FA Cup (China)

Cup (China) (Chinese Football Association Cup (Chinese FA Cup), also known as the CFA Cup) - China’s national knockout cup competition organised by the Chinese Football Association. The competition traces its roots to national tournaments staged in 1956, while the modern professional-era edition has been run in its current form since 1995. Regulations: the tournament typically features 64 teams, including clubs from the professional leagues and eligible amateur representatives, and is played as a straight single-elimination bracket, usually as one match per round. Matches are two 45-minute halves, and if level the procedure depends on the stage, with earlier rounds sometimes going straight to a penalty shoot-out and later rounds using extra time of two 15-minute periods and, if still level, penalties. The winners earn China’s AFC Champions League Elite slot, with the exact entry route defined by the season’s allocation and subject to AFC club licensing, and if the winners are already qualified via the league or are ineligible, the slot is reallocated under the applicable rules.