User:BlameRuiner/cup

Belarusian Cup is an annual association football knock-out cup competition for men's football clubs in Belarus. The tournament is organized by the Football Federation of Belarus.

Belarusian Cup was established in 1992. Each year the winning team qualifies for the UEFA Europa League.

History and format

The cup is a traditional single-elimination tournament. Usually, the cup involves all clubs participating in Belarusian Premier League, First League and Second League, as well a small number of amateur clubs that can qualify through local amateur Cup competitions. Unlike the league season, Belarusian Cup is still played using a fall/spring schedule (while the League has switched to spring/fall schedule in 1995).

The most frequently used format of the cup included six rounds. The First Round involves clubs from the Second League and amateur clubs paired against First League clubs, with lower league clubs having a home advantage in a single-legged tie. Winners of the First Round proceed to the Round of 32 where they are paired against Premier League, with lower league clubs once again having a home advantage. Sixteen winner of Round of 32 progress to the Round of 16. From this point on, there is no seeding, and pairings and hove advantages are decided by an open draw. Typically, the quarterfinals and semifinals are played after the winter break and consist of double-legged ties. However, both the schedule and the number of matches in each round can be adjusted depending on the availability of domestic match dates.

The final match is traditionally played in May. Until 2012, the final was typically played at Dinamo Stadium in Minsk, country's biggest venue, which hosted the final 19 times out of 21. Since 2013, the final is played at various venues across the country.