BACKYARD BROS

BACKYARD BROS is a competition barbecue team with 38 Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) contests on record between 2014 and 2023. Their best overall finish is 2nd of 24 at the Fire it up Frostproof! (2018), and they have finished Reserve Grand Champion once. They are ranked #607 of 6,491 teams in the KCBS power rankings. Also listed in KCBS results as “BACKYARD BRO'S” and “BACK YARD BROS”.

⚔ Compare with another team

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

#607

of 6,491 rated · rankings

Rating

1658

peak 1662 · rated over 33 contests4 invitational or side-series contests not counted

Contests

in the data

First seen

Mar 7, 2014

latest Sep 27, 2023 · 9.6 years on the trail

Best ToY finish

#558

Master 2022 · every season

Grand champs

1 reserve

Category wins

13 podiums

Overall top-10s

32% of 38 contests

Best top-10 run

straight overall top-10s

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

Best single call

180 🔥

Chicken · Plant City Pig Jam

Consistency

±12.69

spread of their Master overall scores (lower = steadier)

Strongest meat

Pork

avg 170.54 · weakest Brisket (167.82)

Road miles

11,044

across 38 mapped stops · furthest 1,198 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 🏅

won from 18 state-championship entries

Master avg

677.02 / 720

37 Master contests · 0 GCs

Storylines (13 found in their record)

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

The heartbreaker

0.5484 points from the title

Came within 0.5484 points of the Grand Championship at Fire it up Frostproof! (Sep 1, 2018).

Among the elite

#607 of 6,491 rated teams

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

A power rating of 1658 puts them #607 of 6,491 rated teams — the top 9% of the field.

rating 1658
peak 1662
33 rated contests

Perfect scores on the board

1 perfect 180

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
Sep 1, 2018

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-10
1 category win
average top 22%

Show 6 more storylines

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.

Boom or bust

±10.37% swing around their own average

Their overall swings ±10.37% 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 92.3% of a perfect score
best 96.7%

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

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 ↗	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)

Overall rank by season

Teams like this (closest power rating)

The teams rated closest to BACKYARD BROS, each with one reason worth a look.

99 PROBLEMS SMOKIN AINT 1

#604 of the rated field

1658 power rating

Contests: 51
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 22%
Peak: 1663

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 Oct 11, 2019

⚔ Head-to-head

BUBBA-Q'S

#608 of the rated field

1658 power rating

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

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

⚔ Compare careers

SLATER HOUSE BBQ

#605 of the rated field

1658 power rating

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

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 Nov 14, 2025
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Compare careers

Deviant Smoke

#610 of the rated field

1658 power rating

Contests: 52
GCs: 2
Top-10s: 50%
Peak: 1689

Careers of much the same size, 52 contests to 38, so neither rating has had more chance to settle than the other.

rated over 49 contests
last seen Jun 12, 2026

⚔ Compare careers

Big Daddy G's BBQ

#611 of the rated field

1658 power rating

Contests: 24
GCs: 1
Top-10s: 29%
Peak: 1658

Their rating is built on 1 Grand Championship in 24 contests, alongside a 29% overall top-10 rate.

rated over 21 contests
last seen Sep 29, 2022

⚔ Compare careers

TRUCKY'S TRUE BLU BBQ'UE

#606 of the rated field

1658 power rating

Contests: 19
GCs: 0
Top-10s: 74%
Peak: 1658

Both teams' first contest in the data came in 2014.

rated over 19 contests
last seen Jun 24, 2016
on a 3-contest top-10 run

⚔ Compare careers

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 🔥	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 field size and state

By contest size

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

By state / province (where the contests were held)

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%

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

Contest	Visits	Best	Avg finish	Last visit
SC Festival of Discovery	5	9	top 25%	Jul 9, 2021
Plant City Pig Jam	2	3	top 33%	Nov 18, 2022
8th Annual Death Door Barbeque (DAY 2)	2	5	top 24%	Aug 24, 2019
Fire it up Frostproof!	2	2	top 30%	Apr 12, 2019
Boss Hog State Championship Cook-OFF	2	8	top 20%	May 11, 2018
38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (OPEN)	2	45	top 33%	Sep 1, 2017

