Format

1. The Competition shall be contested by all Clubs of The Scottish Football League and The Scottish Premier League.
2. In the event that five clubs qualify for UEFA Club Competitions, those five clubs will be exempt from playing in the Competition until the Third Round. In any season where fewer than five Clubs qualify for UEFA competitions the number of exempt Clubs shall remain at five and the Clubs qualifying for the UEFA Club Competitions shall be augmented by the next highest placed Club or Clubs in The Scottish Premier League at the end of the preceding season.
3. For the First Round the thirty lowest placed clubs of The Scottish Football League and The Scottish Premier League at the end of the preceding season, which are not participating in the UEFA Club Competitions, will play a single tie on the ground of the first named club. This Round will be “seeded” and the “seeds” will be the fifteen highest placed clubs at the end of the preceding season. The fifteen winning clubs will qualify to play in the Second Round.
4. For the Second Round, the seven lowest placed clubs of The Scottish Premier League at the end of the preceding season will be inserted into a ballot with the winners from the First Round. This Round will be “seeded” and the “seeds” will be the eleven highest placed clubs at the end of the preceding season. Those clubs will play a single tie on the ground of the first named club. The eleven winning clubs will qualify to play in the Third Round.
5. For the Third Round, the five clubs, which are participating in the UEFA Club Competitions together with the eleven clubs qualifying from the Second Round, will then be inserted into a ballot. This Round will be “seeded” with the clubs occupying the eight highest positions at the end of the preceding season being “seeded”. These clubs will play a single tie on the ground of the first named club. The eight winning clubs will qualify to play in the Fourth Round.
6. In the event that six clubs qualify for UEFA Club Competitions, those six clubs will be exempt from playing in the Competition until the Third Round.
7. For the First Round the thirty-two lowest placed clubs of The Scottish Football League and The Scottish Premier League at the end of the preceding season, which are not participating in the UEFA Club Competitions, will play a single tie on the ground of the first named club. This Round will be “seeded” and the “seeds” will be the sixteen highest placed clubs at the end of the preceding season. The sixteen winning clubs will qualify to play in the Second Round.
8. For the Second Round, the four lowest placed clubs of The Scottish Premier League at the end of the preceding season will be inserted into a ballot with the winners from the First Round. This Round will be “seeded” and the “seeds” will be the ten highest placed clubs at the end of the preceding season. Those clubs will play a single tie on the ground of the first named club. The ten winning clubs will qualify to play in the Third Round.
9. For the Third Round, the six clubs, which are participating in the UEFA Club Competitions together with the ten clubs qualifying from the Second Round, will then be inserted into a ballot. This Round will be “seeded” with the clubs occupying the eight highest positions at the end of the preceding season being “seeded”. These clubs will play a single tie on the ground of the first named club. The eight winning clubs will qualify to play in the Fourth Round.
10. For the Fourth Round in either event, the eight winning Clubs will be inserted into an “unseeded” ballot. These Clubs will play a single tie on the ground of the first named Club. The four winning clubs will qualify for the Semi-Final Round.
11. For the Semi-Final Round, the four winning clubs will be inserted into an “unseeded” ballot and each Semi-Final Tie shall be a one match tie played on a date and venue decided by the Management Committee. The two winning Clubs will qualify for the Final Tie.
12. For the purposes of this Rule, in determining the highest placed Club, the Clubs in The Scottish Premier League shall be deemed to be higher than the Clubs in The Scottish Football League at the end of the preceding season.
13. In the First, Second,Third, Fourth and Semi-Final Rounds, if the scores are equal at the end of the ninety minutes, an extra thirty minutes will be played and, if still undecided, the winner shall be ascertained by taking kicks from the penalty mark as laid down by the International Board.
14. The Final Tie will be contested on a date and venue decided by the Management Committee.
15. In the event of the Final Tie resulting in a draw, an extra thirty minutes will be played and, thereafter, if necessary, the winner shall be ascertained by taking kicks from the penalty mark as laid down by the International Board.