RULES

SCRABBLE™ is a word game for 2, 3, or 4 players. The play consists of forming interlocking words, cross-word fashion, on the SCRABBLE playing board using letter tiles with various score values. Each player competes for high score by using their letters in combinations and locations that take best advantage of letter values and premium squares on the board. The combined total score for a game may range from about 500 points to 700 or more depending on the skill of the players.

TO BEGIN: Place all the letters in the bag and shake well. Draw for first play. The player drawing the letter nearest the beginning of the alphabet plays first. Put the exposed letters back and re-shake. Each player then draws seven new letters and places them on their rack.

THE PLAY:
1. The first player combines two or more of their letters to form a word and places them on the board to read either across or down with one letter on the centre square. Diagonal words are not permitted.
2. A player completes their turn by counting and announcing their score for the turn. They then draw as many new letters as they played, thus always keeping seven letters on their rack.
3. Play passes to the left. The second player, and then each in turn, adds one or more letters to those already played so as to form new words. All letters played in any one turn must be placed in one row across or down the board. They must form one complete word and if, at the same time, they touch other letters in adjacent rows, they must form complete words, cross-word fashion, with all such letters. The player gets full credit for all words formed or modified by their play.
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 of the word already on the board or must add a letter to it. (Turns 2, 3, and 4 below) c. Placing a complete word parallel to a word already played so that adjoining letters also form complete words. (Turn 5 below.)
5. No letter may be moved after it has been played.
6. The two blank tiles may be used as any letter desired. When playing a blank the player must state what letter it represents, after which it cannot be changed during that game.
7. Any player may use their turn to replace any or all of the letters on their rack. They do so by discarding them face down, drawing the same number of new letters, then returning the discarded letters to the bag. They then await their next turn to play.
8. Any words found in a standard dictionary are permitted except proper names, etc., usually commencing with a capital letter, those designated as foreign words, abbreviations and words requiring apostrophes or hyphens. Consult a dictionary only to check spelling or usage. Any word may be challenged before the next player starts his turn. If the word challenged is unacceptable, the player takes back their tiles and loses his turn.
9. Play continues until all tiles have been drawn and one of the players has used all of the letters in their rack or until all players have passed twice in succession.
SCORING:
10. Keep a tally of each player’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 a blank is zero.
11. The score for each turn is the sum of the score values of all the letters in each word formed or modified in the play plus the premium values resulting from placing letters on premium squares.
12. Premium Letter Squares: A light blue square doubles the score of the letter placed on it; a dark blue square trebles the letter score.
13. Premium Word Squares: The score for the entire word is doubled when one of its letters is placed on a light red square; it is trebled when a letter is placed on a dark red square. Include premiums for double or triple letter values, if any, before doubling or trebling the word score. If a word is formed that covers two premium word squares, the score is doubled and then re-doubled (4 times letter count), or trebled and then re-trebled (9 times letter count) as the case may be. Note that the centre square is a light red square and therefore doubles the score for the first word.
14. The above letter and word premiums apply only in the turn in which they are first played. In subsequent turns letters count at face value.
15. When a blank tile falls on a light red or a dark red square, the sum of the letters in the word is doubled or trebled 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) in the score for each word. (See examples, Turn 3 &Turn 4 below.)
17. Any player who plays all seven of their tiles in a single turn scores a premium of 50 points in addition to their regular score for the play.
18. At the end of the game each player’s score is reduced by the sum of their unplayed letters and, if one player has used all of their letters, their score is increased by the sum of the unplayed letters of all the other players.

EXAMPLES OF WORD FORMATION AND SCORING:
In the following, the words added in five successive turns are shown in heavy type. The scores shown are the correct scores if the letter R is placed on the centre square. In turn 1 count CURAS; in turn 2, PARIA; in turn 3, PARIAT and METIAR; in turn 4, SENTI, RE, IN and AT; in turn 5, REX, ME and EX