The one to beat
2×
one call ahead of them
Off The Rack BBQ has finished one call ahead of Bill's Back Yard 2 times — their closest competition in the data.
Bill's Back Yard
At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)
Rating
1528
peak 1531 · rated over 19 contests ⓘ
Contests
19
in the data
First seen
2021-06-18
latest 2024-10-11
Best ToY finish
#95
Backyard 2024
Grand champs
0
0 reserve
Category wins
1
5 podiums
Overall top-10s
5
of 19 contests
Avg finish
top 48%
overall standings
Perfect 180s
0
Current form
329.89 ▼
last 5 Backyard vs avg 340.83 (-10.94)
Walk rate
58%
contests with a top-10 call
Top-10 streak
2
best run (overall)
Consistency
±46.35
std dev of Backyard overall scores (lower = steadier)
Strongest meat
Brisket
avg 171.42 · weakest Pork (137.50)
Road miles
421
mi across 19 mapped stops · furthest 37 mi
Schedule strength
48%
of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1562)
Purse competed for
$158K
listed at 18 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0 🏅
GCs in 19 state-championship entries
Master avg
647.92 / 720
1 Master contest · 0 GCs
Backyard avg
340.83 / 360
18 Backyard contests · 0 GCs
Master and Backyard overall scores sit on different scales (Master is 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 (8 found in this team's record)
Each card leads with the number that made it a story — read straight out of their results, no editorialising.
A tough matchup
15–0
behind in the head-to-head
Weber's Backyard BBQ ahead in 100% of their meetings
Weber's Backyard BBQ has come out ahead in 15 of their 15 shared contests.
The weak link
−33.9
points behind their best meat
Pork is where the weekend gets away from them — it averages 33.91 points below their brisket, and turns into a call 33% of the time against 100%.
- Pork avg 137.50
- Brisket avg 171.42
- 2 calls in 6 entries
A strong matchup
10–1
ahead in the head-to-head
Ahead in 91% of their meetings
They've finished ahead of Second Helping BBQ -PA in 10 of their 11 shared contests.
Looking over their shoulder
2×
one call behind them
COAL CRACKER BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.
Boom or bust
±12.57%
swing around their own average
Their overall swings ±12.57% 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 94.4% of a perfect score
- best 134.1%
An October team
Top 37%
average finish in October
Something about October: average finish in the top 37% across 3 contests, versus top 48% the rest of the year.
- 3 October contests
- top 48% the rest of the year
A standing appointment
4
years running at one contest
They've cooked York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) every year from 2021 to 2024 — the contest they never miss.
- 5 visits in all
- best finish 9th
Teams like this (closest power rating)
The nearest teams in the power rankings, with a different reason on each card — six teams on one rating are rarely on it for the same reason. Rating decides who makes the list; where teams tie on it, the ones this team has actually cooked against come first, then teams at a similar point in their own career. KCBS doesn’t publish where a team is from, so nothing here is inferred from geography.
74 rated teams sit within a point of this rating, so a place on this list means the numbers match — no more than that.
#2251 of the rated field
- Contests
- 24
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 17%
- Peak
- 1539
No shared contest yet.
Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 6 years before Bill's Back Yard's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.
⚔ Head-to-head#2255 of the rated field
- Contests
- 14
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 43%
- Peak
- 1554
No shared contest yet.
Careers of much the same size, 14 contests to 19, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.
⚔ Head-to-head#2267 of the rated field
- Contests
- 27
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 15%
- Peak
- 1530
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 27 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-head#2269 of the rated field
- Contests
- 28
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 11%
- Peak
- 1533
No shared contest yet.
28 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 11% top-10 finishes rather than wins.
⚔ Head-to-head#2249 of the rated field
- Contests
- 15
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 20%
- Peak
- 1533
No shared contest yet.
Level with Bill's Back Yard on power rating, which is the whole reason they're on the list.
⚔ Head-to-head#2261 of the rated field
- Contests
- 12
- GCs
- 0
- Top-10s
- 50%
- Peak
- 1531
No shared contest yet.
This is the highest they've ever been rated, 11 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.
