State Cup Rules

I. The MABA Board of Directors shall select one event in each of the MABA affiliated states as a venue for the MABA State Cup Award. The event must be a four category KCBS style BBQ contest and be sanctioned by MABA, or other recognized sanctioning body approved by the MABA board. The board may select to change the State Cup venues from one year to the next depending on the event organizers and the MABA Board of Directors.

II. There must be a minimum of 20 current MABA member teams in a specific state for MABA to award a state cup. If there are less than 20 current MABA member teams in a state, the Board of Directors may vote to overrule this requirement, but this must be done and advertised prior to the beginning of the competition season. In the event that there are not sufficient teams in a member State the teams in that State shall have the option of choosing and being eligible for one MABA Cup event in another adjoining state. This choice will be in effect for that competition year and may be revisited at the beginning of the next calendar year.

III. The MABA Board of Directors must announce which events are MABA State Cup events prior to the first event of the year in all of the MABA affiliated states.

IV. A competition year shall be defined as January 1st thru December 31st.

V. A team is eligible to win a state cup if they are native to that event state. Teams must be MABA members in good standings prior to one hour after the Cook’s meeting and expiring no earlier than the day after the event awards.

VI.  Teams are identified as MABA member teams by their membership information in the database, documented from their application or renewal.

1. In order to be eligible, The BBQ team information (team name & designated chief cook) must be filled out in the member’s profile. The team’s state affiliation is determined by the residence of its chief cook. In the event that the chief cook relocates, the state affiliation will change. In the event that the chief cook changes, the state affiliation will change to the chief cook’s home state the following competition year. In any event, no chief cook or team may be awarded more than one State cup per competition year.

VII. The native team with the highest overall placing shall be declared the MABA State Cup Winner for that state, for that year. Teams do not have to be a grand champion to win the State Cup Award. MABA State Cup is awarded based solely on contest placement order, and is not based on any point system, current or future. MABA State Cup Award has no bearing on MABA Team of the Year Award.

VIII. Winning teams shall be awarded a trophy and a cash prize; other prizes may be awarded as well.

IX. In the case of event cancellation caused by weather, lack of participation or other unforeseen act of God or nature, MABA State Cup will be moved to another event within that state, at the sole discretion of the Board, pursuant to availability of an event within said state. If no event is or can be selected that meets any of the above criteria for selection, there will be no MABA State Cup awarded for that state for that year.