Vaccinated Play

In light of updated CDC guidance and the general availability of vaccines in many locales, we are happy to announce that as of June 1st, 2021, small groups of fully vaccinated players can participate in sanctioned tournaments and club sessions.

The total number of participants - including staff - may not exceed 12. If governmental guidance restricts gatherings to fewer than 12 persons, this rule should not be understood as permitting such a limit to be exceeded.

All participants must have completed a government-authorized course of vaccination against COVID-19 and waited the recommended duration for it to take full effect.

• For example, a participant who has received two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine and then waited at least two weeks would be eligible to participate.

Additional Participant Guidelines:

• No one who has a probable or confirmed case of any infectious disease may attend.
• No one who has had a positive COVID-19 test within the past 10 days or who currently has any symptoms of COVID-19, may attend.
• All participants must conform with all governmental guidance concerning meetings and travel.

The location should be accessible to only the participants as much as possible - for example, a private room in a restaurant but not the main dining room.

• Directors should be careful to conform to any local public health guidance and refrain from holding events where distancing or other guidance would not permit them to be held.

Directors may impose stricter rules about the use of masks and face coverings, hand washing, etc.

• A copy of these guidelines, along with any STRICTER LOCAL modifications, must be made available to players both before registration and at the playing site.

The director must keep a list of participants, together with their current contact information, and ask them to certify in writing on arrival that they meet all the criteria for play under these rules. A sample screening form can be downloaded here.

These guidelines can be superseded by governmental or other regulations. Just because we say that groups of 12 can meet to play SCRABBLE does not mean that the local authorities allow it or that a particular venue will allow you to meet.

Tournament Details

• To enable play to ramp up, we are changing the advance notice / sanctioning deadline to 10 days for all tournaments during this phase.
• Tournaments can be fully rated if the other conditions of a fully rated tournament are met – specifically, the cap cannot be less than or equal to 10 players.
• To direct or play in a tournament, your membership must be current.

The general moratorium remains in effect. When the moratorium on club and tournament play is lifted, NASPA will extend your membership for as many days as you were a member during the moratorium.

We expect to announce the date for the end of the moratorium and the resumption of normal operations by July 1st.

Click here for how this Cyan Play Safety Level fits within the existing SCRABBLE Safety Level Guidelines.