BACKYARD BROS

At a glance (everything the results say about this team, in numbers)

Power ranking

#600

of 6,413 rated · rankings

Rating

1658

peak 1662 · rated over 33 contests ⓘ

Contests

in the data

First seen

2014-03-07

latest 2023-09-27

Best ToY finish

#558

Master 2022

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

13 podiums

Overall top-10s

of 38 contests

Avg finish

top 33%

overall standings

Best overall

696.5144 / 720

Master · *Fire it up Frostproof!

Perfect 180s

1 🔥

Current form

683.21 ▲

last 5 Master vs avg 677.02 (+6.19)

Walk rate

66%

contests with a top-10 call

Top-10 streak

best run (overall)

Best single call

180.0000 🔥

Chicken · Plant City Pig Jam

Consistency

±12.69

std dev of Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 170.54 · weakest Brisket (167.82)

Road miles

11,044

mi across 38 mapped stops · furthest 1198 mi

Schedule strength

56%

of rated fields were softer than their average draw (1571)

Purse competed for

$433K

listed at 17 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships

0 🏅

GCs in 18 state-championship entries

Master avg

677.02 / 720

37 Master contests · 0 GCs

⚔ Compare with another team

Storylines (13 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.

The heartbreaker

0.5484 points from the title

Came within 0.5484 points of the Grand Championship at *Fire it up Frostproof! (2018-09-01).

Among the elite

#600 of 6,413 rated teams

In the top 9% of every rated team in the data

A power rating of 1658 puts them #600 of 6,413 rated teams — the top 9% of the field.

rating 1658
peak 1662
33 rated contests

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180s

1 perfect 180 in the data — every judge at the table handing back a nine, all in chicken.

Chicken ×1

They almost always walk

66% of contests with a top-10 call

A call in 25 of 38 contests

A top-10 category call in 66% of their 38 contests — they get to the stage more often than not.

High-water mark

696.5144 career-best overall

96.7% of a perfect 720

Their best day on record: 696.5144 at *Fire it up Frostproof! — 96.7% of a perfect 720.

Master
2018-09-01

The one to beat

2× one call ahead of them

YES, DEAR BBQ has finished one call ahead of BACKYARD BROS 2 times — their closest competition in the data.

Their season

2016 their best year

2016 was the year it came together: 3 contests, 0 Grand Championships and 1 category win, at an average finish in the top 22%.

3 contests
1 overall top-10s
1 category wins
average top 22%

A tough matchup

17–7 behind in the head-to-head

HOT WACHULA'S ahead in 71% of their meetings

HOT WACHULA'S has come out ahead in 17 of their 24 shared contests.

A strong matchup

11–4 ahead in the head-to-head

Ahead in 73% of their meetings

They've finished ahead of ELITE BBQ SMOKERS in 11 of their 15 shared contests.

Looking over their shoulder

2× one call behind them

MUTTLEY CREW BBQ has landed one call behind them 2 times.

A May team

Top 22% average finish in May

Something about May: average finish in the top 22% across 3 contests, versus top 33% the rest of the year.

3 May contests
top 33% the rest of the year

The long haul

11,044 road miles between contests

Contest to contest, they've covered roughly 11,044 miles across 38 mapped stops — the longest single trip being 1,198 miles to 8th Annual Death Door Barbeque(DAY 1).

38 mapped stops
furthest 1,198 mi

The metronome

±1.76% swing around their own average

Their overall lands within ±1.76% of a perfect score of their own average — whatever the field, you know roughly what they'll turn in.

averages 94.0% of a perfect score
38 contests

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.

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

99 PROBLEMS SMOKIN AINT 1

#604 of the rated field

1658 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 51
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1662

0–1 in 1 shared contest (0% to BACKYARD BROS)

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

rated over 51 contests
last seen 2019-10-11

⚔ Head-to-head

BUBBA-Q'S

#603 of the rated field

1658 ▼ 0 power rating

Contests: 30
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 53%
Peak: 1672

No shared contest yet.

