Each team will play a total of 16 regular season matches, eight home and eight away. Each team will play all four of the other teams in their conference twice, both home and away, and play against four of the five teams in each of the other two conferences.

Competition points will be awarded on the following basis:
Win - 4 points
Draw - 2 points
Losing Bonus - 1 point for loss within 7 points or less
Try-scoring Bonus - 1 point for 4 tries or more
Bye - 4 points*

*Under the tournament Regulations, teams having a bye weekend are awarded 4 (four) points. This is done to ensure that the respective Conference tables provide a more accurate picture of the relative rankings of teams through the regular season. Otherwise, the team that had bye in week one of Super Rugby would remain behind the other teams in total points available to be earned until all other teams had a bye.

If two or more teams are equal on points in any position on either the Conference or Overall Super Rugby standings at any time during the regular season their ranking will be determined by the following steps:
Most wins from all matches
Highest aggregate points difference from all matches
Most tries from all matches
Highest aggregate difference in tries for and against from all matches
Coin toss (this will only be used to determine Finalists)

The Super Rugby finals will feature six teams made up of the Conference winners and the next three teams (Wildcards) on the overall Super Rugby table that ranks the sides based on total number of points.

Play-off schedule:

Week 1:
Rank 4 v Rank 5
Rank 3 v Rank 6

Week 2:
Rank 2 v Highest ranked winner from Week 1
Rank 1 v Lowest ranked winner from Week 1

Week 3:
Winner of semi-final with highest ranking v other winning semi-finalist

Determining Winners of Play-off Matches - if the teams are tied at full time in any Play-off Match then the following will apply until a winner is found:

Extra Time - the procedure will be:
After a five minute rest period, the extra time is played in two 10 minute periods with a two minute halftime;
Before the extra time begins, the match referee will do a coin toss with the two captains one minute before the new kick-off. The winner of the coin toss decides if his team wants to kick-off or if his team wants to choose the side of the pitch it wants to play on for the first 10 minute period;
For the second 10 minute period, the teams change sides and the team that did not kick off in the first period does so;
Coaches are not permitted on the field during the rest period or half-time.

Sudden Death - if the match is still drawn at the end of extra time, the procedure will be:
An up to 10 minute sudden death period is played after another five minute rest period;
The first team to score (by a penalty, drop-goal or try) will be the winner;
As for extra time, one minute before sudden death begins, the match referee will do a coin toss to choose which team kicks-off and on which side of the pitch.