Policies of NARA

NARA Authorized Breeds consist of any registered dog, registered by a nationally recognized breed registry.
Males must be sexually intact.
NARA also authorizes “Blue” dogs to compete.
A “Blue” dog is any unregistered dog and/or a male dog that is sexually not intact.
There is no limit as to how many Blue Dogs a handler may compete with (updated 6-22-2004).
Only the Authorized Breeds on the S.C.C. list may compete in France.

Effective June 1, 2009, all dogs must pass a temperament test, either the Certificat de Sociabilité et d’Aptitude á l’Utilisation ( CSAU),MR Evaluation of Working Aptitude or the Schutzhund BH, in order to compete at Brevet. All dogs titled before June 1, 2009 are not required to take a temperament test to compete in NARA trials. Any competitor who trials outside the United States is subject to the policies of that country. A passing evaluation for the temperament test must be recorded in the dog’s scorebook. It is acceptable to pass the temperament test and then compete immediately in a trial.

Revised Nov 20, 2013

A dog is required to have a Tattoo or Microchip in order to compete in NARA events

· No dog can receive a Brevet without a tattoo or microchip.
· Dogs imported without a tattoo must be tattooed/microchipped prior to competing in any NARA event
· Tattoo** must be EITHER:
· The dog’s full registration number from any National Registry, OR
· Any tattoo listed on the dog’s registration papers, OR
· Any tattoo from the breeder or owner of the dog

** The location of the Tattoo and the tattoo number MUST be listed on the application for the NARA scorebook.

It is the responsibility of handlers/owners using microchips to identify their dogs for entry in a NARA event to insure there is an appropriate microchip reader available at the event. It is not the responsibility of the event host to provide a reader. Handlers/owners declaring for an international team must comply with the international competition requirements in effect at the time of the event. The Board of Directors, or a judge at any NARA event, may request at any time to see microchips ID with the owner/handler providing the reader

Revised Mar 19, 2014

A dog must have a valid scorebook from a NARA-recognized organization in order to be eligible to compete in a NARA-sanctioned trial.
NARA recognizes FCI- and SCC-affiliated organizations existing solely outside the United States and United States Territories. NARA recognizes the following organizations existing solely or partially within the United States and United States Territories:

· American Working Dog Federation (AWDF)
· American Working Malinois Association (AWMA)
· Authentic Hovawarts of North America (AHNA)
· DVG-America
· Federation American Bulldog
· North American Working Airedale Terrier Association (NAWATA)
· United Doberman Club (UDC)
· United States Boxer Association
· United Schutzhund Clubs of America
· United States Mondioring Association (USMRA)
· United States Rottweiler Club (USRC)
· North American Working Bouvier Association (NAWBA)
· Working Riesenschnauzer Federation
· Working Pitbull Terrier Club of America

NARA does not recognize American Ring Federation (ARF).
The scorebook must be presented to the judge or authorized trial representative (e.g., trial secretary) prior to competition.
NARA scorebooks must be signed by both the NARA president and the current owner of the dog.
If a NARA member wishes to compete with a non-NARA scorebook, a copy of the inside cover (scorebook number) and the first page (dog and owner information) must be sent to the NARA Secretary.
There are two types of NARA scorebooks – Standard scorebooks and Blue Dog scorebooks. Standard scorebooks are issued to any registered dog of authorized breeds (males/females must be intact). Blue Dog scorebooks are issued to unregistered dogs or non-intact males/females.
A dog with a Blue Dog scorebook may compete in trials and be awarded titles, but it cannot win the NARA Championship, the Cup of the Americas, nor compete in France.

Revised May 06, 2018

There are two types of NARA scorebooks – standard scorebooks and blue dog scorebooks. Standard scorebooks are for all registered dogs of authorized breeds (males/females must be intact). Blue Dog scorebooks are for unregistered dogs or non-intact males/females.

Dogs with blue dog scorebooks may compete in trials and be awarded titles, but he/she cannot win the NARA Championship, the Cup of the Americas, nor compete in France.

All dogs must be tattooed or microchipped.

Standard/Replacement Scorebook Application
Replacement Scorebook Supplemental Application

Include with application a copy of your dog’s registration papers from a recognized and legitimate registry
Include $15.00 payable to NARA

Blue Dog Scorebook Application

Include with application two Polaroid-size photos of your dog (1 front, 1 profile)
Include $15.00 payable to NARA

Completed applications must be filled out electronically on the NARA website. Scorebook Application
Associated Scorebook Materials must be emailed to the Treasurer

Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for processing!
All payments must be made through PayPal

Revised May 06, 2018

See NARA Bylaws for more information on the specific types of clubs.

