1.                   COOKED ON SITE – All meats will be cooked on-site, as defined in the IBCA By-Laws without 

                pre-cooking or marinating.  Random inspections may be performed to assure that meat is not

                prepared prior to the official start of competition as defined by the promoter.  IBCA recommends

                that competition meat be subject to inspection at cook-offs in which substantial prize money

                and/or awards are awarded.

2.                   SANITATION - Cooks are to prepare and cook in as sanitary manner as possible.  Cooking conditions

                are subject to inspection by judging committee.  Infractions identified by the judging committee shall be immediately corrected or the cook will be subject to disqualification.

3.             ENTRIES PER PIT -  IBCA recognizes only one entry (one chief cook) will cook on a given pit.   It will

                be the responsibility of the promoter’s to monitor entries.  Notwithstanding, multiple entries in the

                same category by the same cook and multiple entries from the same piece of meat shall not be allowed.

                With the exception of Junior or Kid's Cook-offs, contestants must be 18 years of age to participate for

                 cash prizes.

4.              BBQ PITS – The Promoter may specify the types of BBQ Pits, as defined in the By-Laws of the IBCA,

                allowed during any sanctioned cook-off.  Non-specification will authorize any type of cookers.

                                 PIT - Any commercial or homemade, trailered or untrailered, pit or smoker normally used for

                                 competitive barbeque.  A BBQ Pit may include gas or electricity for starting the combustion

                                 of wood or wood products but NOT to complete cooking.

                                 BYC (Backyard Cooker) - Any cooking device by design or nature that is inherently portable

                                 and by design is intended for recreational cooking.

 5.             OPEN FIRES - IBCA further recognizes that open fire, ground pits are used in some areas.  It is in the

                 interest of safety, a barrier shall be place around said open fire pit.  A fire extinguisher shall be readily

                 available.

        6.              CATEGORIES – Cook-off promoters shall advise contestants in advance of applicable meat categories

                         and/or cuts of meats and/or types of cookers.

                         The following categories are recommended by the IBCA:

                          Beef Brisket

                          Pork Spare Ribs

          Chicken – one half (1/2) fully jointed domestic chicken that includes a breast, wing, thigh,

          and drumstick.

          Pork – any cut of pork other than Spare Ribs

          Open – Meats other than those listed above.  This category may include, but not limited to goat,

          mutton, fish, crustacean, wildgame, or wild fowl.  All Open categories must be cooked on site on

          BBQ pit or grill.

          Dessert – This should be a separate category and the promoter should specify if it should be cooked

          on site, on the pit, or can be cooked at home to be entered.

           Beans – Dry Pinto Beans cooked on site – nothing larger than the bean to be put into the turn-in cup.

7.             DOUBLE NUMBER SYSTEM - IBCA requires that the secret, double number system be used. 

                This system assures a fair competition and is a fundamental tenet of the IBCA. The system requires

                that two tickets bearing the same number be utilized, one firmly attached to the top of judging tray in

                a manner which hides the number and the other ticket easily removed by the cook for retention.

                        Winning numbers will not be revealed until time to announce each place in each category.  At

that time the secret numbers attached to the tray/cup will be removed and announced. 

8.             JUDGING TRAYS - IBCA recommends the use of a styrofoam tray with hinged lid and without

               dividers or the best readily available judging container which is approximately 8 inches square on

               the bottom half. (i.e. Dart 95HT1)  A single sheet of aluminum foil should be supplied in each tray. 

               All judging containers shall be clean and free of any markings.

                Marked containers may be disqualified at the Head Judge’s discretion.  Cooks are responsible for

                insuring that the containers they receive remain clean and undamaged.

        9.            JUDGING TRAY CONTENTS - IBCA requires that promoter and/or Head Judge advise all cooks of

                       the exact quantities and cuts of meats that will be placed in the judging trays.  This will normally be

                       accomplished at the cook's meeting.  The Head Judge or designated representative will inspect all

                       trays at the time of turn-in in order to assure compliance with the turn-in criteria.  All garnishes and

                       condiments are prohibited, as they do not reflect true quality of the cooked meats.  Meats may be

                       cooked with sauces, but once the cooking is complete, sauces cannot be added before the meat is

                       placed in the judging. tray.

Recommended amounts are as follows:

       Brisket  -                                  seven (7) full slices approximately 1/4” to 3/8” thick

       Pork Spare Ribs-                     seven (7) individual cut ribs (bone-in)

       Chicken-                                   1/2 fully jointed (to include wing, breast, leg, thigh)

                        *If an event has 60+ teams, it is recommended that two (2) 1/2 chickens be submitted for judging and

                         that the brisket and pork spare rib quantities will be adjusted according.

       10.             TURN-IN TIME - Turn-in times for each category shall be pre-set.  Once this time is set and/or

                         announced no changes will be made.  A turn-in window of ten (10) minutes before and after the set

                         turn-in times  will be recognized.  Judging trays received after that time will not be accepted for judging.

       11.             JUDGES - IBCA recommends that a minimum of five (5) judges per table be utilized during initial judging.

                          Subsequent levels of judging should utilize a minimum of seven (7) or a maximum of nine (9) judges per

                          table.  HEAD COOKS are prohibited to participate as judges.

       12.             JUDGING QUANTITY – Judges will assign a score from 1 to 10 for each tray sampled.  A maximum of

                         twenty (20) trays or containers should be assigned to each judging table.  Judges should not be

                         required to sample and judge in excess of this number during any event.  It is recommended that a

                         predetermined number of top results from each preliminary judging table be sent on to the subsequent

                         levels of judging.

       13.             ANNOUNCING WINNERS - IBCA recommends that announcements of winners be based on the number

                         of  competitors in each category. (Example: Cook-off with ten (10) or more entries announce the top

                         ten (10) plus final table (numbers only).  It is recommended that more than one person verify the

                         ticket numbers.

                         If the number of entries is less than ten (10), announce all places.  In the interest of recognizing winners

                         announce these places regardless of prizes or trophies being awarded.

       14.             PRIZES - IBCA states that a Grand Champion be named at every cook-off.  In the event of a tie for

                         Grand Champion, brisket will be the first tie breaker, followed by ribs, then chicken, and then

                         by any other category.  The promoter MUST advertise any changes to the tie breaker decision

                         in advance.