Table of ContentIntroduction P.1 - 2 Rules & Regulations P.3 – 10

Word List P.11 – 19

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Headstart Group is partnering with Hong Kong Scrabble Players Association (HKSPA) to organize the ‘Headstart Cup’ Hong Kong Inter-Secondary School Scrabble Championship 2018, an open Scrabble Championship for all local secondary schools.

‘Headstart Cup’ aims to provide a platform for secondary school Scrabble players to play competitively and to foster friendship through playing this meaningful and famous word game. This game can also enhance students’ English language skills and spelling ability. ‘Headstart Cup’ is specially created to recognise students’ outstanding achievement.

Introduction

“Headstart Cup” Hong Kong Inter-Secondary School Scrabble Championship 2018

About Scrabble

Scrabble is a word board game in which two players score points by placing tiles, each bearing asingle letter, onto a game board which is divided into a 15×15 grid of squares in order to form words scoring as many points as possible. Competitive Scrabble follows global standard rules, the WESPA Rules Version 3, and a standard word list, Collins Scrabble Words 2015. Competitive Scrabble is a kind of Mind Sport.

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About Hong Kong Scrabble Players Association (HKSPA)

Hong Kong Scrabble Players Association (HKSPA) is a member of the World English-Language Scrabble Players Association (WESPA). The Association is recognised as the only Scrabble association representing Hong Kong at the international level.

The Association was founded in 2014 named as “Hong Kong Student Scrabble Players Association” (HKSSPA), and in 2015 it merged with the main local group organising tournaments for the general community. It organises a series of school and open tournaments almost weekly throughout the year, and maintains a well-established rating and ranking system for the both local and overseas players.

In 2015, for the first time in Hong Kong Scrabble history, a representative team was sent to World Youth Scrabble Championship 2015 and WESPA Championship 2015, and obtained fruitful and excellent results for first-time participants. During 2016 the HKSPA organised the first tournament in Hong Kong that is qualified for world ratings, along with many local competitions. Top overseas players from Singapore, Japan, USA were soon attracted to compete. In April 2017 HKSPA co-organised the first-ever East Asian Scrabble Championship with Japan Scrabble Players Association (JASPA).

The Association is dedicated to promote Scrabble in the territory and organises various events for our citizens. For youth events, we have annual Hong Kong Youth Scrabble Champions Tournament, Inter-School Scrabble Championship, and Association Cup Inter-School Scrabble Tournament. As for territory-wide events targeting at all citizens, there are Hong Kong National Scrabble Championship, and Hong Kong Scrabble Challenge, as well as many other tournaments like Hong Kong Competitive Scrabble Meetup and some social Scrabble meetup games . Last but not least, the Association also provides in-school Scrabble training services for schools in Hong Kong.

About Headstart Group Limited

Founded in 2006, Headstart Group Ltd. is Hong Kong’s pre-eminent English educational institution. The company is dynamic, driven and a market leader in the industry. It offers bespoke English curriculum development, in-class and after-school English programmes, UK study tours, teacher training and native-speaking English teacher (NET) recruitment services to its clients. The company serves more than 250 schools and universities, and is well-known for its superior quality of services all round.

Introduction

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Rules & Regulations

Summary of WESPA Rules Version 3Note: This summary is not itself a set of rulesThe full rules can be found at http://wespa.org/rules/

Before starting Records of previous games must not be visible. The non-starting player may choose the position of the timer. Both players must check there are 100 tiles.

Absent from the table If you are absent, the Tournament Director (TD) may start your timer. If you arrive with less than 15 minutes remaining, you may choose to play, or forfeit – meaning your opponent wins, with 100 points spread. If you arrive after your time expires, you MUST forfeit the game.

Starting timer Start your opponent’s timer when they draw the first tile from the bag.

The bag When drawing tiles, the bag must be at eye level. Your opponent must always be able to see the bag. Look away. Show an open hand before entering the bag.

Counting tiles You may put your hand into the bag to count tiles, unless your opponent is having their move and needs the bag. Announce your intention first. Keep the bag at eye level, and look away. Show an open hand both before and after placing your hand in the bag. If you want to count tiles, and your opponent is taking too long selecting new tiles, you may stop the timer.

Order of play To complete a turn, a player must, in this order:(a) Place the tiles on the board and declare blanks on results slip(b) Announce the score for the turn(c) Press the timer(d) Record the score for the turn and the cumulative score in the normal space on their score sheet(e) Draw replacement tiles(f) Tile tracking (if desired)When the bag is empty , Re (d) – it is not necessary to record move scores or cumulative scores, once the bag is empty (until game finishes).Tile-tracking out of order. If your opponent tile-tracks before drawing replacement tiles, you may ask the TD to allocate you additional time.

