NASPA School SCRABBLE Rules
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NASPA School SCRABBLE Rules
Revised 2015-02-18
Introduction
These basic rules describe how play takes place in School SCRABBLE events. Where these
rules are incomplete, situations should be adjudicated according to the North American SCRABBLE
Players Association’s (NASPA) Official Tournament Rules, as appropriately modified for two-player
team play using the SSWL2015 lexicon. To facilitate this, these rules are numbered to match the
current (2014) full edition of the NASPA Official Tournament Rules, which may occasionally lead to
gaps in the numbering. In addition, significant variations from the regular tournament rules are
italicized in this document.
I. Conduct
All players are encouraged to play with a spirit of fun, guided by a sense of fairness. Conduct
at tournaments conducted under these rules is subject to the NASPA Code of Conduct, available on
the NASPA website. All players are honor-bound not to cheat, distract or mislead their opponents,
collude with other players or interfere in other games.
Punishment for violation of any rules in this document may include penalty points, forfeits
and disqualification, and will be assessed at the sole discretion of the Director.
II. General Principles
School tournament play takes place between two-player
teams, who compete with others in
a series of timed rounds. Normally, all teams play in all rounds, and teams are ranked in the end
according to wins and losses, then by cumulative spread (the total number of points by which they
have outscored their opponents).
Do not communicate during a game except with your teammate, opponents and event staff.
When speaking with your opponents, do not be abusive, offensive or confrontational, and do not
tell them what they can or cannot do.
If an unusual situation occurs in your game and you are not sure what the rules call for, or if
you believe that a rule has been broken, pause your game timer and call the Director. Do not start or
stop the game timer except where permitted in these rules.
In a tournament, decisions of the Director are final.
III. Beginning the Game
III.A. Equipment
School SCRABBLE is played using the School SCRABBLE Word List 2015 (SSWL2015 )
lexicon, as found in the free cross-platform word adjudication software NASPA Zyzzyva, available
from www.zyzzyva.net. Players may not consult the dictionary during play, except as provided for in
Rule IV.J when challenging a play.
Confirm that all required equipment is present: 100 tiles of the correct distribution in the
bag, two racks, a game timer (standalone, or phone/tablet running an approved app) and a board
suitable for play. Each team should have an approved scoresheet, which may include a tile tracking
section, their scorecard, pens and pencils, and if desired, blank paper. The tournament staff should
provide slips for blank designation, recording challenges and submitting results.There should be no other items at the table, such as dictionaries, word lists, other electronic
devices. In the tournament room, all electronic devices such as cellphones should be turned off, and
the use of earphones is not permitted.
Both players may shuffle the tiles in the bag before the game begins, with the second player
shuffling last.
III.C. Arriving Late
If both players from one team are absent at the announced start of a round, a tournament
official will start the team’s clock. The missing team will lose 10 points for every three minutes
that
15 minutes
it is absent, until have elapsed, when it will be assigned a forfeit loss and -50 points of
spread for the round. The team that is present will be assigned a forfeit win and +50 points of
spread for the round.
If one of the players on a team is absent due to extraordinary circumstances, the other may
petition the event director for permission to play alone.
III.D. Who Plays First
If the Director has not determined the order of play, one player from each team draws tiles.
The side that draws a tile closer to “A” goes first, with a blank beating an “A”.
III.F. Starting Play
The team that goes first draws seven tiles and places them on their rack. When they have
seen the face of any tile, the second team may start the first team’s clock. After the first team has all
seven of their tiles, the second team draws their seven tiles.
IV. Playing the Game
IV.A. Basic Rules
Teams alternate taking turns. On each turn, a team may do one of: place tiles on the board,
exchange (discard) tiles, or pass (do nothing). At the end of a team’s turn, one player on the team
should start the other team’s timer and the other player on the team should record the cumulative
score and draw enough tiles (if possible) to bring the team’s total back to seven tiles. The winner is
the team that has scored the most points at the end of the game.
When placing tiles on the board, all tiles must spell one main word of at least two letters,
reading horizontally from left to right or vertically from top to bottom. If it is the only word on the
board, one of its tiles must lie on the center square; if not, then it must touch existing words either
horizontally or vertically. When the main word makes additional cross-words, they are each
considered to be part of the play for the purposes of scoring the play and determining its validity.
