Super 15 sides will not receive four points this season when they have a bye, the organisers announced Friday.
Introduced to the southern hemisphere inter-provincial rugby union championship several seasons ago, the rule guaranteed teams eight points each year from two byes.
Organisers SANZAR said the bye points were scrapped "with the fan in mind to make it easier to follow competition progress -- particularly the latter stages of the season".
Teams earn four points for a win, two for a draw, and one for losing by seven or fewer points or scoring at least four tries in a game.
The annual competition starts on Saturday with two South African derbies, involving the Cheetahs and Lions in Bloemfontein and the Sharks and Bulls in Durban.
Australian and New Zealand teams debut next weekend, with games continuing until mid-July followed by a three-week knockout phase.
