Newcomer Resources
GETTING STARTED
Welcome to the wonderful world of tournament Scrabble! To orient yourself to the in-person tournament scene, read on below.
For strategy tips, word study tools, and other learning resources, check out our Player Resources page.
When you’re ready to play, check out our list of upcoming tournaments. Take advantage of our Newcomer Discounts if you’re a first-time tournament or first-time Collins player!
TOURNAMENT BASICS
What are Scrabble tournaments?
Scrabble tournaments are a fun chance to test your skills against other players and enjoy friendly competition. At a tournament, the director pairs players in one-on-one matches. The player who wins the most games during the tournament wins the top prize.
How many games will I play?
Each tournament’s details page will indicate how many games that tournament includes. Most tournaments play up to eight games per day. Some tournaments last multiple days in a row. Each player plays the same number of games, no matter how many games they win or lose. For that reason, you may wish to try playing a short half-day or one-day tournament for your first tournament. Let the director know if it’s your first tournament and they’ll help make sure you have a good time.
What equipment is used at tournaments?
Tournament Scrabble is played with a clock. Most tournaments use 25-minute clocks. Each player has 25 minutes in which to complete all of their moves. If your time runs out, there is a 10-point penalty for each extra minute of overtime that you use. If you use 10 minutes of overtime, you automatically forfeit the game, regardless of your final score.
The letter tiles used at tournaments may be different from what you’ve used before. Tournament tiles are not engraved; they have the letters injection molded into the face of the tile. This method ensures that you can’t “braille” a tile by feeling for the edges of the letter to discern which letter it is. The unplayed tiles rest in a tile bag.
What do I need to bring to a tournament?
When playing in a live tournament, bring a pen and paper to record your score and your opponent’s score. If you want to use a scoresheet, we have several designs that you can print at home. Most players bring their own boards, tiles, racks, and clocks to tournaments, but you don’t need to bring equipment if you don’t have a Scrabble set.
What does the tournament room look like? How is it set up?
Tournaments usually have a large room where several tables are set up with a chair on each side of the table. Each player sits down at an assigned table across their designated opponent for that round. They play their game and then move on to play their next opponent. On each table, you’ll find a board with 100 tiles, a clock, a slip of paper to designate blank tiles, and a bag to hold the tiles. You can see photos of prior tournaments on our Results page.
DURING A TOURNAMENT
How do I know who to play?
The director will publish the pairings for each round of the tournament. If you don’t know who your opponent is, ask the director or a friendly player.
What rules govern play and conduct at tournaments?
Check out the Players’ Handbook for information on WESPA rules, prohibited cheating, public health precautions, and more.
What dictionary applies?
The CoCo uses the official WESPA lexicon at all of its tournaments. This lexicon is called the Collins dictionary or Collins Scrabble Words (CSW); it is also known as the international lexicon. It includes many English words and spellings that are common in countries outside North America. Any word that appears in the Collins dictionary is valid in tournament play.
How do I challenge moves during a game?
If your opponent plays a word and you’re unsure if it’s a valid play, say “Hold.” Your opponent is then on notice that you may wish to challenge the play. If you want to challenge the word and verify that it is playable, say “Challenge” and stop the clock. You must specify how many and which words you want to challenge if your opponent’s play formed more than one word, which is common. You and your opponent will then adjudicate the challenge by looking up the word(s).
In most CoCo tournaments, the challenge rule is 5-point. That means that if you challenge the word and it is valid, your opponent gains an extra five points for each word you challenged. If you challenge a word and it’s invalid, your opponent loses their turn. The worst outcome for you as a challenger is that your opponent gains five extra points per word, which is not so bad. If you’re unsure about a play, it’s usually a good idea to challenge the word.
How do I exchange tiles?
If you don’t like the tiles on your rack and want to exchange them, place the tiles you wish to exchange face down. Announce that you are exchanging tiles and hit your clock. You can then draw the same number of new tiles from the bag. After you’ve taken new tiles, return the tiles you had placed face down to the bag.
How do I designate the letter for a blank tile?
Every Scrabble set contains 100 tiles, two of which are blank tiles. When you play a blank tile, circle the letter that you intend the blank tile to represent. The CoCo uses reusable blank designation slips at its tournaments.
What does it mean to square the tiles?
Before a game begins, players confirm that their set of Scrabble equipment has 100 tiles with the correct letter distribution. The most common way of making this determination is to “square” the tiles by making four 5x5 squares of tiles on the board. Each square contains 25 tiles, and when you have all four squares complete, you know that you have 100 tiles. After your game ends, it’s courtesy to square the tiles before you leave the board so that the next set of players can begin their game promptly.
GOOD TO KNOW
What are ratings?
Ratings are a measure of your ranking and strength in comparison to other players. You can see current player ratings here and read more about our Glicko-2 rating system here.
What are seeds?
Players will be listed on the Entrants List for each tournament and sorted by their rating. We seed players according to CoCo rating. If a player does not have a CoCo rating, we use their WESPA rating. If the player has no WESPA rating, they begin with a provisional rating of zero.
Where can I find standings and results during the tournament?
During the tournament, you’ll be able to see real-time results and standings on the tournament’s Live Coverage page. When you win a game, you will be able to submit your game results digitally on that same page.
Are there incentives for first-time players?
Yes! To encourage players new to the Scrabble or Collins scene to play their first tournaments, we offer Newcomer Discounts.