How to Play Tournament Rules Scrabble

Possibly one of the most popular board games, Scrabble is a fun game for word enthusiasts of all ages. Playing tournament rules Scrabble adds a new challenge to this popular board game.

How Tournament Rules Scrabble Differs from Standard Scrabble

The primary difference between tournament rules Scrabble and the rules that come with this popular board game are that tournament rules Scrabble is for only two people instead of four. Other key differences include: each player is required to keep score and a player is only allowed 25 minutes to play in tournament rules Scrabble. A chess-style clock is used to monitor the 25 minute time limit per player and a penalty is enforced of 10 points for each minute a player plays past the 25 minute time limit.

Playing Tournament Rules Scrabble

Before beginning tournament rules Scrabble, be sure to make sure all 100 tiles area available. If order of play for the Scrabble tournament is not pre-determined, the player who begins play can be determined a few different ways. Either the player with the least first plays starts or an individual that draws a tile closest to the letter A will start. Tiles are returned to the bag before the scrabble tournaments begins.

According to the National Scrabble Association, the game begins when the first player draws seven tiles from the bag. Players place tiles on the rack or face down. The clock should start once players look at their tiles. If more than seven tiles are drawn at any time a penalty applies.

While their time clock is running, a player places tiles on the board to make a Scrabble approved word. The player stops the clock after completing the word on the board. The player announces their score and starts their opponent's clock. During the opponents turn, record your score and draw tiles.

Challenges are allowed when playing tournament rules Scrabble. When a challenge is made, the clocks should be stopped. When a challenge lasts for more than 5 seconds, tiles should be placed face down on the table so players do not have an opportunity to study the tiles during the challenge.

Words are scored based on the value featured on letter of the tile. Bonus points are applied when a word is made over premium squares as in regular Scrabble. Each player is responsible for keeping their own score.

In tournament rules Scrabble, the game ends when a player plays all of their tiles and none remain in the bag or when there are six rounds without a tile played. The score is totaled up and the first player to play all of his or her tiles receives double the point value of all the tiles left in the opponent's rack.

Resources for Tournament Rules Scrabble

There are several resources available to learn moreabout playing tournament rules Scrabble. The National Scrabble Association web site offers a complete guide on the Scrabble tournament rules. Scorecards are also available for download on their web site.

To play tournament rules Scrabble, a digital clock or chess style clock is required. Players should also have access to the Official Tournament & Club Word List by Meriam-Webster which features 2 to 9 letter words that can be used for tournament rules Scrabble.

Sources:

NSA Web Site http://www.scrabble-assoc.com/build/rules/rules.html

http://home.teleport.com/~stevena/scrabble/faqtext.html#Differences

www.scrabble.com