Here is everything you need to know about the EFL Trophy, including the format and how the inclusion of Premier League & Championship academy sides works.
The EFL Trophy is one of the highlights of the League One and League Two football calendar, with the final played every year at Wembley Stadium – drawing in thousands of fans. But how does the EFL Trophy work?
Reading on, our guide explains the EFL Trophy structure, and takes you through everything you need to know to keep up with the action of this knockout competition between the best teams in the lower echelons of the Football League.
What is the EFL Trophy?
The EFL Trophy is an annual knockout competition organised by the English Football League. The tournament has been running since 1983, and was originally titled the Associate Members’ Cup.
Who plays in the EFL trophy?
The format of the tournament has changed in recent years, but the EFL Trophy is currently contested by 64 teams. They are comprised of 48 clubs from League One and League Two and, as of the 2016/17 season, 16 invited academy teams from the Premier League and Championship. The inclusion of academy teams in the EFL Trophy was a controversial move, with some going as far as to herald it as the beginning of the end for the lower league system.
How are the academy teams selected?
The academies selected to compete in the EFL Trophy must be of Category One standard according to the Elite Player Performance Plan, and are invited based on their final league position the previous season.
Those invited to play consist of eight Northern and eight Southern sides. Should the invitation be rejected, the next-best finishing Premier League 2 side is eligible until the 16-team quota is full.
What is the EFL trophy format?
Structure: The 48 EFL clubs are placed into 16 regionalised groups of three (with eight in the northern section and eight in the southern section). The geographical groups are pre-determined by the EFL, based on proximity, and the 16 invited academy sides are then randomly drawn into those – giving the initial phase 16 groups of four, with each including an academy.
Fixtures: Within each group, each side plays three games in a round-robin format, with the academy teams playing all of their games away from home.
Points: As usual, three points are awarded for a victory and one for a draw. However, a draw in the group stage goes straight to a penalty shootout, with a bonus point awarded to the winner.
Progression: The top two sides in each group then qualify for the knockout rounds.
Knockout rounds: Fixtures are determined by a random draw from the second round onwards, although the second and third rounds remain regionalised. Each of the knockout rounds are contested over one leg, with a penalty shootout deciding the winner in the event of a draw.
When are games played?
EFL Trophy fixtures are scheduled to be played in midweek at monthly intervals, with the first matchday falling in September. Owing to the busy calendars of certain academy teams, though, fixtures are often rescheduled.
The final for the 2025/26 season is to be played at Wembley on Sunday 12th April.
What are the squad selection rules?
In a bid to keep the tournament competitive, each EFL club is obliged to start at least four outfield first teamers:
A first-team player is defined as someone who starts either of the matches directly before or after the EFL Trophy fixture in question; a player that has started 40 or more senior matches; or a player who has started at least the 10th-most matches for the club that season. Any EFL club that fails to meet this requirement is fined up to £5,000.
Each academy team, meanwhile, must ensure that at least six of the players on their team sheet were aged under 21 on 30th June of the respective season. They are also allowed to name two players aged over 21 and with 40 or more first-team appearances.
How does the EFL Trophy differ from the EFL Cup?
The EFL Cup (or Carabao Cup) is a knockout competition consisting of the 92 Football League teams. While the EFL Trophy is only open to teams in League One and League Two, teams from all four divisions of English domestic football can compete for the EFL Cup, meaning those from the Premier League to League Two are involved.
How does the EFL Trophy differ from the FA Cup?
The FA Cup is very different to the EFL Trophy; it’s famously open to all eligible clubs in the English football pyramid, all the way down to level 9. This means that 745 teams compete in each edition of the tournament!
Who are the current holders of the EFL Trophy?
Peterborough United won the 2025 EFL Trophy to become 3-time champions, after beating Birmingham City 2-0. This makes them the joint-most successful club in the tournament’s history, along with Bristol City.
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