PBR Teams takes what was nearly 30 years an individual sport and puts riders on teams. The world’s best compete on teams in 5-on-5 bull riding games during an 12-event regular season culminating in a championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Oct. 18-20, 2024.

There are ten teams competing in the 2024 season. The founding teams are the Arizona Ridge Riders, Austin Gamblers, Carolina Cowboys, Florida Freedom, Kansas City Outlaws, Missouri Thunder, Nashville Stampede, and Texas Rattlers. In 2024, the league expanded, with the New York Mavericks, and Oklahoma Wildcatters joining.

Two of the ten teams face off in a head-to-head battle, and the team with the highest aggregate score from their five riders wins the game.

Each event day, eight of the ten teams compete in head-to-head, 5-on-5 games (totaling four games per event day). The team with the highest aggregate score from the respective matchup will win that game.

The season has 12 regular-season events leading to a championship in Las Vegas, making for an 13-event season. Each of the ten teams host a homestand, plus participate in two regular-season neutral site events. Each team will compete in 28 games during the regular season.

In 2024, teams are no longer competing for event wins.

During each day of the events, a given team will play one game against another team, with the aggregate score determining a win, loss or tie. (If both teams fail to record a ride score after five outs, both teams are given a loss.)

At the end of the four games, the winning teams will compete in a shootout round for additional prize money. The shootout round is similar to penalty kick shootouts seen in soccer. The highest score in the shootout round will result in additional prize money for that rider's respective team, but will not affect wins or the standings.

As with other team sports leagues, game wins and losses are crucial. Wins and losses at the end of the 12-event regular season determine the playoff seeding going into the PBR Teams Championship. The two teams that finish first and second in the regular-season standings will receive a first-round bye.

During the regular season, teams that win their respective games on event days will compete in the shootout round. Shootout rounds will feature one rider per team with a win that day. The team coach designates any rider from the final event roster to compete in the shootout round. The high-marked qualified score in the shootout round will result in additional prize money for the rider’s team, and the event day will conclude. If there are no qualified rides in the shootout round, the tiebreaker will be the teams' aggregate scores from the event.

Teams have a roster of up to seven “protected roster” riders and up to five “reserve roster” riders. Teams can then use free agency to sign riders to their rosters. During competition, teams have five starters and up to seven riders on their bench. These riders can be subbed in/out of games throughout an event weekend, giving teams flexibility for optimal performance.

In regular-season and Championship games as well as during shootout rounds, a coach may make an in-game roster substitution, but only in the instances of a re-ride award, if the team is mathematically unable to win the game, or if the team has clinched the game win. The rider must consent to the substitution.

Yes – for the most intense 8 seconds in sports, hang onto the bull rope and don’t touch the bull with your free arm or the ground.

Five bulls via eight bull pens will be randomly drawn to teams. Coaches will work with their riders to determine bull assignments, which may change from game to game within an event.

The 2024 season culminates with the PBR Teams Championship in Las Vegas on Oct. 18-20 at T-Mobile Arena. Our Championship is an elimination-tournament format with all teams participating. The top two teams in the regular season receive first-round byes. The teams finishing No. 7-10 in the regular season will compete in a four-way game to determine which two teams advance to the rest of the competition. The elimination format includes a Last Chance Game for losing teams to attempt to win their way back into the championship race before Championship Sunday.

There will be a $100,000 League MVP based on the highest individual aggregate score total across all outs in the season and a $3,000 event day MVP for the highest aggregate score across each event day.

Riders cannot compete twice in a given game. However, a rider who rides in a game is eligible to ride in the shootout round that day. If a team doesn’t have five available riders for a game, they forfeit the rides.

Teams may trade protected roster riders up until the trade deadline, which is Sept. 25, 2024. In addition, teams can trade future draft picks, cash and/or future considerations. Teams cannot trade riders on the reserve roster.

All teams will bring at least six riders to each regular-season event. Each game features five riders designated by the coach. Throughout an event, coaches may rotate their starting lineup as they see fit. There are also up to five riders on the reserve roster who may be called up to compete.

There are three types of injured reserve: Pre-Season, Regular Season and Full Season. Teams may have up to two riders on Pre-Season and Regular Season IR at any one time. Riders on Pre-Season IR have to miss a minimum of the first five events. Riders on Regular Season IR have to miss a minimum of two events. Teams may have as many riders as they want on Full Season IR, but riders on Full Season IR are not eligible to ride again until the 2025 season.

PBR Camping World Team Series Glossary

Active Roster: A group of riders drafted and/or signed to a team’s Protected Roster and/or Reserve Roster. Any team’s roster may include up to 12 riders plus up to two riders designated to Injured Reserve (who are thus ineligible to compete in PBR sanctioned events, while on Injured Reserve).

Alternate: A rider on a team’s Protected Roster or Reserve Roster which attends a game and may participate if a rider in the Starting Lineup cannot compete.

American Bucking Bull Inc ("ABBI"): The registry agency for all PBR bucking bulls that is responsible for selection of bulls for PBR Camping World Team Series events.

Away From His Hand: The term used by bull riders to describe when a bull spins in the opposite direction of their riding hand. For example, a right-handed bull rider on a bull that spins to the left is riding a bull "away from his hand."

