playing area

NOUN
12 LETTERS · STARTS WITH P

playing area is a valid 12-letter word worth 17 points in Scrabble and 20 points in Words with Friends.

SCRABBLE WORDS WITH FRIENDS
P3L1A1Y4I1N1G2A1R1E1A1
3 + 1 + 1 + 4 + 1 + 1 + 2 + 0 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 =17 PTS
DOUBLE WORD → 34TRIPLE WORD → 51
MEANING

What does playing area mean?