SCRABBLE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - TOURNAMENT PLAY

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Where can I find a copy of the Official Scrabble Tournament rules?

The Official SCRABBLE Tournament rules are available on the National SCRABBLE Association website at www.scrabble-assoc.com.

How much time do players have to make a play during a SCRABBLE game at a club or tournament?

There are two commonly accepted methods for controlling the time of a SCRABBLE game. First, a three-minute hourglass may be used to time each play. After 54 minutes the game is over and both players now have one more play before totaling the final scores. Second, chess clocks are set up so that each person is given 25 minutes to complete all his/her turns. That way, a player may play quickly for easy plays and save up time in order to take five or more minutes for the difficult plays. If a player uses more than 25 minutes, then s/he is penalized 10 pt. every minute or fraction of a minute used more than the original 25.

What's the official word source for National SCRABBLE® Association Clubs and Tournaments in the United States and Canada?

The Official Tournament and Club Word List (OWL) by Merriam-Webster Inc. This word list contains no definitions and is available to NSA members only.

How do I challenge in SCRABBLE tournament play?

The National SCRABBLE Association has developed a precise definition for when a player may challenge:

• Using sand timers or no timers:
  Once a player has announced his or her score, the opponent may "Hold!" or challenge. After the player has drawn at least one tile from the pool, the opponent may not challenge or hold anymore. To avoid what we call "speedy-draw syndrome," the player must take a few seconds to record the total score before drawing replacement tiles.
• Using tournament clocks:
  After the player has started his or her opponent's timer, the opponent may "Hold!" or challenge. As above, once the player has drawn at least one tile from the pool, the opponent may not challenge or hold anymore.
• Using clocks:
  Once an opponent has called "Hold!" at the proper time, s/he has as long as s/he wants to think about challenging, as long as s/he hasn't yet made the next play. The player can insist on drawing tiles after one minute, as long as s/he keeps the replacement tiles separate from the old tiles. This is called the "Courtesy Rule." If there is a successful challenge, the opponent may see the replacement tiles before the player returns them to the pool.
• Using sand timers:
  After calling "Hold!" the opponent has only the length of his or her turn - three minutes - to decide whether to challenge or not. The Courtesy Rule is in effect here as well.