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The Official South African Scrabble Tournament Rules
Revised November 2008
Note that wherever a male pronoun is used, it is implied that the female is included.
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. CONDUCT
3. DICTIONARIES AND REFENRENCE WORD LISTS
4. EQUIPMENT
4.1 Boards
4.2 Tiles and Bags
4.3 Racks
4.4 Clocks
Order in which clocks are preferred
Malfunction of clocks
4.5 Second Player’s Preference
4.6 Tracking Sheets/Letter Frequency Lists
5. BASIC RULES
5.1 How To Play
5.1.1 The First Play of the Game
5.1.2 Using the Centre Square
5.1.3 Subsequent Plays
5.1.4 Arranging Tiles on the Board
5.1.5 How New Words are Formed on the Board
5.1.6 Board Orientation
5.1.7 Tiles Should Remain on the Rack as Much as Possible
5.1.8 Seating of Players and Moving Around During Games
5.2 How To Score
5.2.1 Letter Values
5.2.2 Scoring Each Play
5.2.3 Double and Triple Letter Bonus Squares
5.2.4 Double and Triple Word Bonus Squares
5.2.5 Score DLSs and TLSs before DWSs and TWSs
5.2.6 Double-Doubles (DWS-DWS)
5.2.7 Triple-Triples (TWS-TWS)
5.2.8 Bonus Squares Score on One Turn Only
5.2.9 The Blank on a DWS or TWS
5.2.10 Scoring with Two or more Words
5.2.11 Using All Seven Tiles
6. STARTING THE GAME
6.1 Late Arrivals
6.2 Counting the Tiles
6.3 Shuffling the Tiles
6.4 Who Plays First?
6.5 Drawing the First Tiles
7 THE TURN
7.1 Standard Procedure for each Turn
7.2 End of the Turn
When a Clock Is Used
When No Clock is Used
7.3 Accepting a Play
…7.4 Shifting tiles on the Board
7.5 Recording the Cumulative Score
8. USING THE CLOCK
9. DRAWING TILES
9.1 How To Draw Tiles
9.2 Drawing Tiles – a Second Method
9.3 Overdrawing
9.3.1 Overdrawing when there are less than 7 tiles in the bag
9.4 Underdrawing
9.5 Drawing Tiles at the Wrong Time
10. EXCHANGING TILES
10.1 How to Exchange Tiles
10.2 When to Exchange Tiles
10.3 When Exchanges Occur at the Wrong Time
11. PASSING
12. PLAYING THE BLANK
12.1 Recording the Blank Letter
12.2 Misunderstanding the Blank Letter
a) General Guidelines for a Misunderstood Blank
b) Misunderstood Blank on a Later Turn
12.3 Failure to Designate the Blank
12.4 Verifying that the Blank is not a False Blank
13. CHALLENGING
13.1 Procedure for Challenging and Calling a Hold
13.2 When to Challenge
13.3 When the Word Judge says “Unacceptable”
13.4 When the Word Judge says “Acceptable”
13.5 Second and Third Opinions
13.6 Suggest Checking the Latest Webster’s Collegiate, and the Chambers Dictionary
13.7 Who Adjudicates Words?
13.8 Incorrect Adjudication
14. INTERRUPTING PLAY
14.1 Verifying the Score
14.2 Leaving the Playing Area
15. MISSING TILES
16. EXTRA TILES
16.1 Discovering Extra Tiles (Not Due To Overdrawing)
16.1.1 The General Rule For Player C and D
16.1.2 What to Do as soon as it is Realised that Tiles Have Been Drawn From the Wrong Bag
16.1.3 Procedure for Returning the Missing Tiles to Player C and D’s Bag
16.1.4 Player B Wrongly Takes a Tile From Player C and D’s Bag
17. COUNTING TILES
18. ENDING THE GAME
18.1 When Does The Game End?
18.2 Procedure For Ending The Game
18.3 Undrawn Tiles
18.5 Time Penalties
18.6 Winning, Losing or Tieing
18.7 Winners and Losers
18.8 Leaving the Playing Area
18.9 Recounting the Game
18.10 Result Cards
19. BYES AND FOREFEITS
19.1 Odd Number of Players
19.2 Absence
19.3 Resignation
20. OBSERVING INCORRECT RULINGS / ADDING / EXTRA TILES ON A RACK / FALSE BLANK
21. CALLING THE DIRECTOR
22. SCRABBLE ETIQUETTE AND SOME PROBLEM SITUATIONS
22.1 Punctuality
22.2 Smoking and Cellular Phones
22.3 Shuffling the Tiles before the Game Begins
22.4 Unnecessary Conversation, Kibbitzing and Inapproprite Commenting That May Affect the Outcome of a Game
22.5 Announcing a Play
22.6 Turning the Board
22.7 Challenges
22.8 Undesignated Blanks
22.9 Drawing Too Quickly
22.10 Leaving the Playing area After a Game
22.11 Stuck with an unplayable tile
22.12 Ending the Game
22.13 When the Clock is Still Ticking after the Game
22.14 Colluding with the Opponent
22.15 Adding/Subtracting Incorrectly
22.16 Using the Rules to take Advantage
22.17 Knocked over Board
22.18 Who has the right to the bag at any given time?
23. PLAYING ALL GAMES IN A TOURNAMENT
24. IF A TILE/S FALL OFF THE BOARD DURING PLAY
25. DISCOVERING TILES ON A RACK WHICH COME FROM A PREVIOUSLY ACCEPTED PLAY
26. ILLEGALLY LEAVING TILES ON THE BOARD
27. SMALL CHILDREN AND BABIES AT COMPETITIONS
28. AMENDING THE RULES
1. INTRODUCTION
The following rules shall apply to all SCRABSA (South African National Scrabble Players’Association) organized tournaments. Each tournament must have a designated Tournament Director. The Director should have a thorough knowledge of the rules and should preferably be a tournament player. The SCRABSA Rules Committee has attempted to compile as comprehensive a set of rules as possible but there may still be situations outside the scope of this document. In such cases the Tournament Director will make a decision, according to his discretion, to find the fairest solution possible. The Tournament Director's decision will be final and binding, but may not override the rules except in an exceptional circumstance that should be agreed upon by the majority of all committee members present.
These rules are based largely on the NSA (National Scrabble Association – USA and Canada) tournament rules with input from the APSP (Association of Premier Scrabble Players – UK) and ASPA (Australian Scrabble Players Association) but have been extensively adapted and agreed upon by the SCRABSA Rules Committee.
The national rules officers as at March 2004 are Trevor Hovelmeier (Gauteng) and Debbe Hossy (Cape Town).
2. CONDUCT
All players are honour bound not to cheat.
It is the responsibility of every member, while playing, not only to guard against any action of his own which might incur suspicion or misinterpretation, but also immediately to draw to the attention of his opponents any such action on their part. Spectators are encouraged to report suspicious behaviour to the Director. If dubious conduct is noted, the tournament Director should be notified.
If any player is caught cheating he will be disqualified from the tournament immediately. All games played by that player will be awarded to his opponents as if the game had been a bye. The guilty player will be automatically banned from SCRABSA tournaments for an indefinite period of time to be decided by his province’s committee at a disciplinary meeting. The committee may decide to permanently revoke the offender’s membership of SCRABSA.
3. DICTIONARIES AND WORD LISTS
SCRABSA uses the Collins Scrabble Words (CSW) list for all adjudications. This is the same word list used in the World Scrabble Championships. The tournament software for word checking to be used is the Zyzzyva word judge with dictionary set to CSW.
If this is not available, the Lexpert word judge with an up to date CSW word list may be used.
.
4. EQUIPMENT
4.1 Boards
As far as possible, deluxe boards are to be used. Boards that allow the player an easier view of his opponent’s rack are more desirable. Round boards preferable to square boards as they cannot bump your rack or the opponent’s rack, thereby eliminating the risk of having either player’s tiles exposed in this way.
4.2 Tiles and Bags
Tiles that can be turned over to be used as a fake blank (especially wooden tiles) are less desirable than tiles which, by the nature of their design, make this impossible. It is important that the tile bag should be left on the opposite side of the board from the centre of the table (where the clocks should be) to avoid a player from drawing from the wrong bag. If there is disagreement over which set of tiles to use, those which can be brailled less easily take precedence. The more desirable smoother tiles are defined as those for which there is less possibility of sensing the letter of a tile by touch alone. Tiles at adjacent boards should be different in color and/or style if at all possible.
4.3 Racks
On non-standard racks at least the top of each tile must be visible to opponents. That is, each player must be able to see exactly how many tiles are on his opponent's rack at all times. As long as this requirement is followed, either player may choose his own specialized rack.
4.4 Clocks
Clocks should be placed in the centre of the table, on the opposite side of the board from the tile bags, so as to ensure that the bags are on opposite outer edges of the table to prevent players from drawing from the wrong bag. As far as possible, Chess style clocks must be used for all SCRABSA rated tournaments. In the recreational section and school tournaments, clocks are preferable but not mandatory. In these cases SCRABSA rules must still be adhered to, except that the rule governing end of turn is then different (see 7.2 End Of Turn). When using clocks, each player is allowed 25 minutes to complete all his plays. The time allotted per game may be shortened if the tournament is running into time trouble and the majority of players agree on this. The time per game may only be lengthened in extreme circumstances, and only at the discretion of the Tournament Director, preferably in consultation with any committee members present (See 8. Using the Clock.) There is no limit on the time taken per turn, keeping in mind that the game is deemed over if a player goes 15 minutes over time.
Digital clocks and analog clocks are acceptable. Digital clocks are more accurate than analog clocks and should be used in preference to analog clocks for the following reasons:
Greater accuracy in setting the time
Greater accuracy and avoidance of confusion and disputes when instituting time penalties
Avoidance of the error of parallax experienced when looking at analog clock hands (which can cause stress and uncertainty for players in time trouble at the end of a game)
Digital clocks are noise free while they count down the time elapsed
Digital clocks avoid the possibility of only partially depressing the ‘time start’ button (i.e. accidentally neutralizing the clock)
Digital clocks have less chance of running out of power during a game (their batteries are changed only about once a year (in most cases less frequently) while analog clocks have to be wound before every game)
Clocks are preferred in this order:
Digital then analog clocks that count down and show exact minutes and seconds, both of time remaining and of overtime.