To become a “forming” NARA Club you must:

· Have a minimum of 3 NARA Members
· The name of your club
· A list of your members and their NARA membership numbers
· The names of your Board Members
· A copy of your Bylaws (sample bylaws may be obtained here )
· A copy of club’s liability insurance (Insurance may be obtained through NARA here for $35)
· Submit the forming club application here

To become an “affiliate” NARA Club you must:
· Meet all the criteria of a forming club
· Have been a forming club for a minimum of 1 year
· Have successfully conducted at least one (1) NARA-approved trial / seminar
· Submit the following information to the NARA Secretary along with your request for affiliate status:
· The names of your Board Members
· A list of your members and their NARA membership numbers
· A copy of club’s liability insurance (Insurance may be obtained through NARA here for $35)
· A copy of your current by-laws

Additional Information on Club Responsibilities: Policy 410: Club Responsibilities Policy

Revised Dec 23, 2013

See NARA Bylaws for more information on the specific types of clubs.

All clubs, both forming and affiliate, must abide by the Club Responsibilities Policy
All Clubs must keep the NARA Secretary informed of any changes in their general membership, Board of Directors and bylaws.
All Clubs must submit the names of their officers to the NARA secretary by January 31st of each calendar year.
Any club with fewer than three (3) members will lose their current status (either Forming or Affiliate). Clubs will be granted a minimum 30-day grace period to bring their membership up to the minimum of three (3) members.
ALL club Officers MUST be NARA members in good standing.
Clubs must maintain records of Trial Authorizations and Trial Reports for a minimum of 3 years.
All clubs must provide proof of club insurance(offered through NARA for $35 here)
Affiliate Clubs must host one NARA sanctioned event, trial or seminar, every 2 years to maintain status.
Clubs that have not submitted the necessary paperwork and information to the NARA Secretary by Jan. 31st of each year will lose all club rights, including but not limited to status, voting rights, ability to hold a trial, etc.

Revised Mar 19, 2014

No Club can organize a trial without receiving permission from NARA to hold the event. Once a club has applied for a trial and it has been approved by the NARA Secretary or NARA BOD, the trial will then be a Sanctioned event. Any trial held without the NARA sanction in the US will be unofficial and no scores, certificates or titles achieved at that event will be valid.

Only NARA Recognized Clubs may hold a NARA trial in the US.

The application to host a trial can be found at the following link:

https://ringsport.org/staging/trial_application.php

Revised Mar 19, 2014

Clubs wishing to host a NARA Club/Pre-Regional trial will be responsible for all associated costs. Trial applications must be submitted to the NARA Secretary 30 days prior to the proposed event. Applications can be submitted online at the following link:

https://ringsport.org/staging/trial_application.php

Clubs wishing to hold any trial need to strictly adhere to, and make themselves aware of, sections 1.2, 1.9, and 1.11 of the Rulebook

Requirements for Club Trial:

*NARA Approved Judge and 2 Selected Level I decoys (May use only one decoy if no Lvl II or Lvl III dogs)
*It is required to have a Level II decoy if there are any entries in Lvl III
*Field must be a minimum 30×65 meters and fully fenced with 2 entrances
*A regulation Hurdle, Long Jump, and Palisade per section 1.2 of the rulebook
*A minimum of 6 blinds are required and located on the field per section 1.2 of the rulebook
*Blinds must be 2m tall and 1.2m wide(IPO Blinds are not permitted) per section 1.9 of the rulebook
*Have the necessary personnel, including Secretary, Deputy Judge, Ring Stewards, etc.
*2 blanks guns capable of firing 6mil or 9mil blanks
*Minimum of 10 pieces of food as specified in Section 1.2 of the rulebook
*There must be a minimum of 6 entries.

Requirements for Pre-Regional Trial:

*NARA Approved Judge and 2 Selected decoys, one of which must be selected at Level II (May use only one decoy if no Lvl II or Lvl III dogs)
*To be considered a Pre-Regional Trial, a Level II decoy must decoy all levels, excluding Brevet
*Field must be a minimum 30×65 meters and fully fenced with 2 entrances
*A regulation Hurdle, Long Jump, and Palisade per section 1.2 of the rulebook
*A minimum of 6 blinds are required and located on the field per section 1.2 of the rulebook
*Blinds must be 2m tall and 1.2m wide(IPO Blinds are not permitted) per section 1.9 of the rulebook
*Have the necessary personnel, including Secretary, Deputy Judge, Ring Stewards, etc.
*2 blanks guns capable of firing 6mil or 9mil blanks
*Minimum of 10 pieces of food as specified in Section 1.2 of the rulebook
*There must be a minimum of 6 entries.

Clubs have ten days from the last day of the trial to return all paperwork. Trial logs must be submitted
electronically to the NARA Secretary. If using hardcopy scoresheets, they must be postdated within that same ten days.
Accuracy of trial log is extremely important. This is to insure accuracy of results and yearly standings, as well as ease of input into our database. If there
are errors in the trial log, the trial secretary will be notified by the NARA Secretary and the club will have
72 hrs to fix the issues or the paperwork will be considered late.

Late paperwork will result in the offending club being fined according to the follow rules:

More than 10 Days – $100 fine
More than 20 Days – $150 fine
More than 30 Days – $200 fine

In addition, the following sanctions will be in place until the fine is paid:

-Cannot Host a Trial
-Loss of Club Voting Rights
-Ineligible to apply for or host Regionals or the NARA Cup
-Cannot Renew as a Club

Once the fine is paid, all restrictions are immediately removed.

