1.

The first team combines two or more of their letters to form a word and places it on the board to read either across or down with one letter on the center (star) square. Diagonal words are not permitted.

2.

A team completes a turn by counting and announcing the score. The team then draws as many new letters as played, thus always keeping seven letters in their rack.

3.

Play alternates between teams. Each team, in turn, adds one or more letters to those already played to form new words. All letters played in a turn must be placed in one row across or down the board, to form one complete word. If, at the same time, they touch other letters in adjacent rows, they must form complete words, crossword fashion, with all such letters. The team gets full credit for all words formed or modified during their turn.

4.

New words may be formed by:

a. Adding one or more letters to a word or letters already on the board.

b. Placing a word at right angles to a word already on the board. The new word must use one of the letters already on the board or must add a letter to it.

c. Placing a complete word parallel to a word already played so that adjacent letters also form complete words.

5.

No letters may be shifted after a score is announced.

6.

The two blank tiles may be used as any letters. When playing a blank, the team must state which letter it represents. It remains that letter for the rest of the game.

7.

A team may use a turn to exchange all, some, or none of the letters in their rack. To do this, first announce how many letters your team will exchange then place the discarded letter(s) facedown. Draw the same number of letters from the pool, them mix your discarded letters with those in the pool. This ends your team's turn.

8.

The National SCRABBLE^® Association uses the Official SCRABBLE^® Players Dictionary, Third Edition (OSPD3) to adjudicate school championships. Words with more than 8 letters must appear in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition (MW10). If a word is not in the OSPD3 or MW10 it is not acceptable.

Any word may be challenged before the next team starts a turn. If the word challenged is unacceptable, the challenged team takes back their tiles and loses that turn. If the word challenged is acceptable, the challenger loses their next turn. Consult the dictionary for challenges only. It is strongly advised that BOTH team players agree to challenge. This will help minimize careless or unnecessary challenges.

9.

ENDING THE GAME: The game ends when all letters have been drawn, and one team uses their last letter; or when all possible plays have been made; or when a prearranged time limit ends.

Scoring

10.

Keep a tally of each team's score, entering it after each turn. The score value of each letter is indicated by a number at the bottom of the tile. The score value of the blank is always zero.

11.

The score for each turn is the sum of the letter values in each word formed or modified on that turn, plus the additional points obtained from placing letters on premium squares.

12.

Premium Letter Squares: A light blue square doubles the score of a letter placed on it; a dark blue square triples the letter score.

13.

Premium Word Squares: The score for an entire word is doubled when one of its letters is placed on a pink square; it is tripled when one of its letters is placed on a red square. Include premiums for double or triple letter values, if any, before doubling or tripling the word score.

14.

Letter and word premiums count only on the turn in which they are played. On later turns, letters already played on premium squares count at face value.

15.

When a blank tiles is played on a pink or red square, the value of the word is doubled or tripled, even though the blank itself has no score value.

16.

When two or more words are formed in the same play, each is scored. The common letter is counted (with full premium value, if any) for each word.

17.

Any team that plays all of their seven tiles on a turn scores a premium of 50 points after totaling the score for the turn.

18.

UNPLAYED LETTERS: When the game ends, each team's score is reduced by the sum of their unplayed letters. In addition, if a team used all letters, the sum of the other team's unplayed letters is added to that team's score.

19.

Any team that is not present at the start of a round will automatically lose 10pt. for each three minute interval they are absent. The game will be forfeited if they fail to arrive 15 minutes after the round begins, with the opposing team earning a win and 50 points added to their cumulative spread.