What is the difference between matchpoints and IMPs?
I · Intermediate · Scoring · 3 of 5In pairs events, each score on a board earns 2 matchpoints for every score it beats and 1 for each tie. In teams events, the point difference between the two tables is turned into IMPs on a fixed scale from 0 to 24. Conditions of contest say which method applies.
How it works
- Matchpoints: 2 for each lower score, 1 for each equal score, 0 for each higher.
- Pairs: compared with all others who played the board.
- IMPs: the point difference between two tables, converted by scale.
- IMP scale: 20 to 40 points is 1 IMP; 370 to 420 is 9; 4000 or more is 24.
- Total points: the net total over all boards.
- Other methods: such as victory points, if approved.
- Conditions of contest: set the scoring and tie-breaks in advance.
- Errors: a scoring mistake can be corrected within 30 minutes, unless set otherwise.
The glossary has the matchpoints, the IMPs, the total point scoring, the conditions of contest, the tricks won and the correction period and the contestant.
Tricky cases
Is an overtrick worth chasing at matchpoints?
Often yes: 10 points can beat several tables. At IMPs it rarely matters. This is tactics, not law.
Two teams differ by 10 points on a board. How many IMPs?
None; 0 to 10 points is 0 IMPs.
Who decides the scoring method?
The tournament organiser, in the conditions of contest.
How long can a scoring error be fixed?
Normally until 30 minutes after the official score is available.
Why the rule exists
Matchpoints reward every extra trick, since one more beats more tables. IMPs reward bidding the big contracts, because games and slams swing many points.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Pairs | Matchpoints | Law 78A |
| Teams | IMPs | Law 78B |
| Some events | Victory points | Law 78D |
From the rule book
World Bridge Federation, The Laws of Duplicate Bridge 2017, Laws 78 and 79. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the WBF Laws of Duplicate Bridge 2017.