Blue Line BBQ

Blue Line BBQ is a competition barbecue team with 31 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2026. Their best overall finish is 11th of 29 at the MD State BBQ Bash (2025). They are ranked #5934 of 6,476 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “BLUELINE BBQ”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#5,934

of 6,476 rated · rankings

Rating

1437

peak 1437 · rated over 27 contests1 invitational or side-series contest not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Mar 14, 2014

latest Feb 27, 2026 · 12 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#986

Master 2022 · every season

Grand champs

0 reserve

Category wins

1 podium

Overall top-10s

0% of 31 contests

Avg finish

top 74%

overall standings

Best overall

673.0288 / 720

Master · Minnesota in May

Perfect 180s

Current form

651.87 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 610.23 (+41.64)

Walk rate

23%

contests with a top-10 call

Best single call

177.1428

Pork · Smokin in Steele

Consistency

±103.96

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Chicken

avg 159.91 · weakest Pork Ribs (155.58)

Road miles

27,294

across 31 mapped stops · furthest 1,935 mi

Schedule strength

39%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1552)

Purse competed for

$174K

listed at 15 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

won from 16 state-championship entries

Master avg

610.23 / 720

22 Master contests · 0 GCs

Backyard avg

321.21 / 360

4 Backyard contests · 0 GCs

These overall scores sit on different scales (Master out of 720, Backyard out of 360), so they're kept separate — averaging them together would be misleading.

This team cooks the Backyard series — its own boards, records and Team of the Year are here.

Storylines (12 found in their record)

Each card leads with the number behind the story, straight from their results.

High-water mark

673.0288 career-best overall

93.5% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 673.0288 at Minnesota in May — 93.5% of a perfect 720.

Master
May 12, 2023

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

12 BAR BLUES CUE has finished one call ahead of Blue Line BBQ 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2023 their best year

2023 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 62%.

3 contests
0 overall top-10s
1 category win
average top 62%

A tough matchup

8–0 behind in the head-to-head

PARROTHEAD SMOKERS ahead in 100% of their meetings

PARROTHEAD SMOKERS has come out ahead in 8 of their 8 shared contests.

The weak link

−4.3 points behind their best meat

Pork Ribs is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 4.32 points below their chicken, and turns into a call 11% of the time against 12%.

Pork Ribs avg 155.58
Chicken avg 159.91
3 calls in 27 entries

A strong matchup

5–0 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 100% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of Bone Suckin' Good BBQ in 5 of their 5 shared contests.

The comeback

1.9 yrs off the trail, then back

Off the trail for 1.9 years, then back at Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off (Sep 19, 2025).

last seen Oct 13, 2023
back Sep 19, 2025

Show 5 more storylines

Chicken nemesis

5 of 7 shared chicken entries lost

PARROTHEAD SMOKERS ahead 71% of the time

Even in their strongest meat, PARROTHEAD SMOKERS has out-cooked them in 5 of 7 shared chicken entries.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

Make BBQ Great Again has landed one call behind them 2 times.

Boom or bust

±12.93% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±12.93% of a perfect score around its own average — when it lands they're dangerous, and when it doesn't the weekend is gone by lunch.

averages 85.3% of a perfect score
best 93.5%

An August team

Top 56% average finish in August

Something about August: average finish in the top 56% across 3 contests, versus top 74% the rest of the year.

3 August contests
top 74% the rest of the year

The long haul

27,294 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 27,294 miles across 31 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,935 miles to Lakeland Pig Festival.

31 mapped stops
furthest 1,935 mi

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Year	Series	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2023 ↗	Backyard	—	#255 (125 pts)	#305 (100 pts)	—	—
2023 ↗	Master	#1014 (119 pts)	#607 (309 pts)	#1204 (114 pts)	#563 (339 pts)	#1079 (114 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#986 (120 pts)	#1051 (120 pts)	#1107 (120 pts)	#996 (135 pts)	#1021 (120 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#1236 (60 pts)	#1149 (95 pts)	#1092 (115 pts)	#1262 (60 pts)	#1245 (60 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2274 (60 pts)	#2353 (60 pts)	#2349 (60 pts)	#2326 (60 pts)	#2345 (60 pts)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to Blue Line BBQ, each with one reason worth a look.

56 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.

