Garden League Rules and Stipulations

This is a preliminary document. We continue to learn as we go along how to make this painless and inexpensive and fun for everyone who wants to play.

Recording Fees for the Garden League

Recording fee are calculated at $1.00 per run. Recording fees will be a minimum of $5.00 per reporting. If you want to save a bit of money, you should:

  1. Report for more than one dog, and
  2. Report for more than one week at a time.

For example, if you have three dogs running you could report for two weeks at a time. If all three dogs ran both weeks the reporting fee will be $6.00.

If you have only one dog competing, you could save a dollar or two by reporting five weeks at a time.

Performance Rules

The NDAL subscribes to rules for performance defined by Top Dog Rules and Regulations. These rules for performance most closely match those of the USDAA and the TDAA; with the notable exception that the scoring basis for numbered courses is typically Time, Plus Faults.

http://www.dogagility.org/documents/FilesForms/TopDogRules3.5.pdf

Registering Your Dog

All dogs must be registered with the NDAL to participate in league play. You can find the registration document here:

http://www.dogagility.org/documents/FilesForms/TopDogRegistration.pdf

If your dog is already registered with the NDAL you do not have to register again to play in the Garden League. If you do not recall that number, send an email with your dog’s name. Along with your email address the registration number is easy to look up.

Joining the Garden League

Please note that a dog registration is a one-time only expense.

  1. Send an email to Bud Houston <houston.bud@gmail.com>
  2. Attach the registration PDF.
  3. Make payment for that registration AND for recording fees if you have results to report.  See “Payment Advice”, below.
  4. Please indicate in the SUBJECT line: “Enroll My Dog in the Garden League”, or something to that effect.
  5. If there is a specific existing team you would like to join, that advice should be included in the text of the email.
  6. If you already play for an NDAL team, please advise. Results for your “draw team” will be credited to that existing team.
  7. We would be very interested in a short note describing the size of your garden space AND what equipment other than jumps and weave poles that you might own.

Payment Advice

Payment can be made using our online Payment Processor at: Online Store; or, by PayPal to the email address: Houston.Bud@gmail.com.

Alternatively, you can arrange to pay by check sent as US Mail to Bud Houston, 14543 State Route 676, Waterford, OH 45786.

Playing in the Garden League

Each week we will publish a new game on our blog: This blog posting should be sufficient for you to build the game or course and record results. You can find the blog here:

https://wordpress.com/view/topdogagilityplayers.wordpress.com

We will publish links to the blog for new games each week, and links to published results on our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/TopDogAgilityPlayers/

A dog may report more than one score in any given competition. This shall be considered a Mulligan. Both scores should be reported. And both shall be accorded a separate recording fee.

Reporting Garden League Results

After reporting your first ever results, the NDAL will assign a registration number for each dog. We will email that number to you. Kindly write it down so you can find it each week. When reporting results you will:

  1. Send an email to Bud Houston houston.bud@gmail.com
  2. Include each dog’s name, REGISTRATION NUMBER, Time and Score, and YouTube short link/url.

Scoring Results

Each dog earns Life-Time Performance Points (LPP) based on placement in a league competition. LPP can be calculated as a number inverse to placement. For example, if 100 dogs compete in a game, the 1st place dog will earn 100 points, and the last-place dog only 1 point.

A team’s score is equal to the sum of the top scoring five dogs on that team. The team with the highest score (greatest sum of LPP) shall be deemed the winning team. The same dog may not be included in the top five scores, discounting a Mulligan score from counting toward the team score.

Dogs are accorded titles for play in the NDAL based on a system of earned LPP. That titling system is described here:

https://wordpress.com/page/topdogagilityplayers.wordpress.com/507

Fidelity

Any deliberate falsification of league scores shall result in nullification of all reported scores by the offending agency and the lifetime ban of the individual and organization responsible for the falsification of those scores from participation in the National Dog Agility League.