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Rules & Regulations

End of turn You may change a move, as long as the timer has not been pressed. After you press the timer, you cannot change the move – including the number of tiles to be exchanged, or the designation of blanks. Your turn finishes when you press the timer. If you forget to press the timer, and place your hand in the bag to get new tiles, your move is also over.

Accepting a turn The opponent accepts the turn if they neither call ‘hold’, nor issue a challenge, before the player removes a replacement tiles from the bag. Writing by the opponent does not affect acceptance of a turn.

Drawing replacement tiles If the opponent has neither called ‘hold’ nor issued a challenge, the player may draw replacement tiles. The opponent’s right to call ‘hold’, or issue a challenge, survives only until the player has removed the first replacement tile from the bag. Tiles may not be drawn until the players recorded the scores.

Flashdrawing It is UNETHICAL! (This means the player fails to record score plus cumulative total, before drawing a replacement tiles, and the opponent has thus not had the chance to say ‘hold’ or ‘challenge’.) The opponent should call the TD if they consider the player has drawn replacement tiles too quickly for the opponent reasonably to assess whether to call ‘hold’ or issue a challenge. The TD may then still allow a challenge even after a replacement tile is drawn.

Hold Once a player has pressed the timer, the opponent must either accept or challenge the turn, or say ‘hold’ (leaving the timer running). If you think you may want to challenge your opponent’s play, say “hold”, to stop them from drawing tiles. If you then decide to challenge, you now stop the timer. If you call “hold” for over 30 seconds, your opponent may draw and view replacement tiles – but these remain face down on the table until you have accepted the move, or a challenge has been resolved. If you decide not to challenge, say “accept” or “okay”.

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Rules & Regulations

Challenge Wait until opponent presses the timer before challenging. Once you stop your opponent’s timer, you cannot withdraw a challenge. If your opponent starts to take new tiles, you cannot withdraw a challenge. If your opponent starts to take new tiles without pressing the timer, you may then challenge, if you want. You should clearly say the word “Challenge”.

Stop the timer, and say which words are being challenged.Hide tiles on racks. Both players walk to the challenge station. The challenger types in all words to be challenged.The player checks these words are correctly typed, then hits the TAB key (if using computer to challenge).

After a challenge,the timer may not be restarted until both players are seated, and tiles have been returned to racks. If challenge was unsuccessful, re-announce move score before pressing timer.

You should not challenge words that are obviously valid to gain thinking time, nor call “Hold” solely to prevent your opponent from drawing. Such behaviour are unethical and the Tournament Director may impose penalties accordingly.

Changing Before exchanging tiles, check there are at least seven tiles in the bag. Announce “Change”, plus the number of tiles to be changed. Place these tiles face down on the table, then start your opponent’s timer. Then return discarded tiles to bag.

Note: Changing is only allowed when there are 7 or more tiles in the bag.

Blanks State which letter the blank represents, and record it on the result slip. Do not pronounce the whole word. If your opponent fails to record the blank, switch the timer back to them, until they do so.

Overdrawn tiles (x+2 rule) Declare the overdraw, and neutralize the timer. If no new tiles has touched your rack, place the new tiles face down on the table, and your opponent selects excess tiles plus two (up to the maximum number drawn), turns them face up and chooses the excess tile(s) to return to the bag. If any new tile has touched your rack, all tiles on the rack plus all new tiles are placed face down on the table. Your opponent selects excess tiles plus two, turns them face up and chooses excess tiles to return to the bag.

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Rules & Regulations

Timers The timer may only be stopped during the game, when:(a) A player says “Challenge”(b) Either player wishes to resolve a score discrepancy(c) Player wants to count tiles, but opponent is slow in drawing tiles(d) Enforcing the overdraw rule(e) Calling the Tournament Director to resolve a problem

In your turn only These actions may only be done during YOUR turn:1. Rotating the board (if turning board is used in your game)2. Placing tiles on the board3. Verifying the score

Ending the game When you play your final move, pause the timer, and if:i) Your opponent accepts the move, revealing his or her un- played tiles and the game ends.ii) Your opponent does not accept the move, where his/her timer will be resuming for: a. calling “hold”, b. challenge the turn.

Six zeros The game ends when there are six successive scores of zero resulting from passes, exchanges, or challenges.

Tiles Remaining When one player has played out, his or her score is increased by twice the value of the opponent’s unplayed tiles, and the opponent’s score is unchanged.

