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Request for Sanctioning
Amended - May 5, 2009

Changes are in red type

(Click here for the Request for Sanctioning Form you will need to mail)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section 1.Introduction and goals of the Florida BBQ Association
Section 2.Application for sanctioning
Section 3.Sanctioning requirements and responsibilities of the Contest organizer
Section 4.Responsibilities of the FBA to the sanctioned contest
Section 5.Sanctioning fees/expenses
Section 6.Required materials provided by the sanctioned Contest organizer(s)
Section 7.FBA contest rules and regulations
Section 8.Judge's Seminar
Section 9.FBA State Championships and Triple Crown Qualifers

SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION AND GOALS

The Florida BBQ Association (FBA) became a duly registered non-profit corporation in July 2000, with the sole purpose of promoting the art of slow cooking known as barbecue though education, promotion, and barbecue competitions.

The purpose of these competitions is to bring together barbecue enthusiasts with various levels of cooking experience and knowledge. Then by utilizing a uniform set of contest rules and regulations the finished product is judged by trained individuals who will determine winners in each meat category and ultimately a grand and reserve champion of the contest.

The contest organizer(s) by requesting FBA sanctioning and paying the sanctioning fee as specified herein agrees to be bound by these guidelines and all FBA rules and regulations.

For the purposes of this agreement, a cook team is defined as either a Professional division team or a Backyard team.

SECTION 2 - APPLICATION FOR SANCTIONING

These regulations must be followed when making an application for FBA sanctioning.

  1. The contest organizer(s) must apply to the FBA Board of Directors a minimum of six (6) months prior to proposed date of contest.
  2. A $50.00 non-refundable application fee must be included with the application.
  3. When making application for sanctioning, the contest organizer(s) agrees that all FBA rules, regulations and judging procedures will be followed.
  4. Upon approval, the contest organizer(s) agrees to follow all FBA sanctioning requirements, including payment of all fees/expenses and prize money as outlined in Section 3.
  5. Our annual meeting and elections are held on Labor Day weekend therefore we do not sanction any contest on Labor Day weekend.
  6. The date of any FBA State Championship will not be used for any other contest in that state other than for the championship event.
  7. The date of the FBA Triple Crown Championship will not be used for any other contest.
  8. First year contests and renewing contests that are moving to a new location require either a site inspection from an FBA rep or photos of the contest site clearly showing all areas to be used by the contest.
  9. In the case of multiple requests for the same contest date a "Right of First Refusal" for previously sanctioned FBA contests shall apply. Prior years' contests will have the opportunity to reserve dates and respond with (fifteen) 15 working days of the FBA receiving a request for contest sanctioning on dates that have been historically used. Courtesy calls shall be made for competing contest dates that fall within the Association's 150 mile rule.
Dates to keep in mind when selecting a date for your contest include:

The date of any FBA State Championship is not available for any other contest in that state.
Florida - Jan 23-24, 2009, Georgia - April 3-4, 2009, Alabama - May 15-16, 2009
Labor Day Weekend is the FBA Funcook and General Meeting - Sept 4-6, 2009
The Old Whiskey River 2009 FBA Triple Crown Championship - Dec 11-12, 2009

The following are not FBA Sanctioned contests, however they may draw FBA teams:
The American Royal - Oct 2-4, 2009, The Best of the Best - Oct 30-31, 2009
Jack Daniels World Championship - Oct 23-24, 2009

SECTION 3 - SANCTIONING REQUIREMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CONTEST ORGANIZER UPON SANCTIONING

The following requirements and responsibilities must be adhered to by the contest organizer(s) in order to be sanctioned by the FBA once the contest receives sanctioning approval.