Revised Oct 03, 2017

To be considered to host a Regional Championship trial, interested clubs must submit a written proposal by December 1st, unless otherwise specified by the BOD, to the NARA Board of Directors stating their desire to host a Regional Championship trial and providing the following information:

·desired date of trial
· Projected Budget
· geographic location of trial and convenience of travel to and from location
· climate and season
· ability to provide a neutral field for the competition
· number of club members
· success of past trials
· ability to promote ring sport in a positive manner

All revenue from the event will be remitted to NARA, including entry fees, monetary donations, and sponsorships. NARA will reimburse the Hosting Club for all expenses associated with hosting the Regional Championships per the proposed budget. Any Hosting Club not meeting the NARA Rules of the Regional Championships and the expectations of their proposal will not be reimbursed in any amount.

No club shall host more than one Regional Championship trial per season. No two Regional Championships in a season may be held on the same field

Revised Mar 19, 2014

Each year the NARA Cup should be alternated between the Western zone, Central zone and the Eastern zone.
All the Affiliate clubs in the designated NARA zone which are interested in hosting should submit their proposal for the NARA Cup including

·desired date of trial (between the dates of September 16th and December 15th)
· Projected Budget
· geographic location of trial and convenience of travel to and from location
· climate and season
· ability to provide a neutral field for the competition
· number of club members
.ability to provide a podium
· success of past trials· ability to promote ring sport in a positive manner.

All proposals must be received by the NARA BoD by the specified deadline in order to be considered.
If no Affiliate club in the zone designated for that year expresses a desire to host the NARA Cup, the right to host the NARA Cup will be offered to the Affiliate Clubs in the zone designated for the following year. The following year it must be offered to the next zone.
An honest attempt must be made to alternate from one zone to the other, every year, so all of the NARA Members have a chance to attend the NARA Cup without the expense of traveling an extreme distance.
If more than one Affiliate club from the designated Zone is interested, but the other club(s) are not able or willing to do a Co-hosting. The NARA BoD will decide the location.
All revenue from the event will be remitted to NARA, including entry fees, monetary donations, and sponsorships. NARA will reimburse the Hosting Club for all expenses associated with hosting the NARA Cup per the proposed budget. Any Hosting Club not meeting the NARA Rules of the NARA Cup and the expectations of their proposal will not be reimbursed in any amount.

Revised Mar 19, 2014

To Be Determined

Revised Mar 19, 2014

The NARA Regional Championship trials shall be held on consecutive weekends, if possible, between September 15th and December 1st. There must be at least one weekend between the completion of the last Regional Championship trial and the start of the NARA Championship trial.

There will be two Regional Championship trials – an Eastern Regional hosted by a club east of the Mississippi River and a Western Regional hosted by a club west of the Mississippi River.

Both Regional Championship trials shall have the same jury. An alternate decoy of at least Level 2 must be available at each Regional Championship trial, and it will be left to the discretion of the judge to maintain the consistency of the decoys’ work.

The Regional Championship judge candidates shall be chosen according to the criteria defined by NARA Policy 1050: Selection of Judges for NARA’s Prestige Events.

The two Regional Championship decoys shall be selected as follows from NARA Decoy Super Selection (DSS) participants, excluding the decoy who has opted to officiate at the NARA Championship trial:

First priority: the top placing NARA Level 3 decoys from the most recent NARA DSS, in order of placement (excluding the NARA decoy slated to officiate in the NARA Championship trial).

Second priority: the top placing NARA Level 3 decoys from the previous year’s NARA DSS, in order of placement.

Third priority: the top placing NARA Level 2 decoys from the most recent NARA DSS, in order of placement.

Fourth priority: the top placing NARA Level 2 decoys from the previous year’s NARA DSS, in order of placement.

Revised February 16, 2010

Revised Jul 29, 2018

The NARA Cup must be held between the dates of September 16th and December 15th, inclusive.

All dogs who qualify to compete in NARA trials may compete at the NARA Cup for an opportunity to win the NARA Cup for their level. The NARA Cup is awarded to the dog who earns the highest score in each of the levels Ring I, Ring II and Ring III at the NARA Cup. It is possible for one team to win both the NARA Cup and the NARA Championship for a given level. The owner of the dog is not required to be the handler.

A dog competing for the NARA Championship is required to be owned by the current owner,a NARA Member in good standing, for 9 months prior to the NARA Cup. Upon request, the competitor is responsible to provide proof of lading or date of transfer of pedigree to trial officials or Board of Directors.

Presentation of an official NARA-recognized scorebook and NARA membership card is required prior to competing in the NARA Cup.