If neither player is able to play out, each player’s final score is reduced by the total value of the tiles on his or her rack.

Overtime You have gone overtime if you use up your 25-minute game time. Subtract 10 points for each minute, or part thereof, by which the limit was exceeded.

If you run 10 minutes overtime, your game is forfeited. Call the Tournament Director.

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Rules & Regulations

Scores Both players must record the score for each turn and the cumulative (total) score (except when the bag is empty).

Check the cumulative scores every three or four moves (not every move as this disrupts opponent’s play).

Scoring errors may be corrected at any time prior to signing the final result slip, if both players agree. Check the final scores before signing the result slip.

After signing, the only change which can be made, with permission of the Tournament Director, is correcting reversed score.

Recounts (rescoring each individual move)If the final score margin is 20 points or less, either player may request a recount at the end of the game, before the result slip is signed. The entire game must be recounted. Timers remain off.

Leaving the playing area Players must obtain the Tournament Director’s permission to leave the playing area during a game.

In case of emergencies, players may leave the playing area without obtaining permission. The opponent must alert the Tournament Director immediately if this occurs.

Complaints or Report on cheating

You should draw the attention of the Tournament Director as soon as possible when you suspect anyone (not limited to your opponent) is cheating, conducting an unethical behaviour or attempting to do so. The Tournament Director will investigate the case on its own merits.

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Rules & Regulations

Basic Flow of A Round

1. Read the pairings of the next round, and sit down at the assigned table.2. Player A draw 7 tiles from the bag to start the game. The timer of player A will start once he/ she has removed a tile from a bag.3. Player A’s turn I. He/ she can choose to place words / exchange / pass II. Pass the timer III. Write down the details and the scores on the scoresheet IV. Draw the replacement tiles4. Player B’s turn5. After the game, please fill in and sign the result slip. You must write down your player number (please refer to “Read the Pairings” for details) and the scores and spread clearly.6. After signing, both players must ensure that the tiles on the board in preferably four 5x5, in order to check that there are no missing tiles.7. The winner needs to submit the result slip to the Score Counter (in front of the stage).8. Both player cannot leave the playing area after the game. They need to wait until the break.

Read the Pairings

All players are required to follow the pairings of each round and fill in the result slip with information display on the pairing list. The following is an example of pairing list:

Each row representing one pair of players, with their assigned Board number on the left.For both player and opponent side, from left to right the following information are displayed:I. Player/opponent’s display nameII. Corresponding group, player number and schools name in abbreviation e.g. MASTER28/MCWC is Master Division, player number: 28, school abbreviation: MCWCIII. The order of play for the corresponding pair. For example, Aaliyah Khan will play against Ngan Fu Ting in Board 9, Aaliyah Khan starts the game first.

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Rules & Regulations

Demonstration of Australian Swiss System

Pairings of Round3 - Results after Round 2

For Round 3, Chan Hok Hei (ABC School) will play against Wong Wai Ho (DEF School). Wong Siu Ki (ABC School) will play against Cheung Siu Kwan (XYZ School). Lee Kwan Yee (ABC School) will play against Ho Ka Wai (XYZ School).

Originally the 1st ranked player should play against the 2nd rank player. However, both the 1st and the 2nd ranked players are from the same school. Therefore, the 1st ranked player will play against the 3rd ranked player due to the adjustment.

Players Pairing Mechanism

1. The Championship will adopt Australian Swiss System.

2. Round 1, the players in the same division will be paired up random by the computer program. Players from the same school cannot play each other.

3. Round 2-4, the players in the same division will be paired up according to the cumulative win and spread before that round (i.e. 1st vs 2nd, 3rd vs 4th, and so on…). In round 2-3, small adjustment of the pairings will be made as the players from the same school cannot play with each other. In round 4, no adjustment will be made.

4. In round 1-3, players will play 3 different opponents. In round 4, player may be face the same opponent of the previous 3 rounds.

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Rules & Regulations

School Prize Designation

Final Ranking

For the final ranking, only the top 3 players from the school will be counted.

ABCD School

EFGH School

XYST School

ABCD School is the Champion, EFGH School is the 1st Runner-up, XYST School is the 2nd Runner-up.

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Word List

Two-letter Word List

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Word List

Three-letter Word List

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Word List

Three-letter Word List

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Word List

Three-letter Word List

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Word List

Vowel Heavy WordsWords with only one or no consonants

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Word List

Consonant DumpsWords with all consonants

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Word List

Words with high-valued letter – J

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Word List

Words with high-valued letter – Q

Words with high-valued letter – X

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Word List

Words with high-valued letter – Z