BIG JOHN'S TEXAS BAR-B-QUE

#5,949 of the rated field

1437 power rating

Contests: 27
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 4%
Peak: 1437

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Blue Line BBQ)

One contest in common so far: too few to settle anything, but a team Blue Line BBQ has actually stood beside rather than a stranger on the same rating.

rated over 27 contests
last seen Jan 24, 2020

⚔ Head-to-head

50 Shades of Pork

#5,947 of the rated field

1437 power rating

Contests: 42
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 2%
Peak: 1437

0–0 in 1 shared contest (0% to Blue Line BBQ)

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 42 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 42 contests
last seen Jun 27, 2025

⚔ Head-to-head

Backwoods Grillin'

#5,929 of the rated field

1437 power rating

Contests: 14
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1437

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to Blue Line BBQ)

Their last contest in the data was back in 2017, 9 years before Blue Line BBQ's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 14 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

BIG RACK SMOKERS

#5,942 of the rated field

1437 power rating

Contests: 20
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 10%
Peak: 1437

Fewer contests behind them than Blue Line BBQ has cooked, 20 to 31, which makes theirs the less settled rating of the two.

rated over 20 contests
last seen Sep 21, 2023

⚔ Compare careers

RAMSHACKLE BBQ

#5,939 of the rated field

1437 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 0%
Peak: 1437

19 contests and no Grand Championship yet.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Aug 2, 2024

⚔ Compare careers

ALLSEASONED DUTCH BBQ TEAM

#5,932 of the rated field

1437 power rating

Contests: 43
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 21%
Peak: 1535

Level with Blue Line BBQ on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.

rated over 43 contests
last seen Sep 10, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
PARROTHEAD SMOKERS	8	0	8	0%	⚔ compare
Grate Expectations	7	0	7	0%	⚔ compare
SMOKIN JERKS	6	3	3	50%	⚔ compare
12 BAR BLUES CUE	6	2	4	33%	⚔ compare
Up In Smoke BBQ	6	1	5	17%	⚔ compare
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
OWENS BBQ	6	0	6	0%	⚔ compare
Bone Suckin' Good BBQ	5	5	0	100%	⚔ compare
Make BBQ Great Again	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
Pig Kahunas	5	4	1	80%	⚔ compare
Capt. Blue BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
HARCO LOCO BBQ	5	1	4	20%	⚔ compare
Team Meat Coma	5	1	3	20%	⚔ compare
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare
Beer Belly BBQ	5	0	5	0%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	25	3	0	0	176.5600	124.4912	159.91	top 66%
Pork Ribs	27	3	0	0	171.9772	120.4344	155.58	top 73%
Pork	21	2	1	1	177.1428	143.9200	159.69	top 68%
Brisket	21	2	0	0	171.4172	139.8972	157.62	top 67%

“Calls” = top-10 category finishes (getting called to the stage). Scores here are the final weighted totals KCBS publishes; per-criterion appearance/taste/tenderness marks aren’t in the public results feed.

By field size and state

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	15	0	top 70%
Large (40+)	13	0	top 79%

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Where	Contests	Avg finish
MT	6	top 66%
MD	5	top 62%
NC	4	top 79%
MN	3	top 68%
GA	3	top 94%
SD	2	top 66%
AZ	1	top 100%
MO	1	top 84%
WY	1	top 64%
FL	1	top 95%
OH	1	top 92%

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
Maryland State BBQ Bash	4	13	top 68%	Oct 13, 2023
Montana BBQ Cook-Off	3	11	top 76%	Jun 22, 2019
Flames on the Flint	3	41	top 94%	Mar 9, 2018
Original SD BBQ Championship	2	31	top 66%	Jun 3, 2022
Montana Pitmaster Classic	2	11	top 44%	Aug 23, 2019

More numbers

Busiest season 2019 5 contests

Contests a season 2.6 across 12 seasons in the data

Most contests held in MT 6 of 31 contests · 12 states in all

Contests visited 19 5 of them more than once

Most-entered meat Pork Ribs 27 entries · 0 wins · 3 calls

Opponents faced 915 finished ahead 399 times, behind 986

Longest layoff 1.9 yrs Oct 13, 2023 → Sep 19, 2025

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

20261 milestone

Feb 27 Most recent contest BBQ & Brew Festival

20233 milestones

May 12 Career-best overall score673.0288 Minnesota in May
Jun 2 First category win (Pork) Smokin in Steele
Jun 2 Career-best single call (Pork)177.1428 Smokin in Steele