Dogs competing for the NARA Championship for a given level must achieve an excellent rating at two trials at that level, at least one of which must be a pre-Regional trial, and one of which may be a club trial. A pre-Regional trial is defined as any NARA-recognized trial at which at least one of the decoys officiating at each level (except Brevet) is at least a Level 2. A pre-Regional trial must be held at any time during the current trial season prior to the Regional Championships. A club trial is defined as any NARA-recognized trial at which none of the decoys officiating at each level (except Brevet) are Level 2 or higher. A Club trial must be held during the current trial season any time prior to the Regional Championships.
The titles of NARA Champion and NARA Domestic Champion will be determined by totaling only the Regional Championship and NARA Cup scores.
Club and pre-Regional scores are used only for qualifying to compete. An excellent rating is all that is needed in those trials. (Those scores are not included in the calculations for the NARA Championship)

All qualified dogs eligible to win the FR1-3 Championship entry fee will be waived at the NARA Cup

The pre-Regional and club trial scores must be earned under two different judges, and both of the two scores must be earned at NARA-sanctioned trials held in the United States or US Territories. US Citizens and US Permanent Residents one of the two scores must be earned at NARA-sanctioned trials held in the United States or US Territories. The eligible scores must be earned after the completion of the Regional Championships of the previous year, and prior to the Regional Championships of the current year. In the case of a competitor who competes in more than one Regional Championship trial, the first score earned will be the one used to calculate the competitor’s yearly Championship total.

The title of NARA Champion for each level is awarded to the qualified team that earns the highest total using the formula above (a priority will be given to excellent ratings at each trial i.e. a regional score of 321 and a NARA Cup score of 321 for a total of 642 WILL BEAT a regional score of 400 and a NARA Cup score of 310 for a total of 710). The title of NARA Domestic Champion is subject to the additional criteria that the dog must have earned all its original titles while owned and handled by a NARA member of US residency (including US Territories). Only NARA-recognized scores and titles entered in the dog’s scorebook will be accepted.

The decoys at the NARA Cup shall include one invited neutral foreign decoy chosen from the most recent French Coupe decoys, or, if neither are available, the most recent French Selectif decoys, and one NARA decoy chosen from NARA Decoy Super Selection participants as follows:

First priority: the top placing NARA Level 3 decoys from the most recent NARA DSS, in order of placement

Second priority: the top placing NARA Level 3 decoys from the previous year’s NARA DSS, in order of placement

Competitors are forbidden from working their dogs, in training, trial or any other scenario, on the invited foreign decoy within 3 months of the NARA Cup, under penalty of disqualification from the NARA Cup and the title of NARA Champion.

Revised Feb 15, 2016

International Competition is within 6 months of NARA Cup

Team will be selected in order of placement from the Championship Standings in each level. If there are
not enough dogs with Championship scores, remaining spots will be filled by the dogs in order of
placement at the NARA Cup for the respective level. Priority goes to teams with Championship Scores,
regardless of level.

International Competition is after 6 months of NARA Cup

Team will be selected based on results of a NARA Qualification Trial to be organized by NARA.
Requirements to compete in the trial will be two excellent ratings under two different judges.
The Champion, Vice Champion, and 3rd place in all levels from the previous year will automatically be
eligible for the NARA Qualification Trial without any other trials. This only applies for dogs continuing to
compete at the same level. If you are moving up in level, there is no exemption from the two scores.
Competitors will be able to use one score from either NARA Regionals or the NARA Cup from the
previous year to count as one of the two scores needed.

Revised Oct 03, 2017

See Decoy Guidebook

See Decoy Guidebook

Applicants must fill out the judge’s application form (download here) and submit it to the BOD for approval. Requirements for entering the program are as follows:

-Must be a NARA member in good standing
-Have titled one dog in all levels from BR-FR3(qualified as two excellent scores under 2 different judges in FR3)

Level 1 Qualified Judge

Once accepted into the program by a majority vote of the BOD of directors, the following requirements must be meet:

-5 apprentice judging under 4 different Formative/ LVL 3 Judges with favorable reports
-Passing of a written test administered by the NARA BOD with a minimum score of 80%
-2 parallel judging under 2 Formative/LVL 3 Judges with favorable reports

Apprentice judgeships can be done under SCC/GTR Formative Judges, CRA Formative Judges, RFM Formative Judges, and NARA LVL 3 Judges. You must apprentice under 4 different judges. It is required that there are FR3 dogs competing in 4 of the 5 apprenticeships and both parallels.

All apprentice and parallel judgeships must be done without interruption at trial. All levels and all dogs must be observed. Applicants can trial one dog during an apprenticeship. You are not allowed to trial a dog during parallel judgeships.

If an applicant fails to pass the written test, he or she must complete two additional apprentice judgeships. If an applicant fails the written test a second time they are dismissed from the program.

All reports from the apprenticeships and parallels must be sent to the NARA Secretary and entered into the applicants Judges Book(if available).

Applicants for the judge’s program may not have any lapse in membership during their time in the program. If a lapse occurs, all progress in the program will be void.

Only NARA Members that are a US citizen/Permanent Resident (qualified as having a valid green card) may enter the NARA Judges program.

All parallel judgeships must be done in the US, or have NARA BOD approval, and a NARA BOD member must be present at the trial.

Upon completion of all requirements and NARA Secretary approval or a majority vote of the BOD, applicant will be considered a Level 1 NARA judge and able to do all club trials, pre-regional trials, and judge internationally.

