I work part-time. Will I have trouble scheduling games?
Not at all. The very heart of the Scramble is flexibility. You propose matches that work for your schedule — daytime, evenings, or weekends. You never have to accept a match that doesn’t work for you.

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I don’t want to drive far to play. Do I have to?
Absolutely not. You choose where and when you play. You never have to accept a match that requires more driving than you’re comfortable with — and you can always propose matches in locations convenient to you.

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I don’t own Mahjong tiles. Will that make it hard to play?
Not at all. You can just accept matches. The player who proposes the match brings the tiles. You can also borrow a set from a friend or rent one if you’d like to propose a match.

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Can we play online on I Love Mahj if it's all Scramble players and record our scores?

At the moment, the Scramble is in-person play only, so we’re not able to allow virtual or remote matches just yet (though that’s something we may explore in the future).

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Is there a minimum number of games that I need to play in a season?

There is no required minimum number of matches to participate in the Scramble — you’re welcome to play as much or as little as your schedule allows. However, if you’d like to be eligible for the Highest Average Leaderboard, you must complete at least 5 matches during the season. An average truly reflects performance over multiple games, so a minimum of 5 Scramble match scores is required to qualify for that leaderboard.

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My regular group doesn’t keep score. Is that going to be hard?
Not at all. Many of us don’t keep score in casual play either. We provide clear scoring guidelines you can reference after each game, and everyone at the table can help. In past seasons, many players learned scoring for the first time and did just fine.

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I usually play with blanks. I am scared to play without them. 

Don’t worry. Playing without blanks simply requires a slightly different strategy, but it’s very doable and quite common.

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Will the Spring Scramble be played with the 2025 NMJL card or the 2026 one? 

When creating a match during the Spring Scramble, the proposer will see a drop-down menu allowing them to select either the NMJL 2025 or NMJL 2026 card. All four players in that match will play using whichever card is selected. Beginning May 1st, the drop-down option will be removed, and all matches will automatically be played using the 2026 NMJL card.

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What’s the difference between registering as Beginner or Advanced?
This is simply to help guide matchmaking so players connect with others at a similar comfort level. Each player will have a small “B” (Beginner) or “A” (Advanced) next to their name in the portal. If someone feels “in between,” that’s completely normal — we recommend choosing the level that feels most comfortable, or leaning Beginner for a more relaxed pace. Profiles can be updated during the season. 

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When can players start scheduling matches?
We typically open the Scramble portal a few days before the season officially begins. This allows players to propose and schedule matches in advance, so games are ready to be played on the very first day of the Scramble season. However, no matches may be played before the official season start date. Any matches played early will not count toward the season.

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How far in advance do I need to propose a game?
There’s no required lead time. You can propose a match days in advance or even same-day — whatever works best for you.

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Can I play two rounds back-to-back?
Yes! Many players do. Just be sure to log each round separately so scores are recorded correctly:

1. Propose and play the first round

2. Enter/upload scores

3. Propose and play the second round
    

What if we can’t get four players or someone cancels?
All matches must include four registered Scramble players. Matches cannot be played with three players, and non-registered players cannot substitute. 

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Can you clarify what happens if a match still has less than 4 players? At what point is the match cancelled or closed?  

A match is never automatically canceled by the system. A match is only considered officially “on” once four players have accepted, at which point the system sends a confirmation email to all four players.​ If a proposed match still has fewer than four players, it simply remains unconfirmed. If no confirmation email goes out, the match is not officially scheduled.​ There’s no hard cutoff for registration or acceptance — it’s really just about getting that fourth player to finalize the match​.

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Can I play with friends or family and just count my score?
No. Scores only count when you are playing with three other registered Scramble players in a properly scheduled match.

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How do we submit scores?
All scores are submitted directly in the Scramble portal. The Rules PDF includes step-by-step instructions with photos to walk you through the process.

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Can you share any details about the new rules and penalties that will be in effect for the Spring Scramble?

For the Spring Scramble, we’ll be introducing point deductions to add an extra layer of strategy and accountability to gameplay.​ If a player discards a tile that allows another player to declare Mahjong, the discarding player will receive a point deduction. The amount of the penalty will be determined by the number of exposures in the winning hand.​ The winning player will still receive the full point value of their hand, including any additional bonus points awarded.​ We’ll be sharing more detailed guidelines and examples soon so everyone feels confident heading into the season.

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I’m confused about dealing — are we following NMJL rules?
Yes, we follow NMJL rules. Here’s the clarification:

• For the first game of a match, the proposer is designated as East to establish order.

• After that, dealer rotation follows standard NMJL rules.

• Dice are still used by each dealer to break (cut) the wall, consistent with NMJL play.

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Does the Scramble follow Standard NMJL rules or Tournament rules?

We follow standard NMJL rules, which are what keep play fair and consistent for everyone. If questions come up about specific rules, please don’t hesitate to email us—we’re always happy to help clarify.  Please note, some tournament play may enforce additional penalties to NMJL rules.

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Is there a chat feature in the portal?
Not yet — that’s planned for a future phase. For now, the portal includes a Members tab where you can export the list of registered players, including email addresses and phone numbers, making it easy to contact players if needed. 

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Can I add the Scramble portal to my phone like an app?
Yes — and many players love this option. Here’s how to add it to your iPhone Home Screen:

1. Open Safari (this does not work in Chrome).

2. Go to the Scramble login portal.

3. Tap the Share icon (square with the arrow).

4. Select Add to Home Screen.

5. Rename it if you’d like, then tap Add.