Points below the line are used to determine if bonuses can be applied. Points above the line are not used in determining bonuses. The partnership which makes the final suit or notrump bid is called the declaring partnership . The other partnership is called the defending partnership . If the declarer contracts for 3 spades and takes 9 OR MORE tricks, then the declaring side has made its contract and gets the score for making 3 spades, plus any associated bonuses.
Tricks are worth different points depending on what the final contract is.
Thus, declaring at 1 and taking 7 tricks total gives the declaring partnership 20 points. Lastly, in notrump contracts, the first trick is worth 40 points, and every trick thereafter is worth 30 points below the line. BUT the points are placed above the line. When the points below the line total 100 points or more, then that partnership has scored a game . At the start of the rubber, each partnership has not won a game and is referred to as non-vulnerable.