Format
IRN-BRU CUP - SEASON 2017/18
56-team format
FIRST ROUND Tuesday 15 or Wednesday 16 August 2017
48 Clubs (24 ties)
• 10 clubs from Ladbrokes League 2
• 10 clubs from Ladbrokes League 1
• 8 clubs from Ladbrokes Championship
• 4 clubs from the Scottish Highland Football League
• 4 clubs from the Scottish Lowland Football League
• 12 Colt teams from Ladbrokes Premiership
Regionalised Draw (unseeded)
North Draw (12 ties) 6 North Colt Teams / 4 Scottish Highland League Clubs /14 SFPL Clubs
South Draw (12 ties) 6 South Colt Teams / 4 Scottish Lowland League Clubs /14 SFPL Clubs
SECOND ROUND Saturday 2 or Sunday 3 September 2017
32 Clubs (16 ties)
• 2 clubs from Ladbrokes Championship – Falkirk and Inverness Caledonian Thistle
• 2 clubs from Northern Ireland Football League – Crusaders and Linfield
• 2 clubs from 2 Welsh Premier League – Connah’s Quay Nomads and The New Saints
• 2 clubs from 2 League of Ireland Premier Division – Bray Wanderers and Sligo Rovers
• 24 winners from First Round
Draw (pre-draw to determine which country will be allocated Pot A, Pot B & Pot C)
• Pot A, Pot B or Pot C – 2 Northern Ireland Football League Clubs
• Pot A, Pot B or Pot C – 2 Welsh Premier League Clubs
• Pot A, Pot B or Pot C – 2 League of Ireland Premier Division Clubs
• Pot D – 24 winners from First Round and 2 Ladbrokes Championship Clubs
• To avoid NIFL teams playing each other (one home, one away)
• One ball from Pot A, Pot B or Pot C v Pot D
• One ball from Pot D v Pot A, Pot B or Pot C
• To avoid WPL teams playing each other (one home, one away)
• One ball from Pot A, Pot B or Pot C v ball from Pot D
• One ball from Pot D v ball from Pot A, Pot B or Pot C
• To avoid LIPD teams playing each other (one home, one away)
• One ball from Pot A, Pot B or Pot C v Pot D
• One ball from Pot D v Pot A, Pot B or Pot C
• Remaining 20 SPFL Clubs in Pot D drawn into 10 remaining ties
THIRD ROUND Saturday 7 or Sunday 8 October 2017
16 winners from the Second Round (8 ties)
QUARTER-FINALS Saturday 11 or Sunday 12 November 2017
8 winners from the Third Round (4 ties)
SEMI-FINALS Saturday 17 or Sunday 18 February 2018
4 winners from the Quarter-Finals (2 ties)
FINAL Saturday 24 or Sunday 25 March 2018
2 winners from the Semi-Finals (1 tie)
