A quarter at a time.

The Scramble runs in calendar quarters. A pass covers one quarter; an annual pass covers four in a row. Passes go on sale before a quarter starts and stay on sale all quarter — same price for every skill level, and there's no window to miss. A city's first quarter launches once enough players are in; if it doesn't get there by the decision date, everyone is refunded in full. After that the city stays open — later quarters don't need to re-qualify.

A quarter runs the National Mah Jongg League card current at its start. If the league publishes a new card mid-quarter, the existing card stays in play through that quarter's end and the new one governs the next quarter's matches.

A Points Match seats exactly four players and runs four full games of NMJL mahjong. Each match has a date, a time, a location, and a type — Social or Points Match. Social matches are just for playing — no scores, no standings, and the table doesn't need four: the host can confirm it at two or three, and your table sets its own rules. Points matches are scored, count toward the quarter's standings, and are always four players, four games.

Any registered player can propose a match. Anyone else can join an open one. When the fourth seat fills — or, on a social match, when the host confirms the table — the match is locked and everyone seated gets a confirmation. Cancellations before the lock are fine; after the lock, please don't unless it's an actual emergency. Withdrawing from a full Points Match within 24 hours of its start counts as a forfeit — each of the other three players automatically receives 20 points on the quarter's leaderboard. A social match has no forfeit; the seat just reopens.

Scores submit through the portal at the end of each Points Match. The interface follows NMJL scoring math — hand value, doubles, and the standard adjustments. Any player at the match can enter the scores; all four review and confirm. Keeping tally at the table is easier on paper — download the scoring sheet (PDF) and bring a copy to the match.

Two leaderboards run in parallel through the quarter:

• By Score (Cumulative): the sum of your top two match scores each calendar week. Rewards peak weeks. All registered players qualify.
• By Average: the quarter average of every match you've played. Rewards consistency. Minimum six matches to qualify.

Both leaderboards refresh as scores come in, so you can see where you stand week to week. The Members directory shows everyone in the current quarter; the portal's Profile page tracks your personal stats across every quarter you've played.

When you register, you pick a skill level — Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced — and that's the one that shows next to your display name on the upcoming-matches board. The level is yours to edit any time during the quarter.

The levels are honest signals, not gates. Anyone can join any match. A Beginner can join a Points Match with two Advanced players and a Beginner; an Advanced player can join a Social match with three Beginners. The badges exist so people can find the kind of game they want, not to keep anyone out.

The full descriptions of each level live on the Skill levels page.

Everything happens in the portal — proposing matches, joining, submitting scores, viewing leaderboards, browsing the member directory. It's a web app, not a native one, but you can add it to your home screen on both iOS and Android if you prefer it that way.

Email notifications go out when a match locks (everyone seated gets one) and when scores are entered for a match you played. Other notifications are off by default and configurable in your profile.