Agility Judges Guidelines

• The contact obstacles and Send Bonus must be positioned in such a way
that the judge can consistently judge all contact zones, identify refusals and
runouts on obstacles that are a part of the Send Bonus (other than the first Send
Bonus obstacle), and determine whether the handler has crossed the Send Line
prior to completion of the Send Bonus.
• Jumps designated as being worth 1 point should be winged. In Open and
Excellent, bar jumps or one-bar jumps may be used.
• A single set of weave poles (6 poles in Novice and 9-12 poles in Open and
Excellent) must be used. The required number of weave poles may be placed
in the body of the course or may be part of the Send Bonus. The weave poles
may not be separated into two or more smaller sets.
• The sum of the point values of the obstacles that make up the Send Bonus
must be between 5 and 15.
• All other obstacles other than the triple bar jump, seesaw, broad jump, and
closed tunnel are bidirectional (i.e. they may be taken in either direction to
earn points). However, the judge may designate one or more obstacles that can
be taken in only one direction to earn points; this is usually done to increase
the difficulty of the course.
• The Finish Obstacle must always be bidirectional.
• A single bidirectional obstacle may be designated as a dual point value
obstacle (i.e. worth a certain point value when taken in one direction and a
second point value when taken in the other direction). Jumps designated as
being worth 1 point cannot be designated as dual point value obstacles. A dual
point value obstacle may not be taken back-to-back to earn points.
• Approach angles and obstacle spacing for obstacles that are part of the Send
Bonus must adhere to guidelines for the class level.
• Obstacles in the body of the course must be placed a minimum of 8 feet from
the Send Line to minimize the risk that handlers will run into these obstacles
while directing their dogs through the Send Bonus.
• A minimum of two unique contact obstacles are required to have a point value.
Course Submission Requirements
In addition to the elements required on all courses submitted for review, the
following elements must be included on all FAST courses submitted for review:
• The 6 jumps designated as being worth 1 point and the 9 obstacles (or
combination of obstacles) designated as being worth 2 through 10 points
must be indicated. Numbers indicating point values must be placed in such
a manner to as clearly indicate whether the obstacle is unidirectional or
bidirectional.
• The Finish Obstacle (bar jump or open tunnel) must be indicated.
• The Start Line must be indicated.
• You must designate a specific ring entry and exit on the course.
• The Timer position must be indicated. The Timer must be positioned so
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