Live contest
Gather everybody in one room and have contestants perform their faces one at a time.
This works well for family gatherings, parties, game nights, holiday gatherings, or any event that has become suspiciously respectable.
A highly scientific party-planning resource
How to Host an Ugly Face Contest
Need a ridiculous family game, party activity, or excuse for respectable adults to make terrible decisions with their facial muscles? An ugly face contest requires almost no equipment, very little preparation, and absolutely no dignity.
The short version
Everybody makes their ugliest face. Everybody else judges.
That is basically the entire sport.
You can make an ugly face contest as casual or unnecessarily official as you want. QUFC strongly supports the second option. Add scorecards, categories, prizes, dramatic introductions, certificates, or anything else that makes a deeply unserious activity feel alarmingly legitimate.
Step 1
Gather the necessary equipment.
Fortunately, the equipment list is extremely sophisticated.
- At least two willing contestants
- Faces
- A camera or phone if you want photographic evidence
- Judges, voters, or an extremely opinionated family
- Optional scorecards
- Optional prize for whoever achieves facial greatness
Step 2
Establish the rules.
Keep them simple enough that contestants spend more time ruining their faces than studying the rulebook.
Simple ugly face contest rules
- Each contestant gets a turn to make their ugliest face.
- Contestants may use any facial expression they want.
- Judges score or vote after seeing each entry.
- The highest-rated ugly face wins.
- No contestant may file an appeal with the QUFC Supreme Court, because it does not exist.
Important facial philosophy
Don't tell contestants what face to make.
The fun comes from letting people decide for themselves how far they are willing to go.
Avoid assigning specific expressions, poses, or difficulty levels. One contestant might weaponize their eyebrows. Another may discover an alarming ability to relocate their lower jaw. Let creativity — and poor judgment — do the work.
Step 3
Decide how you're judging this disaster.
You can use a simple vote, or you can become unnecessarily professional about the whole thing.
Easy option
Everyone votes for the ugliest face.
Ridiculously official option
Score contestants using categories such as expression, creativity, commitment, overall ugliness, or whatever standards your organization considers academically defensible.
QUFC already maintains a suspiciously serious judging system.
Study the QUFC Rubric →Step 4
Pick your contest format.
Photo contest
Each contestant takes a photo of their ugliest face. Put the entries together and vote afterward.
The photographic evidence also ensures nobody can later deny participating.
Remote Face-Off
Contestants don't even need to be in the same room. Make a terrible face, send it to somebody, and challenge them to do worse.
📸 Start a QUFC Face-Off →Step 5
Award something completely disproportionate.
The prize does not need to be expensive. In fact, the more ceremonial the presentation becomes compared with the actual value of the prize, the better.
Ugly face contest prize ideas
- Homemade certificate
- Plastic trophy
- Framed winning photograph
- Ridiculous crown
- Traveling trophy that must be defended next year
- A completely unnecessary formal awards ceremony
QUFC has historically taken this part far more seriously than circumstances required.
Inspect the Prize Cabinet →Advice from the department
A few things that make the contest better.
- Let contestants invent their own faces.
- Keep judging simple and understandable.
- Take photographs if everybody involved is comfortable with it.
- Give the event an absurdly official name.
- Make the prize presentation unnecessarily dramatic.
- Do not injure yourself trying to achieve competitive ugliness.
Need inspiration?
Examine the historical evidence.
QUFC has preserved some original contest entries so future generations can understand how seriously this responsibility was taken.
Frequently questioned decisions
Ugly face contest FAQ
How many people do you need for an ugly face contest?
Two people are enough for a Face-Off. Larger groups can compete individually and vote for an overall winner.
Do contestants need to copy the same expression?
No. QUFC recommends letting every contestant create whatever ugly expression they want. The unpredictability is part of the fun.
How should an ugly face contest be judged?
You can use a simple popular vote or score each contestant using multiple judging categories. QUFC maintains a full judging rubric for anyone who believes this deserves paperwork.
Can you hold an ugly face contest remotely?
Yes. Contestants can exchange photos or use QUFC Face-Off to challenge another person directly.
What should the winner receive?
Anything from bragging rights to a homemade certificate, trophy, framed photograph, crown, or other appropriately unnecessary object.
Enough theory
Start making terrible decisions.
You now possess more information about running an ugly face contest than any reasonable person should require.