Current Format
The competition is open only to the 42 senior clubs who compete in the Scottish Premier League or Scottish Football League. There are no replays, so all matches ending in a draw after 90 minutes are decided by extra time and, if necessary, penalty kicks.
The six teams who, based on results of the previous season, have qualified for UEFA competitions are given a bye until the 3rd round of competition while the four teams who finished highest in the SPL/SFL without qualifying for Europe receive a bye into the 2nd round.
The remaining 32 teams begin play from the 1st round. They are drawn into random pairings with the games played at the stadium of the first team drawn. The 16 teams advancing from the first round are drawn together. The teams who advance from the 2nd round are joined by the final eight teams in the 3rd round, with seeding in place. The remaining rounds of competition are unseeded.
The semi-final matches are played on a neutral ground, traditionally Hampden Park, but the home ground of a third club located close to the two competing clubs is sometimes used.
The final game is also traditionally played at Hampden Park in Glasgow, though due to renovations some finals in the past have been played at other venues such as Celtic Park or Ibrox.
Read more about this topic: Scottish League Cup
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