Digital clocks then analog clocks that count down and do not show exact minutes and seconds of time remaining and overtime.
Digital clocks that begin at zero and count up that show minutes and seconds, or analog clocks that do not show exact minutes and seconds (i.e. the minute hand denotes the approximate number of seconds).
4. Sand timers
Social players are strongly advised to use clocks and adhere to SCRABSA rules as far as possible, but should they choose not to use a clock, they should note the rule for ending the turn in the absence of a clock (see 7.2 End Of Turn), or mutually agree on some action or announcement that will signal the end of the turn e.g.:
Saying something like “Go”, “Count”, “Start” or “End”
Hitting the table in the place where the clock would normally be
Grabbing the bag
If a clock malfunctions during a game, then the time should be stopped and recorded, both players should lay their tiles face down on the table, and:
Every effort should be made to get the clock working again (check winding, whether batteries are in properly, replace batteries)
If the Director can see that another clock will be available in about 10 minutes, then the players must wait for the clock to become available
If there is no replacement clock or the tournament is under extreme time pressure, then the players must carry on playing without a clock, according to the rules above
4.5 Second Player's Preference
If there is disagreement as to which shared equipment should be used (tiles/ board/clock/ bag), the equipment which conforms more closely to the specifications or designated preferences in the rules is to be used. If they conform equally then the player playing second has the choice. Disputes with regard to this rule must be referred to the Tournament Director.
4.6 Tracking Sheets / Letter Frequency Lists
The only papers allowed at each player's station are unused Score Sheets, blank scrap paper, one Result Card including the Challenge Slip and a preprinted list of the alphabet and/or a letter frequency list of the 100 tiles, if so desired. Each player may construct and use his own score sheet and letter frequency list. Players are allowed to make use of blank paper for calculations or notes if so desired. It is not a prerequisite that the score sheet or tracking sheet be visible to the opponent for the following reasons:
the opponent shouldn’t be able to check his tracking sheet against yours
many players’ score sheets are attached to their tracking sheets by the nature of their design
some players record their racks on their score sheets and wouldn’t want them exposed to the opponent
5. BASIC RULES
5.1 How To Play
5.1.1 The First Play of a Game
The first player, should he choose to play a word, combines two or more letters and places them on the board to form a word in either a horizontal or vertical position with one tile on the center pink square. The center pink square indicates Double Word Score.
5.1.2 Missing the Centre Square
If the first word played on the board does not cover the center square, and the turn has ended (see 7.2 End of Turn), the opponent may challenge the word successfully off the board, regardless of the word's acceptability. If the opponent chooses not to challenge the word, it is scored in the usual manner, without the Double Word Score bonus usually earned by covering the center square. The center square may be used as a Double Word Score bonus square for a subsequent play.
5.1.3 Subsequent Plays
The game continues as players add one or more letters to those already played on the board and form a new word or words. The horizontal and vertical positioning rule remains in effect during the entire game. Any words added to the board must touch words already formed and must make new words wherever they touch existing words or letters. The player gets credit for all words formed in this fashion, though premium squares are only valid the first time they are covered by a tile when a play is made. Players accumulate points for each word according to the prescribed scoring rules. (see 5.2 How to Score)
5.1.4 Arranging Tiles on the Board
Diagonal words are not permitted. All tiles used in any individual play on the board must help to spell one main horizontal or vertical word. If this is not the case, the whole play may be successfully challenged off the board. If such a play is not challenged off the board, there is no score for either the diagonal words or disconnected words formed on that or future plays touching these words.
5.1.5 How New Words are Formed on the Board
You may:
Add one or more letters to a word already on the board.
Place a word at right angles to a word already on the board. The new word must use at least one of the letters already on the board or must add a letter to it/them.
Place a complete word parallel to a word already played, so that adjoining letters also form complete words.
5.1.6 Board Orientation
After the first word has been played on the board, the orientation of spelling words left to right and top to bottom has been established, regardless of the orientation of premium squares. If it is noted on the first or second move that the orientation of the word/s on the board differ from the orientation of the premium squares, then the word/s may be moved so the orientations are the same. Words played subsequently must follow the same orientation or can be successfully challenged off the board.
It is not strictly against the rules to place individual letters upside-down (letter still showing), though this is generally considered inappropriate and should be avoided at all times. The Director may be called if a player continues to do so, and a warning given to desist.
In resolving board orientation disputes, it will be presumed that an opening play was intended to be interpreted as that play reads when the board is oriented so that the values of a majority of the tiles appear at the bottom-right corner of the tiles.
It is the right of each player, during his turn only, to orient the direction of the board so that the letters already played are oriented at whatever angle is most convenient for the player. The board should be turned before a challenge (if so desired) and the orientation of the board may not be changed during a challenge until the verdict is received.
5.1.7 Tiles Should Remain on the Rack as much as Possible
Players may shuffle tiles on their rack at will, but mustn't hold them in their hands unless moving them directly to the bag (after exchanging or overdrawing), moving them to their rack (after drawing tiles or removing them from the board or picking up dropped tiles) or placing them on the board.
5.1.8 Seating Of Players and Moving Around During Games
Players should sit on opposite sides of the table during any game, unless both players agree otherwise, and the Director okays the seating arrangement. Players should remain seated throughout the game, and may not stand up or walk around for anything other than a very good reason. If a player walks around unnecessarily, a warning should be issued by the Director, and if he persists, a 50 point spread penalty must be imposed.
5.2 How to Score
5.2.1 Letter Values
The score value of each letter is indicated by a number at the bottom of the tile. The blanks have a score value of zero.
5.2.2 Scoring Each Play
The score for each turn is the sum of the letter values in each word formed or modified during the play, plus the additional points obtained from placing letters on premium squares, plus the 50 bonus points in the case where all 7 tiles are played in one move.
5.2.3 Double and Triple Letter Bonus Squares
A light blue square DOUBLES the score of a LETTER placed on it.
A dark blue square TRIPLES the score of a LETTER placed on it.
5.2.4 Double and Triple Word Bonus Squares
The score for an entire WORD is DOUBLED when one of its letters is placed on a pink square.
The score for an entire WORD is TRIPLED when one of its letters is placed on a red square.
5.2.5 Score DLSs and TLSs before DWSs and TWSs
When scoring a player's turn, all premiums for DOUBLE or TRIPLE letter values, if any, must be included before DOUBLING or TRIPLING the word score.
5.2.6 Double-Doubles (DWS-DWS)
If a word is formed that covers two pink Double Word Squares, the score is DOUBLED AND THEN REDOUBLED, which is FOUR times the total letter count.
5.2.7 Triple-Triples (TWS-TWS)
If a word is formed in such a way that the tiles just played cover two red Triple Word Squares, the score is TRIPLED AND THEN TRIPLED AGAIN, which is NINE times the total letter count.
5.2.8 Bonus Squares Score on One Turn Only
The letter premiums and the word premiums apply only in the turn in which they are first played. In all subsequent turns, letters count only at FACE VALUE.
5.2.9 The Blank on a DWS or TWS
When a BLANK TILE is played on a pink Double Word Square or a red Triple Word Score square, the value of the word is DOUBLED or TRIPLED even though the blank itself has zero score value.
5.2.10 Scoring with Two or More Words
When two or more words are formed in the same play, each is fully scored. The common letter or letters are counted (with full premium value, if any) for each word.
5.2.11 Using All Seven Tiles
Any player who plays ALL SEVEN of his tiles in a single turn, scores a premium of 50 points in addition to his regular score for the play. This is commonly called a “bingo” or a “bonus”.
6. STARTING THE GAME
6.1 Late Arrivals
It is the duty of all competitors to be present at the announced time of commencement of any given round. It is rude and inconsiderate to be late for any round, except in extreme circumstances which are beyond a player’s control. A player who is late for any reason whatsoever has to abide by the rules for late players because the lateness affects all players in the tournament and may affect lunch/the caterers or travel arrangements of other players. If a player misses the first and second game of a tournament he will not be allowed to compete in the rest of the tournament and he must be replaced by a bye. If a player misses the first game of a tournament (i.e. he only arrives after the first game has finished, whether or not the second game has started) he will still be allowed to play if he accepts the first game as a loss (i.e. his first opponent will effectively given a bye for the first game). If the late player arrives during the second game and his clock has been started, he must accept the time penalty as laid out below and may carry on playing. If he refuses to accept the time penalty he will be excluded from the tournament and replaced with a bye. If his clock hasn’t been started it is the fault of the second opponent and of the Director, and he incurs no time penalties, BUT, if this will lead to the tournament running unacceptably late or to the detriment of transport arrangements of any other player, then:
The amount of time left for that session must be calculated (this should be done by looking at the total time left on both sides of the clock of the players who collectively have the most time left)
The innocent player must still get 25 minutes, but the late player must get half of the collective time left for the session.
If this procedure will still clearly delay the tournament to the detriment of any player’s travel arrangements, then the late player must be removed from the tournament and a bye put in his place.
. If he chooses not to play in the competition, he will be replaced by a bye for the rest of the competition. If the above procedure is followed, he may play the rest of the competition as usual (i.e. from the start of game 2 or some time into game 2). Note that if the computer program hasn’t designated a specific player to start, then this must be done according to rule 6.4 once both players are present. If one player is absent at the start of a round, his clock MUST be started by the Director. When that player arrives the clock must be neutralized. Only then should the players continue as described in 6.2. If both players are absent at the start of a round then the Director must start the clock and, when the first of the players arrives, assign him the elapsed time by starting the clock of the second player. Upon arrival, the second player must neutralize the clock and accept the full amount of elapsed time (i.e. that shown on the first player's clock plus that shown on the second player's clock). This means that each player is penalized by the amount of time elapsed from the time the Director started the clock until the time that that player arrived. The clock should be reset with the time penalties incurred and only then should the players continue as described in 6.2. If a round has officially started, and a player’s opponent has not arrived, it is the duty of that player (or any other player who becomes aware of the fact that the missing player in question is late) to inform the Director immediately and the duty of the Director to start the late player’s clock without delay. Only the Director has the authority to start the clock of a late player. If anyone other than the Director starts the late player’s clock, any time penalties incurred by the late player will be erased.
