5. Scoring & Winning
Premium Squares
- A light blue square doubles the letter; a dark blue square triples the letter (Appendix 1)
- A light red square doubles the word; a dark red square triples the word (Appendix 1)
- Where a word crosses both kinds, letter bonuses are added first, then the whole word is doubled or tripled (Appendix 1)
- A word crossing two premium word squares is doubled then re-doubled — 4× — or tripled then re-tripled, 9× (Appendix 1)
- Premium squares count only on the turn the tiles are placed on them (Appendix 1)
- A blank on a word-premium square still doubles or triples the word total, but on a letter-premium square its value stays zero (Appendix 1)
Counting a Turn
- The turn score is the sum of the tile values plus any premium values earned (Appendix 1)
- When several words are formed in one turn, each is scored, and shared letters count at full premium value in every word (Appendix 1)
- Playing all seven tiles in a single turn earns a 50-point bonus, added after any doubling or tripling (Appendix 1)
- Scores are kept per rule 3.5, and both players keep score under WESPA rules (3.5, 1.1(b)(i))
Ending the Game — Where WESPA Differs
- Playing out occurs when, after completing a turn, a player has no tiles left and none remain in the bag (5.1.1)
- A player playing out must neutralise the timer rather than start the opponent's (5.1.2)
- If the opponent does not respond within about five seconds, the player may restart the opponent's timer while waiting (5.1.3(a))
- Six consecutive zero-scoring turns end the game — from any combination of passes, exchanges and successful challenges (5.2)
- This is the rule that replaces the standard "both players pass twice" ending, which WESPA explicitly disapplies (1.1(b)(ii), Appendix 1)
Final Tile Adjustment
- WESPA's recommended procedure: the player who went out has their score increased by twice the value of the opponent's unplayed tiles, and the opponent's score is unchanged (5.1.4(a)(i))
- The alternative permitted procedure is the familiar one: the winner adds the opponent's unplayed tiles and the opponent is commensurately decreased (5.1.4(a)(ii))
- The standard rules describe only that second form — every player's score reduced by their own unplayed tiles, with the player who went out adding the total of everyone else's (Appendix 1)
- If neither player can play out, the six-zero rule decides the ending instead (5.1.4(b), 5.2)
Time Penalties
- Exceeding the assigned game time costs a penalty per minute or part thereof, measured in full seconds and not fractions (5.3)
- Going 10 minutes over the assigned time is an immediate forfeit loss (5.3.3)
- The non-forfeiter's final score is unchanged; the forfeiter first has 100 overtime penalty points deducted before the recorded result is worked out (5.3.3)
Recording the Result
- A result slip signed by both players is final and binds the players and the Tournament Director (5.4.1)
- It may be corrected only if both players agree before submission, or by petition where the winner's and loser's scores were accidentally reversed (5.4.1(a), 5.4.1(b))