Scoring
The contracting side scores one point for each trick taken if it makes at least its contract, but is set back (loses) six points if it fails to make its contract, regardless of the value of the contract or the tricks actually won. A side is "set" when it fails to meet its contract (the term "set" also functions as a verb in this game: a side playing defense "sets" the other side by preventing it from meeting its contract). As such, a side can have a negative score. If the side playing defense (that is, the side that does not win the bid) fails to get any tricks, it goes back six points. An exception to this is in cases of a 'pepper' bid. With this contract, if all the tricks are taken, the contracting side wins 14 or 12 points (for the big and small pepper, respectively). However, if the contracting side fails to take all six tricks, it is set back 14 or 12 points (for big and small, respectively). The opposing side always scores one point for each trick taken. If the defensive side does not get any tricks in a small or big pepper, it loses just six points.
Read more about this topic: Bid Euchre