Their last contest in the data was back in 2018, 5 years before BACKYARD BROS's most recent — their rating stopped moving when they stopped cooking.

rated over 30 contests

⚔ Head-to-head

SMOKE N HOGS BBQ KS

#598 of the rated field

1658 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 43
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 51%
Peak: 1680

No shared contest yet.

Careers of much the same size, 43 contests to 38, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 42 contests
last seen 2019-08-16

⚔ Head-to-head

RUBBED, SMOKED, AND SAUCED BBQ

#594 of the rated field

1658 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 47
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 49%
Peak: 1684

No shared contest yet.

47 contests and no Grand Championship yet — a rating made of 49% top-10 finishes rather than wins.

rated over 47 contests
last seen 2019-08-02
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

Q Cartel

#596 of the rated field

1658 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 4
Top-10s: 71%
Peak: 1658

No shared contest yet.

This is the highest they've ever been rated, 23 rated contests in — a team sitting at its own career peak.

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2026-06-19
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

SLATER HOUSE BBQ

#595 of the rated field

1658 ▲ 0 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 3
Top-10s: 67%
Peak: 1658

No shared contest yet.

They turned up 8 years after BACKYARD BROS did, first appearing in 2022.

rated over 23 contests
last seen 2025-11-14
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Head-to-head

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

Opponent	Meetings	Ahead	Behind	Win rate
HOT WACHULA'S	24	7	17	29%	⚔ compare
MUTTLEY CREW BBQ	18	8	10	44%	⚔ compare
ELITE BBQ SMOKERS	15	11	4	73%	⚔ compare
BOOG-A-LOU SMOKE CREW	14	8	6	57%	⚔ compare
YES, DEAR BBQ	14	6	8	43%	⚔ compare
Smoke Central BBQ	14	4	10	29%	⚔ compare
Uncle Kenny's Take-Away	14	4	10	29%	⚔ compare
SWEET SMOKE Q FLORIDA	13	6	7	46%	⚔ compare
WHO CARES BBQ	13	5	8	38%	⚔ compare
SAUCED! BBQ TEAM	12	6	6	50%	⚔ compare
ATLANTA BBQ STORE	12	5	7	42%	⚔ compare
MAYA JANE BBQ CO.	11	6	5	55%	⚔ compare
Bald Hawg BBQ	11	3	8	27%	⚔ compare
GETTIN' BASTED	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare
REDNECK SCIENTIFIC	11	2	9	18%	⚔ compare

By meat

Category	Entries	Calls	Wins	Podiums	Best	Worst	Average	Avg finish
Chicken	37	10	1	4	180.0000 🔥	157.0856	169.39	top 40%
Pork Ribs	37	13	0	5	178.8572	152.5488	169.27	top 38%
Pork	37	16	3	4	177.7372	162.8112	170.54	top 33%
Brisket	37	6	0	0	176.5600	154.2744	167.82	top 44%

“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	Avg finish
FL	13	top 38%
GA	7	top 29%
KS	6	top 40%
SC	6	top 24%
WI	2	top 24%
AL	2	top 20%
TN	1	top 76%

By contest size

Field	Contests	GCs	Avg finish
Medium (20–39)	12	0	top 29%
Large (40+)	25	0	top 36%

Contest-by-contest record (recurring contests they've cooked twice or more)

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
SC Festival of Discovery	5	9	top 25%	2021-07-09
Plant City Pig Jam	2	3	top 33%	2022-11-18
8th Annual Death Door Barbeque(DAY 2)	2	5	top 24%	2019-08-24
Fire it up Frostproof!	2	2	top 30%	2019-04-12
Boss Hog State Championship Cook-OFF	2	8	top 20%	2018-05-11
38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	2	45	top 33%	2017-09-01

The story so far (19 numbers that describe this team)