More numbers

Busiest season 2019 7 contests

Contests a season 3.8 across 10 seasons in the data

Most contests held in FL 13 of 38 contests · 7 states in all

Contests visited 28 6 of them more than once

Opponents faced 1,703 finished ahead 2,216 times, behind 1,281

Longest layoff 1.1 yrs Sep 12, 2019 → Oct 9, 2020

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

20231 milestone

Sep 27 Most recent contest American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides

20222 milestones

Nov 18 First perfect 180 (Chicken) Plant City Pig Jam
Nov 18 Peak power rating (1662) Plant City Pig Jam

20191 milestone

Aug 24 25th tracked contest 8th Annual Death Door Barbeque (DAY 2)

20183 milestones

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!

20152 milestones

Feb 20 First overall top-10 Sam's Club National BBQ Tour
Nov 3 10th tracked contest World Food Championships

20144 milestones

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

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

📈 Biggest rating jumps

Swing	Contest	Date
+13.4	World Barbecue Championship	Nov 11, 2016
+12.9	SC Festival of Discovery (PALMETTO BBQ SERIES)	Jul 6, 2017
+11.9	8th Annual Death Door Barbeque (DAY 2)	Aug 24, 2019
+11.6	Fire it up Frostproof!	Sep 1, 2018
+11.3	Porktober Que	Sep 23, 2016

📉 Toughest weekends

Swing	Contest	Date
-7.9	Fire it up Frostproof!	Apr 12, 2019
-6.8	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival	Mar 5, 2021
-6.4	Smokin in the Square	Mar 7, 2014
-5.3	Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash	Jul 25, 2014
-4.2	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Open Contest	Sep 27, 2023

