5th Joint-School Scrabble Tournament for Novices (2022-2023)
Aiming at providing a platform for new Scrabble players to play with opponents of similar level in a competitive yet friendly environment, Hong Kong Scrabble Players Association is organising the 5th Joint-School Scrabble Tournament for Novices (2022-2023).
It will be a full day event. The workshop in the morning will introduce basic game skills while the tournament in the afternoon provides an opportunity for players to practise their skills. The tournament is scheduled on 18 February 2023 (Saturday) in Methodist College (50 Gascoigne Road, Yau Ma Tei). Both the workshop and the tournament are free to enroll.
Workshop
The workshop will be held from 10:00 to 11:45 and will cover the following topics: Basics of Scrabble: Introduction, Word Skills (Anagramming and Hooks), Game Rules, Score Calculation.
The workshop is open to all primary and junior secondary students, and will be conducted in Cantonese with English handout. For participants who cannot understand Cantonese, special arrangements could be made upon request.
Tournament
A 3-game mini-tournament will be held from 13:00 to 17:00 to provide hands-on experience for participants.
- 25 minutes per player, Free Challenge, WESPA rules version 4
- 3 Rounds, first round random draw, Round 2 and Round 3 Australian Swiss. All players MUST compete in all the 3 games.
- Players from the same school will not play against each other
- The official dictionary is Collins Official Scrabble Words 2019 (CSW19)
- Two- and three-letter word lists will be provided during all games. Players are allowed to refer to it but they are not allowed to write on it. They cannot bring in their own word list too.
- The top 8 players will receive a medal. All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation.
Other details
Eligibility: All Primary and Junior Secondary (S1-S3) novices. “Novices” refer to all players except the following players:
- Players who have participated in at least one WESPA-rated overseas tournament
- The winners (1st – 8th) in any previous Joint-School Scrabble Tournament for Novices
- The top 10 players in the Hong Kong Youth Scrabble Champions Tournament 2022 (List)
- Players who have played more than 30 games in HKSPA-rated or HKSPA-recognised tournaments, including rated or non-rated games
Players who are uncertain whether they are eligible may consult the organiser prior to enrollment.
Quota: There will be an overall quota based on the capacity of the venue. In case the quota is full, applications from HKSPA Individual Members will receive priority entry to the event. All other applications will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. The tournament organiser reserves the right to refuse entry when deemed necessary.
Each school may send up to 8 players to the event. Schools that would like to send more than 8 players to the tournament may submit additional names to be placed on wait list by email. The organiser may or may not allow extra entries depending on the overall enrollment status. You will be informed the application result after the closure of application period.
Players may also apply individually if their school is not submitting a school-based application. Please confirm with the school before making an application. The individual application may be declined or merged into the school-based application if the school has (subsequently) submitted a school-based application.
How to enter: Application can be made on a School Basis or Individual Basis. Please fill in the online application form via HKSPA Tournament Application System on or before 3 February 2023.
Players are expected to attend both the workshop and the tournament. If a particular player cannot attend either of the event, please advise us by email immediately after submitting the online application form.
Changing players on or before the enrollment deadline may be done online by the school teacher on his/her own. For requests made after the enrollment deadline, requests may be addressed to info@hkscrabble.org with justification. All accepted changes are subject to HK$50 administrative charge per name changed, as certificates / other materials with the players' names may have been prepared. Applications without proper justifications will normally not be entertained.
Verification policy: Please show us your Student Handbook (with school chop on your photo), Student ID Card or any other school-issued documents to show the school you are studying in. You must present us the original of the above documents. We will check your documents at the registration counter. They will be returned to you immediately after inspection. If you cannot show us the document before the first game begins, you will NOT be allowed to play even if you know the committee members personally or if you are wearing the school uniform. Players who forget to bring the original could show us a photo of the required document(s) for verification with an administrative fee of HK$50.
Enquiry: Please direct all queries to info@hkscrabble.org.
Acknowledgement: The venue for the event is kindly sponsored by Methodist College.