# AKC Agility rules



## kbella999 (Jan 6, 2012)

I was thinking that I heard somewhere that there are no threadles in AKC agility. I couldn't find anything in the rule book. Is it a rule or just never done on courses because I don't remember ever having a threadle on a course. Is there also a rule about back side jumps?


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

you can look up agility on the AKC site, which gives you all the rules/regs/obstacle specs etc. I've never seen threadles in AKC agility..

Back side jumps? Not sure what you mean? Are you talking about back jumping a jump? usually if you jump a jump backwards, it's an off course/DQ..


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## LuvWorkingGSDs (Aug 24, 2008)

You aren't going to see true threadles in AKC agility unless you enter ISC classes...or throw one in there yourself on a FAST course. 

I do not believe you will find it in the rules specifically using the term threadle since this would require extensive definition as to what constitutes a threadle. However, it is essentially prohibited by the minimum distance between obstacles, approach angle restrictions and spacing recommendations for what they call 'wrap around jumps' (weird terminology but essentially a component of a threadle). It's not that they strictly prohibit it, but rather that the course design recommendations are such that threadles would never make it through course review for non-ISC courses. 

Backside jumps aren't so clearly prohibited though. I think the reason for this is that there are widely varying perceptions as to what constitutes a backside jump. I have seen backside jumps in AKC Masters level courses, but they were placed such that you did not have to handle them as backside jumps. To the judge or other people on course it could simply have been an offset obstacle-jump 180, but I chose to view it as a backside to gain a handling advantage.


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## kbella999 (Jan 6, 2012)

Thanks. This must be what I heard then, even though there are no rules, it just doesn't happen on an AKC course. 



LuvWorkingGSDs said:


> You aren't going to see true threadles in AKC agility unless you enter ISC classes...or throw one in there yourself on a FAST course.
> 
> I do not believe you will find it in the rules specifically using the term threadle since this would require extensive definition as to what constitutes a threadle. However, it is essentially prohibited by the minimum distance between obstacles, approach angle restrictions and spacing recommendations for what they call 'wrap around jumps' (weird terminology but essentially a component of a threadle). It's not that they strictly prohibit it, but rather that the course design recommendations are such that threadles would never make it through course review for non-ISC courses.
> 
> Backside jumps aren't so clearly prohibited though. I think the reason for this is that there are widely varying perceptions as to what constitutes a backside jump. I have seen backside jumps in AKC Masters level courses, but they were placed such that you did not have to handle them as backside jumps. To the judge or other people on course it could simply have been an offset obstacle-jump 180, but I chose to view it as a backside to gain a handling advantage.


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## LuvWorkingGSDs (Aug 24, 2008)

JakodaCD OA said:


> Back side jumps? Not sure what you mean? Are you talking about back jumping a jump? usually if you jump a jump backwards, it's an off course/DQ..


There's an example of a backside jump at approx. 00:35 in this video. 



 
Front side approach:









Back side approach:


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

kbella999 said:


> Thanks. This must be what I heard then, even though there are no rules, it just doesn't happen on an AKC course.


Just to be clear, it IS in the rules .... it's just not called a 'threadle'. Too tight and close between two jumps so it's the spacing that would be addressed to disallow.

And we DO have backside jumps starting to become more common. 

:wub:


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