The score of the play is the sum of the scores of its words, plus a 50-point “bingo” bonus if all
seven tiles are used. The score of a word is the sum of the scores of its letters, each multiplied
according to any letter bonus squares newly covered, then finally multiplied according to any word
bonus squares newly covered. (The center square counts as a double word square.)
The letter value of each blank tile is designated when it is played, and does not change. Blank
tiles always score zero points.
Exchanging tiles or passing score zero points.IV.B. Tile Drawing
When drawing tiles, show the open palm of your drawing hand to your opponents, raise the
tile bag above eye level, hold the bag where they can see it but not between you and your opponents,
look away from the bag, draw tiles and place them either facedown on the table or onto your rack.
Do not hold tiles in one hand while drawing with the other. You may be disqualified
from drawing
for your team if the Director determines that you have not drawn tiles correctly.
ask for assistance
If you draw too many tiles, raise your hand and ; an overdraw penalty will
be applied.
IV.C. Managing Tiles
Never bring tiles below the plane of the table. Always keep your tiles in sight and on your
rack unless moving them to/from the bag, board, or table when appropriate. Although you are free
to change your play before starting your opponents’ clock, do not use the board as a physical
working area for deciding a play. Do not return tiles to the bag during play except when exchanging
tiles as explained in Rule IV.E.
IV.D. Board Etiquette
During your turn, you may rotate the board to whatever angle you prefer. Allow your
opponent clear visual access to the board at all times, except when making a play or verifying a
score.
During your opponents’ turn, do not speak unnecessarily, touch the board or any tiles on it.
In particular, do not discuss with your opponent or define the word(s) that are played.
IV.E. Passing and Exchanging
To pass your turn, announce that you are passing and start your opponents’ game timer.
Score zero for your turn.
You may exchange one or more of your tiles for new tiles from the tile bag, as long as there
are at least seven tiles in the bag. To do so: announce the number of tiles that you are exchanging,
place those tiles facedown on the table, start your opponents’ game timer, draw new tiles from the
bag and place them separately facedown on the table or directly on your rack, place the discarded
tiles in the bag and mix, move any newly drawn facedown tiles from the table to your rack.
IV.F. Playing the Blank
When you play a blank tile onto the board, you must designate its letter value by circling or
printing it on an appropriate slip and showing it to your opponents.
IV.G. Completing a Turn
To complete a turn in which you play a word, you must do the following things in the
following order: record your opponents’ cumulative score (unless the tile bag is empty), place the
appropriate tiles on the board, designate the blanks (if any), declare the score for the play, start your
opponents’ game timer (or stop yours if this is the last play of the game), record your cumulative
score (unless the tile bag is empty), record your play (optional), draw replacement tiles, track which
tiles were played (optional).
After you start your opponents’ game timer, you may not take back or change your play.IV.H. Scoring Issues
During your turn, you may ask your opponents what their previous play was, how much it
scored, and what they think the current cumulative game score is. If you disagree, you may neutralize
the game timer until agreement is reached. You should always check the score for each of your
opponents’ plays, and you should confirm that all players agree on the score periodically. Both sides
are expected to keep track of the cumulative score throughout the game.
It is considered cheating to knowingly announce or verify incorrect scores.
IV.I. Holding and Challenging
When your opponents play a word, you may hold or challenge the play during the period
that begins when your game timer is started and ends when they have drawn a replacement tile. If
that period lasts less than five seconds and you decide that you want to hold or challenge the play
immediately after it, you may petition the Director.
If challenged, a play is acceptable only if all the words challenged in it are acceptable.
To hold a play, call “hold” and hold the tile bag. By doing so, you reserve the right to
challenge the play, and delay your opponents from drawing tiles for 20 seconds
. After that period,
your opponents may draw tiles but keep them separate, in case you later successfully challenge and
the tiles need to be returned to the tile bag. After one minute on hold, the hold is automatically
withdrawn, and the play may no longer be challenged.
To challenge a play, call “challenge”, neutralize the game timer and proceed to a word
adjudication station. It is strongly recommended that both players on a team agree to any challenges.
IV.J. Adjudicating Challenges by Computer
Here is the procedure for adjudicating a challenge by computer. The challenger writes the
challenged word(s) on a slip of paper (the words may be changed at any time before the computer
has adjudicated the play). All players verify that the word(s) are written as played. All players place all
racked tiles facedown. All players walk to the computer station without speaking or disturbing
others. The challengers type the word(s) being challenged. All players verify that all the word(s) have
been entered correctly. The team being challenged presses the adjudication key (usually TAB). The
adjudication result is marked on the challenge slip. All players return to their board without speaking
or disturbing others. The team who lost the challenge loses their turn. If the losing team had already
drawn tiles and kept them separate, those tiles are shown to the opponent and returned to the bag.
