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Duplicate Scrabble

This web page describes the rules used at the Duplicate Scrabble session at BAT 2006, MWMST 2006, BAT 2007 and BAT 2008.

Rules

1. Overview

  1. At the beginning of the game, each player sets up a Scrabble board, with tiles face up beside it. Each player needs a supply of about 30 small pieces of paper. and a pen or pencil.
  2. At the beginning of each turn, the director announces the new rack of tiles. Players then have three minutes to come up with the highest-scoring play. They submit their plays in writing. The director announces the highest-scoring play as determined by computer, which is placed on everyone's board.
  3. A player's score is the total of the scores of the legal plays that they have submitted.
  4. The game ends when all tiles have been used or no further plays can be made.

2. Details

  1. [Deleted 2006-09] For the first 15 plays, the director will where possible draw tiles to give racks with at least two vowels and two consonants. For the remaining plays, the director will where possible draw tiles with racks at least one vowel and one consonant. [Added 2006-09] In the interest of speed and accuracy, the director will prepare the game ahead of time using Quackle, re-drawing racks where necessary to avoid too many uninteresting positions.
  2. [Deleted 2006-09] Where there is more than one play with the greatest score, the director will try to (1) not use blanks and (2) leave an open board.
  3. The director will warn when 30 seconds remain in each turn.
  4. Submissions for plays must include player number, play coordinate, play direction, word and (play) score. Players must not modify their play sheets after time has been called.
  5. Underscored plays will be scored as reported. Overscored plays will be penalized by twice the amount of the excess (a 20-point play scored as 24 will be credited for 16 points). Illegible, incomplete or otherwise incorrect submissions will score zero.