When you connect to this website, you send your IP address and sometimes some cookies. You may also give us personal identifying information, such as your name and contact information. All this data is used to securely provide you with the services that you request. We encourage you to review our privacy policy to make sure that you understand how your data is managed, and to contact us if you have any questions. View Privacy Policy

2015 National SCRABBLE Championship

From NASPAWiki
Revision as of 17:17, 6 January 2015 by Dallasjohnson (talk | contribs)

You are viewing a condensed mobile version of this NASPA webpage.
Switch to full version.

NOTE: THIS PAGE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.  DO NOT RELY ON INFORMATION POSTED TO THIS PAGE UNTIL THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN REMOVED.

The 2015 National SCRABBLE Championship will take place on August 1-5, 2015 at the Silver Legacy Resort and Reno Ballroom, 407 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89501. This webpage will be regularly as additional details became available.

Live Event Coverage

Live coverage of the event will be made available. Check back later for a link to the coverage.

Registration

Online registration will available from this page, and is projected to be available in late January/early February. A list of registered players will also be available on this website and on cross-tables.com. The rest of this section describes in detail the various terms and conditions of registration, most of which are also discussed on the registration form.

Registration will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 22, 2015, after which players will only be accepted if they do not make a division odd.

Eligibility

To play in the NSC, you must (1) be a NASPA member, and (2) have played in an officially sanctioned SCRABBLE tournament to earn an official tournament rating. If you live in the United States or Canada, that rating should be a NASPA rating; if you live elsewhere it may be a WESPA rating or other comparable national rating.

If you meet these criteria and prefer to play using the international Collins (CSW) lexicon, you may do so. If at least 20 players register in each of the two planned CSW divisions, players will compete separately in an open division and in one for players whose qualifying NASPA CSW rating (or equivalent as determined by the organizing committee) is less than 1400. If either division has fewer than 20 players registered as of July 22, 2015, the divisions will be automatically combined into a single division. The qualifying NASPA CSW rating is the highest tournament rating attained at the end of a NASPA CSW-rated tournament which finished during the period August 1, 2013 to July 22, 2015. (If you had a NASPA CSW rating prior to this period, but did not play during the period, your qualifying rating is that unchanged rating.) The CSW divisions will be NASPA and WESPA rated.

If not, then the TWL division(s), numbered 1–4, in which you may play depend on your rating as follows. If you do not have a NASPA rating, you must play in Division 1, the open division. If you do have a NASPA rating, then your division eligibility is based on a Qualification Rating (QR), which consists of the highest tournament rating attained at the end of any NASPA TWL-rated tournament (or segment of a split-rated tournament) which finished during the period August 1, 2013 to July 22, 2015. (If you have a rating, but do not play during this period, your QR is your unchanged current rating.) If your QR is 1800 or higher, you must play in Division 1. If it is in the range 1400–1799, you must play in Division 1 or 2. If it is in the range 1000–1399, you must play in Division 1, 2 or 3. If it is below 1000, you may play in any of the four divisions.

Player division assignments will be reviewed after July 22, 2015 to ensure that everyone is registered in the correct division. If the division in which you registered is not one in which your QR permits you to play, we will automatically move you up to the lowest permissible division.

Collins Division

If you are thinking about travelling from overseas to play in this event for the first time, please read our 2015 NSC for Overseas Visitors page.

Again this year, there will be at least one separate division of players using the Collins lexicon at the National Scrabble Championship. Provided that at least 20 players register for each division, two Collins divisions will be offered.

Your division eligibility is based on your Collins Qualifying Rating (CQR), which is determined in one of three ways, depending on your rating status.

  • If you have a NASPA Collins rating, then your CQR consists of the highest tournament rating attained at the end of any NASPA Collins-rated tournament (or segment of a split-rated tournament) which finished during the period August 1, 2013 to July 22, 2015. If you have a NASPA Collins rating, but do not play during this period, your CQR is your unchanged current rating.
  • If you do not have a NASPA Collins rating but do have a NASPA TWL rating, your CQR is your TWL QR as described in the previous section.
  • If you do not have any NASPA rating but do have a WESPA rating, your CQR is the most current WESPA rating available for you as of July 22, 2015.
  • If you do not have any NASPA or WESPA rating but do have a foreign national rating, you will be assigned an equivalent CQR by the organizing committee.

If you do not have any sort of rating at all, you must first obtain one at a regular tournament before competing in the Championship.