On the trail 9.6 yrs 2014-03-07 → 2023-09-27

Busiest season 2019 7 contests

Contests a season 3.8 across 10 seasons in the data

Cooks most in FL 13 of 38 contests · 7 states/provinces in all

Contests visited 28 6 of them cooked more than once

Most-entered meat Chicken 37 entries · 1 win · 10 calls

Strongest meat Pork averages 170.54 · weakest Brisket (167.82)

Walk rate 66% a top-10 call in 25 of 38 contests

Overall top-10 rate 32% 12 of 38 contests

Best top-10 run 2 straight contests

Master average 677.02 out of 720 · 37 contests · 0 GCs

Perfect 180s 1 every judge at the table handing back a nine

Opponents faced 1,718 2,216–1,281 across every shared overall standing

Road miles 11,044 38 mapped stops · furthest 1,198 mi

Schedule strength 1571 average field rating faced — tougher than 56% of rated contests

Purse competed for $432,780 listed at 17 contests — purses, not winnings

State championships 0 from 18 state-championship entries

Longest layoff 1.1 yrs 2019-09-12 → 2020-10-09

Power rating 1658 peak 1662 · #600 of 6,413 rated

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

2014
Mar 7 First tracked contest Smokin in the Square
Jul 25 First overall past 90% of a perfect score654.2288 Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash
Nov 7 First call When Pigs Fly South
Nov 7 First category win (Pork) When Pigs Fly South
2015
Feb 20 First overall top-10 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Nov 3 10th tracked contest World Food Championships
2018
Sep 1 First overall podium *Fire it up Frostproof!
Sep 1 First Reserve Championship *Fire it up Frostproof!
Sep 1 Career-best overall score696.5144 *Fire it up Frostproof!
2019
Aug 24 25th tracked contest 8th Annual Death Door Barbeque(DAY 2)
2022
Nov 18 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Plant City Pig Jam
Nov 18 Peak power rating (1662) Plant City Pig Jam
2023
Sep 27 Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.4	World Barbecue Championship	2016-11-11
+12.9	SC Festival of Discovery(PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)	2017-07-06
+11.9	8th Annual Death Door Barbeque(DAY 2)	2019-08-24
+11.5	*Fire it up Frostproof!	2018-09-01
+11.1	*Porktober Que	2016-09-23

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-7.9	Fire it up Frostproof!	2019-04-12
-6.8	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival	2021-03-05
-6.4	Smokin in the Square	2014-03-07
-5.3	Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash	2014-07-25
-4.2	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	2023-09-27

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)

Team of the Year rank by season

Season by season

Season	Contests	Top-10s	Category wins	Walk rate	Avg finish	Best overall (% of perfect)	Avg overall (% of perfect)
2023	3	0	0	0%	top 66%	93.6%	93.4%
2022	4	2	1	75%	top 23%	96%	95.7%
2021	3	1	0	100%	top 29%	95.9%	94.7%
2020	1	1	0	100%	top 24%	95.5%	95.5%
2019	7	2	0	71%	top 28%	95.8%	94.5%
2018	3	2	1	100%	top 26%	96.7%	95.7%
2017	4	2	0	50%	top 24%	95.5%	94.6%
2016	3	1	1	67%	top 22%	95.5%	94.6%
2015	5	1	0	80%	top 37%	93.7%	92.9%
2014	5	0	1	40%	top 57%	93.3%	91%