6.2 Counting the Tiles
The players must ensure before each game that all tiles are present. The letters must be placed in a grid of ten by ten tiles on the board. There should be 100 tiles with the letter distribution as follows: A 9, B 2, C 2, D 4, E 12, F 2, G 3, H 2, I 9, J 1, K 1, L 4, M 2, N 6, O 8, P 2, Q 1, R 6, S 4, T 6, U 4, V 2, W 2, X 1, Y 2, Z 1, blanks 2. If the distribution or the number of tiles is incorrect, notify the Director immediately.
6.3 Shuffling Tiles
Return the tiles to the bag. Both players have the right to shuffle all 100 tiles thoroughly before the game begins. The second player forfeits this right as soon as he either initiates the opponent's timer or allows the first player to draw tiles while watching.
The first player must draw tiles while the second player is alerted to this action. The second player has the right to shuffle all the tiles and may ask to do so. However, the first player does not need to ask the second player if he wishes to shuffle the tiles, although it is considered polite to do so.
If the first player has already drawn at least one tile, and the second player, not having shuffled the tiles previously, now wishes to exert his right to shuffle the remaining undrawn tiles, this is permitted.
6.4 Who Plays First?
The computer will generally designate one player to start (this is done at random for the first game and then worked out according to previous starts thence forth). The computer usually prints an asterisk next to the name of the player who is to start if this option is chosen by the computer operator, so an asterisk next to a name on the printed sheet denotes that it is that person to start. The manual method of determining who starts is laid out below:
If one player has had fewer firsts during the tournament than the other has, that player shall go first; otherwise, each player draws a tile from the bag. The player drawing the letter nearer the beginning of the alphabet earns the first turn. Tile drawing is repeated, as necessary, until the players draw different letters. Drawing the blank earns the first play, unless the opponent draws the second blank, in which case both players draw again.
If one player has had a bye or forfeit: The player who has played first the fewer number of times goes first. If both players have the same number of firsts, then the player who has had more “seconds” shall go first.
6.5 Drawing the First Tiles
At the Director's signal, the player with the first turn draws seven tiles from the bag and places them on his rack. The opponent starts the first player's timer as soon as the first player has seen the first letter. Opponent draws seven tiles.
7. THE TURN
7.1 Standard Procedure for Each Turn
Sequentially, this is how a turn should proceed:
Step 1: Position the tiles on the board.
Step 2: Declare the score (and preferably the cumulative score)
Step 3: Initiate the opponent's clock.
Step 4: Record the score for the move and preferably the cumulative score to that point in the game. It is imperative that the cumulative be added, even if under time pressure on the last few moves. This is because recording the score and cumulative are a clear part of the turn.
Step 5: Refill the rack.
Note: A player must record his opponent's score for the move and the cumulative score to that point in the game before playing his turn. This applies especially to players under time pressure.
7.2 End of Turn
There are two possible scenarios, namely when a clock is used and when there is no clock. The instance where a clock is used is discussed first.
a) When A Clock Is Used
You officially end your turn when you:
press your clock.
Or when you write your score for that move in the appropriate space on your score sheet (the entire score for the move must be written; it is not necessary to compute or write the cumulative score for this rule to take effect).
Or when your hand or any part thereof enters the bag to take new tiles (except if, just prior to doing this, you have mentioned to your opponent that you are going to count the tiles in the bag). If a player on turn puts his hand into the bag before he has played any tiles and without informing his opponent of his intention to count the remaining tiles, the Director should be called. If this is the first time it has happened in the game, he must be warned by the Director, and if he does it a third time in a tournament (i.e.) after 2 previous warnings, his turn will be deemed over and the other player will immediately be allowed to play.
Note that if a player neutralizes the clock after his play, exchange or pass (without first indicating that he wishes to call the Director or verify the score), then even if this was done accidentally, his turn is over, regardless of whether his opponent’s clock was ticking or not.
(The turn has not ended when a clock is used when the score is announced as the player may be counting aloud). No changes may be made to your play once the move has ended. The only two exceptions are losing a challenge (rule 13.3) and extra tiles (rule 16). N.B. Do not hit the clock before the complete score is called.
b) When no clock is used:
It should be noted that the use of clocks is strongly recommended at all times. Situations where no clock is used include the following:
In competitions where there are not enough clocks
In competitions where a clock is not working for whatever reason and there are no replacements
In social play where a clock is not desired
In these cases the turn is ended by the following actions in order:
Announcing the score
The insertion of the hand or any part thereof into the bag with intention to take tiles (intention to count tiles remaining must be clearly stated before inserting the hand into the bag, or else intention to take tiles is assumed, except where no play has been made by the offender, in which case see 7.2 End Of Turn).
7.3 Accepting a Play
You officially accept your opponent's play when you:
Have written his score for the move in the designated space on the score sheet (again, the entire score for the move must be written; it is not necessary to compute or write the cumulative score for this rule to take effect).
The permitting of tile drawing is construed as an acceptance of play only when player B has followed the steps in rule 7.1 in making the play. This means that if an opponent leaves out one of the steps in 7.1 you can still challenge, even if the opponent has drawn tiles.
7.4 Shifting Tiles on the Board
The player whose turn it is may place any number of his tiles on the board and move them around wherever he chooses (e.g. while considering the positioning or the tactical implications of a play) until his turn has ended.
7.5 Recording the Cumulative Score
After the player has played a word, announced the score, and started opponent's clock, the player must record the cumulative score to that point in the game before drawing new tiles. The Director may penalize a player who repeatedly neglects to do this. The Director must warn the offender once before exacting a 50 point spread penalty. Such a penalty must not affect the outcome of any game, but simply be subtracted from the player's overall spread after the game during which the offence took place. If it can be shown that a player hasn’t recorded the cumulative score for one or more turns, then the Director must be called and the offender’s clock started while the offender adds up the cumulative score/s. The offender may not add up the cumulative/s while the Director is on his way – only once the Director has started his clock. Should the offender start adding up while the clock is neutralized, he incurs a 50 point penalty on his overall tournament spread. Only when there are no tiles left to draw will there be no warning of penalty if opponent or player fails to record the cumulative score.
In addition, it is forbidden to record the score before making the play on the board. By recording the score after making the play and before drawing tiles, the opponent has a few seconds to examine the play and decide whether to challenge or hold. Any player found deliberately recording the score prior to the play must be warned by the Director while repeated offences should be penalized by a 50 point overall spread penalty. If the score was recorded before making the play the opponent may still challenge, even if new tiles have been drawn.
8. USING THE CLOCK
Each player is allowed 25 minutes to complete the game. It is the responsibility of each player to ensure, before the game begins, that the clock is set properly and fully wound (in the case of an analogue clock).
The clock is started when the first player sees his first tile and stopped at the end of the game. The clock will be neutralized when play is interrupted, but only for the reasons stated in rule 14. If players exceed the allotted 25 minutes, a time penalty will be levied. (see 18.5 Time Penalties)
Reference is made throughout these rules to “neutralizing” the clock. This means depressing the clock buttons so that neither player's clock is ticking. In the case of a digital clock, the neutralizing button is pressed.
9. DRAWING TILES
9.1 How to Draw Tiles
When drawing tiles, hold the bag with the opening above eye level and look away, reach in to draw the number of tiles that will replenish the rack, and place them face down on the table to verify the count. Then transfer those tiles to the rack. Under no circumstances should the tile-drawer look into the bag while drawing tiles. Such behavior is considered cheating (see 2. Conduct) and is grounds for expulsion from a tournament. Once tiles have been drawn from the bag they must be put down either on the rack or on the table. The hand holding drawn tiles may not reenter the bag as this gives the player an opportunity to exchange unwanted tiles illegally.
9.2 Drawing Tiles - A Second Method
If a player wishes, he may put the tiles on the rack directly after taking them from the bag. However, this can sometimes lead to overdrawing. (See 9.3 Overdrawing). If a player notices he has drawn too many tiles and his hand has left the inside of the bag, it is forbidden to voluntarily drop back the extra tiles back into the bag. Once a tile has fully left the bag, it is considered to be a drawn tile. If an extra tile(s) is dropped back in the bag, the offending player must redraw the same number of tiles that were dropped into the bag and the opponent must remove excess tiles as in the process for overdrawing below.
9.3 Overdrawing
A player may not have more than 7 tiles on his rack at any time. A player who has overdrawn is ethically obligated to point this out to the opponent. If he doesn’t, this is tantamount to cheating, and if he makes a play from an overfull rack, the opponent may challenge the play off (even if the play is acceptable), and then the procedure to rectify overdrawing should be followed as below. Because playing with an overfull rack is tantamount to cheating, a spectator may bring the fact that a player’s opponent has an overfull rack to that player’s attention. If a player draws too many tiles, ALL the tiles must be placed on the rack (or table) whether they have been seen or not, and the opponent will take off the excess tiles in the following manner:
One tile too many:
The opponent takes off three tiles, puts them face up on the table so the opponent can see them, and places one back in the bag.
Two tiles too many:
The opponent takes off four tiles, puts them face up on the table so the opponent can see them, and places two back in the bag.
Three or more tiles too many:
The opponent takes off two more than the excess, puts them face up on the table so the opponent can see them, and places the excess tiles back in the bag.
NB: The player has the right to know which tiles are returned to the bag.
Accidental Overdrawing
Because accidental overdrawing can be used to cheat, any accidental overdrawing (except due to a hole in the bag – see below) must be handled using the overdrawing rule. A person could overdraw “accidentally” in order to see what the contents of the bag are.
Hole in the Bag
If tiles have fallen out of the bag due to a hole in the bag, then the tile/s should be shown to both players and replaced into the bag. The director should be informed and another bag must be sought. If another bag cannot be found it may be necessary to innovate using e.g. a shopping bag or the pocket of a jacket.
9.3.1 Overdrawing when there are less than 7 tiles in the bag
This situation is to be treated as any other overdrawing situation. See 9.3.
