Carabao Cup extra time: do Second Round matches go straight to penalties after a draw? Rules explained

Teams across the nation will be dreaming of glory as the league cup campaign continues.

The long road to Wembley Stadium starts in August as the Carabao Cup kicks-off mid-week. The second round will take place between Tuesday (29 August) and Wednesday (30 August).

The second round of the cup will see Premier League teams begin to enter the competition - including the likes of Tottenham Hotspurs. Teams who have qualified for Champions League will join in the third round.

But what happens if Carabao Cup games finish level after 90 minutes? Here’s all you need to know:

Is there extra time in the Carabao Cup?

Carabao Cup used to have extra time at the end of matches if the game was level after 90 minutes in all of the rounds. However in 2018/19 EFL clubs voted in favour of cutting back on having to play an additional 30 minutes.

In the early rounds of the competition, League Cup games go straight to penalties if the match is tied at full time. Second Round games will not have extra time if level after 90 minutes.

Later in the competition extra time is introduced for the semi-finals. If the game is level at the end of the second leg of a semi-final then the game goes to extra time. For the final if the score is tied after 90 minutes, the teams will play an extra 30 minutes split into two 15 minute halves.

Will there be penalty shoot-outs in Second Round?

If both sides cannot be separated after 90 minutes, the game will go to a penalty shoot-out. The penalties will be taken in the traditional ABAB format.

The EFL had previously tried the alternate ABBA penalty shoot-out method - with team A taking their first penalty before Team B takes the next two before Team A steps up again. It was introduced in the 2017/18 season but has since been scrapped.

Is there VAR in the Carabao Cup?

The Video Assistant Referee will not be in use for the first round of the Carabao Cup - it will be introduced later in the competition when Premier League teams enter the competition.