Bull Riding Basics
The RideThe total score possible for a bull ride is 100 points. Half of that total is based on the performance of the bull and how difficult he is to ride. Judges look for bulls with speed, power, drop in the front end, kick in the back end, directions changed and body rolls. A body roll occurs when a bull is in the air and kicks either his hind feet or all four feet to the side. The more of these characteristics a bull displays during a ride, the higher the mark is for the bull. Judges are allowed to award a cowboy a re-ride if they feel the bull did not perform at the level of other bulls in the competition and, therefore did not give the rider a fair chance to earn a high score. Only the sport's best bucking bulls are used at the Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series events. PBR Livestock Director Cody Lambert works with more than 20 stock contractors - the people who own and lease bulls to the PBR - to ensure that the pool of bulls used at each event are the highest caliber possible. Most Built Ford Tough Series events feature an estimated 75 bulls that are supplied by as many as six different PBR stock contractors.
The other half of the ride is determined by the rider's ability to match the moves of the bull beneath him. Judges look for constant control and good body position throughout the ride. Spurring the bull is not required but extra "style points" are awarded for doing so. The rider must stay aboard the bull for eight seconds. The clock begins when the bull's shoulder or hip crosses the plane of the bucking chutes and stops when the bull rider's hand comes out of the rope or he touches the ground. The bull rider must ride with one hand and is disqualified if he touches himself or the bull during the eight-second ride.
The Events
The Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series consists of 31 regular-season events and the World Finals in Las Vegas. Most regular-season events are two-day competitions, and each follows the same format: the top 45 bull riders each ride one bull the first night of competition and one bull the second night of competition. The 15 riders with the highest total score on two bulls qualify for a third round of competition that takes place after intermission on the second night. The overall event winner is the bull rider with the highest three-ride total. The format is the same for those events that are one-day contests except the 45 riders only ride one bull in the preliminary round, and a two-ride total determines the overall winner.
The Judges
The judges who officiate events are hired based on strict and extensive qualifications maintained by the PBR Board of Directors and members. Additionally, PBR members have established a judging committee that regularly meets to discuss performance and accuracy when judging. Each Built Ford Tough Series event employs five judges. Four judges have 50 points to distribute for each ride (25 points for the bull and 25 for the rider). The total from each of the judges is added together then divided by two to get the rider and bull score. The fifth judge, positioned on the announcer stand reviews replays in the event of an infraction or when a contestant challenges a ruling. The decision of the replay judge is final.
Frequently asked questions about bull riding rules, scoring and event format:
Q: How is a bull ride scored?
A: The total score possible for a bull ride is 100 points. Half of the ride is determined by the rider’s ability to match moves with the bull beneath him. Judges look for constant control and good body position throughout the ride. Spurring the bull is not required but extra ‘style points’ are awarded for doing so. The rider must stay aboard the bull for eight seconds. The clock begins when the bull’s head, hip or shoulder crosses the plain of the bucking chutes. It stops when the bull rider’s hand comes out of the rope or he touches the ground. The bull rider must ride with one hand and is disqualified if he touches himself or the bull with his free hand during the eight-second ride.
The other half of the score is based on the performance of the bull and how difficult he is to ride. Judges look for bulls with speed, power, drop in the front end, kick in the back end, direction changes and body rolls. A body rolls occurs when a bull is in the air and kicks either his hind feet or all four feet to the side. The more of these characteristics a bull displays during a ride, the higher the mark is for the bull. A bull is given a score even if the rider does not stay on for the full eight seconds.
Q: Does a bull rider get to pick his bull and what is a ‘draw’?
A: A bull rider never selects the bull he rides in PBR competition. Rather, for each event the PBR’s national headquarters in Colorado is provided a list of bucking bulls selected to compete (the list is provided by PBR Livestock Director Cody Lambert). Once this list is received, the bull riders are randomly matched with a bull via a computer. The list of bull riders and the bulls with which they are paired is called the ‘draw.’ The draw for each event is posted on pbrnow.com each week, usually the Wednesday prior to an event. If a bull rider says he has a ‘good draw’ it means he is happy with the bull that he was randomly selected to ride.
Q: What is a ‘reride’?
A: Judges are allowed to award a cowboy a reride – a second ride on a different bull - if they feel his first bull did not perform at the level of other bulls in the competition and, therefore, did not give the rider a fair chance to earn a high score. The reride bulls are selected prior to the event and kept with the other bulls in the event a reride is awarded and the bull is needed in competition.
Q: What is a stock contractor?
A: PBR Livestock Director Cody Lambert works with more than 20 stock contractors --- the people who own and lease bulls to the PBR --- to ensure that the pool of bulls used at each event are the highest caliber possible. Most Built Ford Tough Series events feature an estimated 75 bulls that are supplied by as many as six different PBR stock contractors. Only the sport’s best bucking bulls are used at PBR Built Ford Tough Series events.
Q: Who determines a bull rider’s score?
A: Each Built Ford Tough Series event employs three judges. Two judges have 50 points to distribute for each ride (25 points for the bull and 25 for the rider). The total from each of these two judges is added together to get the ride’s total score. The third judge, positioned on the back of the bucking chute where each ride originates, also keeps score in the event that a tiebreaker is necessary in determining the overall winner. Four judges officiate at the PBR Built Ford Tough Series World Championships.
Q: How do I know which bull riders and bulls are competing at an upcoming event?
A: The draw for each Built Ford Tough Series event is posted on PBR Fantasy (current draw) and www.pbrnow.com 3-4 days prior to the event. The draw shows which bull riders are scheduled for competition and which bulls they will ride.
Q: What is the format of each Built Ford Tough Series Series event and what is a ‘round’?
A: Most regular-season Built Ford Tough Series events are two-day competitions, and each follow the same format: the top 45 bull riders each ride one bull the first night of competition and one bull the second night of competition. These are the event’s preliminary rounds.
The 15 riders with the highest total score on two bulls qualify for a third round of competition, called the Built Ford Tough Championship Round, which takes place after intermission on the second night. The overall event winner is the bull rider with the highest three-ride total.
The format is the same for those Built Ford Tough Series events that are one-day contests except there is only one preliminary round. This means that each cowboy rides only one bull in his attempt to qualify for the Built Ford Tough Championship Round, and a two-ride total score determines the overall winner.
Q: What is the ‘short go’ or ‘short go round’?
A: The ‘short go’ or ‘short go round’ is a slang term for the Built Ford Tough Championship Round. This round is reserved for the 15 riders with the highest total scores in the preliminary rounds.
