Incorrect Word

by Brenda
(Sequim, WA)

One player played a word that was incorrect (BINKY*) and not challenged. The next player added an "S" to it. Neither play was challenged. We looked it up after play ended and found the word was not in the Scrabble Dictionary.

Since it was not challenged either time there were no penalties. If it had been challenged when the "S" was added and then found to be incorrect would there have been a penalty to the first player as well as the second?

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Hi Brenda, once a play has been accepted (and accepted = unchallenged) and the game has moved on, the play can never be challenged again for the rest of the game.

That means that invalid words remain on the board for the duration of the game if they go unchallenged at the time they were played.

In your situation, if the BINKYS* play had been challenged, the S would come off the board, but the incorrect BINKY* would be there to stay.

Some sneaky players use this rule to their advantage by knowingly playing a phoney word that looks very plausible, hoping that the opponent will add an S to it later so they can challenge it off.

Serious Scrabble is nasty ;-)

I hope I've answered your question Brenda. Thanks for asking.