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

Date	Event	Overall	Chicken	Ribs	Pork	Brisket
2023-09-27	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
2023-09-27	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest 🏅 Kansas City, KS	262 / 487 (671.2684)	244 (168.5372)	192 (170.8228)	328 (163.9428)	217 (167.9656)
2023-09-27	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Invitational Contest unrated Kansas City, KS	165 / 211 (673.6000)	121 (169.7028)	198 (162.8000)	76 (173.1200)	136 (167.9772)
2022-11-18	Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL	3 / 25 (691.3372)	1 (180.0000)	9 (170.8344)	10 (170.8228)	11 (169.6800)
2022-08-05	Swine At the Shrine 🏅 Savannah, GA	18 / 49 (690.1712)	25 (170.8112)	14 (173.1316)	19 (173.1200)	16 (173.1084)
2022-07-07	South Carolina Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	14 / 92 (689.6572)	40 (168.5372)	2 (178.8572)	22 (171.9656)	33 (170.2972)
2022-01-07	Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest 🏅 Lake Wales, FL	8 / 29 (685.6228)	17 (169.1200)	7 (174.2628)	10 (169.1084)	5 (173.1316)
2021-11-19	Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL	4 / 37 (690.7772)	17 (170.8228)	8 (171.4172)	6 (171.9772)	4 (176.5600)
2021-07-09	SC Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	30 / 81 (680.4916)	27 (170.8344)	41 (166.8344)	9 (173.7028)	31 (169.1200)
2021-03-05	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA	32 / 81 (674.1828)	72 (157.0856)	3 (176.5716)	11 (173.1428)	45 (167.3828)
2020-10-09	The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Lyons, GA	9 / 37 (687.3372)	15 (171.9772)	6 (173.1200)	15 (171.9772)	19 (170.2628)
2019-09-12	40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- OPEN CONTEST 🏅 Kansas City, KS	52 / 468 (684.5372)	72 (172.5600)	66 (172.5828)	239 (165.1316)	47 (174.2628)
2019-09-12	40th American Royal World Series of Barbecue- INVITATIONAL CONTEST 🏅 unrated Kansas City, KS	39 / 135 (689.6340)	39 (174.2744)	60 (170.8228)	48 (172.5484)	55 (171.9884)
2019-08-24	8th Annual Death Door Barbeque(DAY 2) 🏅 Washington Island, WI	5 / 29 (685.6572)	8 (172.0000)	6 (173.1200)	6 (172.0000)	17 (168.5372)
2019-08-23	8th Annual Death Door Barbeque(DAY 1) 🏅 Washington Island, WI	9 / 30 (680.5144)	6 (172.0000)	12 (166.8344)	8 (171.4172)	12 (170.2628)
2019-07-12	SC Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	25 / 83 (670.1484)	62 (158.7884)	3 (177.7028)	7 (173.7028)	48 (159.9544)
2019-05-24	Papa Joe's Banjo-B-Que & Music Festival 🏅 Evans, GA	18 / 72 (680.4572)	9 (175.4172)	56 (163.3828)	12 (173.1200)	35 (168.5372)
2019-04-12	Fire it up Frostproof! 🏅 Frostproof, FL	13 / 25 (670.1368)	9 (168.5256)	12 (167.9772)	20 (162.8112)	7 (170.8228)
2018-09-01	*Fire it up Frostproof! Frostproof, FL	2 / 24 (696.5144)	2 (176.5600)	2 (175.4172)	1 (176.0000)	11 (168.5372)
2018-05-11	Boss Hog State Championship Cook-OFF 🏅 Waynesboro, GA	9 / 42 (679.2912)	2 (176.5600)	8 (171.9772)	5 (172.5484)	31 (158.2056)
2018-03-02	Sonny's Smokin Showdown (INVITATIONAL ONLY) unrated Orlando, FL	23 / 49 (691.3944)	3 (177.7028)	37 (168.5944)	41 (169.6800)	17 (175.4172)
