In order to provide a professional contest program, FBA instituted a Certified Judges program when it was founded. This program provides training for new members in the art of competition BBQ judging and seeks to ensure the quality of judging and a fair scoring methodology for all FBA sanctioned contests. New members must complete the training program in order to become a Certified BBQ Judge.
FBA Judge Requirements
- Complete the Judges Seminar training class.
- Maintain an active FBA Membership.
- Be present for the Judges Briefing at any contest your are confirmed to judge. Failure to be present means that you will not judge that contest. Check-in for judges starts at 9am on the day of the contest and ends at 9:30am. The Judges Briefing begins at 9:30am, followed by the Table Captains Briefing. (NOTE: Judges check-in and briefing times may be adjusted by the event Organizer to adapt to changed meat turn-in times.)
- If you fail to show for three contests that you are confirmed to judge without notifying either the Organizer or one of the Reps, you will be removed from the list of judges for future contests.
- Judge all four categories at any contest you are seated at for judging.
- During the contest, you are not allowed to visit with the cook teams. Doing so will cause you to be removed from the judging that day.
- After the contest, you may visit with the cook teams, however you may not discuss any part of the judging including your scores. Doing so will cause you to be removed from the list of judges for future contests.
Judge of the Year Standards Current Standards
Lead Reps selects 3 Names and provides to FBA Board of Directors. It’s the Lead Rep’s responsibility to provide 3 names or delegates to another Rep
- Show up on time at sign in
- Seated on time for each category
- Support the Florida Bar-B-Que Organization
- Show consistent scoring
Additional quantifiable Judge of the Year Standards
- Friend/Referrals: Anyone that refers a new member; be it a Cook Team, Judge, or Restaurant Owner, will be awarded 1 point for each referral.
- Every 5 contests: Point awarded for every 5 contests judged.
- Committees: Point awarded for those individuals that serve on a committee.
- Judges Committee
- Fun Cook Committee
- Celebrate Last Year Party
- Other committees so elected by the FBA BOD
- Grazing Table Monitor: Point awarded to individual assigned as grazing table monitor.
- Assist a Rep: Point awarded to those judges that stand down from judging assist a rep Saturday. Individuals would be asked to set up/tear down tables, assist with turn in table, and assist at discretion of FBA Rep.
JOTY would be a culmination of points awarded by the Quantifiable Point System and Lead Rep’s Nominations. Individual with most points would be JOTY; remaining nine individuals would be JOTY finalist.
2016 Judge of the Year
Steve Carrington
2016 Judge of the Year Finalists
Rick DiMaggio, Ginny Davis, Kent Harriss, Roy Griffin, Pete Odom
Karen Walrath, George Kendall, Tom Walrath, Ed Shemanski