Action Window
Each action a player takes will be displayed in the lower right-hand window. You can also send messages to other players by entering them in the text box above the message window, and clicking "Send". Every time something is added to the action window you will hear an alert sound.
Picking Tiles
Upon entering the game you should click the "Pick tiles" link. That will load your rack with new tiles. After each turn you'll click this link again to replenish your rack.
Who Goes First
As each player enters the game, a number between 1 annd 100 is randomly picked for him or her.
Arranging Tiles on the Rack
To arrange the tiles on your rack, enter numbers (beginning with 1) beneath the tiles in the order you want them to appear. You don't need to put numbers beneath all of tiles. Make sure "Arrange" is selected, then click "Go".
Scrambling Letters
Click the "Scramble" button to randomly scramble the order of the tiles on your rack.
Placing Tiles
To place tiles on the board:
For players with slow connections
You may first want to arrange your tiles. Then enter the board coordinates (i.e., "H4") beneath each tile you want to place. Make sure "Place" is selected, then click "Go".
For players with fast connections
First arrange the tiles in the order that they will be placed. Then click directly on the board where you want each letter to go - the coordinates will automatically be entered from left to right under the tiles on your rack. A special holding tile (with four diamonds on it) will be placed to show where the real tiles will be placed. If you make a mistake or want to start over, click on any of the placeholders. When all coordinates have been entered, click the "Go" button ("Place" will automatically be selected for you).
Accepting and Challenging Words
When a player places his or her tiles, all other players are asked to either Accept or Challenge the word. Once all players have accepted the word, game play continues.
If someone challenges a word (and only one person can challenge), someone looks up the word to determine if it is, in fact, an actual word. If it is, the player who challenged loses his or her turn. If the word isn't a word, the player who placed the tiles takes his or her tiles back (by clicking the "Take Back" button) and loses the turn.
Returning Tiles to the Bag
If you are unsatisfied with tiles you picked, enter any character (like an asterisk) beneath each of the tiles you wish to return to the bag. Make sure "Return" is selected, then click the "Go" button. You lose a turn when you return tiles.
Keeping Score
Someone should be designated scorekeeper. The scorekeeper enters the score for each move next to the player's name, then hits the "Calc" button. That will tally the score. Scores can be subtracted by entering a negative number.
Click your browser's back button to return. Official Scrabble rules appear below.
OFFICIAL RULES OF SCRABBLE
In Scrabble players form interlocking words crossword fashion on the board using letter tiles of different values. Each player competes for high score by taking advantage of the letter values as well as the premium squares on the board. In a two player game a good player scores 300-400 points.
SETUP
Turn all letter tiles facedown at the side of the board or pour them into the pouch or another container and shuffle. Draw for first play. The player drawing the letter nearest the beginning of the alphabet plays first. A blank tile supercedes all other tiles. Return the exposed letters to the pool and reshuffle. Each player then draws seven new letters and places them in his/her rack.
GAME PLAY
The first player combines two or more of his/her letters to form a word and places it on the board to read across or down with one letter on the center {star} square. Diagonal words are not permitted.
A player completes a turn by counting and announcing the score for the turn. The player then draws as many letters as played thus always keeping seven letters in his/her rack.
Play passes to the left. The second player {and then each in turn} adds one or more letters to those already played to form new words. All letters played on 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 player gets full credit for all words formed or modified on his/her turn.
New words may be formed by...
No letter may be shifted after it has been played.
The two blank tiles may be used as any letters. When playing a blank the player must state which letter it represents. It remains that letter for the remainder of the game.
A player may use a turn to exchange any or all or none of his/her letters. To do this place your discarded letters facedown. Draw the same number of letters from the pool and then mix the discarded letters with those in the pool. This ends your turn.
Before the game begins players should agree on a dictionary to use in case of a challenge. All words labeled as part of speech {including those listed of foreign origin, archaic, obsolete, colloquial, slang, etc.} are permitted with the exception of the following {words always capitalized, abbreviations, prefixes and suffixes standing alone, words requiring a hypen or apostrophe}.
Any word may be challenged before the next player starts a turn. If the word challenged is unacceptable the challenged player takes back his/her tiles and loses that turn. If the word challenged is acceptable the challenger loses his/her next turn. Consult the dictionary for challenges only.
ENDING THE GAME
The game ends when all letters have been drawn and one players uses his/her last letter or when all possible plays have been made.
SCORING
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.
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.
PREMIUM LETTER SQUARES
A light blue square doubles the score of a letter placed on it. A dark blue square triples the letter score.
PREMIUM WORD SQUARES
The score for an entire word is doubled when one of its letters is placed on a pink square. It's 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.
If a word covers two premium word squares the score is doubled and then redoubled or tripled and then retripled. NOTE, as the center square is pink the first word score is doubled.
Letter and word premiums count only on the turn in which they're played. On later turns letters already played on premium squares count at face value.
When a blank tile 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.
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.
Any player who plays seven tiles on a turn scores a premium of 50 points after totaling his/her score for the turn.
UNPLAYED LETTERS
When the game ends each player's score is reduced by the sum of his/her unplayed letters. Also, if a player used all letters, the sum of the other player's unplayed letters is added to that player's score.
HOW TO WIN
The player with the highest final score wins the game. In case of a tie the player with the highest score before adding or deducting unplayed letters wins.