We try to do things just like any other NASPA club, and we follow the NASPA Code of Conduct, as well as our own guidelines for staying in good stead with the diner. But there are variations from club to club, and here’s how we do things.

Sessions

Normally, if the diner is open on a Monday night other than the last Monday of the month, there’s club!

We will sometimes cancel club sessions that occur on or near major holidays, or in the case of severe weather, or move them online.

The director sends out announcements of each club meeting at least a few hours prior to the scheduled start time. Any meeting cancellations are announced the same way, as far in advance as possible.

Meetings begin at 7:00pm local time, with the first games starting a few minutes thereafter, following first-round pairings.

Your first time

If this is your first time at club, we’re glad you’re here, and we’d like to make your experience as pleasant and unintimidating as possible.

When you enter the diner, tell the host that you’re here for Scrabble club (they all know us), then turn right past the cashier’s stand and proceed to the row of tables at the back of the dining room. Unless you’re really early, there will be someone there to greet you.

If this is also your first time playing Scrabble at a club, let us know. For your first few times, you are allowed and encouraged to use a “cheat sheet” that has lots of useful words on it. We will also tell you how tournament rules differ from the “box rules” you’ve used at home, how to use a clock, and the other game mechanics.

Sportsmanship

All players are expected to comply with the NASPA Code of Conduct, not just because those are The Rules, but because it’s what decent people do.

But there’s one other thing we do at club to help welcome new players and keep them from getting discouraged:

We don’t beat them up.

When playing much weaker players, we consider it bad form to take unfair advantage. We don’t play intentional phoneys. We let them correct mistakes. We point out unacceptable words rather than challenge. We remind them to hit the clock. Club is supposed to be fun, especially for players who don’t have years of experience. Save the cutthroat playing for tournaments.

Eating

We can say with complete, unbiased objectivity that the Time to Eat Diner where we meet is the best diner in Somerset County. We encourage everyone to have a meal as part of coming to club. The recurring business is part of why the diner lets us meet there for free. But foods and liquids are the natural enemies of scoresheets, tally slips, boards, tiles, and clocks. We do our best to keep them apart. Eating is prohibited while playing, and it is suggested that you arrive at 6:15 or earlier so you can finish your dinner before club starts.

Pairings

The first round is paired at the director’s discretion. For the second and third rounds, the default pairing algorithm is king-of-the-hill, i.e., the 1st place player after the previous round plays the 2nd place player, 3rd plays 4th, etc., modified such that if possible, there are no repeat pairings. Any rounds beyond the third are paired at the players’ discretion.

When there are exactly four players in attendance, speed pairing is used: In the second round, the winners of the first round play each other, and the losers of the first round play each other. In the third round, each player is paired with the player they haven’t played yet.

Pairings for the second and subsequent rounds take place after all games of the current round are complete.

Games

A club session consists of three games. If desired, players may choose to continue beyond three games, as long as it does not conflict with the diner’s closing procedure which starts a bit before their posted closing time, presently 10:30pm. We don’t want to get in their way.

The director or their delegate is present for the initial three games, but may leave after that, in which case the remaining players are expected to keep records of the game (scores and bingos) and give them to the director either electronically or on paper at the next club meeting.

If an even number of players is present, including the director, the director plays. When the number of players is odd, the director sits out unless other arrangements are made by mutual agreement, i.e., the director plays while another player sits out.

Players who arrive early enough at the diner may play “pickup” games before the regular club meeting starts, but these are unofficial, and are not recorded by the club.

Records

We keep records of every game, specifically scores, bingos and their scores, other interesting plays, and other statistics. Unlike some clubs, we do not have standings, nor do we publish won/lost records. The only standings we keep are within each club meeting for use in second and third round pairings.

Dictionaries

We play using the NASPA-specified editions of either the NASPA North American Word List (NWL), or the Collins Scrabble Words list (CSW). NWL is the default, but games may be played using CSW as long as both players agree to it.

Gameplay

Games are played according to NASPA tournament rules.

There are always exactly two opponents in each game. Three- and four-handed games are prohibited.

Per NASPA rules, score is kept by both players, and the official score is what the players agree it is. For each game, the scores, blank designations, and bingos (and their scores) are recorded on tally slips that will be provided for you. The information on these tally slips is used by the director for subsequent round pairings and general record-keeping.

Challenges

Because the layout of the diner is not conducive to having a challenge computer as used in tournaments, challenges are adjudicated by the director, as are any other disputes that may arise during gameplay. However, if one of the players has a device with either NASPA Zyzzyva (iOS or Android) or Ulu (iOS only)on it, they can adjudicate challenges themselves, and defer to the director if there are still questions about the play.

Electronic Devices

Obviously, the use of cellphones, tablets, laptops, or other electronic devices for any form of cheating is strictly prohibited. However, devices may be used to adjudicate challenges as indicated above. They may also be used for game clocks with the approval of both players and the director beforehand. Regular Scrabble clocks are always preferable per NASPA rules, and the club has spare clocks that can be borrowed. Cellphones must be silenced during gameplay, and making or answering phone calls is forbidden except for emergencies.

Equipment

We need one set of playing equipment (board, racks, tiles, clock) for each pair of players. Many of us have our own gear and bring it to club meetings. The club also has spare sets of equipment available to borrow. Remember that NASPA rules specify what kind of gear is acceptable for club and tournament play, and ironically, most of what Hasbro sells isn’t acceptable. If you’re unsure if your gear is OK, ask the director.

Paper

Tally slips, which are used to record the results of each game, will be provided. We also have NASPA-standard score sheets available. Scores are kept using whatever score sheet you prefer, which can be anything from blank paper to a score sheet of your own design, provided it complies with NASPA specifications. Spare pens are also available.

Players with disabilities

We try our best to accommodate players with disabilities or other medical conditions that may affect gameplay. Accommodations include, but are not limited to, special seating arrangements, extra playing time, large letter/high-contrast tiles, alternate scorekeeping methods, or assistance with game mechanics. However, it may not be possible to accommodate players whose conditions manifest as behaviors inappropriate for an all-ages diner setting. Also, even if extra time is provided, the ten-minute overtime rule still applies, e.g., a player granted five minutes of extra time can only go an additional five minutes over before the game can be stopped by the director to start the next round in a timely fashion.

Tournaments

One of the goals of the club is to prepare players for tournament play. It is why we adhere to NASPA rules, encourage study, and rank players within a club session by win-loss record and cumulative spread.

Playing at the diner has an indirect benefit. Diners are noisy and full of distractions, but we’re used to that. At tournaments, towards the end of each round, people naturally start talking about the games they’ve just completed, even though technically, they should only do that outside the playing room. Players of games still in progress can find this talk very disturbing, especially in a difficult endgame, but we’re used to that, and can ignore not only the talkers, but the inevitable “shushers” and director admonishments.