Revision as of 14:23, 15 April 2015

While NASPA's main interest is competitive SCRABBLE play, our members and directors are often involved in less formal play, to help promote the game and recruit potential members for their clubs and tournaments. At some point, most of us will be asked to help run a casual tournament. Here are some questions to guide you in planning a successful event.

What is the purpose of the event?

Fun, publicity, fundraising, some combination of the above?

Do players need to preregister, or can they drop in to play?

If you are trying to fundraise a lot of money, organize a structured tournament with prizes for overall performance, or make sure that you can fill a room or meet catering commitments, preregistration is a good idea.

Are you charging an entry fee?

If you need to pay for your playing space, prizes or other expenses, or are trying to fundraise, then you'll need to collect money.

Do you have enough equipment to play?

Ideally, you need well-lit, relatively quiet space with tables that are at least 30" across, appropriate chairs, a floor surface where dropped equipment won't get lost, as well of course as boards, racks, tiles, scoresheets or scrap paper, pens/pencils, and if playing seriously game clocks, tile bags and word adjudication software. If you don’t have easy access to enough playing equipment, ask your local club director, or order from the NASPA Store.

How seriously are people going to be playing?

Tournament players are used to two-player games played according to tournament rules in silent, sterile conditions. People may have more fun playing three- or four-player games with access to food, drink and word lists during play (possibly in exchange for a fundraising donation).

What rules are players going to play by?

Tournament players have their official rules, which only govern 2-player play. If playing with more then two, remember that if a player uses his/her last tile and it can't be replenished, he/she collects everyone else's remaining tile values, and everyone subtracts their own tile values. You may also want to decide that everyone gets the same number of turns (so play may continue after one player is out), or that there's an overall time limit to the game (so that you can get everyone to play another game).