Level 2 Qualified Judge, Championship Events Judge, and Decoy Selector

To be able to advance to a Level 2 judge, the following requirements must be met:

-A 2nd dog titled through all levels by the applicant to LVL 2 or have been a NARA Decoy with a minimum of 10 trials officiated
-Must have judged 10 trials
-Test on decoy rules, work, and selection criteria

Upon completion of all requirements and NARA Secretary approval or a majority vote of the BOD, the judge will be advanced to a Level 2 judge and able to do all club trials, pre-regional trials, NARA Regionals, and the NARA Cup. A LVL 2 Judge is also able to do LVL 1 and LVL 2 decoy selections.

Level 3 Qualified Judge, Decoy Selector, and Teaching Judge

To be able to advance to a Level 3 judge, the following requirements must be met:

– Must have judged 15 trials since becoming a LVL 1 Judge

Upon completion of all requirements and NARA Secretary approval or a majority vote of the BOD, the judge will be advanced to a Level 3 judge and able to do all club trials, pre-regional trials, regionals trials, the NARA Cup, Decoy Selections (Level 1, Level 2, and NARA DSS), and act as a teaching judge for apprentice judges in the NARA Judges Program.

Continuing Education

Judges must officiate 1 trial every two years to maintain status. If a lapse occurs, the judge must requalify by taking a written test administered by the NARA BOD and doing one parallel judgeship with a formative Judge(French, RFM, CRA, or NARA LVL 3).

After 5 years of inactivity, judges must redo the entire program.

Revised May 08, 2018

**Objective:**

This policy outlines the establishment, composition, and responsibilities of a Three-Panel Judges Committee to ensure fair and impartial decision-making within the organization.

**Composition:**

1. The Three-Panel Judges Committee shall consist of NARA LVL 3 Judges 
2. The Chairman shall be appointed by the Board of Directors based on their qualifications, experience, and integrity.
3. The Chairman shall appoint two other NARA LVL3 Judges

**Responsibilities:**

1. The Committee shall independently review and assess matters referred to it by the Board of Directors, ensuring a thorough and unbiased evaluation.
2. Judges shall adhere to ethical standards, avoiding conflicts of interest and maintaining confidentiality throughout the decision-making process.
3. The Committee is responsible for overseeing the judges program including but not limited to overseeing the parallels and administering the judges test.
4. The Committee is responsible for interpretation of the NARA Rule book and setting a standard.

**Meeting Procedures:**

1. The Committee shall convene regularly or as needed to address matters assigned to it by the Board.
2. Meetings may be conducted in person or virtually, and decisions may be made by consensus or a majority vote, as determined by the Committee’s internal procedures.

**Reporting:**

1. The Committee shall submit regular reports to the Board of Directors, summarizing its activities, decisions, and any recommendations for improvements.
2. The Board may request additional information or clarification on Committee decisions as necessary.

**Review and Amendments:**

1. This policy shall be subject to periodic review to ensure its effectiveness.
2. Amendments to the policy may be proposed by the Board of Directors or the Three-Panel Judges Committee and require approval by the Board.

The judges for NARA’s prestige events will be selected without prejudice or bias from eligible judges from NARA, RFM, CRA, and the jury of the previous year’s French Coupe and Selectifs.

The current BoD will choose judges from the pool of available judges.

Priority will be given to qualified NARA judges for Regionals.

Priority will be give to the pool of nine French judges from the previous year’s Selectifs/Coupe. The French judge must be a HA Selector and Formative Judge. If no judge from that pool is available, it will be open to all qualified judges.

The same judge may not judge both the NARA Championship and the NARA Regional Championships

Revised Jul 29, 2018

All club votes and member votes will be cast through an Electronic Ballot. Club presidents and members will be notified at the email indicated on the yearly membership application. It is the responsibility of each member to notify the NARA Secretary if there is a need to change the provided email.

Ballot info will be posted to the NARA website, Members Forum, and NARA Facebook page and will remain active for 2 weeks. All active members will be notified by email where and how to vote.

Ballots and tallying will be handled by a NARA BOD approved 3rd party to ensure the integrity of the vote.

Revised Mar 25, 2014

It is forbidden for any Board Member to make available the confidential NARA Membership database or Membership list, partially or in its entirety, to anyone outside the NARA Board of Directors, NARA Newsletter Editor(s), NARA Director of Decoys or NARA Membership Coordinator(s)

Revised Jan 03, 2011

The Treasurer shall purchase and renew NARA’s own liability insurance annually without a need for a vote by the Board of Directors.

It is at the discretion of the hosting club of a NARA Ring Trial to have an “open field” prior to the trial in order to allow dog/handler teams to familiarize themselves with the trial field. As such it is the responsibility of the hosting club to control what happens at the NARA sanctioned event and ensure everyone abides by NARA policies.