If your CQR is 1400 or higher, you must play in Division 1. If it is 1399 or below, you may play in Division 1 or 2. If fewer than 20 players register in either division, the two divisions will be automatically combined into a single Collins division.

The Collins division will be run using NASPA rules, except that the Collins lexicon will be used and the challenge penalty will be 5 points per word. The Collins division will be NASPA and WESPA rated.

Entry Fees

The base entry fee for all divisions is $160.

Youths, defined as those whose 18th birthday is after August 1, 2015, may pay $50 to play in any division.

The above fees will be increased by $50 after May 31, 2015. For example, a non-youth player signing up on June 1, 2015 would pay $210, while a youth would pay $100.

Players accepted after the close of registration on July 22, 2015 must pay a $75 late penalty. For example, a non-youth player signing up on July 23, 2015 would pay $285, while a youth would pay $175. Acceptance of registrants after July 22, 2015 is not guaranteed, and will generally only be permitted if it does not cause a division to be uneven.

Players not staying at the host hotel for the duration of the event must also pay a commuter/facility fee of $20 per day ($100 maximum). The commuter fee does not apply to those local to the Reno area. Verification of status as a hotel guest will be performed at registration/check-in and throughout the event. Players staying at the host hotel for only part of the event must pay the full commuter fee, and may then apply for a refund of $20 per day stayed at the host hotel (to a maximum of $100) after the conclusion of the event, by providing the Championship Committee with hotel confirmation number and dates of stay.

Fees payable are computed based on when (Eastern Time) funds are received in full. If you are not paying right away online at the moment when you register, please be sure to allow enough time for your mailed payment to reach us.

Division Changes

To change divisions after you have registered, please email the organizing committee at nsc@scrabbleplayers.org. Division changes are subject to the following conditions:

  • After registration closes on July 22, 2015, if your division change would increase the number of players who may potentially have to have byes (if you would make two divisions odd, or would make a larger division odd), you will be waitlisted until this is not the case.

If your rating rises above the limit for the division in which you registered, you will automatically be moved to the lowest division for which you qualify.

Refunds

If you paid your tournament fees by credit card, any credit owing to you will be issued to your card; otherwise, we will mail a check to your membership address as shown in your member profile. No refunds will be issued after the refund deadlines described below.

All refunds are subject to a cancellation fee of $15.

If you decide you need to cancel your registration, we will refund your entry fee (and commuter fee, if applicable), if you so request by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on July 22, 2015.

Conditions

Rules, Code and Terms/Conditions

By registering for the NSC, you agree to abide by the NASPA Tournament Rules and Code of Conduct, and agree to comply with the 2015 National SCRABBLE Championship Terms and Conditions. In particular, some games at this tournament, probably the highest Division 1 board without a Gibsonized player, will be annotated live. If you refuse to play a designated game with annotation, you will forfeit it, and may at the director’s discretion be assigned a spread penalty of −200 points.

Minor Release

A Minor Release and Consent Form will be required for all players under age 18 as of August 1, 2015, and may be downloaded and submitted in advance, or executed by a parent or guardian at registration.

Player Bulletin

Please read our Player Bulletin, and check it again for last-minute updates before you travel to the event.

Equipment Required

Participants in the 2015 National Scrabble Championship are responsible for bringing all equipment necessary to play in the tournament. If neither player in a game has equipment available for their game, a double forfeit may be imposed.

Changes

The Championship Committee reserves the right to modify the above to account for unforeseen special circumstances.

Hotel/Travel Information

Hotel Registration

The official event hotel is the Silver Legacy Resort at 407 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89501 (phone: 800-687-8733). An online registration link will be made available on this page soon. Tournament entrants are eligible for our special rate of $99/night on Friday-Saturday, and $69/night Sunday-Thursday (single or double occupancy; plus tax and $12/night in resort and facility fees) at the event hotel - use booking code NASPA15; those who live outside of the Reno area and do not either book a room at the host hotel or book a room within our group block at one of the other hotels listed below, will pay a $100 facility fee to contribute the cost of the venue space. The midweek rate will be available before the event from July 27-30, 2015. Late departures will also be accommodated at the group rate subject to availability, but the group rate is not available for the weekend following the event.

Hotel bookings at our group rate are subject to availability within our group rate block of rooms, and must be booked before July 1, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

The Silver Legacy is located down the block from the Reno Ballroom, where tournament play will be conducted. Many after-hours activities will be held in the Silver Legacy meeting rooms.

Hotel and Event Parking

The Silver Legacy offers free self and valet parking in covered garages.

Dining

Dining information will be posted later.

