Dog days of summer: Canines compete in Frisbee Toss & Fetch Worldwide League

Armed with Frisbees and a furry best friend, members of the Akron K9 Frisbee Toss & Fetch Club took to the field in Silver Lake last week to kick off the five-week summer league season.

Founded nine years ago by Mark Vitullo as a challenge between Frisbee leagues in Northeast Ohio and Michigan, the K9 Frisbee Toss & Fetch Worldwide League quickly expanded to encompass 250 clubs and 7,000 participants across the globe.

The league always welcomes new players and encourages competitors to start their own local clubs to make it easier for people to participate.

“Don’t make it difficult. Don’t make it inconvenient to play,” Vitullo said. “Play locally.”

K9 Frisbee Toss & Fetch is played on a 50-yard lawn field that is 10 yards wide at both ends and 20 yards wide in the center, with point zones every 10 yards. Competitors can throw from either end of the field and have 60 seconds to make as many catches in the zone with their dog as possible, with more points awarded the further the throw is made. Participants earn 1 point for making it between 10 and 20 yards, 2 for 20-30 yards, 3 for 30-40 yards and 5 for 40-50.

Catching the disc mid-air earns a half-point bonus.

“Anybody can play this game,” Vitullo said. “If your dog fetches a ball, it’ll catch a Frisbee.”

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Dog days of summer: Canines compete in Frisbee Toss & Fetch Worldwide League