1. Competitor

A competitor is any individual, group, restaurant, etc. (hereinafter referred to as a team) that will prepare and cook an entry or entries for the purpose of being judged according to LDRC Rib Fest rules at the Smoke Under the Oaks contest.

• Each team will be comprised of a chief cook and up to three (3) assistants.
• No team shall be permitted to cook in the contest as two separate teams using the same team name with a suffix or prefix.
• No LDRC Board Member may cook in any category of the Smoke Under the Oaks BBQ contest.
• No team shall enter more than one turn-in box per meat category in the contest.
• Neither a family member of a competing cook team nor any cook team member may enter the judging area at any time during the contest.
• All cook teams must have the chief cook or at least one representative present at the Cook Team Meeting held the evening prior to the contest. If not possible, the chief cook shall contact the Competitor Manager. Teams absent accept all responsibility for understanding these rules and any changes. Violation may result in disqualification.
• The chief cook or authorized team representative will be required to sign a copy of the competitor's rules at the Cook Team Meeting.
• Chief cooks and/or assistants may only cook for their designated team at the contest.

2. Interpretation of the Rules

The decisions and interpretations of the Competitor Rules are at the discretion of the LDRC Contest representatives at the contest. Their decisions and interpretations are final to the extent consistent with the rules.

• No LDRC representative may deviate from nor change any contest rule during the contest.

3. Equipment

Any wood, charcoal, or wood pellet fired cookers (homemade or commercially manufactured) will be allowed. Each team supplies all equipment necessary including a cooker, wood, charcoal, or wood pellets. Electrical accessories such as spits, augers, or forced draft are permitted. Propane or electric is permitted only as fire starters, provided that the competition meat is not in/on the cooking device (see condition #4). The competitor manager may inspect cooking equipment before and during the contest.

• No team may share a cooker or grill with another team.
• No open pits or holes are permitted. Fires shall not be built on the ground.
• No electric, gas, wood, charcoal or wood pellet fryers are permitted during the cooking process.
• If a generator is used, noise cannot exceed 57 dB at rated load and it must be kept secured from the public in all directions.

4. Cooking Fuels

The only approved cooking media are wood, charcoal, or wood pellets. Gas or any electrical heating element may be used only to start the initial fire or burn barrels, charcoal chimneys, etc. A gas starter, gas flame, or electrical heating element may not be used in the cooker after the meat has entered the cooker or during the cooking process. Gas bottles must be disconnected and removed from the cooking area once the fire has started.

• Competitors must adhere to all electrical, fire, and other codes. A fire extinguisher shall be near all cooking devices, supplied by the team.

5. Competitor's Site / Cooking Area

Each team will be assigned a cooking space. All equipment including cooker, canopy/tent, trailer, tables, or generators must be contained and secured within this space.

• It is recommended that each team pitch a canopy within/over their space and display their team name and team number.
• Any cooking of the meat shall be done within the assigned cooking space.
• Teams shall not share an assigned cooking space.

6. Cleanliness and Sanitation

All teams are expected to maintain their cook spaces in an orderly and clean manner and to use good sanitary practices during preparation, cooking, and judging. All federal, state, and local food safety rules and regulations must be complied with at all times.

• The use of sanitary gloves is required at all times while handling food. Failure to use sanitary gloves may result in disqualification.
• No use of tobacco products while handling meat.
• Shirt and shoes are required to be worn.
• The work area (tables, etc.) of each team must be sanitized. A bleach/water rinse (one cap bleach per gallon of water) is recommended.
• All teams should have a first aid kit. First aid is not required to be provided by the contest.
• It is the responsibility of the chief cook to assure that the team's assigned cooking space is clean and orderly following the contest. All fires must be put out and equipment removed from the site.
• Any team's assigned cooking space left in disarray or with loose trash may result in disqualification (even after awards) or prohibition from future contests.

7. Competitor Behavior

A cook team is responsible jointly and severally for its chief cook, team members, and guests. All teams, including members and guests, are expected and required to exhibit proper and courteous behavior at all times and to know and adhere to local laws.

