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Hot Zone

A History of IDDHA at the ESPN Great Outdoor Games
 In 2004, the IDDHA made disc dog history, debuting international disc dogs in the ESPN Great Outdoor Games with Disc Drive, an extreme distance event that was an overwhelming success. The Disc Drive took place on Saturday of the Games, the day that the single-day attendance record of the GOG was shattered, with 36,285 people turning out to watch the dogs fly!

Last year the IDDHA topped it with the hottest new discipline in the Games, Hot Zone. ESPN’s Great Outdoor Games VI presented by Dodge broke viewership records for its telecasts on ESPN and ABC, July 13-17. An average of 850,000 households tuned in for the nine telecasts (seven on ESPN and two on ABC Sports), a 38 percent increase over last year (615,000) and a 60 percent increase over 2003 (531,000). The two broadcasts on ABC Sports aired July 16 and 17 and were the highest-rated in the network’s history covering the Games. If you ask me, it was thanks to the disc dogs!!!

In addition to the impressive increase in television viewers, the Web site greatoutdoorgames.com received a record number of hits. According to the Web analytics program Hitbox, the site’s number of visits increased 43 percent over last year, while the number of page views increased 20 percent.

Missed out on the coverage of the Great Outdoor Games the first time around? Not to worry, re-airs are continuing on the ESPN networks as we speak. Click here for the complete schedule. Want to relive the excitement? You can read feature stories from the 2005 Games as well!

Day 3: Great Outdoor Games early summary
A quick look at the early thoughts on ATVs and flying dogs and discs for Day Three.

Watson and Split connect for Hot Zone victory
Ron Watson and his border collie Split overcame gusty winds that hindered all competitors and won the gold medal in the Hot Zone flying disc competition Saturday at ESPN's Great Outdoor Games presented by Dodge at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

Hot Zone at the 2006 ESPN Great Outdoor Games
 In 2006 the Hot Zone will return to the Great Outdoor Games. This year the IDDHA is bringing disc dogs back to the GOG Main Arena to thrill the nearly one million people who catch the Games either live or on the ESPN television broadcast. There have been a few minor changes to the game and the qualifying criteria (in red on website).

Hot Zone
We created an awesome event we call “Hot Zone” (copywrited by ESPN). Hot Zone is a timed single disc event. The objective of the competition is to be the fastest team to successfully make a catch in each of the six zones in ascending order. There are two “catches” (no pun intended) to the game; 1) the dog must be in the air for the catch to count, and 2) any paw in the Hot Zone (Zone 6) during a catch for Zones 1 – 5 will send the team back to Zone 1. Click to see videos of the Hot Zone, funny "Hits & Misses", and for complete Rules and Regulations and a Field Layout.

How To Qualify
 Twelve teams will qualify for the 2006 Games. A dog, a handler or a dog/handler team may qualify for the Games in more than one discipline. In accordance with ESPN GOG tradition, the medal-winning handler/dog teams from the 2005 ESPN GOG Hot Zone event will automatically receive invitations to this year’s Games. I would like to congratulate the 2005 medalists, Ron Watson and Split, Tim Geib and Jesse, and Autumn Trainor and Nevi (the first female to qualify much less medal!), the first three teams to automatically qualify for the 2006 Games.

A series of IDDHA sanctioned Hot Zone competitions will be held around the globe to determine the remaining nine teams who will qualify for the 2006 Games. Each team’s runs at sanctioned events between December 1, 2005 and April 23, 2006 will be recorded in the 2006 IDDHA Hot Zone Ranking system. For the 2006 season, ranking will be determined by the average of each team’s three fastest times from any event. Eight of the nine Open Invitations to the Games will go to the eight highest ranked IDDHA competitors.

The final Open Invitation will go to a Wildcard! One wildcard team deemed to have ESPN Great Outdoor Games potential will be invited. ESPN, IDDHA and J4 Promotions retain the privilege of inviting other competitors based on the organizers’ knowledge of certain dog / handler teams and previous IDDHA results.

Summary of Qualifying Criteria

3 - 2004 ESPN GOG Hot Zone Gold, Silver and Bronze medalists*
8 - Eight highest ranked competitors from 2006 IDDHA Hot Zone Ranking**
1 - Wildcard***

*The medalists will be required to compete with their canine teammate from 2005. Dog and handler teams must remain intact in order to accept an invitation; neither dogs nor handlers may be “switched out” prior to the Games competition. Should a medalist handler or dog not be able to attend as part of the same team, that team will forfeit their invitation, and the next highest ranked team from the 2006 IDDHA rankings will receive the invitation.
**Next highest ranked competitor if a team in the Top Eight is already qualified for the 2006 Hot Zone (i.e medallist).
***Not including previously qualified competitors

The sport organizers will choose only those handlers who show themselves to be of the utmost integrity. Any indication of unsportsmanlike behavior toward ESPN or IDDHA staff, contractors, judges, spectators, VIPs, event hosts, and especially dogs, will not be tolerated. Evidence of such behavior may result in immediate rescindment of the ESPN invitation to compete in the ESPN Great Outdoor Games as well as possible exception from future editions of the ESPN Great Outdoor Games. IDDHA retains the right to withhold a GOG invitation or offer it to a dog lower in the rankings should a handler exhibit questionable sportsmanship or a dog exhibit aggression toward people or other dogs.