When all players are seated, all facedown tiles have been returned to their racks, any successfully
challenged play has been removed from the board, any blank designations involved in such a play
has been crossed out or erased, and (in the case of an unsuccessful challenge) the drawer has seen
the face of at least replacement tile (if any), the appropriate game timer is restarted.
IV.L. Leaving the Playing Area During a Game
If one player needs to leave a game to go to the bathroom, he or she is permitted to do so,
and then rejoin the game after his or her team’s next play. Before leaving the table, the player should
raise a hand and call over a staff member to indicate why he or she is leaving the room. The player
will be escorted out of the playing room by a staff member to avoid the appearance of impropriety.V. Ending the Game
V.A. Final Play
The game ends when one team has successfully played all of their tiles, and the bag is empty.
V.B. Six-Zero Rule
The game may also end by either team neutralizing the game timer after a sixth successive
when the score is not 0-0
zero-scoring play from passes, exchanges, challenges, or illegal plays, .
V.E. Neutralizing the Clock on the Out Play
When you make your last play, stop the game timer. Your opponents may then accept your
last play by revealing their final tiles, announcing their value, agreeing on the final score, or doing
anything else to concede that the game is over. If not, they have 20 seconds to hold or challenge the
play before the game ends. If they hold the play, start their game timer.
Do not touch the game timer or tiles again until all required paperwork has been completed
and signed.
V.G. Adjusting the Score (Unplayed Tiles, Overtime)
The Director may announce an early end to the round to conform to the schedule, and will
normally give one minute’s notice before doing so. If this happens on your opponents’ turn, stop
their game timer. Once the game timer is stopped, no more tiles may be placed on the board, and no
one may touch the clock again until paperwork has been signed. If you place tiles on the board and
then the end of the round is announced, you must still draw your replacement tiles even after the
game timer is stopped.
If you have played all of your tiles, increase your score by double the value of your
opponents’ unplayed tiles. If the game ends with neither team playing all of their tiles, each team’s
score is reduced by the total value of their unplayed tiles.
If you use more than the alloted time (usually 25 or 22 minutes, depending on the event),
reduce your score by 10 points for every additional minute or part of a minute. For example, if your
game timer reads -00:01 to -01:00 at the end of the game, you lose 10 points; from -01:01 to -02:00,
it’s 20 points.
If you use more than 10 minutes of overtime, you lose the game. Subtract 100 points from
your score. If your opponents’ score is still lower than yours, increase it so that they wins by one
point. Disregard the value of any unplayed tiles. No recount is permitted.
V.I. Recounting the Game
As explained in Rule IV.H, you are expected to keep accurate track of the cumulative score
for each team throughout the game. When the game ends, you may verify the scores of plays made
since the bag was emptied, but you may not
recount the whole game.
V.J. Recording the Game
Complete designated paperwork at the end of each round, verify its correctness, then
sign/initial as required to indicate that you accept these results as final. When all players have done
so, raise your hand and stay at the table until event staff have accepted your results. No other
persons may approach your table until your results have been accepted.Event Rules: North American School SCRABBLE Championship
The North American School SCRABBLE Championship (NASSC) consists of seven rounds
of regular play, followed by one final championship game. The finalists will be determined by
ranking the teams as described in Rule II. In the unlikely event of a tie at the top of the field after
regular play, finalists will be determined by random draw. The winners of the finals will be declared
the North American School SCRABBLE Champions.
At the start of the championship, teams will be seeded based on NASPA or School
SCRABBLE tournament ratings, where available. In subsequent regular rounds, teams will be paired
with other teams with similar win-loss records.
All teams will compete in all regular rounds, except that a bye may be assigned to a
low-ranking team if the total number of teams is odd. A bye counts as a win with +50 spread. The
top two teams advance to the finals.
Game timers for this event will be set to 25 minutes per side, with the regular overtime
penalties to apply after regulation time has expired. All games will end 50 minutes after the start of
the round, regardless of whether teams have played all their tiles.
The maximum earnable game spread per round will be 100 points in Round 1, 150 points in
Round 2, and 250 points in all subsequent rounds. When completing paperwork, record the actual
score; the spread will be limited automatically by the computer.
All rules are subject to revision prior to the event.You can also read