20221 milestone

Oct 14 25th tracked contest Maryland State BBQ Bash

20182 milestones

Aug 24 First call Montana Pitmaster Classic
Aug 24 First overall past 90% of a perfect score650.7772 Montana Pitmaster Classic

20171 milestone

Jun 24 10th tracked contest Montana BBQ Cook-Off

20142 milestones

Mar 14 First tracked contest Flames on the Flint (SBBQA)
Jun 20 Peak power rating (1489) Peak City Pig Fest

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+10.4	MD State BBQ Bash	Oct 10, 2025
+9.5	Montana BBQ Cook-Off	Jun 22, 2019
+8	Montana Pitmaster Classic	Aug 24, 2018
+6.4	Maryland State BBQ Bash	Oct 13, 2023
+6	Montana Pitmaster Classic	Aug 23, 2019

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-12.6	Montana BBQ cook-off	Jun 25, 2016
-12.3	Flames on the Flint (SBBQA)	Mar 14, 2014
-11.5	Lakeland Pig Festival	Jan 29, 2016
-11.1	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival	Oct 16, 2015
-10	Peak City Pigfest	Jun 17, 2016

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Season	Contests	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2026	1	0	0%	top 100%	85.1%	85.1%
2025	2	0	50%	top 38%	91.4%	91.4%
2023	3	1	67%	top 62%	93.5%	91.4%
2022	3	0	0%	top 70%	91.7%	90%
2021	3	0	33%	top 65%	91.3%	90%
2020	1	0	0%	top 84%	86.3%	86.3%
2019	5	0	40%	top 62%	92%	87.6%
2018	3	0	33%	top 78%	90.4%	86.3%
2017	2	0	0%	top 89%	88.6%	85.9%
2016	5	0	0%	top 92%	86.2%	68.7%
2015	1	0	0%	top 92%	86.3%	86.3%
2014	2	0	0%	top 74%	90%	85.9%