⚔ Head-to-headFamiliar foes (most-met opponents in overall standings — one meeting per contest)
| Opponent | Meetings | Ahead | Behind | Win rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capt. Blue BBQ | 18 | 5 | 13 | 28% | ⚔ compare |
| 4 BOXERS Q | 16 | 9 | 7 | 56% | ⚔ compare |
| Weber's Backyard BBQ | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0% | ⚔ compare |
| All About the Wood | 14 | 4 | 10 | 29% | ⚔ compare |
| Zoni-Q | 14 | 3 | 11 | 21% | ⚔ compare |
| 3 EYZ BBQ | 14 | 2 | 11 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| Uncle Pig's Barbeque Pit | 14 | 2 | 12 | 14% | ⚔ compare |
| HARCO LOCO BBQ | 13 | 9 | 3 | 69% | ⚔ compare |
| PHILLY BLIND PIG BBQ | 13 | 8 | 5 | 62% | ⚔ compare |
| MRC_Barbecue | 13 | 1 | 12 | 8% | ⚔ compare |
| Oink N' Doink BBQ | 12 | 5 | 7 | 42% | ⚔ compare |
| Leaning Jowler BBQ | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| GLAZED AND INFUSED NEW JERSEY BBQ | 12 | 4 | 7 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| DRILLING & GRILLING | 12 | 4 | 8 | 33% | ⚔ compare |
| Brewski's BBQ Competition Team | 12 | 2 | 10 | 17% | ⚔ compare |
By meat
| Category | Entries | Calls | Wins | Podiums | Best | Worst | Average | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 19 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 175.4400 | 150.8344 | 164.49 | top 45% |
| Pork Ribs | 19 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 173.7144 | 129.5772 | 158.91 | top 51% |
| Pork | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 169.1428 | 20.0000 | 137.50 | top 41% |
| Brisket | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 171.4172 | 171.4172 | 171.42 | top 14% |
“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 state / province
| Where | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| PA | 16 | 0 | top 51% |
| MD | 3 | 0 | top 37% |
By contest size
| Field | Contests | GCs | Avg finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small (<20 teams) | 1 | 0 | top 47% |
| Medium (20–39) | 12 | 0 | top 48% |
| Large (40+) | 6 | 0 | top 49% |
Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)
| Contest | Visits | Best | GCs | Avg finish | Last visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 5 | 9 | 0 | top 50% | 2024-06-29 |
| Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) | 3 | 6 | 0 | top 46% | 2024-05-18 |
| Smoke in the Grove (Day 2) | 3 | 25 | 0 | top 53% | 2022-07-30 |
| Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 2 | 16 | 0 | top 59% | 2024-07-27 |
| Maryland State BBQ Bash | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 34% | 2023-10-13 |
| Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) | 2 | 8 | 0 | top 39% | 2023-07-29 |
The story so far (18 numbers that describe this team)
On the trail
3.3 yrs
2021-06-18 → 2024-10-11
Busiest season
2024
8 contests
Contests a season
4.8
across 4 seasons in the data
Cooks most in
PA
16 of 19 contests · 2 states/provinces in all
Contests visited
8
6 of them cooked more than once
Most-entered meat
Chicken
19 entries · 0 wins · 7 calls
Strongest meat
Brisket
averages 171.42 · weakest Pork (137.50)
Walk rate
58%
a top-10 call in 11 of 19 contests
Overall top-10 rate
26%
5 of 19 contests
Best top-10 run
2
straight contests
Master average
647.92
out of 720 · 1 contest · 0 GCs
Backyard average
340.83
out of 360 · 18 contests · 0 GCs
Opponents faced
328
563–593 across every shared overall standing
Road miles
421
19 mapped stops · furthest 37 mi
Schedule strength
1562
average field rating faced — tougher than 48% of rated contests
Purse competed for
$158,250
listed at 18 contests — purses, not winnings
State championships
0
from 19 state-championship entries
Power rating
1528
peak 1531 · #2258 of 6,413 rated
Milestones (the firsts, the round numbers and the personal bests)
- 2021
- First tracked contest York County BBQ Festival
- First call York County BBQ Festival
- 2022
- First overall past 90% of a perfect score326.2520 York County BBQ Festival
- First overall top-10 Maryland State BBQ Bash
- 2023
- 10th tracked contest Smoke on the Rail (Day 2)
- 2024
- Career-best overall score647.9204 The Ironman
- Career-best single call (Chicken)175.4400 Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1)
- Peak power rating (1531) Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1)
- First category win (Pork) Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2)
- Most recent contest MD State BBQ Bash
Power rating over time (1500 = average; recomputed nightly)
📈 Biggest rating jumps
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| +12.3 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) | 2024-05-17 |
