Can I play words backwards in Scrabble?

No

Playing words backwards is not a legal move in Scrabble.

A backward word is classified here as one which goes from right to left. It also includes words going from bottom to top on the board. In the English language words go from left to right and thus this should be followed in Scrabble.

What are the correct ways to play a Scrabble word?

The two correct ways to play a word in Scrabble are as follows:

• Horizontally from left to right or,
• Vertically from top to bottom.

No other combination of letter placements would be considered a valid move.

Further reading

• Mattel Scrabble rules
• Scrabble Pages rules