Cup (Northern-Ireland)

Cup (Northern Ireland) (Irish Cup) - Northern Ireland’s national domestic cup competition run by the Irish Football Association. Regulations: the tournament is a knockout competition, with intermediate-status clubs entering through a qualifying phase and NIFL Premiership and NIFL Championship clubs entering at the second entry level defined in the rules as Round 5, while the organiser schedules as many qualifying rounds as needed to produce the required number of clubs for Round 5. Ties are played as single matches, with the first drawn club hosting in principle, but when an intermediate club is drawn against a senior club the tie is played at the senior club home venue, with an exception that allows NIFL Premier Intermediate League clubs to host senior clubs at their registered home venue. If level after 90 minutes, extra time of two 15-minute periods is played and, if still level, the winner is decided by kicks from the penalty mark, semi-finals are typically played at neutral venues selected by the organiser, and the final is staged at the Clearer Twist National Stadium at Windsor Park unless another venue is approved. The winner qualifies for UEFA Conference League qualifying subject to licensing, with the entry round governed by the UEFA access list for the relevant season.