What to do?

I've judged a backyard competition 3 or 4 times, but it was in conjunction with a standard KCBS event, so the same judges scored both. I use the same scoring standards but this particular backyard contest had different categories, and the garnish rules were relaxed, so this in itself probably resulted in slightly higher scores.... when the cook teams took full advantage of the rules that is.

The backyard categories were:

Chicken
Pork
Beef
Anything But
Dessert

The garnish could be edible and was not limited to KCBS approved garnish, so fruit, veggies, cheese, or breads were okay.

The chicken entries were usually typical pieces, but I recall getting variations like Buffalo hot wings or mini skewers on toothpicks.

Pork could be ribs or shoulder, but most were tenderloin or loin with an occasional sausage entry.

Beef entries were often strips of a rib steak or a fillet, but I've seen meatballs, meatloaf, sliders, and of course brisket.

Anything But was just that, and sometimes it would be seafood.

Dessert was something to look forward to.

Well they’re not in a professional competition... so the competitors are probably just your neighbor cooking for a good time. I say give the benefit of the doubt to the teams.

If you were the plate umpire in a amateur baseball game, do you widen the strike zone? If you a judging an gymnastics contest do you give a gymnast a 10? I would say no, as long as the other judges are in agreement in how they are going to score. I think it would better to judge people per the "pro" standards, then they will have a better idea how much they need to improve to compete at the pro level. How would you define a perfect score in a backyard contest? What does THAT BBQ look like/taste like/tenderness? I think that every judge would have a different standard of what that is. It's hard enough to define at the pro level, let alone trying to "adjust" your score for the fact that its a backyard event.

Coming from a guy who use to cook backyard comps. Treat them as if they were pro teams. Why? There are probably a few that will want to make the jump eventually. You aren't doing them any favors by inflating their scores.
If anything your inflating their egos.
Heck I had a pretty decent run in the unsanctioned comps. Went pro at Sam's Club in Harrisburg and got owned. I learned a heck of alot but maybe I wouldn't have jumped in dropping the kind of money I did at the contest I did. Probably had about a grand into that comp.
Were my scores in unsanctioned events inflated? Probably. Does that help me? No. I was trying to learn and I think that the backyard comps did not help much.
So yeah be honest and use the whole scoring range. Give them a real evaluation of their skills.
Afterwards maybe approach a team or two and talk about what you look for as a judge.
I imagine having a conversation with an experienced judge would help alot.

Judge as presented. Letting someone believe that they are turning in a better product than they actually are isn't doing them a favor. I'm one of those whiny cooks that appreciates judges that will use the range to accurately reflect the product they judge.

As a starter team myself in backyard (1st comp coming in 3 weeks) id lean towards... judge me as you would anyone else , even pros. Cause i cant get better if i dont know where im lacking at.

I find myself constantly asking friends an family that i use to judge now on practice cook , hey tell me truth , cause all your family will always tell you its best ever done ...but in back of your mind ...you know

id say comments would help most on back yard guys more than anything , if gonna give a 7 ....what would help it be an 8 or 9.