Revision as of 11:22, 16 January 2024

The 2024 Scrabble Players Championship (SPC) will take place will take place in South Bend (IN) at the Century Center Convention Center from July 20 to 24, 2024.

This webpage is subject to change and will be updated regularly as the plans are finalized.

SPC Satellite Events

A complimentary 2024 SPC registration will be awarded to one player for every 50 players participating in an SPC Satellite Event.

An SPC Satellite Event must have at least 14 rounds over multiple days and at least 50 players across all divisions in the specific event.

Full details about the program can be found here.

Important Dates

• February 29, 2024 - End of free T-shirt with registration
• May 31, 2024 - End of regular registration (base entry fee increases $50)
• June 30, 2024 - Room block closes
• June 30, 2024 - End of Qualification Rating period
• July 3, 2024 - Close of registration (no refunds granted after this date)

Cutoffs effective 11:59pm EDT

Registration

This section describes in detail the various terms and conditions of registration, most of which are also discussed on the registration form.

Eligibility

To play in the SPC, 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.

Qualification Rating

Placement into respective divisions is determined by your Qualification Rating (QR).

Your QR consists of the highest rating attained at the end of any NASPA NWL or Collins (CSW) rated tournament that finished during the period from July 14, 2023 (the 2023 SPC Early Bird) to June 30, 2024.

If you have a rating, but do not play during this period, your QR is the higher of your unchanged current NWL or CSW rating.

For players who have ratings in both lexica, the higher peak or current rating will be used in most cases. For example, a player whose computed QR is 1810 in CSW and 1600 in NWL will use 1810 as her QR for division placement in either CSW or NWL.

• If, however, a player has played exclusively in one lexicon for the past 3 years (excluding the COVID-19 moratorium) - that is, since 1/15/2019 - and registers to play in that lexicon, only the QR for that lexicon will be used.

NWL Divisions

Four NWL divisions will be offered, divided by QR.

Playups are allowed within 100 points to the Championship Division (Division 1). Unlimited playups are allowed in the other divisions.

• If your QR is 1800 or higher, you must play in Division 1.
• If your QR is in the range 1700–1799, you can play in Division 1 or 2.
• If your QR is in the range 1450–1699, you must play in Division 2.
• If your QR is in the range 1150–1449, you can play in Division 2 or 3.
• If your QR is below 1150, you can play in Division 2, 3, or 4.

Collins Divisions

There will be 2 Collins divisions, divided by QR.

• If your QR is 1600 or higher, you must play in Division 1.
• If it is 1599 or below, you can play in Division 1 or 2.

Players who only have a WESPA rating will be permitted to play in Division 1 or 2 if that rating is 1499 or below.

If there are fewer than 20 players registered in either division as of June 15, 2023, the divisions will be automatically combined into a single division. Players wishing to switch to NWL after divisions are combined will be allowed to do so at no charge.

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 rated by both NASPA and WESPA.

Entry Fees

The base entry fee for all divisions is $250.

The Early and Late Birds each have a separate entry fee - $20.

Youths, defined as those whose 18th birthday is after July 20, 2024, pay 1/2 of the base entry fee - $125.

The above fees will be increased by $50 after May 31, 2024. For example, a non-youth player signing up for the SPC on June 1, 2024, would pay $300, while a youth would pay $175.

Players accepted after the close of registration on July 3, 2024 must pay a $75 late penalty. For example, a non-youth player signing up for the SPC on July 5, 2024, would pay $375, while a youth would pay $250. Acceptance of registrants after July 3, 2024 is not guaranteed and will generally only be permitted if it does not cause a division to be uneven.

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.