Carabao Cup: Extra time scrapped & VAR to be used at Premier League grounds

Manchester City won the EFL Cup for a fifth time in 2018 - only Liverpool have won it more often

The Carabao Cup is to scrap extra time for the 2018-19 season, while all games at Premier League grounds will use VAR.

EFL Cup matches will now go straight to penalty kicks if the scores are level after 90 minutes to reduce "additional fatigue issues" following a vote by English Football League clubs.

Extra time will now only be played in the final at Wembley, while the ABBA penalty format is also to be scrapped.

Seeding will be removed for the first two rounds of the competition.

But round one will remain regionalised into North and South sections.

• EFL clubs can stop publishing programmes

A "statistical analysis" demonstrated that almost 85% of matches played in the Carabao Cup were decided after 90 minutes, leading to clubs opting to stop the extra 30 minutes before a penalty shootout.

The decision to revert back to a Team A, Team B penalty system after a one-season trial with the ABBA format will be applied to all EFL competitions.

Checkatrade tweaks

The future format of the Checkatrade Trophy has also been on the EFL's agenda, with some minor changes for next season already agreed.

• EFL clubs will now be able to include players who are on loan at National League clubs.

• Category One teams who take part will only be allowed to name two players who are over the age of 21 and have played more than 40 first-team games.

Further feedback on the competition was also garnered and a club meeting is scheduled for September when other possible changes will be discussed.