The Carabao Cup has introduced several rule changes for the 2018-19 season, most notably the removal of extra time in drawn matches. From this season, if a game is level after 90 minutes, it will go straight to a penalty shootout. The EFL hopes this will reduce fatigue concerns and encourage clubs to field stronger teams.
Another change sees the penalty shootout format revert to the traditional ABAB system, after the ABBA system trialled last season was deemed confusing for supporters. The ABBA method, where the team shooting second takes two consecutive penalties, had been used in the Checkatrade Trophy and Carabao Cup.
Seeding has been scrapped in the first two rounds, meaning teams from different divisions can now face each other. However, the competition remains regionalised on a north-south basis for those rounds. Yellow cards accumulated in the Carabao Cup will now only count towards suspensions within the competition, rather than across all domestic tournaments.
VAR will be used in all rounds played at Premier League grounds this season, having previously only been deployed in the semi-finals and final. The changes aim to streamline the competition and address previous concerns over player workload and fan confusion.