· During “Open Field”, the only training that shall be allowed on the grounds or property of the NARA sanctioned event shall be within the area designated as the “trial field.” There shall be no training of any kind on the grounds or property outside of the “trial field” while Open Field is being conducted.
· After the close of “Open Field” and until the trial has ended, there shall be no training of any kind on the grounds, property or trial field.
· Further, it is unacceptable to strike any dog with any object or projectile at any time during a NARA sanctioned event and this type of behavior will not be tolerated. Any infractions of this policy will warrant an investigation. If the results of the investigation find that a NARA member or NARA club did not follow the above said policy the NARA BoD may impose sanctions including, but not limited to, suspending the NARA member(s) involved and rejecting the club’s request for further Ring trials.

Each Administration shall establish and maintain the position of Director of Decoys:Director of Decoy’s Description of Duties

The NARA Director of Decoys (DOD) must be a NARA member in good standing and an active decoy at the time of appointment or past decoy who has participated in the NARA DSS, who shall be appointed and approved by the Board of Directors. The DOD will be on a probationary period of not less than 9 months. This probationary period may be extended if warranted by the Board of Directors. During such persons term in the capacity of DOD he/she is to direct and control the activities of all NARA Select Decoys. He/she shall act as a leader and role model for current and aspiring decoys of NARA.

1. The DOD will maintain a file of all former and current NARA decoys as well as those attempting certification. This file shall be a duplicate of the file kept by the NARA Secretary who will provide the DOD all copies of sheets pertaining to decoys. This file will include copies of the decoy’s test(s), proof of health clearances and tetanus, decoy selection sheet(s), decoys assessment sheet(s), current copies of decoys log books in their entirety, any complaints filed by or against a decoy, and any other information considered necessary by the Secretary and DOD.

2. The DOD has the option to appoint a Decoy Committee if he/she feels the need. The committee, if one is desired, will include one active decoy from each zone. Each decoy chosen by the DOD must be a NARA member in good standing. The committee does not have to be voted on by the Board of Directors, but committee member’s names will be presented to the Board in writing for informational purposes.

3. The DOD should contact each NARA decoy on a regular basis via telephone, mail, or email. (Monthly minimum recommended)

4. The DOD must deliver the decoys ideas and opinions on current issues directly pertaining to decoying to the Board on a regular basis. If a decoy has an issue that is not specifically decoy related, the issue and/or problem should be referred to the decoys Zonal Representative.

5. The DOD must work with and inform the Board of Directors on all matters decoy related.

6. Protocol for Decoy Performance Review:

Part One – Regarding Formal Complaints about Rules Infractions

First Offense: Any decoy that is verbally reprimanded, written up on his/her Decoy Assessment sheet by a Judge during a trial, or has a formal complaint from a competitor/handler submitted against him/her*, will be immediately placed under investigation. A Judge may also submit a written summary of the alleged infraction(s) in writing directly to the Director of Decoys (DOD), or a member of the Board of Directors (BOD).

During the investigation period, the Decoy will immediately be placed on a hold status and not be allowed to Decoy any trials, or teach at any NARA Approved seminars until the investigation period is over. The time allotted for the investigation shall not exceed 30 days.

The investigation shall consist of a review of all possible evidence by the DOD, including, but not limited to: Review of any video footage made available, and personal conversations with any members present at the time of the alleged infraction(s). The BOD MAY also review said evidence if it is deemed necessary and prudent to do so.

If the allegations are found to have no merit, the Decoy will be immediately released from his/her hold status and will be free to trial & teach seminars as usual.

Once the investigation period is complete the DOD will present a written assessment and proposal to the BOD as to the findings and any action to be taken. The Board of Directors must be consulted with, and give consent via majority vote, before any action is taken against a Decoy for any reason. This Protocol assumes the compliance of the BOD with the ‘hold status’ of a Decoy under investigation.

If the DOD and BOD find the Decoy responsible for the rule(s) infraction(s) as long as there was no danger to the dog(s), the Decoy shall receive a Formal Letter of Reprimand. One copy of the letter shall be issued to the Decoy, and the original shall be placed in the Decoy’s NARA File. He/she will then be placed on probation until he/she has officiated in another trial.

If the next trial in which the Decoy officiates is completed without issue, the Decoy shall be released from the probationary status.

Second Offense (within 12 months of the date of the first): If the DOD & BOD find the Decoy responsible for further rule(s) infraction(s), as long as there was no danger to the dog(s), the Decoy will incur a 3 month suspension with a 6 month probation period immediately following.

Third Offense (within 12 months of the date of the first): A third offense will result in a 6 month suspension from all trials and NARA Approved seminars, and forfeiture of the Decoy Book. The decoy must recertify at the end of the suspension to become eligible for trials again.

*The following shall constitute a Formal Complaint: A competitor/handler/member may file a Formal Complaint against a Decoy by submitting a summary of the alleged infractions to the DOD or a member of the BOD. The complaint must be signed and notarized to prove the authenticity of the complainant.

Part two – Regarding Formal Complaints Involving Endangering the Dog
First Offense: Any decoy that is verbally reprimanded, written up on his/her Decoy Assessment sheet by a Judge during a trial, or has a formal complaint from a competitor/handler submitted against him/her* involving endangering the dog(s), will be immediately placed under investigation. A Judge may also submit a written summary of the alleged infraction(s) in writing directly to the DOD, or a member of the BOD.

