Dog Agility Score Calculator
Course, SCT, and time to YPS, margin, and faults.
What it does
Agility blends the dog's speed with the handler's plan against the judge's clock. Course length over run time gives yards per second; standard course time minus run time gives the margin. Faults finish the story.
The tool above takes course length, SCT, run time, and whole faults, then reports speed, margin under or over SCT, and the fault total. Imperial mode speaks yards for AKC-style courses; metric mode speaks meters for international lines.
AKC and USDAA rulebooks both build scoring from the same parts: a judge-set SCT from yardage and expected pace, course faults for bars, contacts, and refusals, and time faults past SCT. Exact fault values and qualifying lines move by venue and class, which is why this page measures while judges rule.
Use speed to compare runs on one course and margin to judge risk. A 2.7 yd/s round 4.5 s under SCT with 5 faults lost on contacts, not pace. Fix the repeating fault before chasing another tenth.
How to use
- Pick imperial (yards) or metric (meters).
- Enter course length from the course map.
- Enter the judge's SCT in seconds.
- Enter the dog's run time and whole faults.
- Read speed, margin under or over SCT, and faults.
- Check the venue table for qualifying lines.
Formula
- course
- Course length in yards or meters.
- SCT
- Standard course time set by the judge, seconds.
- time
- Dog's run time, seconds.
- faults
- Whole course faults.
Course runs in yards (AKC) or meters (FCI-style); pick the matching system. Faults add as whole counts. Qualifying lines and per-second overtime values vary by venue and class, so the page reports speed and margin while the judge applies the table.
Worked example
Example: 150 yd in 55.5 s
150 yard course, 60 s SCT, 55.5 s run, 5 faults.
- Course is 150 yd, SCT is 60 s.
- Dog runs 55.5 s with 5 faults.
- Speed: 150 / 55.5 = 2.7 yd/s.
- Margin: 60 - 55.5 = 4.5 s under SCT.
- Read: quick round, 5 faults decide the ribbon.
Reference table
| Fault | Usual cost | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Knocked bar | Fixed faults | Collect striding, adjust takeoff |
| Missed contact | Fixed faults | Retrain running or stopped contacts |
| Refusal or runout | Fixed faults | Earlier cues, better lines |
| Wrong course | Elimination | Walk the numbering twice |
| Over SCT | Per-second faults | Cut path, push pace where safe |
Limits
- Measures speed and margin; judges apply qualifying tables.
- SCT and fault values vary by venue and class.
- YPS compares within a course, not across designs.
- Handler errors hide inside the clock.
Common mistakes
- Comparing YPS across different courses.
- Ignoring SCT when planning risks.
- Lumping time and course faults together.
- Chasing speed before contacts are trained.
- Blaming the dog for handler lines.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
170 yd, SCT 65, run 68.5 s, 10 faults?
Speed is 170 / 68.5 = 2.48 yd/s. Margin is 3.5 s over SCT with 10 faults.
150 yd, SCT 60, run 52 s, clean?
Speed is 150 / 52 = 2.88 yd/s. Margin is 8.0 s under SCT with 0 faults.
Questions
What is SCT?
The judge's standard course time from yardage and expected pace by class and jump height. Beat it and time is your friend; miss it and each second over adds faults per the venue table.
What is yards per second?
Yards (or meters) divided by seconds. Big dogs cruise near 5 to 6 yd/s on open courses; twisty novice lines run nearer 3. Compare within the same course, not across venues.
Which faults count?
Knocked bars, missed contacts, refusals, runouts, wrong courses, and table errors, each worth fixed faults by venue. Time over SCT adds more. Clean fast beats fast sloppy at most levels.
How do dogs qualify?
Score under SCT with few faults. Novice lines forgive wide turns; excellent lines punish them. Train contacts and weaves first, since those faults repeat weekly.
Do other venues score the same?
Yes. USDAA, UKI, and CPE publish their own SCT factors and fault values on the same ideas. Convert yards to meters for FCI courses and rerun.
What faults do handlers cause?
Handler errors: late cues, blind crosses into jumps, and sprinting past the dog's line. Video two runs and count faults by type before changing anything.