Components

• 17 Letter Tiles
• 216 Category Cards (432 categories)
• Divider Card
• Card Tray
• Timer (30 Seconds)
• Game Board
• Rule Sheet

Object of the Game

Capture Letter Tiles by selecting words that contain the desired letters and pulling the letters off the street before the opposing team can pull them back.

The first team to capture eight Letter Tiles wins Word on the Street!

Setup

1. Divide the players into two teams. If there is an odd number of players, decide which team should have the extra player.

2. Place the game board between the two teams, as shown in the graphic below.

   
   
   

3. Place each Letter Tile on the corresponding letter on the "Median Strip" (middle lane) of the game board.

4. Select which side of the Category Cards will be used for the game. The categories on the blue side are a bit more challenging than those on the green side. Place the Category Cards in the card tray, with the selected side facing forward.

5. Place the timer and the card tray at one end of the game board, within reach of both teams.

6. Determine which team will take the first turn.

Game Play

Teams alternate taking turns "on the street" until one team has captured eight Letter Tiles. A turn on the street consists of the following five steps:

A player from the team on the street draws the first card from the card tray, and places it on the table, with the selected color facing up, and reads the category aloud. At the same time as the card is drawn, a player from the opposing team flips over the timer.

Players from the team on the street brainstorm words that fit the category printed on the Category Card. See Allowable Words.

The team must agree on one word, say the word aloud, and move each Letter Tile that corresponds with a letter in the selected word, before the time runs out. See Moving the Tiles.

When time runs out, a player from the opposing team says "Stop" and the team on the street must immediately stop moving Letter Tiles. That team's turn is now over and the Category Card is placed in the back of the card tray. See Challenging a Word Selection or Spelling.

The opposing team becomes the new team on the street and begins its turn with Step 1 of Playing the Game. Note: Make sure that all the sand in the timer has run through before starting a new turn.

Allowable Words

• Word selections must be in the form of a single word.

• Any word in the English language is allowed, including words that are capitalized, such as the names of persons and places.

• Singular and plural forms of words are both allowed as long as the selected word fits the category named on the Category Card.

  For example, "Olives" would be allowed for the Category Card "A Pizza Topping" because olives are generally considered one topping. However, "Pineapples" would not be allowed because it is generally written as "Pineapple" when listed as a pizza topping.

• Present and past tense forms of words are allowed as long as the selected word fits the category named on the Category Card.

  For example, "Cooked" would be allowed for the Category Card "Something a Player did Today" because it is the correct tense, but "Cooked" would not be the correct tense for the Category Card "Something you can do with an Onion".

• Hyphenated words are only allowed when the hyphen is part of a name, such as in "Zeta-Jones" or "Winston-Salem".

• Compound words are allowed because they are a single word.

  For example, "Sandbox" is allowed because it's a single word, but "Sand Dollar" is not allowed because it is two words.

Challenging a Word Selection or Spelling

During the brainstorming phase of the game, players from either team are free to suggest any words they wish. After the time is up and the tiles have been moved, if the opposing team thinks that the team on the street has made an error in either spelling or word selection, they may raise a "Challenge".

A challenge may result in either the team on the street having to move tiles back, or the team raising the challenge losing their next turn.

Spelling, Hyphenated Word, and Compound Word Challenges:

All players should work together to attempt to determine if the selection is a single word and is spelled correctly. If the dispute is not resolved by consensus, a dictionary or other reference may be checked.

• If the spelling is found to be correct, the Letter Tiles remain in their new positions and the team raising the challenge loses their next turn.

• If the spelling is found to be incorrect, all tiles moved before the error remain in their new positions and the tile moved in error and all subsequent tiles are returned to their previous positions.

• If the selection is in fact two words rather than a compound word, or is not allowed because of the use of the hyphen, all Letter Tiles for the word, or words, are returned to their previous positions.

Word Selection Challenge:

If the opposing team challenges a word selection, the team on the street must explain why they believe their selection fits the category on the card. If a majority of the players accept the explanation, the Letter Tiles remain in their new positions.

If a majority of the players reject the explanation, all Letter Tiles for the word are returned to their previous positions. If there is an equal number for and against, the Letter Tiles for the word are returned to their previous positions and the team on the street restarts their turn with a new card.

Moving the Tiles

Each Letter Tile is moved one space, toward the team on the street, for each time that letter appears in the selected word.

Sidetracking

Part of the fun, and challenge, of Word on the Street is trying to throw the team on the street "off course".

During the brainstorming phase, the opposing team is encouraged to suggest words for the category, regardless of how helpful or distracting they may be.

For example, the opposing team might suggest "Red" for the Category Card "A Color" because it would limit the team on the street to only two Letter Tiles. The opposing team might even suggest "Rhinoceros", which does not work at all, but might distract the team on the street and waste their valuable time!

Although "Sidetracking" is permitted during word selection, in the spirit of the game, players should be honest when addressing questions of allowable words. See Allowable Words.

End of the Game

The first team to capture eight Letter Tiles wins Word on the Street!

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