| +12.3 | Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) | 2023-07-29 |
| +9.1 | Maryland State BBQ Bash | 2022-10-14 |
| +8.4 | Maryland State BBQ Bash | 2023-10-13 |
| +5.5 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) | 2024-06-28 |
📉 Toughest weekends
| Swing | Contest | Date |
|---|---|---|
| -8.3 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) | 2024-05-18 |
| -7.7 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) | 2024-07-27 |
| -4.3 | The Ironman | 2024-04-05 |
| -4.3 | York County BBQ Festival | 2021-06-18 |
| -3.6 | York County BBQ Festival | 2023-06-16 |
Category scores over time
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 | GCs | Top-10s | Category wins | Walk rate | Avg finish | Best overall (% of perfect) | Avg overall (% of perfect) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 75% | top 51% | 94.9% | 91.4% |
| 2023 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 60% | top 45% | 94.3% | 90.6% |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25% | top 45% | 134.1% | 110.2% |
| 2021 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50% | top 52% | 86.8% | 84.7% |
Contest history (click a row for the event, a column to sort)
| Date | Event | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-10-11 | MD State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 11 / 26 (333.6916) | 12 (168.5600) | 14 (165.1316) | — | — |
| 2024-07-27 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 23 / 32 (307.3144) | 23 (151.3600) | 22 (155.9544) | 1 (169.1200) | — |
| 2024-07-26 | Smoke on the Rail BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 16 / 35 (334.8232) | 20 (166.2516) | 10 (168.5716) | 3 (169.1428) | — |
| 2024-06-29 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 2) 🏅 Delta, PA | 9 / 19 (337.0744) | 7 (170.8228) | 13 (166.2516) | — | — |
| 2024-06-28 | York County BBQ Festival (Day 1) 🏅 Delta, PA | 12 / 29 (336.5488) | 9 (170.8572) | 15 (165.6916) | — | — |
| 2024-05-18 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 2) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 20 / 26 (316.4688) | 18 (159.3944) | 18 (157.0744) | — | — |
| 2024-05-17 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke (Day 1) 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 6 / 37 (341.6916) | 2 (175.4400) | 15 (166.2516) | — | — |
| 2024-04-05 | The Ironman 🏅 Seven Valleys, PA | 14 / 21 (647.9204) | 16 (157.7144) | 16 (161.1316) | 16 (157.6572) | 3 (171.4172) |
| 2023-10-13 | Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Bel Air, MD | 8 / 23 (327.4400) | 10 (162.8684) | 10 (164.5716) | — | — |
| 2023-07-29 | Smoke on the Rail (Day 2) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 8 / 40 (339.3828) | 18 (165.6684) | 2 (173.7144) | — | — |
| 2023-07-28 | Smoke on the Rail (Day 1) 🏅 New Freedom, PA | 30 / 51 (317.0512) | 15 (167.9772) | 30 (149.0740) | — | — |
| 2023-06-16 | York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA | 19 / 29 (322.7776) | 22 (157.6804) | 14 (165.0972) | — | — |
| 2023-05-19 | Twin Valley Fire and Smoke 🏅 Morgantown, PA | 17 / 37 (323.3604) | 9 (168.5488) | 18 (154.8116) | — | — |
| 2022-10-14 | Maryland State BBQ Bash 🏅 Belair, MD | 10 / 30 (326.7772) | 8 (166.8228) | 15 (159.9544) | — | — |
| 2022-07-30 | Smoke in the Grove (Day 2) 🏅 Spring Grove, PA | 25 / 42 (451.2680) | 22 (166.2856) | 26 (137.0512) | 27 (147.9312) | — |
| 2022-07-29 | Smoke in the Grove (Day 1) 🏅 Spring Grove, PA | 27 / 54 (482.8460) | 24 (166.8460) | 30 (154.8344) | 22 (161.1656) | — |
| 2022-06-17 | York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA | 13 / 34 (326.2520) | 13 (163.4060) | 14 (162.8460) | — | — |
| 2021-07-30 | Smoke in the Grove 🏅 Spring Grove, PA | 26 / 54 (312.5144) | 32 (150.8344) | 20 (161.6800) | 28 (20.0000) | — |
| 2021-06-18 | York County BBQ Festival 🏅 Delta, PA | 23 / 41 (297.5888) | 9 (168.0116) | 24 (129.5772) | — | — |
Career map (orange GC · green top-10 · grey the rest — tap a pin)
Team of the Year standings (rank per category by season — year links to the full board on kcbs.us)
| Year | Series | Overall | Chicken | Ribs | Pork | Brisket |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 ↗ | Backyard | #95 (649 pts) | #80 (749 pts) | #109 (559 pts) | — | — |
| 2024 ↗ | Master | #1006 (101 pts) | #1131 (91 pts) | #1187 (91 pts) | #1102 (91 pts) | #733 (221 pts) |
| 2023 ↗ | Backyard | — | #119 (526 pts) | #105 (631 pts) | — | — |
| 2022 ↗ | Backyard | — | #113 (397 pts) | #125 (327 pts) | — | — |
| 2021 ↗ | Backyard | — | #142 (194 pts) | #170 (139 pts) | — | — |