During the investigation period, the Decoy will immediately be placed on a hold status and not be allowed to Decoy any trials, or teach at any NARA Approved seminars until the investigation period is over. The time allotted for the investigation shall not exceed 30 days.

The investigation shall consist of a review of all possible evidence by the DOD, including, but not limited to: Review of any video footage made available, and personal conversations with any members present at the time of the alleged infraction(s). The BOD MAY also review said evidence if it is deemed necessary and prudent to do so.

If the allegations are found to have no merit, the Decoy will be immediately released from his/her hold status and will be free to trial & teach seminars as usual.

Once the investigation period is complete the DOD will present a written assessment and proposal to the BOD as to the findings and any action to be taken. The Board of Directors must be consulted with, and give consent via majority vote, before any action is taken against a Decoy for any reason. This Protocol assumes the compliance of the BOD with the ‘hold status’ of a Decoy under investigation.
If the allegations are found to have merit the Decoy will be suspended for 3-6 months depending on the severity of the action. After the suspension the decoy will be on a 6 month probation period or until he/she has completed his/her first trial with a positive assessment from the Judge.

Second Offense (within 12 months of the date of the first): If the DOD & BOD find the Decoy responsible for endangering a dog a second time he/she will forfeit their Decoy Book and be suspended for a period of not less than 1 year from the date of the Second Offense. The decoy must recertify at the end of the suspension to become eligible for trials again.

*The following shall constitute a Formal Complaint: A competitor/handler/member may file a Formal Complaint against a Decoy by submitting a summary of the alleged infractions to the DOD or a member of the BOD. The complaint must be signed and notarized to prove the authenticity of the complainant.

7. The DOD shall receive all requests for approval of decoys in NARA sanctioned trials from the Secretary. The DOD will respond back to the Secretary within 5 days as to the current standing of requested decoys. If the DOD does not approve a decoy for a trial, the DOD must notify the Secretary, the decoy in question as well as the club requesting authorization as to the reason(s) why the request has been denied.

8. All requests from members regarding information pertaining to the performance and/or status of a NARA decoy shall go thru the DOD.

9. The DOD should offer any assistance in helping current and aspiring decoys in their Ring endeavors.

10. The NARA Decoy of the year will be the winner of the NARA Decoy Super Selection. The DOD will be required to contact the present Decoy of the Year to make arrangements for the return of the plaque for the next Decoy of the Year. The DOD shall also put in a budget request to the Board of Directors for the purchase of the trophy that stays with each years winning decoy.

11. The DOD understands that he/she may be removed from office for not performing the duties of said position to the satisfaction of the Board.

12. The DOD may be obliged to perform other duties as required by the President and/or the Board of Directors.

Revised May 24, 2017

The Liaison to France will be responsible for informing the NARA Board of Directors about any trial and/or rules changes.
The Liaisons to France, Mexico, and Canada may sit as advisors to the Board, but will not be voting members of the Board.

Revised Mar 19, 2014

Any complaints against a member must be for offenses that seriously effect the sport of Ring, as determined by the Board, or they will be dismissed.

Personality clashes, get even schemes, likes or dislikes, or irritation complaints are not legitimate and will be dismissed.
Several unconfirmed complaints from one source, will be considered as possible undesirable conduct and sanctions may be warranted.

It is the handler’s right to present to the judge, with courtesy and respect, any dispute he or she has regarding a MISAPPLICATION OF THE REGULATIONS , until 1 hour after the posting of the scores at the completion of the trial. The handler is obliged to review the penalties in the rulebook prior to initiating the discussion with the judge, so that he or she can show the judge the item in question in the rulebook. Brief video viewing will be allowed during this discussion at the judge’s discretion.

If the issue cannot be resolved amicably by the judge and the handler, the handler has the option to submit a formal complaint. If the handler wishes to take this step, he or she must complete the following items:
1. Fill out a Reclamation Request form. The handler shall keep one copy of the form and submit the remaining two copies to the organizing club’s president within 24 hours of the completion of the trial. The hosting club shall keep one copy on file with the club’s copies of the trial paperwork and submit the remaining copy to the NARA Secretary with the trial paperwork.
2. Submit the required fee to the NARA Treasurer in order for the Reclamation Request to be reviewed.
$75 for a club trial
$125 for a Selectif or Championship trial
3. Submit video or any other supporting information for the review process to the NARA President within 5 business days.

The review process will not begin until Items 1 and 2 are completed by the handler. If the handler indicates on the Reclamation Request form that he or she will be submitting video or supporting evidence, the review process will commence once the evidence is received.

The NARA BoD will appoint a Reclamation Review Committee consisting of the following five members:

· the NARA President
· the NARA Vice President
· the Director of Decoys
· one NARA judge not involved with judging the trial in question
· the handler’s zone representative

NARA members are limited to three penalty disputes per complaint submission; it is not the purpose of this process for a handler to argue every point loss on his or her score sheet. Any disputes beyond the first three will not be reviewed by the committee. Additionally, each handler is limited to two complaint submissions per calendar year. Any requests beyond the limit of two per year will not be reviewed by the committee, regardless of circumstance.

