League cup
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In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league.[1] The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946–47 and was entitled the Scottish League Cup. However, in the Republic of Ireland the now-defunct League of Ireland Shield was the first national league-only tournament of its kind (played first in 1921); this was subsequently replaced by the League of Ireland Cup in 1983.
The creation of a league cup marked the difference from the domestic cup (or primary cup), which is generally also open to teams from multiple leagues, often as far down as regional amateur leagues, and who are also members of the country's football association. League cups are less prevalent than domestic cups.[1][2]
The creation of a tournament of this kind exclusively for the top national-level league teams, in addition to the two main domestic association football tournaments of the league and association cup, also created a new national footballing achievement called the domestic "treble". The first national league treble of this kind was won by Shamrock Rovers of the Republic of Ireland in 1925.
League cups were generally introduced after the Second World War – for example, the Football League Cup in England in 1960 – although in other countries they were created following a rise in the number of floodlit stadiums, allowing regular midweek matches.
In certain countries, the league cup had, or in some cases still has, group stages in the early stages. These often opened the season before the main league season began.
List of league cups and secondary cups in association football
Men's league cups
Africa
- Template:Flagicon Algerian League Cup
- Template:Flagicon Egyptian League Cup
- Template:Flagicon KPL Top 8 Cup
- File:Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa
- MTN 8 – first tier
- Telkom Knockout – second tier
Asia
- File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
- Canale Cup – regional competition
- Template:Flagicon Copa Paulino Alcantara
- Template:Flagicon Indonesia President's Cup
- Template:Flagicon J.League Cup
- Template:Flagicon Jordan FA Shield
- Template:Flagicon Kuwait Federation Cup
- Template:Flagicon Malaysia Cup
- Template:Flagicon Oman Professional League Cup
- Template:Flagicon Qatari Stars Cup
- Template:Flagicon Thai League Cup
- Template:Flagicon UAE League Cup
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Europe
- File:Flag of England.svg England
- EFL Cup (formerly the Football League Cup) – Tiers 1-4
- EFL Trophy (formerly the Football League Trophy) – Tiers 3-4 (16 U-21 teams of tier 1 & 2 clubs)
- National League Cup — Tier 5 (16 professional under-21 teams playing in Premier League 2)
- Isthmian League Cup – regional competition
- Northern Premier League Challenge Cup – regional competition
- Northern Premier League President's Cup – regional competition
- Southern Football League Cup – regional competition
- Template:Flagicon Finnish League Cup
- Template:Flagicon Icelandic League Cup
- Template:Flagicon League of Ireland Cup
- Template:Flagicon Toto Cup
- Template:Flagicon Coppa Italia Dilettanti (tiers 5 and 6)
- Template:Flagicon Irish League Cup
- Template:Flagicon Taça da Liga
- Template:Flagicon FNL Cup
- File:Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland
- Scottish League Cup – first tier
- Scottish Challenge Cup – second tier
- Template:Flagicon Spain
- Copa Federación de España - tiers 3, 4 and 5
- Template:Flagicon Welsh League Cup
South America
Women's league cups
Europe
- File:Flag of England.svg England
- Template:Flagicon Icelandic League Cup
- Template:Flagicon Taça da Liga Feminina
- Template:Flagicon SWPL Cup
Asia
North America
Defunct league cups and secondary cups
Men's league cups
Africa
Asia
- File:Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
- NSL Cup – first tier
- NNSWF State Cup – regional competition
- Template:Flagicon Chinese Super League Cup
- Template:Flagicon Baghdad Championship
- Template:Flagicon Japan Soccer League Cup (1973–1991), Konica Cup (1990 and 1991)
- Template:Flagicon Lebanese Elite Cup (1996–2023), Lebanese Challenge Cup (2013–2023)
- Template:Flagicon UFL Cup
- Template:Flagicon Korean League Cup
Europe
- Template:Flagicon Belgian League Cup
- Template:Flagicon Spar Cup, Danish League Cup, Viasat Cup
- Template:Flagicon Olympia-Pokal (1964), Fuwo-Pokal (1972), DFV-Toto-Sonderrunde (1974 and 1976)
- Template:Flagicon Full Members Cup (tiers 1–2), Super Cup, Centenary Trophy (tier 1)
- Template:Flagicon Coupe Charles Drago
- Template:Flagicon Coupe de la Ligue
- Template:Flagicon DFL-Ligapokal (1997–2007)
- Template:Flagicon Gibraltar Premier Cup
- Template:Flagicon Greek League Cup (tier 1), Gamma Ethniki Cup (tier 3), Greek Football Amateur Cup (tiers 3–6)
- Template:Flagicon Ulster Cup (1949–2003), Floodlit Cup (1987–1998), Gold Cup (1911–2001)
- Template:Flagicon Virsligas Winter Cup
- Template:Flagicon Norwegian League Cup (1992 and 1993)
- Template:Flagicon Young Leaders Rally Cup (1952), League Cup (1977 and 1978), Polish League Cup (1999–2002), Ekstraklasa Cup (2006–2009)
- Template:Flagicon Federation Cup
- Template:Flagicon Cupa Ligii
- Template:Flagicon Russian Premier League Cup
- Template:Flagicon Saint Mungo Cup, Summer Cup (tier 1), War Emergency Cup (tier 1), Supplementary Cup (tier 2), C Division League Cup (tier 3), Southern League Cup
- Template:Flagicon All-Union Committee of Physical Culture and Sports Tournament (1952), USSR Federation Cup
- Template:Flagicon Copa de la Liga
- Template:Flagicon Swiss League Cup
- Template:Flagicon Spor Toto Cup
- Template:Flagicon Ukrainian Second League Cup (a preliminary tournament for the Ukrainian Cup that involved third-tier teams along with best teams of Ukrainian Amateur Cup; the Ukrainian League Cup was a single season supplemental tournament for the third-tier teams of 2009–10 Ukrainian Second League and involved participation of some reserve and amateur teams)
- Template:Flagicon FAW Premier Cup
North America
- Template:Flagicon / Template:Flagicon / Template:Flagicon North American SuperLiga
- File:Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago
South America
Women's league cups
Asia
North America
- Template:Flagicon NWSL Challenge Cup (2020–2023, supercup from 2024)
League cups and secondary cups in other sports
Basketball
Men's league cups
- Template:Flagicon LNB Pro A Leaders Cup
- Template:Flagicon LNB Pro B Leaders Cup
- Template:Flagicon BBL Cup (includes only British Basketball League teams)
- Template:Flagicon Icelandic League Cup (includes top two league levels)
- Template:Flagicon Israeli Basketball State Cup (includes the top two levels, the Premier League and National League)
- Template:Flagicon Israeli Basketball League Cup (separate cup for the Premier League and National League)
- Template:Flagicon Coppa Italia (Serie A)
- Template:Flagicon LNP Cup
- Template:Flagicon Portuguese League Cup
- Template:Flagicon KSS Cup (Second League)
- Template:Flagicon Copa Princesa de Asturias (LEB Oro) - second tier
- Template:Flagicon SBL Cup
- Template:Flagicon / Template:Flagicon NBA Cup
Women's league cups
- Template:Flagicon Icelandic League Cup (includes top two league levels)
- Template:Flagicon WNBA Commissioner's Cup
References
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