Sightseeing

Sightseeing information will be posted later.

Roommate Wanted

If you need a roommate and would like a listing here, please contact the Championship Committee and specify your requirements: male, female or either, smoking or nonsmoking, etc. We will put a listing in this section. If you already have a room, please include in your email what nights your room is reserved. You can list your email address or phone number. Several people successfully found roommates for the NSC this way.

IMPORTANT: When you get your roommate, please contact the committee so we can remove your listing.

Ride Wanted

If you need a ride/rider to or from the tournament, and would like a listing here, please contact the Championship Committee and specify your requirements. You can list your email address or phone number.

IMPORTANT: When you get your ride/rider, please contact the committee so we can remove your listing.

Airport Transport Information

Airport information will be posted later.

Buffalo Airport Shuttle

Airport shuttle information will be posted later.

Check-In

To play in the first round on Saturday morning, you must check in between 10:00 A.M. and 7:00 P.M. on Friday, July 31, 2015, at the NSC registration desk (location to be announced later). You may ask a friend to check in for you by proxy, if you cannot check in in person. If possible, please email us at nsc@scrabbleplayers.org to notify us in advance of proxy arrangements. If you check in by proxy, but do not show up to play, then neither you nor your proxy will be permitted to check in by proxy at future events. If you do not check in before the desk closes at 7:00 P.M., you may join the championship in progress as soon as it is convenient for the pairings staff to add you back in; this may not take place before Sunday morning. No refund will be issued to latecomers.

When you check in, you will be given an announcement sheet. This is to reduce the number of announcements that have to be made on Saturday morning, so that the event can get underway quickly. You are responsible for familiarizing yourself with the announcements and tournament schedule.

Schedule

This schedule for the 2015 National SCRABBLE Championship may be modified to add new events, or possibly to change room locations. Also, until about a month before the event, it should be considered an early draft, with only the times for registration and the main event to be set in stone. Once the event begins, please check this schedule for changes at the beginning of each day.

Friday, July 31, 2015

10:00 A.M.–7:00 P.M.
Registration
10:00 A.M.–11:30 P.M.
After hours room open
12:00 P.M.–4:00 P.M.
Early bird tournament, restricted to NSC Staff and other NASPA directors
4:30 P.M.–5:30 P.M.
Committee meeting for Division Leaders, Division Assistants, Auxiliary Staff
7:30 P.M.–10:00 P.M.
Opening Reception

Saturday, August 1, 2015

8:30 A.M.–8:55 A.M.
Set up for play
8:55 A.M.–9:10 A.M.
Announcements; Group Photos - School SCRABBLE/Youth Players
9:10 A.M.–1:15 P.M.
Rounds 1–4
1:15 P.M.–2:30 P.M.
Canadian Committee and Technology Committee lunch meetings
2:45 P.M.–2:55 P.M.
Set up for play
2:55 P.M.–3:05 P.M.
Announcements
3:05 P.M.–6:15 P.M.
Rounds 5–7
6:30 P.M.–10:00 P.M.
Advisory Board Dinner Meeting (TBA)
9:00 A.M.–11:30 P.M.
After hours room open
8:00 P.M.–11:00 P.M.
Trivia Contest

Sunday, August 2, 2015

8:30 A.M.–8:55 A.M.
Set up for play
8:50 A.M.
Group Photos - Past NSC Champions/Division Winners
8:55 A.M.–9:10 A.M.
Announcements
9:10 A.M.–1:15 P.M.
Rounds 8–11
1:15 P.M.–2:30 P.M.
Club/Director Committee and Rules Committee lunch meetings
2:45 P.M.–2:55 P.M.
Set up for play
2:55 P.M.–3:05 P.M.
Announcements
3:05 P.M.–6:15 P.M.
Rounds 12–14
9:00 A.M.–11:30 P.M.
After hours room open
8:30 P.M.–11:30 P.M.
Evening Musicale

Monday, August 3, 2015

8:30 A.M.–8:55 A.M.
Set up for play
8:45 A.M.
Group Photo - NSC Staff
8:50 A.M.
Group Photo - Nevadans
8:55 A.M.–9:05 A.M.
Announcements
9:05 A.M.–1:15 P.M.
Rounds 15–18
1:15 P.M.–2:30 P.M.
Tournament Committee and International Committee lunch meetings
2:45 P.M.–2:55 P.M.
Set up for play
2:55 P.M.–3:05 P.M.
Announcements
3:05 P.M.–6:15 P.M.
Rounds 19–21
9:00 A.M.–11:30 P.M.
After hours room open
8:30 P.M.–10:00 P.M.
Town Hall meeting

