Hobbies And Interests
Determining the first player and starting the game
The first person to play in a match is determined by each player drawing a tile. Whoever draws the letter closest to the letter "A" will make the first play, unless the player order is predetermined. A blank tile beats all others.
Tile selection
Your tiles are your game pieces and there are rules attached to drawing your tiles. If the tile is somehow damaged, or has texture that a player can feel for whatever reason, that tile is not suitable for play. The tile pouch should contain 100 legible tiles for game play.
The first player should shuffle the tile bag and offer it to their opponent to do the same.
As the first player, when selecting tiles, hold the tile bag at eye level and avert your eyes, then select seven tiles, one at a time. Place the tiles face down or in your tile rack. Once both players have selected their tiles, you should both keep tiles above the table and in the racks at all times.
Either player may count the remaining tiles in your pouch, as long as it is your turn at play and you avert your eyes as you count the tiles.
Playing tiles
The first player's clock begins as soon as he or she has seen the face of any tile.
The first player should play his or her first word across the center square and may be challenged by the second player. Words must be at least two letters long. Tiles can be played horizontally or vertically.
The center square counts as a double word bonus square.
The next player creates a word at least two letters long by adding to letters already played on the board.
Time for each player's turn and entire game
Each player is allowed 25 minutes to complete all plays in a single game, after which an overtime penalty of a reduction of 10 points for each minute or fraction of a minute of overtime applies. There is no time limit for each turn, pursuant to the official rules from the National Scrabble Association.
After your opponent's play, record the cumulative score and announce the score. Your clock then begins. Position your tiles on the board then declare your score. The opponent's clock starts at the end of your play.
Scoring
The score value of each letter is indicated by a number at the bottom of the tile, and the blank tiles have a score value of zero, according to official rules at the National Scrabble Association website.
The score for each play is determined by the sum of the letters played for a particular word, unless played across bonus squares, which have varying values.
If a player is able to play all seven of their tiles in single turn, this results in a 50-point bonus, and is referred to as a "Bingo."
Bonus squares increase value of either single letter tiles or full words. A "Double Letter" square doubles the value of the letter placed upon it, and the same holds true for the value of a letter placed upon a "Triple Letter" square.
The center square and any square labeled "Double Word" doubles the value of the word, and any square labeled "Triple Word" triples the value of any word. The value of a word is doubled or tripled after the initial value of the word is determined.
In some cases a player covers two double or triple squares, and this is called a "Double-Double" or a "Triple-Triple." In a "Double-Double," the total value redoubles the the first "Double" value or is four times the value of the initial letter count of the word, and in the "Triple-Triple," the total letter value is tripled and then tripled again, or the word value or is nine times the initial letter count.
Playing the blank tile
There are open or blank tiles in Scrabble, which act as "wild tiles." When it is your turn, place the blank tile on the board and designate it as any letter that you need to create a word. Once you have positioned your tiles on the board, including the blank tile, clearly announce what letter you are assigning to the blank tile.
Challenging a Play
When your opponent has played a word that you question, you may challenge that play. You can challenge within 20 seconds of your opponent completing his turn. Once you request a challenge, the play clock is neutralized. The loser of the challenge receives zero points and loses a turn.
Final Play
There are two possible finishes for a game. The first is when the tile bag is empty and one players has played all of their tiles. That player is the winner. The second possible finish is when there have been six consecutive scores of zero, meaning both players are at an impasse because of unplayable tiles.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct
Since Scrabble is a game of rules and conduct, it is important to know which behaviors may result in ejection from the tournament. Cheating, resigning a game, or disruptive or abusive speech or behavior are a few ill-advised actions in the game.
More than two players in the tournament
The official rules for Scrabble focus on single players opposing single players while high school and local tournaments, as well as recreational game play, allow for teams of two. In this type of tournament, all rules are the same except that they are working together as a team, and that the time allotted to complete the game is 22 minutes instead of national rules of 25 minutes. After the first game played at tournament, which is randomly paired, teams are paired with other teams who share a similar win-loss record, according to the School Scrabble Association.