9.4 Underdrawing
A player may not have fewer than 7 tiles on his rack at any time unless the bag is empty. If a player has drawn too few tiles, he must take the necessary number of tiles from the bag after having drawn this fact to the opponent's attention. If a player notices less than 7 tiles on his opponent's rack, he must inform the opponent and insist that the rack be replenished immediately. Note that it can be to a player’s advantage to underdraw in the endgame, especially where there are less than 7 tiles in the bag and in a situation with a blocked board and “sticky” tiles like the Q or V etc. to come. For this reason there must be a penalty for underdrawing in such a situation. If there are less than 7 tiles in the bag and X is the number of tiles missing from the offending player’s rack, then the opponent will select X+2 tiles from the bag, place them face up on the table, and give X number of tiles of his choice to the opponent to replenish his rack. If a person makes a play from a rack of less than 7 tiles, ends the turn (see 7.2 End of Turn) and then notices the error, the move may not be rescinded. If a player empties his underdrawn rack on any move, that player must receive the correct score but without the bonus 50 points, e.g. if they announce the score to be 63 then they score 63 - 50 = 13. If a player “plays out” from an underdrawn rack the game will not end automatically but will continue until all the tiles are used, if possible. That is to say that the tiles that the player who “played out” should have received from the bag must be placed on his rack and play continues as normal (see 18.3 Undrawn Tiles).
9.5 Drawing Tiles At The Wrong Time
Tiles are drawn out of order when Player A has played but not drawn tiles, and Player B plays and draws tiles before Player A has replenished his rack. If Player B’s tiles are not yet on the rack, they must be returned to the bag so that Player A can draw in correct turn. If Player B emptied the rack, he must return all 7 tiles drawn out of order to the bag, let Player A draw in correct turn and then refill his rack. If Player B has put the tiles on the table and not the rack, then the tiles must be returned to the bag and Player A must draw in turn before Player B. If Player B draws out of turn and places the tiles on his rack when Player A is exchanging it could benefit player B, so the number of tiles drawn out of turn by player B must be returned to the bag as if overdrawn. If a player draws tiles out of order when there are fewer than 14 tiles in the bag, the circumstances could warrant investigation by the Director. This is because drawing tiles out of order can affect the outcome of a game when very few tiles remain to be drawn. Honest mistakes should be acknowledged and accepted, but the Director may want to penalize a player +50 spread points, particularly if fewer than 7 tiles remain to be drawn. Each case should be considered individually since either player may be acting inappropriately, depending on the specific tiles remaining.
It is inappropriate to draw tiles while awaiting the verdict of a challenge. If the challenged player draws new tiles before the verdict has arrived, the following procedure is to be followed:
If the new tiles have been placed only on the table, they are to be returned to the bag after both players have looked at them. The bag must be reshuffled.
If the new tiles have already been placed on the rack, they are to be removed from the rack as if overdrawn.
If the rack has been replenished with 7 new tiles, they are to be shown to the opponent, returned to the bag, and the player is to redraw tiles after the bag has been shuffled.
10. EXCHANGING TILES
10.1 How to Exchange Tiles
A player may use a turn to exchange one or more letters on the rack for new letters. The exchange counts as a turn and no word is played on the board. A player may exchange tiles as often as he wishes during a game. When exchanging tiles, announce to the opponent how many letters you wish to exchange. Spread the tiles to be replaced face down on the table, start the opponent's clock, and then draw the same number of tiles from the bag. Place them face down on the table to verify the count, put the replaced tiles into the bag, and shuffle the bag. The player may change his mind as to which tiles may be exchanged until he ends the turn.
10.2 When to Exchange Tiles
A player may exchange tiles on any turn or turns, provided there is a minimum of seven tiles in the bag.
10.3 When Exchanges Occur at the Wrong Time
If a player exchanges one or more tiles when there are fewer than seven tiles in the bag, that player shall be penalized, but only if opponent realizes the misplay before ending his turn. In that case the opponent neutralizes the clock and looks at all the tiles in the bag, face up. Then he also looks at all the tiles on the player's rack. Opponent now chooses within one minute which seven tiles the player shall have. The remaining tiles go back to the bag and opponent's clock is started.
There is one more important rule pertaining to inappropriate tile exchanges. Consider the interval of time after the opponent's clock has been started but before the player actually draws the new tiles. If either player notices in this interval that there are fewer than 7 tiles in the bag, then the player attempting to exchange tiles shall lose his turn without exchanging any tiles, and no further penalty shall be enforced.
11. PASSING
A player may pass a turn for a zero score. A pass is defined as ending your turn without making any change to your rack or the board. The game ends automatically if six successive scores of zero occur where no legitimate plays are made (note that it’s possible to score zero by playing 2 blanks on the first move or by playing a blank next to another blank under certain circumstances later in the game.) Zero is scored for a pass, tile exchange or a lost challenge, including where a false blank is discovered and challenged off.
12. PLAYING THE BLANK
12.1 Recording the Blank Letter
When using a blank, the player must state and print (in the designated space on the challenge slip) which letter the blank represents. This is to be done before starting opponent's clock. The player may change and reprint the letter he wishes the blank to represent as often as he likes before ending his turn. Player B should always ensure that the designation of the blank is recorded in the correct space if Player A fails to do this. After the turn has ended neither player may change the written designation of the blank.
12.2 Misunderstanding the Blank Letter
(Note that the player who played the blank is designated Player A for this section)
If Player B challenges before the designation of the blank has been recorded (even if Player A has announced the blank’s designation), Player A can still record the value of the blank in the correct space, and this value is to be used in the challenge. Note that it is unethical to deliberately announce one value and record another, but this should never be a problem as it is up to Player B to check what has been recorded.
Blank written in correct space on challenge slip: the blank is designated as the letter on the challenge slip
Blank written differs from designation announced by Player A: here the written value is the one to be used (it is up to Player B to check the challenge slip and see that the blank’s designation has been recorded accurately)
Misunderstanding due to illegible/misunderstood handwriting: if the letter written down is in any way suspicious, Player B must verbally check what the letter is and ask Player A to write the letter down legibly. If the Director suspects Player B was accidentally misled due to the aforementioned, Player B may have his turn over rather than be challenged off after having made a play using the misunderstood blank on the board.
Different value recorded by each player for the blank: the value in the space on the challenge slip will be accepted. If neither player has recorded the blank in the space provided, Player A’s designation will be accepted if this makes the word with the blank a legal or plausible word. Otherwise Player B’s designation will be accepted.
Blank is announced but not written in the correct space: if Player A can show that the blank is recorded elsewhere or can show the written word in which the blank appears, Player A should be reprimanded and the designation accepted.
Blank is announced but not written anywhere by either player: if Player A announced the blank and this was overheard by any other player, the designation will be accepted. If Player A insists he announced the value of the blank, but this cannot be confirmed, he is to be given the benefit of the doubt, as Player B should always confirm the designation and ensure it is recorded.
Blank misunderstood due to mumbling/accent/“slip of the tongue”: Player B must insist the blank be written down before a challenge can ensue.
i) Both players assumed the blank is a different letter but neither has recorded it e.g. with CAT? Player A may assume the word is CATS while Player B may assume the word is CATE. The Director must be called:
Player A plays parallel to or through the blank and Player B challenges: the Director is called and the value of the blank clarified as far as possible by the rules above. If the designation cannot be verified, Player A gets the benefit of the doubt if the designation does not make the initial word in which the blank was played nonsensical. Director’s discretion to be used.
Player B plays parallel to or through the blank and Player A challenges: if the blank in Player B’s play makes the initial word using the blank and Player B’s new word allowable, and if Player A insists the blank is another letter (and the Director can see this is most likely so), Player B may remove his tiles and play again once the blank is verified. Player B gets the benefit of the doubt here as Player A should have designated the blank when it was first played.
Player B plays parallel to or through the blank and Player A challenges, but the blank in Player B’s play makes the initial word using the blank or Player B’s new word illegal or nonsensical: here Player B has clearly not taken the trouble to make sure all his plays are legal, and after the blank is verified by the Director and recorded, the challenge continues as usual.
12.3 Failure to Designate the Blank
If a player has not designated which letter the blank tile represents before initiating opponent's clock, the opponent should immediately neutralize the clock and demand to know what letter the blank represents.
If a blank remains undesignated, the player who didn’t play the blank should stop the clock and demand that the opponent write down the letter that the blank represents. However, the Director may be called to determine if there is any willful misusage of this blank designation rule, and he will have the power to intervene if necessary.
12.4 Verifying That A Blank Played Is Not A False Blank
Using a false blank is tantamount to cheating, but it may occasionally happen that a not-very-alert player will do this purely by mistake. Any observer must bring to the attention of the opponent if he sees a false blank is being used, as this makes the game more fair. Each time a blank is placed on the board, it is the responsibility of the opponent to turn it over to verify that it is truly a blank. This is especially true of wooden tiles that are smooth on both sides. If the tile played as a blank is discovered by the opponent to not in fact be a blank, and the turn of the player who played the blank has just been completed, the opponent can challenge the word off the board and the player who placed it on the board must pick up all tiles played in that turn, return them to his rack and lose that turn. If it is pointed out to the opponent that a false blank has been played before the opponent’s turn is over, the opponent may rectify the “error” and make another play. If a false blank is not detected when it is played, it remains on the board as a blank with no penalty to either player.
13. CHALLENGING
13.1 Procedure for Challenging and Calling a Hold
If Player A wishes to challenge a word, he must say “challenge” and neutralize the clock. At this point, the decision to challenge may not be taken back i.e. once the clock has been hit (a challenge may be retracted if the clock hasn’t been hit yet). The challenger then prints the challenged word/s on a challenge slip and the player verifies that the word/s are correctly and legibly written.
If Player A is considering whether or not to challenge a move, he must say “hold” so that Player B does not proceed to take tiles. Player A may call a hold (on his own time) for as long as he wishes. Once the person who has called the hold has decided to accept the play, he must say ‘ACCEPT’, ‘OKAY’, ‘ALRIGHT’, ‘PLAY ON’ or something of that ilk. Once he has uttered something which signifies the same as any of these, the hold is over and the play is deemed accepted. After approximately 20 seconds of the hold, Player B may draw replacement tiles (which are not to be added to any tiles already on the rack until the verdict of the challenge has come back as acceptable). If the verdict of the challenge comes back as being unacceptable, Player B must show Player A the tiles which have just been drawn and return them to the bag. If Player B has already added the tiles to his rack, Player A must remove the number of tiles from Player B’s rack as if overdrawn. If more than one word is challenged they must all be challenged simultaneously. Only one verdict may be received for a challenge, i.e., either “acceptable” or “unacceptable” (which should be in the form of a tick or a cross next to the challenged word/s), regardless of how many words were challenged. Players are not entitled to know which words are correct or incorrect.