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

8:30 A.M.–8:55 A.M.
Set up for play
8:50 A.M.
Group Photo - International Players
9:05 A.M.–1:15 P.M.
Rounds 22–25
1:15 P.M.–2:30 P.M.
Dictionary Committee lunch meeting
2:45 P.M.–2:55 P.M.
Set up for play
2:55 P.M.–3:05 P.M.
Announcements
3:05 P.M.–6:15 P.M.
Rounds 26–28
9:00 A.M.–11:30 P.M.
After hours room open
7:30 P.M.–11:00 P.M.
Tag-Team Tourney
8:00 P.M.–9:30 P.M.
Director meeting

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

8:30 A.M.–8:55 A.M.
Set up for play
8:55 A.M.–9:05 A.M.
Announcements
9:05 A.M.–12:30 P.M.
Rounds 29–31
1:30 P.M.–2:30 P.M.
Prize Ceremony
3:00 P.M.–7:00 P.M.
Tear Down

The Rose Award

Bob and Andi Schoenman, creators of Protiles, honor Rose Kreiswirth's memory. Rose was an expert Scrabble® player for over 30 years and cherished the game for its educational values. An accomplished player, Rose was as well known for her sense of fairness and her congeniality as she was for her competitiveness. The Rose Award will be awarded each year at the National SCRABBLE Championship to a female player who, in the opinion of the judges, best exemplifies the fierce competitiveness and compassion that we remember Rose for. Thank you, Bob and Andi Schoenman!

Other Donors

If you are interested in donating prizes to events at the championship, please email us at nsc@scrabbleplayers.org.

Sponsors

For information about sponsorship opportunities at the championship, please contact Chris Cree.

Prizes

Full details about cash prizes, and anticipated merchandise prizes, will be posted on the prize table once they are available.

Format

The NSC will be paired using tsh along the lines of past events, including Gibsonization on spread. However, for the first time this year, each division will finish with play-offs among the top 8 players in the division after round 21. After an initial phase of fixed pairings based on pre-event ratings, the top contenders are paired with each other, and everyone else is paired Swiss. These two groups, contenders and noncontenders, are paired with minimal repeats. For example, if there is no way to pair the contenders without at least one repeat, then they will be paired with one repeat.

The maximum number of contenders is 12 in Rounds 1-21. Non-leaders are paired Swiss.

On Tuesday morning, the top 8 players in the division will play a bracketed, best of 4 match. On Tuesday afternoon, the top 4 will play a bracketed, best of 4 match, while the next 4 play a consolation bracket. On Wednesday, the top 2 will play a best of 5 match, while the next 6 will play a consolation bracket. These matches will determine the top 8 places in each division, with additional place prizes awarded based on placement. All players not in the bracket matches will continue with the 31 game event, as with past tournaments.

For further information about this pairing system, please refer to the section on Chew pairings in the tsh documentation.

Staff

TBA

Other Volunteers

Thursday, July 30

Volunteers are needed to help prepare the playing room for the tournament.

Friday, July 31

Volunteers are needed to help with registration and check-in.

10:00 A.M.-12:30 P.M.

12:30 P.M.-3:00 P.M.

3:00 P.M.-5:30 P.M.

5:30 P.M.-7:00 P.M.

Saturday to Wednesday: Game Days

Laptops for Adjudication

We will need at least 10 laptops for adjudications. The laptops will need the latest version of ZYZZYVA. Please be sure the correct word list is in operation and disable your screensaver in the playing area during games.

Clean and Pack

We need about 15 Clean and Pack volunteers to help collect and box NASPA tournament supplies to be shipped back to the storage facility after the awards ceremony on Wed., August 5, 2015.

Unassigned Volunteers

Following is a list of those who have volunteered, but do not yet have a specific assignment:

Vendors

Only vendors of merchandise licensed by Hasbro will be provided with vendor space and permitted to display and/or sell products inside the tournament venue (which includes the playing room, after hours room, meeting rooms, and any other function rooms or prefunction space used by NASPA during the event). Licensed vendors are subject to prior approval by NASPA, at its sole and absolute discretion.

Other vendors who wish to sell products must do so at their own expense from their own rented space (hotel room, meeting room, etc.), subject to any applicable regulations. NASPA accepts no liability or responsibility for such vendors or their activities.

Further Information

This page will be updated as the event draws nearer. If you have urgent questions about the event, please email us at nsc@scrabbleplayers.org.