Back-to-back
2 in a row
editions of this contest
NORALA BBQ TEAM won here last time out too — 2 straight editions of this contest.
- 2023
- 2024
Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) 2024
Jun 7–8, 2024 · Huntsville, AL · 📍 Ditto Landing
Reps: Carol Bigler, Randy G Bigler · Prize money: $2,300
NORALA BBQ TEAM won Grand Champion at the Reelin N Smokin Backyard BBQ Competition (BACKYARD ONLY) on June 7, 2024 in Huntsville, AL at Ditto Landing, scoring 353.1428 in a field of 35 teams. Electro-Que-ted took Reserve Grand Champion with 349.6800. Category winners: Chicken — Deviant Smoke (175.4172); Pork Ribs — Electro-Que-ted (178.8572). This is the 6th of 8 editions of this contest on record; the 2023 edition was won by NORALA BBQ TEAM; the next was held in 2025.
The contest at a glance (read off the scored boards)
How the field scored
Overall totals, every team on the board — tall stacks are where the pack sat.
174.26
median 337.10
353.14 🏆
How the meats cooked
Every board on one scale — the bar runs last score to first, the dot is the median.
- Chicken 175.42
- Pork Ribs 178.86
147.92
178.86
Entries
35
2 judged meats
Top score
353.1428
Winning margin
3.4628
GC over RC
Field average
328.76
174.26353.14
median 337.10 · last place to winner
Perfect 180s
0
Tightest race
Chicken
0.0116 pts across the top 5
Top-10 cutoff
340.5144
174.26353.14
10th place overall
Field spread
178.8800
winner to last place
Prize money
$2,300
on the line
Double threats
1
teams with 2+ top-5 calls
How hot was the win?
Top 24%
beats 76% of 612 Backyard Series wins in the data
Came back for more
50%
13 of 26 teams from the previous edition returned
Form held
Strong
ρ = -0.65 between pre-contest rating and finish
Field strength
1,568
avg power rating going in · stronger than 53% of contests
Storylines (5 found in this contest's numbers)
Everything below is read straight out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.
A dynasty in the making
2×
wins at this contest
2 of 8 tracked editions
NORALA BBQ TEAM has won this contest 2 times across its 8 tracked editions.
- 2023
- 2024
Photo finishes
Tie
closest of 8 calls decided inside half a point
Chicken places 2–3: NORALA BBQ TEAM and LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 3–4: LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY and Jury's Out tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker. Chicken places 4–5: Jury's Out and Smokey Bees BBQ - MS tied on 175.4056 — settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.
- Chicken 2–3 · tie
- Chicken 3–4 · tie
- Chicken 4–5 · tie
- Chicken 7–8 · tie
Back to defend
1
past champions back in the field
Past winners of this contest cooked this edition: NORALA BBQ TEAM (won 2023).
- NORALA BBQ TEAM · 2023
The biggest field yet
35
teams — a contest high
This contest usually draws about 26 teams
35 teams is the deepest field this contest has drawn in the data, against a typical 26.
Score curves (score by finishing position — steep cliffs mean a spread field, flat lines a knife fight)
Category showdown (top / average / median score per meat)
Score distribution
Biggest rating movers (power-rating points won and lost at this contest)
Did form hold? (pre-contest rating vs overall finish — ratings called it if the dots climb to the right)
This contest over the years full contest page →
| Date | Where | Venue | Teams | High score | Grand Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 8, 2018 | Huntsville, AL | 293 Ditto Landing RD | — | — | — |
| Jun 7, 2019 | Huntsville, AL | Ditto Landing | 25 | 347.9772 | Thin Blue Swine |
| Jun 11, 2021 | Huntsville, AL | Ditto Landing | 31 | 348 | The Real Squeal |
| Jun 10, 2022 | Huntsville, AL | Ditto Landing | 23 | 350.2628 | Hickory Hangover |
| Jun 9, 2023 | Huntsville, AL | Ditto Landing | 26 | 346.2632 | NORALA BBQ TEAM |
