Going around the Rules for points and Regional Champ may be the latest new trend for NAFA flyball.  It might actually be against the rules.  Or, maybe, it's really all in the name of fun and a bunch of 'exceptions' have been granted to some clubs, teams and regions.  It might even be in the rules.  I don't know yet.

It appears there may be a brand new way to play flyball in some regions and a new way that NAFA calculates regional points and declares regional champs in some regions.  I've never before seen or been aware of a 3-region-regional-points-for-all-tournament before; have you?

Thing is, I've only noticed it in a few regions and it is so late in the 2012 racing year already.  I'm guessing not everyone knows the new way is available to them and I wonder if it will continue going in 2013. 

After I get back from a tourney this weekend I hope to piece together the facts and give you, my fellow flyballers, a quick recap of what I found out.  If I'm speaking too soon, please forgive me.  I promise to do my best to find the truth.

If you can, please stay tuned for more fun and games with flyball and have a nice weekend everyone!

Sincerely,
I Like Flyball!...continued below on 9/24/12...

The tournament was great and this morning I sent an inquiry to the NAFA database person asking for confirmation or insight into what I think may be a tri-region tournament.

If you are interested in doing your own research while we wait together for an answer, go to R3 and R4 May 11, 2012 tournament and see what you think.  Did you find another region's team(s) also included for Regional Champ points?  Sometimes I look at this stuff and I think I must be losing it because it just doesn't make sense according to what I know about flyball and what is published in the Rules.

Let me know if you think I've lost it or if you agree it looks strange, please?  I need a reality-check quick!

update 9/27/12...
Here's my summary of the answer I received back from NAFA:

- Not the May tournament; rather it was a March tourney
- Not a tri-region tourney, but yes a dual-region tourney (R3/R21)
- The new 200 mile 'opted-in' Rule was in play*
- An out-of-region club hosted* the tourney and Regional Points were counted for them as if they were in-region; there were 2 teams entered in the Division from their own Region and 2 out-of-region teams to make up the requirement to count for in-Region points...one of the out-of-Region teams appears to be a Performance Team and contains 'unassigned' dogs with CRNs.

Hmmmm, I think I have some topics for another blog article.  Stay tuned :o).