Frank Christian
The Carabao Cup, known as the EFL Cup, has provided thrilling moments on the field for many years.
While it may not hold the same prestige as the FA Cup, it still offers clubs a valuable opportunity to compete for silverware each season.
This tournament has witnessed surprising victories, as shown by teams like Swansea City and Birmingham City winning the title in the last 13 years.
The England Football League has regularly updated the competition’s format, including recent changes regarding draws after the standard 90 minutes.
Extra Time in the Carabao Cup
As a knockout tournament, every Carabao Cup match requires a winner.
However, extra time is only utilized during the semifinals, in case of a tie at the end of regular play.
Previously, extra time was a common feature in all rounds of the Carabao Cup, but this practice changed during the 2018/19 season following a vote by EFL clubs to eliminate the additional 30 minutes.
According to an EFL statement, the aim was to prevent exhaustion for teams playing midweek matches that extended beyond regular time.
Consequently, extra time is now reserved for the second leg of semifinals or the final match.
“85% of the games finish within 90 minutes – we’re only talking about a small number that will be affected.”
Shaun Harvey on the removal of extra time in the #CarabaoCup >> pic.twitter.com/DjaLx9jTdy
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) June 15, 2018
Penalty Shootouts in Carabao Cup Matches
Since extra time is not played until the semifinals, matches that end in a draw after 90 minutes go straight to penalties.
Currently, the traditional penalty format is used, although the ABBA method was experimented with during the 2017/18 season.
This ABBA method allowed teams to take consecutive penalties, where if Arsenal took the first, Chelsea would follow with the second and third, returning to Arsenal for the fourth and fifth attempts.
However, this format was deemed temporary, and since the 2018/19 season, the classic penalty shootout has returned.
Four finals between 2012 and 2022 were decided by penalties. In the 2023/24 season, Chelsea and Fulham both advanced from their quarterfinals through penalties against Newcastle United and Everton.
Last year’s final saw Virgil van Dijk score an extra-time winner for Liverpool against Chelsea, avoiding a repeat penalty shootout as experienced in 2022.
Replays in the Carabao Cup
Replays are not part of the Carabao Cup at any stage.
In fact, the competition has not seen replays since the 1990s, relying instead on extra time or penalties to find a winner when necessary.
The semifinals, however, consist of two legs, marking the only occasion where a fixture can occur more than once in the same season, without an away goals rule applied.
Who remembers this crazy penalty shootout between @LFC and @Boro in 2014?!
@OfficialBWFC‘s MJ Williams looks back on his senior debut for #LFC in Round Three of the #CarabaoCup.#EFL | #IWasThere pic.twitter.com/eu8FPtPS4i
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) November 8, 2022
Procedure for Drawn Matches in the Carabao Cup
Here’s how a tie is resolved if teams remain equal after 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup:
- From the First Round to quarterfinals, a penalty shootout determines the winner.
- In the semifinals’ second leg or the final, extra time will be played, followed by a penalty shootout if scores are still tied after that period.
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the Carabao Cup
VAR will not be implemented in Carabao Cup matches during the 2024/25 season before the semifinals. However, if a lower league club that lacks the necessary technology reaches the final four, VAR will not be operational until the 2025 final at Wembley on Sunday, March 16.
The VAR system will be in effect for the two-legged semifinal matches and the final game.
