KCBS Judges Meeting
By JOE
O'CONNELL, cbbqa past President
Updated April 21, 2002
At every KCBS-sanctioned contest,
the KCBS Representative holds a judge's meeting to explain the rules of
judging.
The following is the text of the 2002 Judge's Meeting which is
delivered by the KCBS Representative to the contest's judges.
Judge's Meeting
Welcome to the [Contest Name]! I would
like to introduce you to the Contest Coordinator [name coordinator(s)].
We would like to thank [him, her, them] for this contest. Without
all their hard work, this contest would not be possible!
Judging a KCBS contest takes between 2 to 3
hours. If you cannot commit to that amount of time, please excuse
yourself as a judge. It is not fair to our contestants to switch
judges during the contest.
We will be judging Pork, Beef, Chicken [name
any other categories]. If you are not willing to sample all
categories, please excuse yourself as a judge.
Are there any Memphis in May judges? [If
not, then move down; if so, continue] KCBS does not
require cooks to provide 2 bones for each judge, and our scoring system
starts at 9 rather than 10.
Please remember judging is very serious to
the contestants! They have dedicated a lot of time and money
to compete here today. We owe them the best judging we can provide
them. This is a blind judging system - the numbers on the entries
are not the actual contestant numbers. Only the computer
and the KCBS Contest Representatives know the correlation between
the two numbers. Please do not remove the label from the
containers! Also, do not take any numbered containers from
this area - they are to be thrown away when judging has been completed.
Please, do not compare. Judge each item
on its own merit. Taste and score each entry individually.
There may be more than one entry with a "9" (or any other
number). That is OK!
Entries are scored on a scale of "9"
to "1". Each entry should be considered a "9"
to start, then graded down if needed. "9" is the highest
and "1" is reserved for disqualification. Your Table
Captain will help you in the event you or others wish to score an entry
as a "1". Do not use zeros. There are no zeros.
Score carefully! Once you have recorded a
score for an entry, it cannot be changed, unless directed by the
KCBS representative due to a rules infraction.
Take your time! There is ample time
between categories for you to adequately judge an item.
There is no talking allowed once entries have
been brought to the table. Talking may resume quietly when the
Table Captain has received all of the judging cards.
This is a meat contest. When judging
appearance, primarily consider the meat, and not the garnish.
Do limit eating during the
judging. If you eat all that is presented to you, you could
consume 2 pounds of meat or more!
Smoking is not allowed in the judging
area at any time. If you must smoke, please leave the judging
area, and return in time for the next category.
No alcoholic beverages may be consumed in the
judging area, or during the judging period. This is ground for immediate
disqualification as a judge, and you will be replaced by an
alternate. We would prefer that you drink only plain water during
the judging, as many beverages can change your taste.
Do not go to the contestant areas and sample
meat. You may walk around the grounds and look around, but we
would prefer you not socialize with the cookers prior to judging.
[Rep: Give out table numbers.]
[Hold up judging slip] These are your
judging slips. Write down the team numbers, your name, your table
number and circle the category you are currently judging.
Try to keep your judges slips free of grease,
sauce, etc. Also, please write in large, bold, readable
numbers. Our computer operators will thank you.
When you complete your slip, pass it on to your
Table Captain. You are then free to move about, and, if all slips
at your table have been collected, you may discuss the judging, quietly,
with the other judges at your table. Please be conscientious of the
tables around you. They may not be finished judging their
entries.
[Hold up judging plate.] This is your
judging plate. You should mark each team number in the smaller box
and place the corresponding sample in the larger square.
Entry boxes will be shown one at a time for
appearance. Please write your appearance score on your judging
slip, then score the next entry when presented. Next, the entries
will be passed around for you to take a sample. Place the sample
in the appropriate box on your judging plate, and pass the entry to the
next person. When you have all samples for the category, you may
begin judging for taste and tenderness. Write each score down as
you judge the sample before you move on to the next sample.
You are welcome to keep any of your leftovers
in extra boxes if available. Please do not take extra helpings
from the entry boxes until table captains and volunteers have had a
chance.
Does anyone have any questions? We will
now administer the judges oath.
KCBS Judges Oath
I do solemnly swear to objectively and
subjectively evaluate each barbeque meat that is presented to my eyes,
my nose and my palate. I
accept my duty to be a [Contest Name] Judge, so that truth, justice,
excellence in barbeque and the American way of life may be strengthened
and preserved forever. |
