2. Components
The Set
- A playing board, 100 letter tiles, 4 tile racks and a tile bag (Appendix 1)
- Of the 100 tiles, 98 carry letters and two are blanks; each letter tile shows its score value at the bottom right (Appendix 1)
- The board's playing area is 15 x 15 squares (Appendix 1)
- Both players must check the tile distribution before play; either may request the check, and once the game starts, corrections may not be made (1.3.1)
Equipment Standards
- Tiles that best achieve both tactile and visual indistinguishability are preferred, so no tile can be identified by touch in the bag (1.3.2(a))
- Any distinguishing marks, such as stickers, must be applied uniformly across the whole set (1.3.2(b))
- Sets free of irregularities from moulding detachment, especially on the top edges, are preferred (1.3.2(c))
- Boards with edges measuring 33–35cm head the hierarchy of preferred board attributes (1.3.3)
Timer and Written Aids
- Use of a timer is mandatory (1.4.4), and the rules govern its position, precedence, neutralisation and malfunction (1.4.2, 1.4.3, 1.4.5, 1.4.6)
- Score sheets and separate tile-tracking lists are permitted written aids (1.5.1, 1.5.2)
- Electronic and other devices during play are separately restricted (1.6)
The Word Source
- The official word source is listed in Appendix 2 and endorsed by WESPA in consultation with its Dictionary Committee; it may change from time to time (1.2(a))
- Tournaments played under these rules must not deviate from the official word source (1.2(b))
- This replaces the standard rules' looser instruction that players simply agree on a dictionary beforehand (Appendix 1)