Qualifier Schedule
 Want to host an event? If you have an IDDHA Representative and at least three certified Judges and a certified Administrator you may submit your event to be included in the 2006 IDDHA Hot Zone Ranking! Events must take place between December 1, 2005 and April 23, 2006 to be included in the ranking. Please email your requested event to iddha@aol.com and your event will be submitted to the Advisory Board for approval.

Want to compete in an event? In a continuing effort to modernize the sport of disc dogging, the IDDHA will offer online entry forms! In case the number of entries will be limited, online entries will be accepted in the order they were received.

Because ranking for the 2006 season will be based on an average of each team’s three fastest runs, instead of only a single run, this year all competitions will be run in the new Hot Zone format (a combination of the old Ranking & Titling Match format and Regional Championship format.) The new Hot Zone format will allow all handlers two attempts at earning a time in each competition, twelve handlers three attempts at earning a time, and four handlers four attempts at earning a time. This should help ensure the top handlers have three fast times for their ranking.

New Hot Zone Format
Round One – all competitors
Round Two – all competitors (optional)
Semi-Finals – top twelve competitors
Finals – top four competitors

I would like to thank the dedicated disc doggers who hosted an ESPN GOG qualifier last year. They include the Central Alabama Disc and Dog Club, the Indy Dog & Disc Club, the Southern Ohio Flying K9s, the Houston Canine Frisbee Disc Club, the Yankee Flyers Dog & Disc Club, South Florida Air K-9’s, and Atlanta Dogworks.

As events are approved, you can click here for a schedule.

IDDHA Judge and Administrator Certification
The IDDHA set the precedent for modern, cutting edge contest formats, rules, and judging criteria. The IDDHA was the first sport organizer to offer judge certification, and, as the official sanctioning body, we are the only to offer disc dog ranking and titling. IDDHA’s judge certification program (1999) and official Rules and Regulations (1998) have been the basis of other contest organizer’s format. The IDDHA continued to raise the standard with several innovations that were also copied, such as bonus zones on single disc fields, inclusions of multiple disc models, and international ESPN coverage. We believe mimicry is the highest form of flattery. The IDDHA - Often copied, Never equaled.

The IDDHA is continuing to update the Judge Certification Program with a Hot Zone Judge Certification Test and an Hot Zone Administrator Test. Every IDDHA sanctioned qualifying event will require an IDDHA Representative, at least three certified Judges and a certified Administrator. Judges will not be allowed to compete in the Open division of the event they are judging. Click for a list of certified Judges and Administrators.

Disc Options
 The IDDHA was the first sport organizer to make the exciting innovation to include multiple disc models. A handler may use the disc of choice in the Hot Zone competition, assuming it meets minimum requirements of weight, shape, etc. determined by the 2006 Advisory Board. To date, the Fastback by Wham-O, the Hero Disc Type 235, and the K-10 by Hyperflite have been approved for competition.

Advisory Board
We are honored to have an Advisory Board of disc dog professionals that include, among others, Alex Stein, Gail Mirabella, Lourdes Edlin and Mark Molnar. This year our entire 2005 Board will be returning, along with new members. Each club/competition organizer who hosts a ranking event is invited to designate an official Advisory Board member.

Hot Zone Ranking and Titling
The IDDHA will offer Ranking and Titling for current members competing with registered disc dogs in Hot Zone events. Ranking and Titling will be offered at the Novice, ProNovice and Open level. ProNovice is an intermediate division for novice handlers with open dogs or open handlers with novice dogs. Only Open Ranking will determine eligibility for the ESPN Great Outdoor Games. As with other IDDHA titling systems, four legs at the desired level will earn a title. A team can earn up to two legs toward a title per event/day. For IDDHA Hot Zone Ranking and Titling, an IDDHA Representative must submit scores to the IDDHA within 30 days of the competition. For Open Ranking to count toward the ESPN GOG, results must be recorded no later than midnight April 23rd.

For Novice teams, the game is simplified to an introductory level. First, the Foul Line is 5 yards closer to the catching zone. Catches on the ground or in the air will count. Finally, all four paws are not necessary in the Hot Zone during a Hot Zone attempt; at least one paw in the Zone will count. Novice runs will count toward Novice Ranking. Each Novice run made in under 2 minutes, 30 seconds will qualify as a leg toward a Novice title.

The ProNovice teams will use the Open course distance, but with the Novice catch requirements – the dog can catch on the ground or in the air and needs a minimum of one paw in the Hot Zone during a Hot Zone attempt to count. ProNovice runs will count toward ProNovice Ranking. Each ProNovice run made in under 2 minutes, 30 seconds will qualify as a leg toward a ProNovice title.

Open runs will count toward Open Ranking and will be eligible to qualify for the ESPN GOG. Each Open run made in under 2 minutes will qualify as a leg toward an Open title.



 

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