If, at the end of a game where there are no tiles left in the bag, a player may take as long as he wishes to challenge, since there is no need for a hold as there is no reason for the opponent to be prevented from drawing new tiles. When the word/s is/are being challenged, the remaining player must turn his or her tiles face down and leave the board unturned. It is important that the challenger place his tiles face down on the table as this ensures that there will be no “peeking” and the inconvenience will also discourage frivolous challenges and those made to gain time to think. Since there have been a number of incidents in various competitions where the person checking the challenged word/s on the computer or in the book have made errors, the new policy for challenging is self lookup. This means that both players must go up to the computer and check the word together. The challenged player may stay behind if he wishes, but this is not recommended, as the challenging player could make an error in entering the challenge, or use the time alone at the computer to check a word on his own rack. If the challenged player disagrees with the verdict, he must go up with the challenger and check the word on the computer again. If the verdict is still the same, and he suspects a computer error, he must call the Director who will look up the word in the most up to date word source available, and preferably confirm it on Lexpert (if available).
13.2 When to challenge
The time for Player A to challenge is when Player B has ended his turn (see 7.2 End of Turn) and before Player A has officially accepted the play (see rule 7.3).
Note: Player B may not rush to take replacement tiles before completing the “Standard Procedure for Each Turn” (rule 7.1). If Player B takes tiles without following this procedure, Player A may then still challenge. If the verdict is unacceptable, the excess tiles will be removed from player B’s rack according to rule 9.3 (Overdrawing).
Note: the challenger may record the score for the turn after the challenge has already been made.
After Player B has ended his turn, he cannot make any changes to the board. After Player A has accepted the play, he cannot challenge or make any changes to the board.
The challenger may not add any more words to the challenge slip to be challenged if the challenger has stood up or left his seat after filling in the challenge slip
The above is to say that there is only one opportunity to write in challenges, and that is while seated at the playing table and before the challenger has stood up.
13.3 When the Computer or Word Judge says “Unacceptable”
If any challenged word is judged unacceptable the player returns the offending tiles to the rack, forfeits the turn (scores zero) and then restarts the clock for the opponent's next turn. In the absence of the ‘LOOK’ program or ‘LEXPERT’, the person looking up challenges may not specify which word/s are unacceptable, and must look up every word challenged, to avoid revealing unnecessary information to the players. The Word Judge may never assume a word is correct or incorrect, not matter how obvious it may seem to him, and may never say which words are correct and which are not.
13.4 When the Word Judge says “Acceptable”
If all words listed on the challenge slip are judged acceptable, the words remain on the board and neither player is penalized. Once both players are seated, the challenger starts the clock and play resumes.
13.5 Second and Third Opinions
If either player disagrees with the verdict given by the computer, he may ask for a review of the verdict (additional words cannot be added to the challenge slip at this point). The word should be checked on another computer program such as ‘LEXPERT’. A third opinion may also be asked for. If a third opinion is requested it will be dealt with by the Director whose judgment will be final.
13.6 Suggest Checking the Latest Webster's Collegiate, and the Chambers Dictionary
Players (and observers) are allowed and advised to prompt the word judge to look in the latest edition of Merriam Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, (see 3. Dictionaries) or the Chambers Dictionary for challenged words of nine-letters or more if these words are not listed in the word source available at the competition. Any player or observer who feels certain that a challenge has been adjudicated incorrectly should tell the players that the adjudication may be incorrect and should advise that they ask for another opinion.
13.7 Who Adjudicates Words?
Both players must check the validity of the play on the ‘Look’ program or on Lexpert’s Word Judge. It is strongly recommended that the challenged player go up to the computer with the challenger, but this is not mandatory. If the challenge has to be checked in a book, then a third person (preferably the Director) must be found to do the checking, even if this means temporarily suspending the third person’s game.
13.8 Incorrect Adjudication
This should never happen since both players are supposed to go up to the computer and check the word themselves. If a player is utterly convinced that his play is correct after the third opinion has come back incorrect, he may advise the adjudicators where he thinks the word is to be found. If a player fails to go up to the computer with the challenger for self look up of a challenge, and the challenge is incorrectly adjudicated, then he only has himself to blame and the game may not be replayed. If a player in the vicinity of the challenge notes that the adjudication was incorrect, he should advise the challenger to seek a second opinion, as failure to do so would be unfair to the challenger.
14. INTERRUPTING PLAY
Play may be interrupted and the clock neutralized for the following reasons only:
When a turn is challenged (rule 13.1)
When clarifying a difference in scores (rule 14.1)
When verifying a blank's designation (rule 12.3)
When awaiting a rules resolution or announcement by the Director
When enforcing the rule on overdrawn tiles (rule 9.3)
When tiles are missing (rule 15)
When extra tiles appear (rule 16)
In the event of a medical problem or emergency
In the event of a family emergency
Note that a player may not leave the table (even to go to the toilet) during the course of the game without first notifying the Director, in which case the player’s clock may not be stopped, and the Director should follow the player as far as possible to ensure he does not refer to a stashed word source or word computer. This situation is to be treated as highly suspicious if the player leaving the table has a bonus prone rack, so every effort must be made by the player leaving to first make his play before leaving, and he may not draw fresh tiles before leaving the table. (see 14.2)
14.1 Verifying the Score
It is advisable and appropriate to verify that one’s record of the scores coincides with one’s opponent's score. However, a player should preferably only ask for verification while his own clock is running, and not while his opponent's clock is on. Only if there is a discrepancy should the clock be neutralized.
14.2 Leaving the Playing Area
A player may ONLY leave the playing area in an emergency after making a play, starting opponent's clock, recording the cumulative score and NOT drawing tiles. If a player must leave the playing area on his own turn, the Director shall have the power to intervene using his experience and judgment, and should try to monitor the player leaving as far as possible, to exclude cheating in the form of looking up words in stashed sources.
If a contestant leaves the table during a game for WHATEVER reason (apart from a committee member sorting out a rules dispute or problem in the competition), the clock will NOT be neutralized. If the seated player makes a play while the opponent is away from the board, the seated player must start the opponent's clock and record the cumulative score but NOT draw tiles until the opponent has had time to return to the table (to give the player who has left time to challenge upon returning). Within 5 seconds of becoming aware of the play, the opponent must acknowledge whether he wants to hold or challenge the play. If the seated player draws tiles before the absent player has returned, they are to be removed as if they are overdrawn tiles.
15. MISSING TILES
If during play a tile/s is/are found out of the bag, it/they may be put back into the bag after both players have seen what the tile/s is/are. If players have fewer than 7 tiles on their racks an effort shall be made to determine who should have drawn it /them. That player should then receive the tile/s and play continues with no penalty. If it cannot be determined who should receive the tile/s, then the game shall proceed without it/them. Only the two players and the Director may participate in making such determinations. If the game is over (see rule 18.2) it will not be replayed if tiles are found to be missing. The onus is on the players to ensure beforehand that there are 100 tiles in the bag.
If, during a game, one or both players notice that tiles are missing while all 100 tiles were present before the game began, the clock will be neutralized and the game suspended until the missing tile/s can be found. If the tile cannot be found, a replacement tile/s from another set will be used if possible. If the tile/s cannot be replaced, play will be suspended until a replacement tile/s become/s available as other players finish their games. If cheating is suspected the Director must be called who will make a decision according to his discretion.
16. EXTRA TILES
16.1 Discovering Extra Tiles (not due to Overdrawing)
This section has to do with EXTRA tiles (e.g. a 3rd Y) and not overdrawn tiles. For overdrawn tiles see 9.3 Overdrawing.
First it must be established if the extra tile or tiles are as a result of a player drawing from the wrong bag. If this is the case, refer to 16.2 Drawing From The Wrong Bag below.
If both players (as they are obliged to) make sure that the tiles to be used in play are laid out in a ten by ten grid before play commences, extra tiles as a result of an initially incorrect bag should never occur.
If a player notes that he has an extra tile/s (e.g. the 3rd Y of the game) on his rack just after drawing, he is obliged to call the Director and get the Director to check the bag to make sure there are no other extra tiles in the bag. The extra tile/s is/are to be removed from the game (whether on a rack or in the bag), the bag must be corrected as far as possible (if necessary) and he must draw a replacement tile/s from the (now-correct) bag.
If it happens that an extra tile/s appears on the board, the Director must be called, the bag must be checked to ensure that there are no other extra tiles in it (or tiles missing) and the following procedures apply:
1) If Player A notices that Player B has just placed an extra tile/s on the board (e.g. the third Y of the game) BEFORE Player B takes new tiles, then:
the extra tile/s must be removed from the game altogether
the remaining letters of the word must be removed and returned to Player B's rack
Player B must replenish his rack from the (corrected, if necessary) bag and play again (regardless of whether or not the turn has ended).
2) If player A notices that Player B has placed an extra tile/s on the board AFTER Player B has taken new tiles and BEFORE Player A has taken new tiles, then:
If Player A has played, he must withdraw his tiles from the board.
The extra tile/s must be removed from the game altogether.
The bag must be checked and corrected if necessary by the Director.
The remaining letters of the word played by Player B must be returned to Player B’s rack
Any excess tiles on Player B’s rack must be removed as if overdrawn (see 9.2).
Scores must revert to what they were prior to the error.
Player B must play again (regardless of whether or not his turn has ended).
Note: At this point, if Player A has already displayed his letters, regardless of whether or not Player A's turn has ended, he has the option of a free tile exchange after the above procedure has been carried out.
3) If Player A notices that Player B has placed an extra tile/s on the board AFTER Player B has taken new tiles and AFTER Player A has taken new tiles, no matter how many turns have passed and even if the game has ended, the game must be halted and every effort made to reconstruct the game to the point just before the error occurred. If this leads to players having knowledge of each other’s racks before continuing, then each will be allowed a free tile exchange, with the innocent player being allowed to exchange first. This tile exchange is not compulsory.
If it is not possible to reconstruct the game, it should be noted that Player B was most likely in the wrong not to have announced that the tile/s played was an extra tile, so Player A will have the option of a free exchange before playing and the game will continue as usual.
4) During the game, if it cannot be determined who was responsible for playing the extra tile/s, and/or if it is clear that both players are guilty of playing an extra tile/s (e.g. a second K and a third W), and/or the game cannot be reconstructed to the point at which the error occurred, the bag must be corrected by the Director and the game will continue as usual. No replay will be allowed.
