Penalty Challenge
In penalty challenge, a fixed amount of points for the penalty is agreed on before the game, either by the two players or more often in tournament play, by the organizers. If a player challenges his opponent's turn and it is invalid, the letters are taken back as usual. However if the word is valid, the word remains on the board and the challenger loses 5, 10 or however many points the agreed penalty was. This can either be given to the opponent or subtracted from the challenger's score, depending on the agreed rules.
This is a compromise between single and double challenge, with many of the strengths and weaknesses of the two. Players are unlikely to challenge a word they know just to gain thinking time, as it would cost them some number of points. On the other hand, the potential loss of points of a failed challenge may discourage a player from challenging a word they believe to be invalid, increasing the chances of an invalid word remaining throughout the game.
Read more about this topic: Challenge (Scrabble)
Famous quotes containing the words penalty and/or challenge:
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—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Men speak of natural rights, but I challenge any one to show where in nature any rights existed or were recognized until there was established for their declaration and protection a duly promulgated body of corresponding laws.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)