Game Instructions for Word-Sport® and Score Sheet.

Ages 8 to adult. 100 letter tiles in the set for two to four players An additional set (purchased separately) plays six to eight players

The game Word-Sport® is played in rounds. A game may consist of a multiple number of rounds. The score sheet can register up to five rounds of play. Two, three or four players can keep score on the four player score sheet.

Contents...
          • One set letter tiles (100 tiles with 98 letters and two blanks)
          • Count-up/count down digital timer clock
          • Eight game option “Wild Tiles” (not used in tournament play)
          • Score sheets
          • There is no game board

Set Up... Players write their names in the row across from the word “round”, on top of the page. If the same players participate for the entire game, their names would be written in once at the top. If players leave and other players join the game, they would just enter their names in the round the players changed.

Primary scoring is done by place finishes. First place gets ten points, second place five points and third place three points. Set the game clock count-up time to zero. The count-down time is set to one minute. All letter tiles are in the center of the table, face down. All players take their seven starter tiles, face down. The clock is placed on table, accessible to all players.

Play... One player says go, then presses down on the tournament timer to start the count-up time. Players turn over their seven letter tiles and start forming their own individual words and word grids. The first player to complete a word or words using all seven letter tiles says “go”. All players then take another letter tile. The next player who finishes a word or words using all eight letter tiles, says “go”. All players take another letter tile and continue forming words. Anytime during play, if one player cannot complete words to say “go”, play is considered “stuck or frozen”. All players then take another tile and resume as play continues in this fashion till all letter tiles are taken. Criss-cross words may be formed in a single grid, multiple grids or individual (stray) words.

At the end of the round, four players will have 25 letter tiles each. Three players would use 33 tiles each, with one left over. Two players would use 50 tiles each unless they use a half set of letter tiles by separating the tiles into a half set using the indicators on the tiles. Then the two players would have 25 tiles each.

Objective: The first player who forms words using all his letter tiles wins! That player will press down on timer clock which registers the win time and simultaneously activates the one minute count-down timer. The other players continue to form words till the one minute count-down time expires in which an audible sound will indicate the end of the round. Second and third place finishes are then determined. Some players may finish their play within the one minute count-down, others may not. If no other players finish their word play (those who have unused tiles when the game is over); second and third place finishes will then be determined by the lesser number of unused letter tiles.

A second or third place finisher can score more points than first place through superior word play… scoring additional points with a single grid, seven letter words and finishing under two minutes.

Players may be disqualified by incorrect spelled words, unacceptable words, not taking the proper amount of letter tiles, bad behavior, ect. In this case, place finishers move up, or the round of play may be considered “null and void”.

Filling out the four player Score Sheet

Scrabble® determines who is the best at word formation, Word-Sport® determines who is the fastest! Since the objective of Word-Sport® is to form words quickly, the primary way to score is by place finishing. However, through observing some very high caliber word play during play testing, I decided to reward superior play through additional ways to score.

Five ways to score in Word-sport®.
1. Place finishes: The first column beneath each player is filled in with the score for place finishes. First place gets ten points, second place five points, third place three points. Win time for the round goes in the far right column.

2. 7 letter words: The second column is for forming words consisting of seven or more letters. Score five points for seven letter words. It’s possible (but not probable) to register up to fifteen points for three seven letter words during a round of play. Seven letter words may be contained in a single grid, multiple grids or as individual (stray) words.

3. One Grid: The third column is for forming all words connected together in a single grid. One can finish faster with multiple grids and individual words, but finishing in a single grid is the mark of a wordsmith. Score five points.

4. 2 Minute: The fourth column is for win times of two minutes or less. Score five points. Second and third place may score five points if they also finish under two minutes.

5. Straight Run: In a play test at the University of Michigan, November 2003, I observed one player who said the first “go”...then proceed to say each subsequent go till he finished first. We can call this occurrence a “straight run”. Since it is so rare and there was no room to include it in the score sheet, it is omitted. However, it can be recognized when it occurs. Write in five points for a straight run.

After each round, just total each players score in the totals box. After multiple rounds, just add up each player’s total score in the grand totals row at the bottom of the page. Players finish first, second and third based on totals of multiple rounds played. One may get fastest win time of the day from the win time columns.

Need extra score sheets? You can print them free in the print score sheets section.

Play fast, score fast with Word-Sport®... the fast-break word game.