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	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
Sep 27, 2023	American Royal World Series of Barbecue - Sides Kansas City, KS	—	—	—	—	—
Sep 27, 2023	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)
Sep 27, 2023	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)
Nov 18, 2022	Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL	3 / 25 (691.3372)	1 (180)	9 (170.8344)	10 (170.8228)	11 (169.6800)
Aug 5, 2022	Swine At the Shrine 🏅 Savannah, GA	18 / 49 (690.1712)	25 (170.8112)	14 (173.1316)	19 (173.1200)	16 (173.1084)
Jul 7, 2022	South Carolina Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	14 / 92 (689.6572)	40 (168.5372)	2 (178.8572)	22 (171.9656)	33 (170.2972)
Jan 7, 2022	Southern Sunshine BBQ Fest 🏅 Lake Wales, FL	8 / 29 (685.6228)	17 (169.1200)	7 (174.2628)	10 (169.1084)	5 (173.1316)
Nov 19, 2021	Plant City Pig Jam 🏅 Plant City, FL	4 / 37 (690.7772)	17 (170.8228)	8 (171.4172)	6 (171.9772)	4 (176.5600)
Jul 9, 2021	SC Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	30 / 81 (680.4916)	27 (170.8344)	41 (166.8344)	9 (173.7028)	31 (169.1200)
Mar 5, 2021	Sip & Swine BBQ Festival 🏅 Lawrenceville, GA	32 / 81 (674.1828)	72 (157.0856)	3 (176.5716)	11 (173.1428)	45 (167.3828)
Oct 9, 2020	The Real Squeal BBQ & Music Festival 🏅 Lyons, GA	9 / 37 (687.3372)	15 (171.9772)	6 (173.1200)	15 (171.9772)	19 (170.2628)
Sep 12, 2019	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)
Sep 12, 2019	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)
Aug 24, 2019	8th Annual Death Door Barbeque (DAY 2) 🏅 Washington Island, WI	5 / 29 (685.6572)	8 (172)	6 (173.1200)	6 (172)	17 (168.5372)
Aug 23, 2019	8th Annual Death Door Barbeque (DAY 1) 🏅 Washington Island, WI	9 / 30 (680.5144)	6 (172)	12 (166.8344)	8 (171.4172)	12 (170.2628)
Jul 12, 2019	SC Festival of Discovery 🏅 Greenwood, SC	25 / 83 (670.1484)	62 (158.7884)	3 (177.7028)	7 (173.7028)	48 (159.9544)
May 24, 2019	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)
Apr 12, 2019	Fire it up Frostproof! 🏅 Frostproof, FL	13 / 25 (670.1368)	9 (168.5256)	12 (167.9772)	20 (162.8112)	7 (170.8228)
Sep 1, 2018	Fire it up Frostproof! Frostproof, FL	2 / 24 (696.5144)	2 (176.5600)	2 (175.4172)	1 (176)	11 (168.5372)
May 11, 2018	Boss Hog State Championship Cook-OFF 🏅 Waynesboro, GA	9 / 42 (679.2912)	2 (176.5600)	8 (171.9772)	5 (172.5484)	31 (158.2056)
Mar 2, 2018	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)
Sep 1, 2017	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)
Aug 31, 2017	38th American Royal World Series of Barbecue (INVITATIONAL) unrated Kansas City, KS	45 / 129 (687.9424)	25 (176.5600)	51 (172)	99 (167.3940)	48 (171.9884)
Jul 6, 2017	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)
May 12, 2017	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)
Nov 11, 2016	World Barbecue Championship Orange Beach, AL	16 / 89 (687.9200)	11 (175.4172)	13 (173.7028)	17 (171.9772)	51 (166.8228)
Sep 23, 2016	Porktober Que Dothan, AL	8 / 36 (686.1712)	8 (171.4056)	5 (176.5600)	17 (168.5256)	15 (169.6800)
Jul 7, 2016	SC Festival of Discovery Greenwood, SC	21 / 82 (670.2516)	23 (168)	40 (162.2516)	1 (176.0228)	32 (163.9772)
Nov 3, 2015	World Food Championships Kissimmee, FL	25 / 58 (674.8000)	33 (168.5256)	24 (167.4744)	13 (174.2744)	37 (164.5256)
Aug 14, 2015	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)
Jul 9, 2015	SC Festival of Discovery (TEAMS AND JUDGES FULL) Greenwood, SC	21 / 90 (668.5028)	44 (165.6800)	31 (165.1428)	10 (172)	31 (165.6800)
Mar 26, 2015	Florida Heritage BBQ Classic Kissimmee, FL	11 / 23 (666.1256)	19 (162.2400)	17 (165.0972)	8 (169.6800)	5 (169.1084)
Feb 20, 2015	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour Kissimmee, FL	8 / 22 (663.8516)	9 (168.5256)	12 (163.9888)	6 (171.9772)	14 (159.3600)
Nov 21, 2014	Plant City Pig Jam Plant City, FL	21 / 39 (644.4684)	25 (159.9656)	33 (152.5488)	21 (162.8112)	9 (169.1428)
Nov 7, 2014	When Pigs Fly South Lakeland, FL	11 / 42 (672)	27 (160.5256)	20 (163.4628)	1 (177.7372)	7 (170.2744)
Aug 22, 2014	Great Southern Tailgate Cook-off Amelia Island, FL	21 / 40 (662.7540)	19 (168.5256)	21 (164.5600)	16 (168.5256)	30 (161.1428)
Jul 25, 2014	Foothills Country Fair BBQ Bash Cleveland, TN	37 / 49 (654.2288)	20 (170.2628)	24 (166.8572)	36 (162.8344)	44 (154.2744)
Mar 7, 2014	Smokin in the Square Pensacola, FL	36 / 46 (640.9596)	33 (161.6456)	41 (157.7028)	23 (165.7028)	40 (155.9084)

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

BACKYARD BROS

At a glance (the record in numbers)

Power ranking

Rating

Contests

First seen

Best ToY finish

Grand champs

Category wins

Overall top-10s

Best top-10 run

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

Storylines (13 found in their record)

The heartbreaker

Among the elite

Perfect scores on the board

They almost always walk

High-water mark

The one to beat

Their season

A tough matchup

A strong matchup

Looking over their shoulder

Boom or bust

A May 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)