Scoring rules

Each of the 6 judges gives every box three scores, from 1 to 9: appearance, taste and tenderness. The digits are weighted and added up:

appearance × 0.56 + taste × 2.2972 + tenderness × 1.1428

A perfect slip, 9 in all three, is worth 36.0000 points. Taste carries the most weight, then tenderness, then appearance.

Example: a slip of 9, 8, 9 is 9 × 0.56 = 5.0400, 8 × 2.2972 = 18.3776 and 9 × 1.1428 = 10.2852, which makes 33.7028.

The 6 slips for a box are scored, and the single lowest slip is thrown out. Exactly 5 slips count. If two slips tie for the lowest score, only one is thrown out; it makes no difference which, because tied slips are identical.

A category total is the 5 counted slips added up. A perfect box is 5 perfect slips, 180 points.

Entries are ranked by category total, highest first.

If two entries have the same total, these steps are tried in order until one entry is ahead:

1. Cumulative taste: the taste digits on the counted slips, added up. Higher wins.
2. Cumulative tenderness: the tenderness digits on the counted slips, added up. Higher wins.
3. Cumulative appearance: the appearance digits on the counted slips, added up. Higher wins.
4. The higher dropped slip: the score of the slip that was thrown out. Higher wins.
5. A recorded coin toss. The last resort, when entries are level on every step above.

With these weights, two entries with the same total almost always have the same digit sums as well, so the early steps rarely separate them. In practice the higher dropped slip usually decides a tie, and a coin toss is rarely needed.

The overall result adds up an entry's 4 category totals (at most 720 points). Only entries that entered all 4 categories are ranked overall.

If two entries have the same overall total, the same steps are applied to the Brisket box only: cumulative taste, then tenderness, then appearance over its 5 counted slips, then its higher dropped slip, then a recorded coin toss. The other categories play no part in breaking an overall tie.

A tray that is disqualified, or never turned in, scores 0 in that category and is ranked last there. It has no judge slips. The entry stays in the overall, with 0 for that category.

A coin toss is drawn by the scoring system when it is needed. The order is recorded with the results and in the audit log, and it is never redrawn. Results are not published while a tie that needs a toss has none recorded.