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(2009 list posted) |
(Updated to include 2008, and to explain COVID-19.) |
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| − | Beginning in 2017 (and backdated to | + | Beginning in 2017 (and backdated to 2008), |
NASPA has recognized '''player''' excellence by awarding | NASPA has recognized '''player''' excellence by awarding | ||
the '''titles''' | the '''titles''' | ||
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An annually updated [{{SERVER}}/ratings/titlists.shtml list] | An annually updated [{{SERVER}}/ratings/titlists.shtml list] | ||
shows the years in which each titlist achieved their current | shows the years in which each titlist achieved their current | ||
| − | rank. The list was last revised on 2026-01- | + | rank. The list was last revised on 2026-01-10. |
== How Titles are Earned == | == How Titles are Earned == | ||
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first game begins at the [[North American SCRABBLE Championship | annual championship]] (NASC), | first game begins at the [[North American SCRABBLE Championship | annual championship]] (NASC), | ||
and ends just before the first game begins at the next championship. | and ends just before the first game begins at the next championship. | ||
| + | If no championship was held in a year, then August 1 marks the beginning | ||
| + | of the tournament year. | ||
We rank players according to their overall performance ratings (OPR). | We rank players according to their overall performance ratings (OPR). | ||
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Players retain earned titles as long as they maintain their memberships | Players retain earned titles as long as they maintain their memberships | ||
in good standing, or until they earn a superior title. | in good standing, or until they earn a superior title. | ||
| + | |||
| + | To account for the [[COVID-19]] hiatus, games played during the 2019–2020 | ||
| + | year count 50% extra only for the purposes of having played 50 games during that | ||
| + | year (i.e., the quota for that year is only 34). Also, the 2020–2021 year | ||
| + | is not included in calculations, so OPR was calculated for players active | ||
| + | in 3 of 6 years from 2022 to 2025. | ||
Beginning in 2017 (and backdated to 2008), NASPA has recognized player excellence by awarding the titles NASPA Expert, NASPA Master, and NASPA Grandmaster. (Until 2021, these were referred to as SCRABBLE Expert, SCRABBLE Master and SCRABBLE Grandmaster.)
An annually updated list shows the years in which each titlist achieved their current rank. The list was last revised on 2026-01-10.
For player recognition purposes, our tournament year begins when the first game begins at the annual championship (NASC), and ends just before the first game begins at the next championship. If no championship was held in a year, then August 1 marks the beginning of the tournament year.
We rank players according to their overall performance ratings (OPR). An OPR is like a tournament performance rating (PR), but takes into account all of the games played during a period of time, regardless of how many tournaments they were played in.
The player with the highest OPR each tournament year is designated our Player of the Year.
Now, when deciding who will become a NASPA Expert (EX), NASPA Master (SM) or NASPA Grandmaster (GM) each year, we look at OPR calculated over rolling periods of 5 consecutive tournament years, and consider only those players who have played 50 games in each of 3 of the 5 tournament years making up each such quinquennium.
We list those players according to their 5-year OPR, and see who falls within which percentile. Those in the top 25% are named NASPA Experts, those in the top 6% NASPA Masters, and those in the top 1% NASPA Grandmasters.
Players retain earned titles as long as they maintain their memberships in good standing, or until they earn a superior title.
To account for the COVID-19 hiatus, games played during the 2019–2020 year count 50% extra only for the purposes of having played 50 games during that year (i.e., the quota for that year is only 34). Also, the 2020–2021 year is not included in calculations, so OPR was calculated for players active in 3 of 6 years from 2022 to 2025.
This page was last edited on 11 January 2026, at 10:08. Privacy policy
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