Back to 2001 WSC

2001 WSC Rules

The 2001 WSC will be played by NSA Tournament Rules except as noted below:

ACCEPTABLE WORDS

Words will be judged allowable if they are found in Official SCRABBLE^® Words International Edition (OSW-I), a word list which combines the Official Tournament and Club Word List with words found in the previous edition of Official SCRABBLE^® Words. OSW-I is missing one recently added word, ANTEFIXAE, which will be considered acceptable for the purposes of this tournament. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate, 10th Edition and The Chambers Dictionary will be used for adjudication over 9 letters.

HOLDING AND COURTESY RULE

The World SCRABBLE^® Championship (WSC) has this year enacted a five-point penalty for challenging an acceptable play. Players may now wish to consider very carefully about taking some extended time to think about whether they want to challenge or not.

If you are thinking about challenging, it is advisable to call "HOLD" before your opponent either draws tiles or records the cumulative score. Once "HOLD" is called, the player must refrain from drawing tiles.

If after ONE MINUTE (The Courtesy Rule) the "holder" is still considering whether or not to challenge, then the challengee may draw replacement tiles, keeping them separate from the tiles on the rack until the "hold" is either rescinded or an incorrect challenge is verified.

Warning: It will be considered not sportsmanlike and unethical for a player to call "HOLD" to simply to delay your opponent from drawing new tiles or if you have no intention of challenging. The Director has the power to charge such players a 5-point penalty.

ANNOUNCING CHALLENGE

Announcing "CHALLENGE", even before youÕve stopped the clock, requires a mandatory challenge that MAY NOT be rescinded. It is considered unethical and inappropriate to announce, "CHALLENGE" before your opponent has ended his turn. Such a "CHALLENGE" is invalid.

Further information on "CHALLENGING" may be found in the SCRABBLE^® booklet Official Tournament Rules, updated May 2001, included in the tournament package and also available at this web site.

HASBRO is the owner of the registered SCRABBLE^® trademark in the United States and Canada. © 2008 HASBRO. All rights reserved. "SCRABBLE^® Brand Crossword Game" is the proper way to refer to this unique group of word games and related properties marketed by HASBRO. "SCRABBLE^®" is not a generic term. To use it as such is not only misleading but also does injustice to the company responsible for the trademark's longtime popularity. All we ask is that when you mean SCRABBLE^® Brand Crossword Game, you say so. 

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