The Carabao Cup rule changes that affect Manchester United and Man City this season

There are a number of rule changes that will be enforced in the Carabao Cup and here's a list of them ahead of the league cup third round fixtures.

The third round of the Carabao Cup is fast approaching and a number of rule changes have been introduced that will directly impact on both holders Manchester City and Manchester United.

The Blues beat Arsenal 3-0 in last season’s final at Wembley and enter the competition at the third-round stage due to their involvement in the Champions League.

The Reds, meanwhile, are five-time winners of the competition and also enter the competition at the third-round stage due to their involvement in the Champions League.

Premier League clubs not competing in Europe were included in the second-round draw and were delighted to learn that extra time is being scrapped in the competition.

Extra-time scrapped
Games ending in a draw will go straight to penalties to avoid the additional 30 minutes’ worth of effort that has ominously impacted on Premier League clubs in the competition.

“Withdrawing the additional 30 minutes of play would directly address any additional fatigue issues that are occasionally caused when the midweek ties go beyond the traditional 90-minute period,” the EFL said.

Seeding scrapped
Meanwhile, the EFL have announced that seeding will be scrapped in the competition, meaning that big clubs can face each other from the outset.

The move could see higher-ranking Championship clubs eliminated earlier on in the competition than in previous seasons.

Penalty format reversed
The ABBA system of penalty kicks that was trialled in the competition last season has been scrapped with the EFL deciding to revert to the ABAB format to avoid confusion among supporters.

Yellow cards
Perhaps most importantly is that yellow cards picked up in the EFL Cup will no longer count towards suspensions in the Premier League.

A player who accumulates five yellow cards receive a one-game ban in the top tier but this season cautions in the Carabao Cup will not contribute to a player’s total.

VAR
After its successful trial in the semi-final and final of the competition last year, VAR - video assistant referee - will be used at all Carabao Cup fixtures held at Premier League grounds this season.