5) If the game is over and the result card is not yet signed:
It should be possible to reconstruct the game to the point at which the error occurred and carry on playing from there if at least one player has accurately recorded the words played. The error should have also have been picked up earlier if the players were tracking. If it cannot be determined who was responsible for playing the extra tile/s, and/or if it is clear that both players are guilty of playing an extra tile/s (e.g. a second K and a third W), and/or the game cannot be reconstructed to the point at which the error occurred, then no replay will be allowed. The result card must be signed and handed in.
6) If the game is over and the result card is already signed:
The affected player/s missed the chance to correct the error and no replay or reconstruction of the game is allowed. Replaying is avoided wherever possible because it virtually always delays the entire tournament.
16.2 Drawing from the Wrong Bag
Note that:
This should never happen if players keep the clocks in the middle of the table and the tile bags on the outer edges of the tables, on the opposite side of the board to the clocks (see 4.2 Tiles and 4.4 Clocks).
The situation should be fully recoverable in most cases if at least one of the players affected by the extra tile/s on his board has accurately recorded all the words played in turn.
The error/s should be fairly easy to spot if players are tracking when they get to the point that they have to cross off an extra letter (e.g. a 3rd W) which does not appear on their tracking sheets.
There is a fair degree of overlap in rules between 16.2 Drawing from the Wrong Bag and
16.1 Discovering Extra Tiles
If a tile/s have been taken from the wrong bag and this is noticed before the tile/s have been played, it/they should be returned to the correct bag immediately, replacement tile/s should be drawn from the correct bag, and play should resume after the bags have been placed at the outer edges of the table.
For the purposes of this section, the 4 players at the table are named A, B, C, and D, where, unless otherwise mentioned, it is Player B who has incorrectly drawn tiles from C and D’s bag.
Player C and D are not entitled to a replay for the following reasons:
1. Player C and D should have made certain that their bag was always placed at the outer edge of the table, which would have made it impossible for Player A or B to incorrectly draw from their bag (see rule 4.2).
4. Players are supposed to ensure that the 2 sets of tiles used at a table are as different as possible to prevent the error of drawing from the wrong bag and mixing up tiles.
2. It is virtually impossible for Player C and D to determine exactly when the tile/s was/were illegally removed from their bag.
3. Each player is affected approximately equally by the absence of the tile/s.
16.1.2 What To Do As Soon As It Is Realized That Tiles Have Been Drawn From The Wrong Bag:
- If it is possible to return the missing tiles to C and D’s bag immediately without disrupting A and B’s board, this should be done as below.
- If Player A and B have already finished their game and the card is signed, the missing tiles are to be removed from their board and returned B and C’s bag as below.
- If Player A and B haven’t finished their game:
If it is possible to substitute C and D’s missing tile/s (which are now on A and B’s board) by placing another tile/s on A and B’s board, this should be done and C and D’s missing tiles should then be returned to their bag as below.
If it is not possible to return C and D’s missing tiles to their bag without disturbing A and B’s board, then C and D must wait until it is possible to get their tiles back (or suitable replacement tiles for their tiles on A and B’s board), or until A and B finish their game and sign the card.
16.1.3 The following procedure is to be followed in returning the missing tile/s to Player C and D’s bag:
Once the tile/s is/are returned to the bag, the Director must determine if the bag is accurate.
If Player C or D has just played a bonus word, and has drawn fresh tiles from his own bag (which did not at the time of drawing have an accurate tile count due to Player B having taken tiles from the wrong bag) he must return all the tiles he drew just after playing the bonus word to the bag, and he must draw seven new tiles from the now-corrected bag.
If Player C or D did NOT just play a bonus word, and has already drawn replacement tiles (even though the bag at the time of drawing did not have an accurate tile count due to Player B having taken tiles from the wrong bag), then it is impossible to tell what his tile leave or his fresh draw was for certain, even if he has a written record of this (as it could be falsified), and the missing tile/s is/are returned to the bag while play continues as usual with his present rack.
Player B wrongly takes a tile/s from Player C and Player D’s bag:
If noticed immediately by either player (before the extra tile/s is/are placed on the board):
(b) If Player A notices that Player B has placed an extra tile/s on the board (which came from the wrong bag) AFTER Player B has taken new tiles and BEFORE Player A has taken new tiles, then:
The extra tile/s must be removed from the game altogether and returned to Player C and D’s bag. The bag is shuffled and Player C and D carry on playing as usual.
The remaining letters of the word played by Player B must be returned to Player B’s rack.
The excess tiles on Player B’s rack are removed as if overdrawn (see 9.2).
Player B must play again (regardless of whether or not Player B's turn has ended).
Note: At this point, if Player A has already displayed his letters, (regardless of whether or not Player A's turn has ended), he has the option of a free tile exchange after the above procedure has been carried out.
(c) Player A notices that Player B has played an extra tile/s on the board (from the wrong bag) any number of turns after the play occurred, but the game is not over yet:
It should be possible to reconstruct the game to the point at which the error occurred if at least one player has accurately recorded the words played, and the error should have been picked up earlier if the players were tracking.
For these reasons it is not acceptable for a player to feel hard done by if he didn’t record the words played or didn’t notice the error when it occurred when he was tracking.
If it cannot be determined who was responsible for playing the extra tile/s, and/or if it is clear that both players are guilty of playing an extra tile/s from the wrong bag (e.g. a second K), and/or the game cannot be reconstructed to the point at which the error occurred, then the bag must be corrected by the Director and the game will continue as usual. No replay will be allowed.
d) If the game is over and the result card is not yet signed:
It should be possible to reconstruct the game to the point at which the error occurred and carry on playing from there if at least one player has accurately recorded the words played. The error should have also have been picked up earlier if the players were tracking. If it cannot be determined who was responsible for playing the extra tile/s, and/or it is clear that both players are guilty of playing an extra tile/s from the wrong bag (e.g. a second K), and/or the game cannot be reconstructed to the point at which the error occurred, then no replay will be allowed. The result card must be signed and handed in.
e) If the game is over and the result card is already signed:
The affected player missed the chance to correct the error and no replay or reconstruction of the game is allowed.
17. COUNTING TILES
When using smooth tiles, you may put your hand into the tile bag and count the number of tiles remaining after stating your intention to do so. Make sure that your opponent does not think you are ending your turn (see 7.2). If a player doesn’t state his intention to count tiles before putting his hand in the bag, the other player has the right to call the Director and make an argument that the first player in fact ended his turn by placing his hand in the bag. The Director is advised to view the situation objectively, taking all aspects of the move into account, and to be lenient in general to the player who put his hand in the bag as this is a mistake that could be easily made.
When using tiles that can be brailled you may count the number of tiles remaining unless your opponent objects, in which case a monitor may be called to count the tiles.
18. ENDING THE GAME
18.1 When Does the Game End?
The game proceeds until one player goes out (uses all of his tiles and none remains in the bag) or when there are six successive scores of zero where no acceptable plays (apart from blank plays scoring zero) have been made on the board. A player scores zero when he either passes, exchanges tiles or loses a challenge.. If it happens that the board is so blocked that no further play is possible, each player must pass their turn. On the 6th consecutive pass the game will be considered over.
18.2 Procedure for Ending the Game
The player going out must announce that they are doing so and start the opponent's clock as normal. The opponent must then challenge or accept the play. If he challenges, the normal challenge procedure applies. If he accepts the final play he must neutralize the clock. This is the precise point at which the game is over and no further changes may be made to the board (except in the case of 18.3 Undrawn Tiles). When the game is over, the player/s with tiles still on their rack must reveal these tiles to the opponent.
If, for whatever reason, the clock is not neutralized after the last play, the game shall be considered finished when the opponent has revealed his unused tiles or the point value thereof. This act of revealing the unused tiles prevents a time penalty being valid if the tiles are revealed before the time of the player who revealed the tiles runs out, and ends any further enlargement of any time penalties accrued.
18.3 Undrawn Tile/s
It is the prerogative of each player to check the number of tiles on his opponent’s rack in the last one or two moves compared to the number of tiles in the bag to make sure the opponent is not underdrawn.If the game has ended (the result card not yet signed, see rule 18.10) and one or more tiles remain undrawn (still in the bag), the players must determine who should have drawn the tile/s. That player must then draw the tile/s and play will resume as follows:
If the tile/s belong to the player who “played out”, the other player's next turn is started by starting their clock and plays resumes.
If the tile/s belong to the player who did not play out, the game will obviously be considered over and the value of the tile/s will be doubled and added to the score of the player who played out.
18.4 Final Scoring Adjustments
If both players have unplayed tiles on their racks, each player's score is reduced by the sum of the values of his unplayed letters. If one player has used all the available tiles, that player's score is increased by double the total value of the opponent's unplayed letters. The opponent's score remains the same.
18.5 Time Penalties
Time penalties are enforced in the following manner:
If a player uses more than the allotted 25 minutes, his total score will be reduced by ten points for each minute overtime or part thereof. When using an analogue clock, a player is over time when the clock’s “flag” has fallen, or if there is no “flag”, then when the middle of the minute hand (lengthwise) has passed the middle (lengthwise) of the marking on the clock which has been designated to be the point at which the number of minutes allotted for the game will have elapsed. This marking on the clock is usually 12 o’clock and the number of minutes usually allotted for a game is 25. When using a digital clock there is no penalty when the clock reads 0:00. When the clock is -0:01 (25 minutes and one second has elapsed) then the 10 point penalty is enforced, and for each extra minute another 10 points are subtracted similarly. When in doubt, the players must call the Director whose decision will be final.
If in any game a player overruns the allotted time by TEN minutes, that player shall forfeit the game. The margin shall be the margin when the TEN minutes is reached (after imposing time penalties) or 150 points, whichever is the greater.
18.6 Winning, Losing or Tieing
The player with the highest adjusted score, after time penalties have been deducted, wins the game.
If both players have the same adjusted score, the game is ruled a tie. Each player is awarded one-half (1/2) win.
If six consecutive turns of zero score occur where no legitimate plays are made on the board (i.e. three scores of zero for each player), the game is considered over. The value of the tiles on the players’ respective racks are subtracted from their scores to give the final score. However, if neither player notices that six turns or zero score have occurred and a legitimate play is made before this is noticed, then the game continues as usual.