  1. All sanctioning fees must be received by the FBA at least 60 days prior to the contest date.
  2. Contest organizer(s) must submit proof of liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000. This proof of insurance must come directly from the insurance carrier and shall name the FBA as an Additional Insured and must be received by the FBA no later than 30 days prior to the contest.
  3. Failure to make payment for the sanctioning fees or to provide proof of liability insurance will result in FBA sanctioning being rescinded and forfeiture of all fees paid by the contest organizer(s).
  4. Contest organizer(s) must submit a Letter of Guarantee from the contest sponsor(s) or underwriter to ensure that all prize money presented on contest application and advertising will be available for distribution at time of awards. Any checks awarded must be made payable to either the head cook of the team, cash, or with the payee left blank and must be negotiable at time of presentation.
  5. Contest organizer(s) agrees to pay any and all applicable federal, state, and local taxes, fees, licenses, regulations, and permits arising from execution of contest.
  6. Contest organizer(s) agrees that the official FBA logo will be used on any and all promotional and advertising material including but not limited to, contest application, posters, banners, T-shirts, hats, and flyers. The FBA will be announced as the official sanctioning body in any and all television, radio, internet or print reports. All Team and Judges Application forms for FBA-sanctioned BBQ contests must be reviewed and approved by the FBA Lead Contest Representative prior to printing or mailing.
  7. All applications specified in paragraph 6 (above) shall contain the following text: "A quiet time is in effect from 11:00pm of the night prior to judging until 6:00am the following morning. Failure to observe this quiet time may subject the offender(s) to removal from the contest site."
  8. Contest organizer(s) agrees to pay all sanctioning expenses, as well as specified expenses for official FBA representatives present at the contest (see Section 5).
  9. Contest organizer(s) must submit cook team application for approval by the FBA. The cook team application must state the prizes and payouts for the contest.
  10. Contest organizer(s) assumes responsibility of recruiting cook teams and judges for the contest and agrees to provide the FBA with a list of all teams and judges that includes name, address, phone, fax, e-mail and any other pertinent data for inclusion in the FBA database. And to make contact with all parties including the FBA in the event of a problem.
  11. Contest organizer(s) agrees to provide all specified materials designated by the FBA (see Section 6).
  12. Contest organizer(s) may not cook as part of a cook team nor judge at their contest.
  13. In the event of cancellation of the contest the contest organizer(s) shall immediately notify the FBA representatives by telephone, e-mail or telegram that the contest has been canceled. The contest organizer shall then make contact with all the cook teams and judges and notify them of the cancellation. All entry fees paid by the cook teams shall be reimbursed to the cook teams by the contest organizer within 15 days of the cancellation. The contest organizer shall submit a written document to the FBA indicating the reason for the cancellation and stating that all entry fees paid by the cook teams have been refunded in full. The organizer will forfeit all sanctioning fees paid to the FBA.
  14. Contest organizer(s) agrees to provide free of charge a space in a highly accessible area, either in the cook area or the near the judging area, where the FBA may sell FBA logo merchandise. The Contest organizer(s) further agrees that all profits of such sales are to the sole benefit of the FBA.
  15. Contest organizer(s) is responsible for meat inspection prior to the contest. In the event the FBA is tasked with this chore, meat inspection will begin at noon on the day prior to the contest and end at the Cook Team Meeting. Contest organizer(s) will be responsible for any late arrivals. In no case will meat inspections begin earlier than 8:00am nor later than noon on the day prior to the contest.
  16. The FBA reserves the right to waive any requirement or responsibility.

SECTION 4 - RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FBA TO THE SANCTIONED CONTEST

The following will be provided by the FBA to the contest organizer(s) after sanctioning approval.

  1. The FBA will provide a minimum of three (3) FBA representatives to the sanctioned contest. Where the contest exceeds 50 teams, Professional, Backyard, or a combination of the two, or where there is both a Professional and a Backyard contest regardless of size, the FBA will provide one (1) additional representative. For each additional 10 teams the FBA will provide one (1) additional representative to a maximum of six (6) representatives at a contest. These representatives will act as contacts with the contest organizer prior to the date of the contest and will be on the contest site to monitor the contest and ensure that all FBA rules, regulations, and judging procedures are followed. The FBA will provide the Contest organizer(s) with official FBA rules and regulations.
  2. The FBA will provide the Contest organizer(s) with camera and print ready FBA logos for use as specified in Section 3.
  3. The FBA will provide the Contest organizer(s) with mailing labels for prospective teams and judges.
  4. The FBA will setup a link to provide online judges registration unless requested not to by the Organizer(s).
  5. The FBA will provide judging slips and all necessary computer hardware and software.
  6. The FBA agrees to sanction no contest within 150 miles of any other FBA sanctioned contest on the same dates.

SECTION 5 - SANCTIONING FEES/EXPENSES

As stipulated in Section 2 and Section 3, the Contest organizer(s) agrees to pay the following fees and expenses.

