Editing Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest (section)

==Rules==

[[File:NathansHotDog-5_(48034119781).jpg|thumb|[[Nathan's Famous|Nathan's]] original [[Coney Island]] location]]

[[Major League Eating]] (MLE), sanctioned by the [[International Federation of Competitive Eating]] (IFOCE), has sanctioned the event since 1997. Today, only entrants currently under contract by MLE can compete in the contest.

The field of about 20 contestants typically includes the following:

* any past champion;
* winners of a regional qualifying contest for that season;
* individuals qualifying as one of two [[Wild card (sports)|wildcards]] (highest two average qualifier scores without winning a single qualifier); and
* those invited by special invitation of the MLE.

The competitors stand on a raised platform behind a long table with drinks and Nathan's Famous hot dogs in buns. Most contestants have water on hand, but other kinds of drinks can and have been used. [[Condiment]]s are allowed, but usually are not used. The hot dogs are allowed to cool slightly after grilling to prevent possible mouth burns. The contestant who consumes (and keeps down) the most hot dogs and buns (HDB) in ten minutes is declared the winner. The length of the contest has changed over the years, previously 12 minutes, and in some years, only three and a half minutes; since 2008, 10 minutes.

Spectators watch and cheer on the eaters from close proximity. A designated scorekeeper is paired with each contestant, flipping a number board counting each hot dog consumed. Partially eaten hot dogs count and the [[granularity]] of measurement is eighths of a length. Hot dogs still in the mouth at the end of regulation count if they are subsequently swallowed. [[Penalty card#Yellow card|Yellow penalty cards]] can be issued for "messy eating",<ref name="2011 ESPN broadcast">{{Cite episode| title=2011 Hot Dog Eating Contest (Live Television Broadcast)| network= ESPN| airdate = July 4, 2011|series=Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest}}</ref> and red penalty cards can be issued for "reversal of fortune" (vomiting), which results in disqualification.<ref name="2011 ESPN broadcast"/> If there is a tie, the contestants go to a 5-hot-dog eat-off to see who can eat that many the quickest. Further ties will result in a sudden-death eat-off of eating one more hot dog in the fastest time.

After the winner is declared, a plate showing the number of hot dogs eaten by the winner is brought out for photo opportunities.