18.7 Winners and Losers
At the end of each game, the loser must arrange the tiles in a 10 by 10 square on the board so that players can see that all 100 tiles are present at a glance before starting the next game. The winner must complete the result card and deliver it to the Director, after it has been signed by both players, for the posting of scores and the pairing of players in the next round. The winner should then return and help the loser arrange the tiles in a grid. In the case of a draw, the player who played out first should generally fill in the result card.
18.8 Leaving the Playing Area
As a courtesy to other contestants, players should leave the playing area when their round is over.
18.9 Recounting the Game
A recount of the game will be permitted provided the result card has not yet been signed (see 18.10 The Result Card). No one but the players themselves will do the recounting.
18.10 Result Cards
Once both players sign the result card, they are attesting that the score is correct and no other scoring adjustments will be made for that game. The only time a result card may be changed is if the winner and/or loser’s score has been filled in incorrectly. It is up to the players to check their adding/scoring/time penalties BEFORE the card is signed. Apart from the above reason, the signing of the card is final and no adjustments may be made to the card thereafter. If the data from the card are incorrectly entered into the computer, adjustments must be made from the card, which should always be kept as a fail safe.
19. BYES AND FORFEITS
19.1 Odd Number of Players
Should a player receive a bye (i.e. there are an odd number of players in a given division, so that one player has no opponent), the bye shall count as a win, with +50 points of spread added to the player's total spread.
19.2 Absence
Should a player not show up for a scheduled game, for whatever reason, that player should receive a forfeit loss, which is counted as a loss, with -50 points of spread subtracted from his total spread. The designated opponent receives a forfeit win, which counts as a win, with +50 points of spread added to the total spread. It should be noted that this rule is open to abuse in certain cases (such as when a final is to be played or towards the end of a tournament), and if anyone is suspected of abusing this rule, every attempt should be made to have them play the game they missed. If this is not possible, and abuse is strongly suspected, the penalty should be –150 points of spread.
19.3 Resignation
If a player must leave a game in progress for reasons of an emergency, then that player will automatically earn a forfeit loss for that game. Only in a round robin tournament will the game be allowed to be resumed at a later stage (but before the next day of the tournament, and only if this doesn’t cause problems for players who have traveled from afar with regard to missing their transport). In this situation the Director and the players should record the board as it is and the players’ individual racks (without each player being allowed to have knowledge of the opponent’s rack) for reconstruction and completion of the game at a later stage. If the player remaining behind is trailing in score, then the differential will be +50 points for the player who remains behind. If the player who remains behind is ahead in score, the differential will be whatever the spread is at the time of departure plus 50 points.
20. OBSERVING INCORRECT RULINGS/ADDING/EXTRA TILES ON RACK/FALSE BLANK
If any player or observer becomes aware of anything that leads to a situation of unfairness arising, then they must bring it to the attention of the player/s involved e.g. a tournament official makes either an incorrect word or rules adjudication, an adding error is noted, extra tile/s are seen on a player’s rack or a false blank is played. The observer must then suggest to the wronged party to check whatever has aroused the observer’s suspicion. Any other communication at that time is forbidden. If an observer notes that a word or score has been added incorrectly, he may suggest to the wronged party along the lines of “you may want to recheck your adding”.
21. CALLING THE DIRECTOR
If a player has a query with regard to the rules he should tell his opponent he wishes to confer with the Director, stop the clock and put his tiles face down on the table. The opponent should also put his tiles face down on the table. Please note that the Director is responsible for making reasonable decisions pertaining to any situations not specifically described or implied by these rules and for interpreting these rules in any situation which arises. He will also be responsible for maintaining proper ethical decorum at all times, and will report serious breaches of conduct to the South African National Scrabble Players Association (SCRABSA) for possible subsequent disciplinary action by that province’s committee or, failing that, committee of the province closest to his place of residence.
22. SCRABBLE ETIQUETTE
There are many grey areas for which cast iron rules cannot apply. What follows is a list of some of these confusing areas and several guidelines according to which players are expected to conduct themselves:
22.1 Punctuality and late Arrivals
Players are expected to arrive punctually for tournaments. It is rude and inconsiderate to be late for a tournament, other than in a situation beyond a player’s control (see 6.1 Late Arrivals).
22.2 Smoking and Cellular Phones
Smoking and cellular phones are prohibited in the playing area of SCRABSA organized tournaments, except where the Director has been informed that it is of extreme importance that a certain player be allowed to keep his cellular phone on. If possible, a vibrating alert should be used in this situation. If a player’s cell phone rings during a session (morning or afternoon), the owner of the phone must be warned by the Director to switch it off. Any phone calls are to be taken on the player’s own time (except in a genuine emergency). If the phone rings again during that session, the player must be penalized by 50 points of spread.
22.3 Shuffling Tiles Before the Game Begins
It is considered discourteous for the first player not to ask his opponent if he would like to shuffle the tiles before the game begins.
22.4 Unnecessary Conversation, Observers, Kibitzing and Inappropriate Commenting That May Affect the Outcome of a Game
Once games have commenced players should not talk to anybody beyond what is necessary to apply the game rules. Kibitzing (i.e. the illegal giving of advice by onlookers) is strictly prohibited. Players are entitled to ask any unwanted observers to leave and indeed are advised to refuse observers, as observers can:
put undue pressure on the players
kibitz and give information either to the player or to his opponent
make seemingly harmless comments about the players’ racks that may affect the game
In the event that an observer or observers gather around a game in progress, either player may stop the clock and ask observer(s) to leave, after which the clock must be started again immediately. It is advised that players refuse observers as they often unwittingly give away information to a player by kibitzing and going to check up words on the computer. Any observers of a game are obliged to remain silent (unless they notice something suspicious (see rule 20)). Noisy observers must be advised to keep quiet by the players or Director, and be told to leave the playing area if they do not comply.
A potentially disastrous situation could occur if an observer decides to comment on the rack of the player he is watching. He could give away the player’s letters or information regarding rack quality or balance, identify a winning bonus word or draw attention to a winning play on the board. Any such commenting is deemed exceptionally inappropriate and can have an influence on the outcome of the game. In such a circumstance the following should be done:
In any such situation the clock must be stopped. The Director must be called and the situation must be explained to him.
If there is no doubt in the Director’s mind that the kibitzing observer caused a player to play a winning move that the player would not have found on his own, the Director may order that the play be withdrawn and that the offending player play some other play. This may, of course be difficult to prove beyond doubt, but the player who made the play which appeared to be as a direct result of the kibitzing observer should be directly questioned in front of the Director and all available committee members, and if the player swears that he saw the play in question before the kibitzing comment was made, he should be believed and the play will be accepted.
The observer who made the kibitzing comment should be severely reprimanded. The penalty for any kibitzing which can affect the game being played is a ban for the next tournament, and a spread penalty of minus 100 points immediately (if the offending kibitzer is a player). Kibitzing which does not affect the game being played should be condemned and the offender should be banished from the playing area immediately.
22.5 Announcing a Play
It is not acceptable to simply announce “I think I'll try this word...” and show your opponent your rack. Tiles must be laid on the board and the score announced as per tournament rules.
22.6 Turning the Board
Turning the board after your play is not considered an essential part of the turn. It is the right of the player whose turn it is to orient the board as he wishes.
22.7 Challenges
If you are considering whether or not to challenge and then decide not to proceed with the challenge, you should inform your opponent of your decision and say ‘HOLD’. Similarly, you should not rush to take tiles if your opponent is thinking of challenging (i.e. has said ‘HOLD’). You may not take tiles for 30 seconds once the opponent has said ‘HOLD’ (see rule 13.1). Once the person who has called the hold has decided to accept the play, he must say ‘OKAY’, ‘ALRIGHT’, ‘PLAY ON’ or something of that ilk. Once he has uttered something which signifies the same as any of these, the hold is over and the play is deemed accepted.
22.8 Undesignated Blanks
Players are advised to clearly designate what letters the blanks represent to avoid confusion and possible penalties (see 12. PLAYING THE BLANK for more)
22.9 Drawing Too Quickly
It is unethical to draw replacement tiles so quickly that the opponent doesn't have a few seconds to consider the move. If the proper procedure for the turn is adhered to, the above situation should virtually never arise. If the player who drew too quickly didn’t follow the correct procedure for the turn, then the other player still has the right to challenge.
22.10 Leaving the Playing Room After a Game
After completion of the game players should remain silent and leave the playing area so as not to disturb those people still playing.
22.11 Stuck with an Unplayable Tile
Imagine that Player A is “stuck” with one letter on his rack. There is no way to play the letter on the board and form an acceptable word. Should Player A also be very short of time (2-3 seconds before the time penalty begins), Player B, with a full rack, may decide to take 21 turns, playing two phoneys and a real word, and then repeating this action seven times, in order to push Player A into the penalty situation. This is considered highly unethical. A Director who becomes aware of this situation is advised to erase such a time penalty. While it is acceptable (and even advisable in some situations) to play phoneys, the above behaviour is contrary to the spirit of the game.
22.12 Ending the Game
If your opponent plays out, it is not sufficient to just tell him the value of your tiles, you must actually display all your tiles.
22.13 When the Clock is Still Ticking After the Game
If the player who didn’t play out forgets to neutralize the clock, it is unethical for the player who did play out to take advantage of this by delaying the verification of the final score in any way in order to earn penalty points from an unwary opponent. The Director will have the power to intervene to erase a time penalty should the evidence gathered prove sufficient to do so. In this situation the players should mutually try to ascertain when the unused tiles were revealed to help recall the exact moment of the end of the game.
22.14 Colluding with Opponent
Any player who has been found guilty of purposefully either losing a game or losing by a much bigger spread than necessary may lose their right to participate in SCRABSA tournaments.
22.15 Adding/Subtracting Incorrectly
If it happens that a player adds incorrectly, it is unethical of the opponent not to bring this fact to the player's attention. Similarly, it is unethical of any player to take advantage of an opponent who forgets to enforce the overtime penalty.
22.16 Using the Rules to Take Advantage
It is unethical of a player, with a superior knowledge of the rules, to unduly confuse and disadvantage the opponent. This does not excuse players who are ignorant of the rules for the following reasons:
The rules are up at every tournament for every player to read. There is time before the competition, between games, at tea times and during the lunch breaks to read the rules.
