ZYGO'S RULES OF THE GAME

SUMMARY OF RULES:

1. Players are responsible to count the tiles (100 pieces ) with proper distribution before starting the game. After the game, players are requested to remove the tiles from the board and arrange them in alphabetical stacks.

2. TOSS: Alphabetical order to be followed for starting the game 'A' to 'Z' regardless of value. Blank comes before 'A'. If both players have drawn equal value of tiles, then a new draw must be made.

3. Scoring to be basically done by the first player. However, if the second player wishes to do his own scoring, he will be permitted to do so. Scores on every move must be confirmed by both players and recorded before drawing new tiles.

The sequence for the end of turn is as follows:

1. Place the tiles on the board
2. State your score
3. Record the individual turn score and cumulative score
4. Await confirmation
5. Once satisfied, draw the required number of new tiles from the bag

4. Only OSPD ( Official Scrabble Players' Dictionary - published by Merriam Webster Inc. USA 1996 Edition) and OSW (Official Scrabble Words - Published by Chambers ) will be referred to for all words of 8 or 9 letters. Standard Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (10th edition) or Chamber's may be used for words or 9 letters or more.

5. If a word is challenged, it should be written on a challenge slip and referred to the panel or third party. The panel's decision is then final. A word may not be challenged after the score has been confirmed.

6. A player can say 'hold' and stop the opponent from taking replacement tiles AFTER the opponent has declared his score and can then decide within a period of 15 seconds if he wants to challenge the word(s) or not. After this time the opponent will draw his replacement tiles and the challenge will not be entertained.

7. Words not acceptable are removed from the board and the player loses his turn. If the word is accepted, the challenger does not lose a turn.

8. No restriction on moving or removing the tiles on the board before the player announces his score.

9. In case a player overdraws the tiles, i.e. he/she finds more than 7 (seven) tiles on his rack, he/she should immediately alert the other player. The other player is entitled to pick up, without looking at the first player's tiles, such extra tiles beyond 7 (seven) and also one more tile from the first player's rack. After such pick-up, the other player can to the first player and put back the extra tiles in the bag.

10. Change of tiles will not be allowed if the number of tiles remaining in the same bag is less than seven.

11. The duration of the game is 50 minutes. Each player is expected to utilise 25 minutes. Any player aggrieved at the other player using more time for his/her play, can request for the time-rule, which entails one-minute-per-move restriction for each player.

12. At the end of the game the player who finishes first will get double the score of the tiles remaining unplayed with the opponent. The value of the unplayed tile will not be reduced from the opponent. The value of the unplayed tile will not be reduced from the opponent's score. If both players are unable to exhaust the tiles on their racks, with or without some tiles remaining unplayed in the pouch, the value of the tiles in the rack of each player is doubled and added to the other player's score.

13. Word frequency lists will be permitted and provided to those players interested in keeping of tiles played and unplayed.