Is there extra-time in Carabao Cup? Liverpool vs Southampton rules on penalties and VAR

The Carabao Cup's third round continues on Tuesday, with Premier League clubs involved in European competition joining the action. The third round kicked off last week with four matches, but with the Champions League now underway, most of the ties are scheduled for this week.

This includes Liverpool's home game against a struggling Southampton, who were relegated last season and are seeking some cup success following a dismal start to their Championship season. Other Tuesday fixtures include Everton's trip to Wolves.

On Wednesday, Manchester City will be heading to Huddersfield Town, Port Vale will be hosting Arsenal, while reigning champions Newcastle United will be welcoming Bradford City. The draw for the fourth round will take place after these matches.

With the third round well underway, here are the Carabao Cup rules for this season regarding extra-time, substitutions and VAR....

Is there extra time in the Carabao Cup?

At this stage of the competition, there is no extra-time. If a match ends in a draw after 90 minutes, it goes straight to penalties.

Extra-time will only be used if necessary in the semi-finals and the final.

What are the substitution rules in the Carabao Cup?

Each club can name up to nine players on the bench for a tie, but only five of them can be used.

Each team is allowed a maximum of three opportunities to make substitutions during the match, although changes at half-time don't count towards that limit.

Is VAR used in the Carabao Cup?

Unless every home club in the round has access to the system, it will not be deployed.

With a number of lower league clubs still in the competition, that clearly isn't viable. This means there will be no VAR in the third round, which will come as a relief to many supporters.

It could be used in the semi-finals, although that is dependent on whether all four clubs can accommodate the technology. In 2024, VAR was not used until the final.

That was because Middlesbrough, a Championship club, made it through to the last four and did not have the technology at its stadium. The EFL deemed it unfair for the other semi-final match to use VAR.

Last season, VAR was used in the semi-finals, which featured four Premier League clubs.

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