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Extra time or penalties? EFL Cup rules for first round ties that finish level The new EFL season gets under way this weekend - and it’s cup action up for starters with the first round of the Carabao-sponsored competition. The region’s Football League clubs kickstart their 2026/27 campaigns in the more unusual EFL Cup curtain-raiser over the weekend. Wolves, Albion, Walsall and Shrewsbury Town are all in first round action as clubs from the Championship, League One and League Two focus on knockout action rather than clashes with three points at stake. The quartet all face different kick-off times, with three of the four ties taking place across different days. In the case of Walsall and Wolves it sees fresh eras begin under new head coaches. But how about if the first round ties finish level after 90 minutes? Competition bosses often seem to tweak with domestic cup competition rules when it comes to ties ending in a draw. The FA Cup’s days of replays are ever-dwindling and extra time in both domestic cup competitions is more scarce. The 2026/27 rules for the EFL Cup state that a penalty shootout will be required to decide a winner if scorelines are level after 90 minutes. No extra time will take place until after the second leg of the semi-final, if required. That means rounds one to five will not involve any extra time. Premier League clubs not involved in Champions League or Europa League action join the competition in round two. That means Unai Emery’s Villa, who will compete in Europe’s premier competition this term, will not be involved until the third round. Walsall kickstart the season’s EFL Cup first round action with a clash at Championship outfit Bristol City on Thursday night, with a 7.45pm kick-off. It is a first competitive fixture for new boss Lee Grant. The tie was brought forward by a day to Thursday night owing to a clash with Bristol’s International Balloon Festival between Friday and Sunday, where more than 500,000 visitors attend the event around Ashton Gate. Cesar Peixoto’s tenure at Wolves gets under way with a Friday night visit of League Two side Port Vale to Molineux. The televised clash sees the relegated League One side pose a potential banana skin for Wolves in front of the Sky Sports cameras. The same goes for James Morrison’s Albion, in a later Saturday afternoon kick-off. A 5.30pm clash, also on Sky, sees the Baggies travel to another newly-relegated League Two side, Rotherham United. League Two side Shrewsbury Town begin their 2026/27 campaign under Gavin Cowan with a first round tie at much-fancied league rivals Salford City. The ‘Class of ‘92’-backed Salford are tipped by many to finally earn promotion from the fourth tier this term.