The U.S. Pizza Team will be holding it's next trials at the International Restaurant & Food Service Show of New York on March 1st
Official U.S. Pizza Team Rules
A maximum of 30 contestants will be allowed to compete in each category. Registration fees also include show admission (if contestant pre-registers). Contestants must be 18 years old to compete. Only two contestants per business are allowed to enter. Only registered contestants will be allowed to participate; no substitutes allowed. All official dough recipes can be found at www.uspizzateam.com.
Largest Dough Stretch Rules
Contestants will have 5 minutes to hand-stretch or toss on 18-ounce dough ball as large as possible without tearing the dough. Rolling pins or other devices are not allowed. The douh will be made with cold water and half the yeast in order t oprovide the best stretching results. Dusting flour can be used (no oil or cornmeal). Holes in the dough can be repaired as long as it is done within the five minute time limit. The dough will be placed on the floor to be measured before the time limit expires. The contestants will have only 30 seconds to place the dough on the ground. If the contestant puts the dough down at 4:30, he will be able to make use of the full 5-minute limit. If he puts the dough down any time before that (for example 3:00) his time will expire 30 seconds later. The dough must be in round or oval form and have no sharp edges. Dough with holes bigger than the size of a quarter will be disqualified. A measurement of the widest and narrowest distances across the dough will be averaged to yield a score. Contestants must be ready to be judged at a scheduled time.
Freestyle Acrobatic Pizza Tossing Rules
The acrobatic pizza contest will be scored in two parts. The first part will be a series of compulsory demonstrations for which you will be required to perform certain tricks that are featured on the Learn to Throw Dough video. These tricks will be judged on ease of movement, smoothness and knowledge of the tricks. The list of tricks is:
- The basic toss with two doughs (10 possible points)
- The whip (10 possible points)—First, a demonstration of the trick, followed by one as fast as possible
- Under-the-leg (10 possible points)—First, a demonstration of the trick, followed by one as fast as possible
- Behind-the-back and over-the-shoulder (10 possible points)—First, a demonstration of the trick, followed by one as fast as possible
This part will count for 40 points that will be added to your 60 performance points to make your final score. The second part will be a dough-throwing performance that will be scored on a 60-point scale by three to five judges. The three categories are:
- Originality (10 possible points)—creativity of the routine, music, new approaches to tossing, new tricks
- Presentation (20 possible points)—entertainment value, choreography, smoothness, connection with the audience
- Difficulty of the routine (30 possible points)—variety of tricks, difficulty of tricks
A sound system will be provided; you must provide your own music on a CD at the time of check-in. Contestants must be ready to be judged at the scheduled time. Prep table will be provided. Contestants are given ten 8-ounce dough balls. Just before the contestant is ready to perform, two dough balls will be combined to form a total of five 16-ounce dough balls. The dough will be provided and made with cold water, using about half the normal amount of yeast. Create a throwing routine using five dough balls and set to the music of the contestant’s choice. Contestants will have two to five minutes to perform their routine.
Official Dough Throwing Recipe
Fastest Pizza Maker Rules
Contestants will start with five 10-ounce dough balls. The dough is stretched to cover 12-inch screens. Only dusting flour may be used to aid the participant. Oils, water, and other substances are prohibited. Once finished, the time is taken. If judges find the dough doesn’t completely cover the screen (including the rim) or if there are holes in the dough, the contestants will be given another chance to stretch the dough with the extra time added to the final time.
Official Fastest Pizza Maker Recipe
Pizza Triathlon
Contestants entering all three categories will also be considered for the pizza triathlon. This is a combination of the Largest Dough Stretch, Fastest Pizza Maker, and Freestyle Acrobatics. Each category is worth 100 points for a total score of 300 points possible. Scoring will be attributed as follows:
- The winner of the Largest Dough Stretch will receive 100 points; the second-place winner will receive 95 points; the rest of the contestants will be scored for each inch smaller than the second-place winner, one more point will be subtracted. For example, if the second-place winner has 30 inches and the third-place winner has 27 inches, the second-place winner will receive 95 points and the third-place winner will receive 92 points.
- The winner of the Fastest Pizza Maker will receive 100 points; the second-place winner will receive 95 points, the third-place winner will receive 93 points and each person below third-place receivers 3 points less.
- The winner of Freestyle Acrobatic will receive 100 points; everyone else will receive their actual points earned since Freestyle Acrobatics is already judged on a 100-point system and those scores can directly translate
The person with the highest triathlon score will win a trip to Europe to compete with the US Pizza Team in an international pizza contest. If, for some reason, the winner cannot attend, his trip will be forfeited and the second-place winner will be offered the trip. In the case of a tie for the first-place spot, the tie-breaker will be based on the highest score received in the Freestyle Acrobatic Category.