| Jun 7, 2024 ← this one | Huntsville, AL | Ditto Landing | 35 | 353.1428 | NORALA BBQ TEAM |
| Jun 13, 2025 | Huntsville, AL | Ditto Landing | 35 | 358.8572 | Mind If I Smoke? |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Huntsville, AL | Ditto Landing | 31 | 360 | Big Fluff BBQ |
What a call cost (the score it took to finish 1st, 5th and 10th)
| Category | 1st | 5th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 175.4172 | 175.4056 | 173.1200 |
| Pork Ribs | 178.8572 | 174.8572 | 169.6800 |
Official results on kcbs.us ↗
Backyard Series
Overall
35 entries · top 353.1428 · median 337.0972
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 2 | Electro-Que-ted | |
| 3 | Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | |
| 4 | Green Dragon BBQ | |
| 5 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 6 | Big D's Q | |
| 7 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 8 | B.G.Q. | |
| 9 | MAD ROCKET BARBECUE | |
| 10 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 11 | Bentley Que | |
| 12 | Pork Life | |
| 13 | Jury's Out | |
| 14 | Rollin Smoke BBQ | |
| 15 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 16 | Last Place Chicken | |
| 17 | BUTSY-Q | |
| 18 | Smoke'Em All | |
| 19 | Saturday Night Swine | |
| 20 | Say My Name BBQ | |
| 21 | Gettin' Sauced | |
| 22 | BATTEN THE HATCH BBQ | |
| 23 | Wee Daddy's BBQ | |
| 24 | Bonnie Blue BBQ | |
| 25 | Warden's Jailhouse BBQ | |
| 26 | Just For Fun BBQ | |
| 27 | Phoenix BBQ | |
| 28 | Invarique | |
| 29 | 3 Stooges BBQ | |
| 30 | Brother In-Law BBQ | |
| 31 | Sister Q | |
| 32 | Smokin' Shenanigans | |
| 33 | Three Chiefs BBQ | |
| 34 | Tus-Que-Loosa | |
| 35 | The Real Squeal BBQ |
Chicken
35 entries · top 175.4172 · median 167.9656
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 2 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 3 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 4 | Jury's Out | |
| 5 | Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | |
| 6 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 7 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 8 | The Real Squeal BBQ | |
| 9 | BUTSY-Q | |
| 10 | Green Dragon BBQ | |
| 11 | B.G.Q. | |
| 12 | MAD ROCKET BARBECUE | |
| 13 | Pork Life | |
| 14 | Electro-Que-ted | |
| 15 | Smoke'Em All | |
| 16 | Last Place Chicken | |
| 17 | Big D's Q | |
| 18 | Gettin' Sauced | |
| 19 | BATTEN THE HATCH BBQ | |
| 20 | Rollin Smoke BBQ | |
| 21 | Saturday Night Swine | |
| 22 | Phoenix BBQ | |
| 23 | Wee Daddy's BBQ | |
| 24 | Brother In-Law BBQ | |
| 25 | Bentley Que | |
| 26 | Warden's Jailhouse BBQ | |
| 27 | Invarique | |
| 28 | Bonnie Blue BBQ | |
| 29 | 3 Stooges BBQ | |
| 30 | Smokin' Shenanigans | |
| 31 | Three Chiefs BBQ | |
| 32 | Just For Fun BBQ | |
| 33 | Tus-Que-Loosa | |
| 34 | Say My Name BBQ | |
| 35 | Sister Q |
Pork Ribs
34 entries · top 178.8572 · median 165.3886
| # | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electro-Que-ted | |
| 2 | NORALA BBQ TEAM | |
| 3 | Bentley Que | |
| 4 | Say My Name BBQ | |
| 5 | Big D's Q | |
| 6 | Smokey Bees BBQ - MS | |
| 7 | Rollin Smoke BBQ | |
| 8 | Green Dragon BBQ | |
| 9 | PUCKDADDY'S KILLER Q | |
| 10 | MAD ROCKET BARBECUE | |
| 11 | Saturday Night Swine | |
| 12 | Pork Life | |
| 13 | Last Place Chicken | |
| 14 | 2 Swine Crew | |
| 15 | B.G.Q. | |
| 16 | Smoke'Em All | |
| 17 | Just For Fun BBQ | |
| 18 | Deviant Smoke | |
| 19 | Jury's Out | |
| 20 | BUTSY-Q | |
| 21 | Gettin' Sauced | |
| 22 | Bonnie Blue BBQ | |
| 23 | LENOX & SON BBQ COMPANY | |
| 24 | Wee Daddy's BBQ | |
| 25 | Invarique | |
| 26 | BATTEN THE HATCH BBQ | |
| 27 | 3 Stooges BBQ | |
| 28 | Warden's Jailhouse BBQ | |
| 29 | Sister Q | |
| 30 | Phoenix BBQ | |
| 31 | Brother In-Law BBQ | |
| 32 | Tus-Que-Loosa | |
| 33 | Smokin' Shenanigans | |
| 34 | Three Chiefs BBQ |