Carabao Cup betting rules: does extra time or penalties count?
Short answer
Standard Carabao Cup match result bets settle on 90 minutes plus stoppage time, so a tie that is level and goes to penalties settles as a draw; penalties only count on markets such as to qualify (EFL rules and bookmakers' own terms, checked 17 Oct 2026).
Rules from each bookmaker's own terms. Last checked
The Carabao Cup (EFL Cup, League Cup) has no extra time in rounds one to five. Under the EFL's rules for 2026-27, a match in those rounds that is level after 90 minutes goes straight to penalties. Only the semi-final second leg and the final have extra time.
How we earn: we may earn a commission if you open an account through our links. It never changes what we show or the order. Read our disclosure
Which rounds have extra time
| Round | Extra time if level | Penalties if level |
|---|---|---|
| Rounds one to five | No | Yes, straight after 90 minutes |
| Semi-final, first leg | No | No, the tie continues in the second leg |
| Semi-final, second leg | Yes, 30 minutes if level on aggregate | Yes, if still level after extra time |
| Final | Yes, 30 minutes | Yes, if still level after extra time |
From the EFL's Carabao Cup Rules 2026/27, rules 3.2, 3.4, 12.4 and 12.5. The rules number the rounds one to five, and round five is the last round before the semi-finals. EFL Carabao Cup Rules 2026/27 (PDF). Checked
The rules that matter in the Carabao Cup
90 minutes, then penalties
A match result bet settles on the score after 90 minutes plus stoppage time. If a match in rounds one to five is level, it goes straight to penalties, and the bet settles as a draw whoever wins the shoot-out.
Read the full rule at every bookmakerTo qualify includes penalties
To qualify markets settle on the team that goes through, so the shoot-out counts. In the semi-finals, to qualify covers both legs.
Read the full rule at every bookmakerTwo-legged semi-finals
Each leg is its own match for match result bets. A level first leg settles as a draw. The second leg goes to extra time and penalties only if the aggregate score is level.
Read the full rule at every bookmakerPostponed ties
If a tie is postponed, the bookmaker's postponed match window applies. William Hill, for example, keeps bets on the League Cup final if a new date is announced within 48 hours.
Read the full rule at every bookmaker
What a level score after 90 minutes means for your bet
Say a second round tie is 2-2 after 90 minutes and the away team wins the shoot-out. A bet on the draw wins, and bets on either team to win the match lose. A to qualify bet on the away team wins, because they went through. Total goals and correct score bets settle on the 90-minute score too, at the bookmakers whose general rule we could confirm.
Semi-finals over two legs: what the first-leg score means for bets
Bets on the first leg settle on that match alone. If it ends level, match result bets settle as a draw and there is no extra time or shoot-out on the night. A to qualify bet on the tie stays open until the second leg is finished. In the second leg, match result bets settle on that match's 90-minute score, even if one team goes through on aggregate. Extra time and penalties are played only if the aggregate score is level after 90 minutes.
How often this rule matters
How often Carabao Cup matches go to penalties
- 23%
- of EFL Cup matches went to penalties107 of 465 matches, 2021-22 to 2025-26. Rounds one to five go straight to penalties if level after 90 minutes.
- 24%
- of EFL Cup matches were level after 90 minutes111 of 465 matches, 2021-22 to 2025-26. 107 went to penalties and 1 was decided in extra time. The other 3 were semi-final legs, where a level score after 90 minutes does not go straight to penalties.
Historical figures, not a prediction. Source: TheStatsAPI, seasons 2021-22 to 2025-26How we count this
How each bookmaker settles Carabao Cup bets
In our fixed table order, never by commission. These are each bookmaker's general football rules, which apply to the Carabao Cup unless a market says otherwise.
| Bookmaker | Standard bets settle on | To qualify markets | Postponed match |
|---|---|---|---|
| bet365 | Most markets settle on the result at the end of 90 minutes. Some markets include extra time. | To Qualify: the team that goes through to the next round, whether in normal time, extra time or on penalties. | 5-day window |
| Sky Bet | All football bets settle on 90 minutes play, including stoppage time, unless the market says otherwise. | Extra time and penalties count only for selections quoting To Qualify, Lift The Trophy or Win The Tie. Other selections in the same BuildABet or RequestABet still settle on 90 minutes. | 3-day window |
| Paddy Power | Regular time including stoppage time. Extra time and penalties don't count unless stated. | To Qualify and To Lift the Trophy include extra time and penalties. | 3-day window |
| William Hill | Normal time including stoppage time. Extra time and penalty shoot-outs don't count unless stated. | To qualify for the next round includes normal time, extra time and penalty shoot-outs. Over two legs it settles after the second leg, including extra time, away goals if they apply, and penalties. | 48-hour window |
| Ladbrokes | Regular play, including injury or stoppage time. Scheduled extra time and penalty shoot-outs don't count unless the market says so. | Couldn't confirm | Same-day window |
| Coral | Regular play, including injury or stoppage time. Scheduled extra time and penalty shoot-outs don't count unless the market says so. | Couldn't confirm | Same-day window |
| Betfred | Scheduled match time including injury time. Extra time, golden or silver goals and penalties don't count unless stated. | Couldn't confirm | 48-hour window |
| Unibet | Pre-match bets settle on regular time only, unless stated. | A To Qualify market includes any extra time and additional matches, and is void if it is not decided within 48 hours of the scheduled start (rule 29). | 48-hour window |
| 888sport | 90 minutes plus injury time. Extra time does not count unless 888sport says otherwise. | Couldn't confirm | Couldn't confirm |
| BoyleSports | 90 minutes including stoppage time. Extra time, penalties and golden goal don't count unless stated. | In knockout competitions, bets settle on the team that qualifies for the next round. | Same-day window |
Carabao Cup betting rules, explained
Is there extra time in the Carabao Cup?
If my team wins on penalties, does my match result bet win?
Do penalties count in a Carabao Cup to qualify bet?
Are Carabao Cup semi-finals played over two legs?
Is the EFL Cup the same as the Carabao Cup?
Related
- What to qualify means in betting
- Does extra time count in football bets?
- Postponed match in your acca
- All competitions
- Premier League betting rules
- FA Cup betting rules
- Champions League betting rules
Rules change. This is what each bookmaker's own terms said on the date shown. Always read the full terms before you bet. 18+ only.
Newsletter
The Rule Change
One email when a bookmaker changes its football terms. No betting tips, and sponsors never change what we report.