<P> Traditionally, the CFL has had nine teams and required bye weeks . Each team has two bye weeks during the 20 week 18 - game regular season . When the league had only 8 teams, the league usually had no bye weeks . However between 2007 and 2013, the league had one bye per team over in two weeks in August (4 teams would have a bye during week 6 and the other 4 teams would have a bye on week 7). </P> <P> The Arena Football League has historically not used bye weeks . Other indoor American football leagues have typically been forced to incorporate irregular byes into their schedule due to the often unstable franchises in those leagues . </P> <P> In Australia's National Rugby League (NRL), each team has two byes each season . During the representative period of the season (such as the State of Origin), byes are generally scheduled to the clubs that are expected to have the most players involved in the representative match, in the round preceding (or following) the representative fixture, to allow those clubs to sufficiently rest those players and prevent them from fielding a weakened side . On the competition ladder, teams are awarded two points (equivalent to a win) during their bye week except for the Melbourne Storm in 2010, who were barred from receiving premiership points for the remainder of the season as a punishment for gross long - term breaches of the salary cap . </P> <P> The Australian Football League, which comprises an even number of clubs, gives each club a bye week in mid-season . In 1915, 1919 to 1924, 1942 and 1943, 1991 to 1994 and 2011, when there were an odd number of clubs competing, each club was given two byes . </P>

What does it mean to have a bye in sports