• No alcoholic beverages will be distributed to the general public by cook teams.
• Excessive or continued unfounded/unsubstantiated complaints to the competitor manager or any LDRC staff may constitute grounds for disqualification and/or prohibition from future contests.

8. Meat Inspection

All meats must be USDA or FDACS inspected and approved. No cooking of any entry is permitted until after inspection by the competitor manager or an LDRC-designated meat inspector.

• All competition meat shall start out raw and, once inspected, shall not leave the cooking space until judging.
• Prior to cooking, all meat resting in preparation must be covered at all times.
• All meats must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F.
• After cooking, all meat must be maintained at a minimum temperature of 140°F in a covered container until turned in for judging.
• All entry ribs must have meat on the bone.

9. Barbecue

For the purposes of the Smoke Under the Oaks contest, cooking the competition meat can only occur on a device described in conditions #3 and #4. Parboiling, sous-vide, and/or deep-frying competition meat is not allowed.

10. Causes for Disqualification and Immediate Eviction

A team and/or guests may be disqualified and immediately evicted for any of the following:

• Serving alcoholic beverages to the general public.
• Excessive use of alcoholic beverages or public intoxication with a disturbance.
• Serving additional food items or side dishes to the public.
• Use of illegal controlled substances.
• Foul, abusive, or unacceptable language or any language causing a disturbance.
• Fighting and/or disorderly conduct.
• Use of gas or other auxiliary heat sources inside the cooking device.
• Theft, dishonesty, cheating, use of prohibited meats, or any act involving moral turpitude.
• Excessive noise, including from speakers (radios, CD players, TVs, amplifying equipment) that creates a disturbance.
• Violation of any of the LDRC Rib Fest Competitor's Rules above (#1–10).

11. Judging

LDRC allows for blind judging only. Entries will be submitted in a turn-in box provided by LDRC contest staff. Only the entry to be judged is allowed in the turn-in box. Marking the box in any way shall disqualify the entry, including any handwriting or mechanically made mark inside or outside the box, and extends to using toothpicks, skewers, or any other foreign material. Marked entries outside the provisions under Presentation will receive a one (1) in all criteria from all judges and be disqualified. Each entry will be judged on:

• Presentation: Garnish is optional — if used, it is limited to leafy greens (shredded, chopped, sliced, or whole leaves). No other color than green or shades of green is allowed. If no garnish is used, the team shall place one piece of aluminum foil inside the box to cover only the bottom. Either garnish or foil will be used, but not both.
• Taste/Flavor: Ribs will be graded on taste. Sauce is optional. If used, it shall be applied directly to the meat and not be pooled or puddled in the turn-in box. No side sauce containers permitted. Chunky sauce allowed, chunks no larger than a fine dice (~1/8 inch cubed).
• Tenderness/Texture: Each entry rib must have texture when the judge picks it up and bites into it. Ribs must be tender but not falling off the bone. Only pork ribs, meat on the bone — no chopped, pulled, or sliced rib meat loose in the box.

12. Sculpting Meat

The meat shall not be sculpted, carved, branded, or presented in a way to make it identifiable. Rosettes of meat slices are not allowed. Violations will be scored a one (1) on all criteria by all judges.

13. Causes for Disqualification from Judging

An entry can be disqualified for any of the following reasons:

• There is evidence of marking or sculpting.
• There is anything in the turn-in box besides the meat and garnish/one piece of aluminum foil.
• There is evidence of blood such that the meat is uncooked.
• There is not a minimum of five (5) separate and indistinguishable portions/ribs.
• The entry is turned in after the officially designated time.
• There are violations of the Cleanliness and Sanitation rules (e.g., failure to use gloves while handling food).
• Not cooking the meat that was inspected.
• Posting pictures, videos, or descriptions of a team's turn-in box to social media or to a judge before the awards ceremony.

14. Sauce for the Public

Any competitor providing additional sauce or sauces for the ribs to the public must, at a minimum, have the sauce clearly labeled MILD, MEDIUM, or HOT. The sauces must be available in a sanitary container.