The rules have been up at virtually every competition since they were introduced.
The rules are available on the SCRABSA website for perusal and copying.
The committee must endeavour to teach all players a section of the rules just before each competition, and encourage all players to familiarise themselves with the rules.
22.17 Knocked over board/tiles knocked from board
It is considered a serious offence to purposely upset a board during play, for whatever reason. Upsetting a board should never be a problem in terms of reconstructing the game if at least one player has recorded all the words played to that point. The manner in which the tiles were knocked from the board will determine the action taken against the offending player.
If the board was clearly upset by accident (either by one of the players or by a passer-by bumping it) and the game cannot be reconstructed, then the game should be restarted, with the current differential as a starting score for the leading player (Player A).
At the end of the game, if Player A wins, his diff will be worked out as follows:
if his diff is less than the lead he had when the game was restarted, his diff will left as is.
ii) if his diff is more than the lead he had when the game restarted, it will revert to a maximum of the lead he had at the start plus 50 points. That is to say the diff may not be entered in the computer as more than the starting difference plus 50 points, in order to limit the possibility of an unfairly high diff.
[This is to prevent players from getting unreasonably high diffs which could arise by restarting a game with a big lead and then getting a high diff, as such a high diff would be unfair to the the other players on the same number of wins]
If Player B wins he has obviously overcome the lead that player A had when the game was restarted and still triumphed, so the diff stays as it is at the end of the game. No adjustments of diff will be made for Player B.
If any other player in the tournament does something to knock over another player's board or even knocks off a few tiles in an angry or unsporting manner, it is deemed an exceptionally serious offence, and incurs a ban from tournament play for 3-6 months, to be decided by that province’s committee.
If a fist or hand thumped against the table (or any other angry or unsporting action) is the cause for a few tiles to be knocked from the board, but the game can be reconstructed, then the offender should be warned by the director and every repeat offence should be punished with a 50 point spread penalty. If only a few tiles are dislodged, but the game cannot be reconstructed, then the game must be restarted.
If both players fully agree that it was accidental then the leader has his spread as his starting score.
If there is any doubt that the dislodging of the tiles was accidental then the non-offending player will have the difference in spread as a starting score if he was in the lead at the time of the offence. If the offender was in the lead, his lead will be erased and the game will be restarted with both scores at zero.
If a player purposefully upsets an entire board then he automatically loses that game by 150 points or the current differential, whichever is larger. If it is suspected that the board has been upset to benefit the offending player, then the differential should be increased to the amount which just cancels out that benefit. Furthermore, the offending player should be disciplined by the committee in the form of a tournament ban for 1-3 competitions, but the committee is to use their discretion with the circumstances in mind.
22.18 Who has the right to the bag at any given time?
The player who is about to draw tiles after having just played his word or exchanged tiles (Player A) has the immediate right to the bag. Despite this, Player A may not purposely dally in taking his tiles with the express aim of wasting the time of Player B, when Player B may want to count the remaining tiles in the bag. If Player B suspects Player A is resorting to the above tactic, he may stop the clock and call the Tournament Director, who must instruct Player A to take tiles immediately. After Player A has taken tiles, Player B’s clock must be started. This will compensate in some small way for the time lost by Player B. From the point that Player A has drawn his tiles, Player B (the player now ON TURN) has the first right to the bag i.e. the player who is ON TURN has the right to count the remaining tiles FIRST. Prior to counting the tiles in the bag, a player should always notify his opponent with a word or phrase that communicates his intentions. So once tiles have been drawn, the player whose clock is running has the first right to count tiles in the bag, and the player NOT ON TURN must surrender the bag to the player ON TURN without question, even if the player NOT ON TURN also wishes to count the remaining tiles.
23. OBLIGATION TO PLAY ALL GAMES IN A TOURNAMENT
Once a player has started playing in a tournament, he is obliged to play every game in the tournament. It is unacceptable to intentionally miss a game (especially to the benefit of the player) or stop playing part of the way through a tournament (except in the case of a medical or other real emergency or circumstances entirely beyond the individual’s control) for the following reasons:
It is unfair to the players who have already played the dropout and lost, since the players who have yet to play the dropout will get byes and a definite win with a differential of +50
If the dropout is a weaker player, it is unfair to the stronger players (who have average diffs of more than 50) who have not yet played him, as they would be likely to beat him by well over 50 points.
In a situation where there are 3 players (A, B and C) with close ratings and all vying for a place on the SA team for the World Championships, then Player A, who has already qualified in the tournament in question could hypothetically decide to sit out and accept losses for the remaining game(s). This would be unfair to Player C, especially if Player B had to play Player A in a King-of-the-Hill ending for 2 games, and the only way that Player C could qualify would be for Player A to beat Player B and for Player C to win his remaining games.
It is fickle and unprofessional to quit a tournament part of the way through, and shows lack of respect and consideration to the other players who are affected by this action.
A player who only needs either a win or a loss of 50 points or less to ensure a place in a final or in the World Championship team could hypothetically decide to rather sit out the match, accept the loss and the -50 point diff and thus ensure his place in the final or WSC team. This is unsporting behaviour and deprives any other candidate(s) of a fair chance.
For the above reasons, if a player decides to drop out of a tournament (or miss a game to benefit himself) for anything other than medical reasons or an emergency or circumstances entirely beyond the individual’s control, the dropout will be given a loss for every game played in the tournament, including those to come. All players will receive a win against the dropout with a diff of +50, and the dropout will have all his wins made losses by –50. This is to strongly discourage frivolous dropping out of competitions to the detriment of other players, and so-called “tactical” game skipping to ensure a place in a team or a final.
24. IF A TILE/S FALL OFF THE BOARD DURING PLAY
24.1 If a Tile Falls Off and is Noticed Immediately
Obviously the tile is to be replaced, but if it is more than one tile, and/or the board cannot be reconstructed, then refer to 22.17 Knocked over board/tiles knocked from board.
24.2 If a Tile Falls Off Unnoticed (e.g. Under the Board) and the Players Keep On Playing
It was the fault of both players not to notice that the board had changed.
a) If the empty space hasn’t been used yet :
If the words on the board won’t be affected by replacing the tile, then this must be done.
If the space has been affected in such a way that replacing the tile will make other words nonsensical or unallowable, this should be done anyway and the game should continue.
b) If the empty space has been used by either player:
i) If the use of the space was insignificant (i.e. a play <26 points), then if neither player feels that its use could have changed the outcome of the game, the players are to replace the tile and play on.
ii) If the use of the space was significant (i.e. a play >25 points), and/or either player feels its use could have changed the outcome of the game (e.g. a TLS both ways X for >48 points, or a tile over a TWS square which came off and had now been played on to give a high score), then the game must be reconstructed to the point where the illegal play was made, the missing tile must be returned to the board, all other tiles that were placed on the board from that point must be placed into the bag, and both players get a free change (if desired). If it is impossible to reconstruct the game, then this is the fault of both players for not recording the words played, and the game must carry on without any changes.
c) If One Player Has Picked Up the Tile off the Table and Has it on his Rack
Although this could conceivably happen by accident (i.e. the player could assume the tile had come off his rack in the first place), it could be construed as cheating, especially if the letter was an S, blank, X or Z, or any other letter very useful at that stage of the game. If both players agree it was an honest mistake, then the letter must be placed on the board and another letter must be drawn from the bag by the player who had the letter.
If cheating/dishonesty is suspected then the tile must be placed on the board in its original position, and the opponent may draw 3 tiles from the bag and give the one of his choice as a replacement for the player who suspiciously had the missing tile on his rack.
25. DISCOVERING TILES ON A RACK WHICH COME FROM A PREVIOUSLY ACCEPTED PLAY
This could happen when someone plays through a letter, changes his mind or is challenged, and removes his tiles plus the letter/s he played through. It probably happens mostly by accident but should arouse suspicion.
i) If tiles from the board are discovered immediately on opponent’s rack (i.e. before the offender has played from the rack):
The opponent will very likely have 8 or more tiles on his rack at this point, seeing as he would have just changed his mind or have been challenged off, and has taken a tile/s from the board illegally. The tile/s must be returned to their original position on the board. The offender should be censured and the innocent player should be given the option of a free change to offset the offence.
ii) If a play has been made using tiles illegally picked off the board:
In this scenario the player would either have changed his mind, picked his tiles and a tile/s off the board and then played illegally with an overfull rack, or he would have been successfully challenged the previous turn, removed his tiles along with a tile/s from the board, and made a play the next turn.
a) If it is noticed immediately the play has been made with an overfull rack:
The innocent player must challenge the word, and even if it is an acceptable word, it is to be removed if made using an overfull rack, and the offender loses his turn. The missing tile/s must be returned to the board and the innocent player has the option of a free change before playing on.
b) If it is noticed on a successive turn that a play has been made with a rack illegally filled with an extra tile/s that came from the board.
The innocent player may demand that the game be reconstructed to the point at which the offence occurred, at which point he has the option of a free change, but may choose to play on. If the game cannot be reconstructed and the squares which the missing tiles had occupied are still open, then those squares are out of bounds for the rest of the game, and should be marked as such with e.g. small pieces of paper; the innocent player has the option of a free change and the game goes on.
26. ILLEGALLY LEAVING TILES ON THE BOARD
If noticed immediately, the offender must place the tile/s back on his rack
If noticed on a successive turn, the offender must have the tile/s returned to his rack, and the excess tile/s removed as if overdrawn. Note that if the innocent player feels that the board will be to his disadvantage after removing the tile/s in question, he may opt to play on with no changes to the board.
27. SMALL CHILDREN AND BABIES AT COMPETITIONS
Babies and small children are not allowed in or within earshot of the playing area while games are in progress. They are, however, welcome at lunch time.
28. AMENDING THE RULES
The South African rules are intended to be as comprehensive as possible. If anyone can think of a situation not covered by the above rules or finds the rules lacking or unfair in any way, every effort will be made to amend the rules. In such a case the person should write out the section of the rules in question as they feel would be more comprehensive/fair/appropriate and approach the committee member who deals with the rules, who will then take the matter further to the next committee meeting to be put to the vote. Every potentially problematic situation which occurs in a competition or even during social play which is not covered by the rules should instigate an amendment to the rules.