2017-09-01	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN) Kansas City, KS	127 / 407 (673.0860)	241 (163.9772)	109 (170.2860)	258 (162.8228)	17 (176.0000)
2017-08-31	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS	45 / 129 (687.9424)	25 (176.5600)	51 (172.0000)	99 (167.3940)	48 (171.9884)
2017-07-06	SC Festival of Discovery(PALMETTO BBQ SERIES) Greenwood, SC	9 / 89 (685.6228)	16 (172.5600)	38 (167.3944)	3 (175.4056)	18 (170.2628)
2017-05-12	Boss Hog State Championship Cook-OFF (GBC Qualifier) 🏅 Waynesboro, GA	8 / 42 (678.1716)	20 (165.6800)	3 (177.7144)	9 (169.6916)	23 (165.0856)
2016-11-11	World Barbecue Championship Orange Beach, AL	16 / 89 (687.9200)	11 (175.4172)	13 (173.7028)	17 (171.9772)	51 (166.8228)
2016-09-23	*Porktober Que Dothan, AL	8 / 36 (686.1712)	8 (171.4056)	5 (176.5600)	17 (168.5256)	15 (169.6800)
2016-07-07	SC Festival of Discovery Greenwood, SC	21 / 82 (670.2516)	23 (168.0000)	40 (162.2516)	1 (176.0228)	32 (163.9772)
2015-11-03	World Food Championships Kissimmee, FL	25 / 58 (674.8000)	33 (168.5256)	24 (167.4744)	13 (174.2744)	37 (164.5256)
2015-08-14	Classic City BBQ Fest & Tailgate Show (GBC Qualifier) Athens, GA	14 / 40 (670.1256)	26 (166.2400)	9 (169.1316)	11 (170.8228)	21 (163.9312)
2015-07-09	SC Festival of Discovery (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Greenwood, SC	21 / 90 (668.5028)	44 (165.6800)	31 (165.1428)	10 (172.0000)	31 (165.6800)
2015-03-26	Florida Heritage BBQ Classic Kissimmee, FL	11 / 23 (666.1256)	19 (162.2400)	17 (165.0972)	8 (169.6800)	5 (169.1084)
2015-02-20	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Kissimmee, FL	8 / 22 (663.8516)	9 (168.5256)	12 (163.9888)	6 (171.9772)	14 (159.3600)
2014-11-21	Plant City Pig Jam Plant City, FL	21 / 39 (644.4684)	25 (159.9656)	33 (152.5488)	21 (162.8112)	9 (169.1428)
2014-11-07	When Pigs Fly South Lakeland, FL	11 / 42 (672.0000)	27 (160.5256)	20 (163.4628)	1 (177.7372)	7 (170.2744)
2014-08-22	Great Southern Tailgate Cook-off Amelia Island, FL	21 / 40 (662.7540)	19 (168.5256)	21 (164.5600)	16 (168.5256)	30 (161.1428)
2014-07-25	Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash Cleveland, TN	37 / 49 (654.2288)	20 (170.2628)	24 (166.8572)	36 (162.8344)	44 (154.2744)
2014-03-07	Smokin in the Square Pensacola, FL	36 / 46 (640.9596)	33 (161.6456)	41 (157.7028)	23 (165.7028)	40 (155.9084)

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
2023 ↗	Master	#938 (120 pts)	#1011 (120 pts)	#1118 (120 pts)	#989 (120 pts)	#989 (120 pts)
2022 ↗	Master	#558 (359 pts)	#800 (214 pts)	#469 (534 pts)	#659 (294 pts)	#591 (344 pts)
2021 ↗	Master	#917 (120 pts)	#978 (120 pts)	#606 (295 pts)	#607 (275 pts)	#957 (120 pts)
2019 ↗	Master	#714 (439 pts)	#754 (439 pts)	#790 (409 pts)	#739 (439 pts)	#904 (334 pts)
2016 ↗	Master	#2020 (105 pts)	#1822 (130 pts)	#1884 (120 pts)	#2114 (100 pts)	#2345 (60 pts)
2015 ↗	Master	#1125 (257 pts)	#1431 (192 pts)	#1206 (257 pts)	#1135 (292 pts)	#1429 (182 pts)
2014 ↗	Master	#760 (451 pts)	#908 (396 pts)	#926 (391 pts)	#602 (641 pts)	#700 (531 pts)