The Reclamation Review Committee shall inform the handler of its decision within 30 days of having received the Reclamation Request form, the fee and any supporting evidence. If it is determined that the judge has made an error on any of the one to three disputes submitted, the penalized points and Reclamation Review fee shall be refunded to the handler. If the committee concludes that the handler is in error for all disputes submitted, the fee is forfeited to NARA and no points adjustment will occur. The decision of the trial judge WILL NOT be overturned unless there is IRREFUTABLE evidence to support that decision.

Completed member applications must be filled out electronically on the NARA website Membership Application

All payments must be made through PayPal

The annual dues for an individual member of NARA are $85, due by Dec.31st.

New member dues are $75 for the first year.

Returning members dues are discounted to $75 if paid by Dec. 31st.

L2, L3 Decoys and NARA Judges who work two trials one of which trial is not his/hers own club trial will have their following years memberships dues waived. 2.

For returning members, there is an allotted grace period of 30 days from the aforementioned due date.

No member may participate in a trial during the grace period unless their membership is paid and current, including all handlers, decoys, and judges.

An individual’s Membership, and all rights associated with it, shall be terminated if Annual Dues are not remitted by the end of the allotted grace period(Jan. 31st)

If membership lapses, there is a $55 reinstatement fee in addition to the $95 membership charge. Once all fees are remitted, the member’s status, and all rights associated with it, will be reinstated.

If Annual Dues are not remitted for a period of 12 months, renewal of Membership will be $95.00.

Members may begin renewing their memberships after November 1st of the current year. All new member applications and membership renewal after November 1st will be viable for the entire following year.

Revised Jan 3, 2024

Individuals who are not members of NARA who behave in a manner detrimental to NARA may be banned from participating in NARA-sanctioned events. Former NARA members may be charged and/or investigated for actions committed during their membership or as a result of their membership. Any subsequent disciplinary action shall be enforced at such time as they re-join NARA.

Revised Jan 28, 2009

All Photographic and Videographic Rights of NARA Sanctioned Events (Trials and Seminars) are governed by US Copyright laws. For more information on these laws visit http://www.copyright.gov/.

Revised May 15, 2009

As of July 15, 2009, Trial Secretaries at all NARA trials must write NARA Trial in the entries for all NARA trials recorded in decoy books and scorebooks, regardless of the organization who issued the book.

The following criteria define the eligibility requirements for competition at NARA trials:

To be eligible to compete in Brevet at a NARA trial, a dog must have a passing CSAU, MR TT, or BH from a NARA-recognized sanctioning body recorded in its NARA-recognized scorebook.
A dog which has been awarded the Brevet for Dogs of Defense from a NARA recognized sanctioning body is eligible to compete in Ring I at a NARA trial.
A dog which has been awarded the Brevet for Dogs of Defense from a NARA recognized sanctioning body, and has obtained at least 160 points twice in Ring I under two different judges at events hosted by NARA recognized sanctioning bodies is eligible to compete in Ring II at a NARA trial.
A dog which has been awarded the Brevet for Dogs of Defense from a NARA recognized sanctioning body, has obtained at least 160 points twice in Ring I under two different judges at events hosted by NARA recognized sanctioning bodies, and has obtained at least 240 points twice in Ring II under two different judges at events hosted by NARA recognized sanctioning bodies is eligible to compete in Ring III at a NARA trial.

Decoy books and scorebooks from unrecognized sanctioning bodies are not accepted at NARA events. It is not permissible to have NARA events recorded in decoy books or scorebooks issued by an unrecognized sanctioning body.

Events hosted by sanctioning bodies not recognized by NARA may not be recorded in NARA decoy books. Decoys are not restricted from having more than one decoy book, therefore, NARA decoys who wish to participate in events not recognized by NARA must record those events in a non-NARA decoy book. A decoy who allows a non-recognized event to be recorded in his or her NARA decoy book will have the entry voided from the NARA decoy book and may be subject to disciplinary action by NARA.

Events hosted by sanctioning bodies not recognized by NARA may not be recorded in NARA scorebooks. Dogs are not restricted from having more than one scorebook, therefore, competitors who wish to participate in events not recognized by NARA must record these events in a non-NARA scorebook. A competitor who allows a non-recognized event to be recorded in a NARA scorebook will have the entry voided from the NARA scorebook and may be subject to disciplinary action by NARA.

Unauthorized entries in NARA decoy books and scorebooks must be voided by the club president or trial secretary from the club hosting the trial, or a BOD member (if present at the trial). The trial secretary must make a note on the NARA Trial Record or Decoy Assessment that are returned to the NARA Secretary, which competitor(s) or decoy(s), if any, had an unrecognized entry voided from his or her scorebook or decoy book.

The individual voiding an unauthorized entry in a NARA-issued scorebook or decoy book must do so by drawing a single horizontal line in blue or black ink through the entire length of the entry, while leaving the entry still readable. The voided entry must include a notation stating Not NARA recognized.

Revised Nov 20, 2013