  1. Application fee (non-refundable, due with application) - $50.00
  2. FBA sanctioning fee (non-refundable within the last 30 days prior to the contest) - $550.00 for a total of $600.00 for up to 3 FBA representatives. Each additional FBA representative required as per Section 4, article 1, will require an additional $125.00 in sanctioning fees.The sanctioning fee is effective for any contest sanctioned on or after June 1, 2009. The additional Rep fee is effective immediately.
  3. FBA representative's expenses for round-trip mileage at the prevailing rate, as established by the Internal Revenue Service on the date of the event, or airfare and/or rental car; lodging - maximum three days and $35.00 per day for meals - maximum three days. Contest organizer(s) will make all reservations for lodging.
FBA sanctioning fees must be received by the FBA 60 days prior to date of the contest. The assigned representative(s) and the contest organizer will determine payment of representatives' expenses. In the event of contest cancellation by the contest organizer(s), all previously paid expenses (such as airfare) shall be non-refundable; should sanctioning be canceled by the FBA previously paid expenses shall be refundable.

Contest organizer is responsible for payment of the FBA Representatives' expenses at the end of the contest. If payment is not possible at that time it must be made within 10 days of the contest. Failure to remit timely payment may prevent further FBA sanctioning of the event.

SECTION 6 - REQUIRED MATERIALS PROVIDED BY THE CONTEST ORGANIZER(S)

The following materials will be provided by the Contest organizer(s):

For the cook teams:

  1. "Clamshell" style Styrofoam containers - 9" x 9", un-sectioned with a lid. Minimum of 1 per team per category as well as backup supply of at least 20 containers and lids.
For the turn in area:
  1. Two large tables with two chairs at each table and four additional large tables set end to end away from those two.
  2. Large trays to carry the turn in boxes to the tables.
For the judging area:
  1. Sufficient tables for the judges. 8 chairs per table. Table cloth on the table.
  2. Bottled water - one bottle per judge, replaced as needed.
  3. Napkins or paper towels - 1 package of at least 100 napkins or 2 rolls of paper towel per table, replaced as needed.
  4. Disposable plates - 24 per table.
  5. Four (4) sleeves of soda crackers per table. Or enough individually wrapped crackers for each table.
  6. Cooler with ice and bottled water.
  7. Toothpicks.
  8. Wet naps and / or running water for cleanup.
  9. Sharpened pencils without erasers (i.e. golf scoring pencils). Pencils must be sharpened before the contest and a pencil sharpener must be available. One dozen pencils per table.
For the FBA rep:
  1. RV or dedicated office space for the scoring computer. This space MUST include a dedicated power supply for the computer and printer.
  2. Access to a copier.
  3. A site layout showing the locations of the cook teams.
  4. Updated team entry list showing the categories each team has entered.
  5. Updated team list showing team name, head cook, address and phone number.
  6. Confirmed judges list of all judges that have checked in.
  7. Use of a golf cart or other transportation on and around the contest site.
In addition to the above, the turn in area and judging areas must be protected from the weather and sun.

SECTION 7 - CONTEST RULES AND REGULATIONS

The Florida Barbecue Association Cook Team Rules and Regulations will govern this contest. Click here for the current rules that will be applied to this contest.

SECTION 8 - JUDGE'S SEMINAR

The FBA will present a Judge's Seminar to train and certify judges at any sanctioned FBA contest if requested by the Contest Organizer(s) along the following guidelines.

Responsibilities of the Contest Organizer(s):

  1. Provide a facility, preferably an indoor conference room or similar, with enough tables and chairs for the judge trainees and all judging supplies. (Refer to Section 6 for details)
  2. Cover all travel and lodging expenses as specified in Section 5, paragraph 3.
  3. Provide a cook team to prepare chicken and pork entries for judging. The cook team will cook enough meat to fill at least 1 turn-in box of each category per judging table of 6 judges and a table captain.
Responsibilities of the FBA:
  1. Provide for the trainer.
  2. Provide the Judge's Manuals and Scorecards.
  3. Reimburse either the contest organizer or the appropriate cook team for the cost of the chicken and pork.
  4. Handle all registrations for the class.

SECTION 9 - FBA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS AND TRIPLE CROWN QUALIFIERS

Annually, the FBA Board of Directors shall designate an FBA State Championship in each state where we sanction contests. In order to be considered as an FBA State Championship a contest must have been sanctioned for a minimum of 3 (three) consecutive years, accommodate a minimum of 40 (forty) teams, and have a favorable Rep review for each of those years. No contest can be an FBA State Championship in successive years. Contests wishing to be considered for FBA State Championship must make their desires known in writing prior to the annual FBA Funcook and General Meeting where the Board's selections shall be announced.

There are 9 (nine) Triple Crown Qualifiers each year, three per state. They are made up of the current year's and previous two year's FBA State Championships for that state.

Click here for the list of FBA State Championships over the years.

(Click here for the Request for Sanctioning Form you will need to mail)

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