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
Feb 27, 2026	BBQ & Brew Festival 🏅 Yuma, AZ	25 / 25 (612.4224)	24 (158.2628)	25 (145.6684)	25 (152.5256)	24 (155.9656)
Oct 10, 2025	MD State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD	11 / 29 (329.0744)	26 (157.0972)	5 (171.9772)	—	—
Sep 19, 2025	Cherokee Strip BBQ & Chili Cook-Off 🏅 Ponca City, OK	—	—	—	—	—
Oct 13, 2023	Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD	13 / 23 (322.8344)	12 (162.8228)	17 (160.0116)	—	—
Jun 2, 2023	Smokin in Steele 🏅 Owatonna, MN	24 / 29 (656.4460)	16 (166.8460)	26 (157.6800)	1 (177.1428)	25 (154.7772)
May 12, 2023	Minnesota in May 🏅 St. Peter, MN	28 / 59 (673.0288)	4 (176.5600)	46 (162.8116)	31 (167.4172)	32 (166.2400)
Oct 14, 2022	Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD	21 / 30 (313.6000)	24 (157.0972)	21 (156.5028)	—	—
Jun 3, 2022	Original SD BBQ Championship 🏅 Huron, SD	31 / 46 (659.8968)	34 (164)	32 (162.2284)	22 (167.4056)	27 (166.2628)
May 13, 2022	Minnesota in May (Masters) 🏅 Cambridge, MN	43 / 59 (657.5656)	47 (161.7028)	45 (161.6572)	34 (167.3828)	25 (166.8228)
Oct 15, 2021	Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD	16 / 25 (319.3372)	9 (168.5372)	23 (150.8000)	—	—
Jun 4, 2021	Original SD BBQ Championship 🏅 Huron, SD	32 / 49 (657.0172)	18 (168.5372)	29 (163.9772)	30 (165.6800)	37 (158.8228)
Jun 4, 2021	The Original SD BBQ Championships - One Meat Standalone Ribs Contest Huron, SD	—	—	27 (151.9772)	—	—
Apr 6, 2020	Socially Distanced Smoking - Brisket presented by The BBQ League unrated washington, MO	92 / 109 (155.4056)	—	—	—	—
Sep 13, 2019	Smoke & Soul Fest 🏅 Casper, WY	18 / 28 (638.1600)	11 (167.3944)	24 (148.5372)	17 (161.0972)	12 (161.1312)
Aug 23, 2019	Montana Pitmaster Classic 🏅 Bozeman, MT	13 / 29 (639.8628)	12 (166.2744)	10 (163.9884)	25 (143.9200)	8 (165.6800)
Aug 9, 2019	Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD	24 / 30 (293.0172)	—	—	—	—
Jun 22, 2019	Montana BBQ Cook-Off 🏅 Absarokee, MT	11 / 29 (662.6972)	4 (174.2628)	20 (159.3600)	6 (172.5600)	17 (156.5144)
Jun 14, 2019	Miles City Cowtown Cook Off 🏅 Miles City, MT	23 / 28 (628.3996)	26 (152.5712)	24 (154.8228)	22 (158.2056)	14 (162.8000)
Aug 24, 2018	Montana Pitmaster Classic Bozeman, MT	11 / 26 (650.7772)	19 (155.3828)	8 (168.0344)	20 (155.9428)	4 (171.4172)
Jun 15, 2018	Bone Suckin Sauce Peak City Pig Fest Apex, NC	41 / 44 (608.9028)	32 (163.4056)	39 (150.2172)	40 (155.3828)	42 (139.8972)
Mar 9, 2018	Flames on the Flint Bainbridge, GA	41 / 42 (605.4284)	31 (164.5256)	42 (120.4344)	40 (156.5028)	31 (163.9656)
Jun 24, 2017	Montana BBQ Cook-Off Absarokee, MT	31 / 35 (598.8344)	33 (141.7600)	29 (154.8344)	30 (146.2628)	22 (155.9772)
Mar 10, 2017	Flames on the Flint Bainbridge, GA	60 / 67 (638.1368)	57 (159.3712)	26 (167.4400)	52 (161.6912)	62 (149.6344)
Sep 16, 2016	Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic Salisbury, NC	56 / 68 (620.4116)	47 (161.7372)	56 (155.3944)	37 (161.0972)	65 (142.1828)
Jun 25, 2016	Montana BBQ cook-off Absarokee, MT	29 / 29 (146.2400)	—	27 (146.2400)	—	—
Jun 17, 2016	Peak City Pigfest Apex, NC	41 / 46 (611.9316)	42 (153.6572)	42 (148.5600)	29 (161.1544)	42 (148.5600)
Mar 11, 2016	Flames on the Flint (GBC Qualifier) Bainbridge, GA	—	—	—	—	—
Jan 29, 2016	Lakeland Pig Festival Lakeland, FL	55 / 58 (600.4912)	58 (124.4912)	29 (162.8456)	23 (166.9144)	54 (146.2400)
Oct 16, 2015	Ohio Smoked Meat & BBQ Festival Nelsonville, OH	33 / 36 (621.0404)	20 (166.8572)	35 (139.9544)	34 (155.3944)	25 (158.8344)
Jun 20, 2014	Peak City Pig Fest Apex, NC	25 / 48 (647.9200)	22 (165.6916)	23 (161.1200)	42 (155.4056)	15 (165.7028)
Mar 14, 2014	Flames on the Flint (SBBQA) Bainbridge, GA	41 / 43 (589.4856)	43 (138.8344)	38 (153.6572)	42 (144.4684)	37 (152.5256)

An unrated contest — an invitational, or a Competitor or Kosher Series board — is in the record but doesn’t move the power rating.

Blue Line BBQ

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Avg finish

Best overall

Perfect 180s

Current form

Walk rate

Best single call

Consistency

Strongest meat

Road miles

Schedule strength

Purse competed for

State championships

Master avg

Backyard avg

Storylines (12 found in their record)

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

The weak link

A strong matchup

The comeback

Chicken nemesis

Looking over their shoulder

Boom or bust

An August team

The long haul

Team of the Year (rank per category by season — the year links to the full board on kcbs.us)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

Familiar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)

By meat

By field size and state

By contest size

By state / province (where the contests were held)

Repeat visits (contests they've cooked twice or more)

More numbers

Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)

Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)

📈 Biggest rating jumps

📉 Toughest weekends

Scores over time (% of a perfect score, averaged over 5 contests — tap a meat to add it)

Overall finish over time (top-% of field, lower is better)

Where they finish (overall)

Best vs average (by meat)

How entries end (by meat)

Season by season

Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)

Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)