Buckoff: When a rider is thrown from the bull before the required 8 seconds, he has bucked off and does not earn a score.

Bullfighters: PBR bullfighters distract the bull away from a rider who has been bucked off or who has dismounted following an out. These tough and courageous athletes allow the rider to get back onto his feet and out of harm’s way and are sure not to harm the bovine athletes in doing so.

Challenge Flag: The yellow flag thrown into the arena and used by a team’s coaching staff or designated team personnel to indicate to the judges that they are initiating a challenge. Often thrown in relation to a foul, time or disqualification status.

Chute: Each bull ride originates from a gated, steel box called a chute. The rider and the bull remain in their designated chute until the arena is clear and the rider has wrapped his hand into his bull rope. When the rider is ready, he nods his head, signaling the gate man to open the chute gate, releasing the bull and allowing the out to begin.

Daysheet: A digital document displaying any given event’s matchups, rider scores, bull scores and placements within individual competition formats. Specifically used for individual competition. A "Starting Lineup" displays similar information, but used specifical for the PBR Camping World Team Series.

Foul: If something happens during the ride that gives the bull an unfair advantage over the bull rider, it is considered a foul, and the rider is given the option of a re-ride. Examples of fouls include the bull making contact with the bucking chute at the beginning of the ride, or if the flank strap falls off before the ride has been completed.

Free Hand: The hand not used to grip the bull rope and must stay in the air throughout the ride. If the free hand makes contact with the bull or rider before 8 seconds elapse, the rider will be disqualified and will not receive a score.

Hung Up: If a rider is unable to free his hand from his bull rope when dismounting, he is "hung up," and often requires the assistance of bullfighters to release him. Proper usage is to refer to a rider being "hung up on" a bull, though bull riders will sometimes use the term "hung up to" a bull.

Injured Reserve Rider ("Injured Reserve" or "IR"): A Rider designated by their general manager to the team’s Injured Reserve, who is unable to compete in PBR sanctioned events due to injury.

Into His Hand: The scenario where a bull spins in the same direction of the rider’s riding hand. For example, if a right-handed rider is on a bull that spins to the right then he is riding a bull "Into his hand."

PBR Camping World Team Series: A 5-on-5, team-based series where riders compete on behalf of one of eight founding organizations over the course of a 10-event regular season, eventually culminating in the PBR Teams Championship in Las Vegas. The team to log a higher aggregate score during its five opportunities wins the game.

PBR Camping World Team Series MVP: The rider to record the most qualified rides throughout the PBR Camping World Team Series regular season will be named the series’ Most Valuable Player and receive a check for $100,000. Jose Vitor Leme of the Austin Gamblers is the only MVP in league history, winning the honors two years in a row.

Protected Roster: A roster of up to seven riders per team exclusive to that team who are eligible to compete in PBR Camping World Team Series events. These riders cannot be signed by other teams, whereas riders on the Reserve Roster can be, if agreed upon between the rider and team.

Qualified Ride: If a rider reaches 8 seconds without being disqualified, he has completed a qualified ride and therefore earns a score.

Re-Ride: A judge may grant a rider a re-ride if the bull suffers a foul during the out or if he feels that the bull did not perform at a level comparable to the other bulls in the competition, therefore not giving the rider a fair chance to earn a score. Potential re-ride bulls are selected prior to the event.

Reserve Roster: A group of up to five riders that may be selected by their team for competition in PBR Camping World Team Series and/or PBR Challenger Series events. Because they are not part of a team’s Protected Roster, they can be signed by other teams, if agreed upon between the rider and team.

Ride Score: Each PBR ride is worth up to 100 points – 50 points for the bull, and 50 points for the rider if he successfully rides the bull for 8 seconds. Four judges award up to 25 points each to the rider and the bull. All four of the judges’ scores are combined and then divided by two for the official score.

Shootout Round: Additional rides used to award additional prize money to the winning team at the conclusion of an event day. Shootout rounds consist of one additional round of bull riding competition to culminate an event featuring all teams that recorded a game win on the current event day. Shootout rounds will be staged after the final game of each regular-season event day. This new format will replace the "Bonus Round" of tie-breaking format used during the inaugural season and the "Extra Outs" format that was used in 2023.

SkyStart: A.I. based computer and camera system that triggers the start of the ride clock according to PBR rules. SkyStart cameras are implemented on each side of the bucking chutes and images are processed in real time by a central computer system which is operated from the scoring and timing office. Season two marks the first season with this new software in place, which aims to ensure accuracy in judging ride attempts.

Slap: If a rider makes contact with the bull with his free hand during a ride, it is called a slap. He is disqualified from the out and does not receive a score.

Starting Lineup: A digital document displaying PBR Teams riders on a game roster who are expected to participate in the game and have been assigned to a bull matchup for their respective team’s game.

Stock Contractors: Any individual, related personnel (including flanker), or entity involved in raising, care of and transportation of bucking bulls selected for PBR Teams Series Event competitions.

Wreck: When a rider is bucked off, then subsequently horned and/or stomped by the bull, he has been involved in a wreck.