IRN-BRU Cup season 2018/19

Preliminary round: Tuesday 31 July & Wednesday 1 August, 2018

4 Clubs (2 ties)

• 3rd & 4th placed clubs from the Scottish Highland Football League
• 3rd & 4th placed clubs from the Scottish Lowland Football League

First round: Tuesday 14 August or Wednesday 15 August, 2018

48 Clubs (24 ties)

• 10 clubs from Ladbrokes League 2
• 10 clubs from Ladbrokes League 1
• 10 clubs from Ladbrokes Championship
• 3 clubs from the Scottish Highland Football League
• 3 clubs from the Scottish Lowland Football League
• 12 Colt teams from Ladbrokes Premiership

Regionalised draw (unseeded)
North Draw (12 ties) 6 North Colt Teams / 3 Scottish Highland League Clubs /15 SFPL Clubs
South Draw (12 ties) 6 South Colt Teams / 3 Scottish Lowland League Clubs /15 SFPL Clubs

Second round: Saturday 8 September or Sunday 9 September, 2018

32 Clubs (16 ties)

• 2 clubs from Northern Ireland Football League (Crusaders & Coleraine)
• 2 clubs from Welsh Premier League (The New Saints & Connah’s Quay Nomads)
• 2 clubs from League of Ireland Premier Division (Bohemians & Sligo Rovers)
• 2 clubs from English National League (Sutton United & Boreham Wood)
• 24 winners from first round

Pre-draw to determine which country will be allocated Pot A, Pot B, Pot C & Pot D to avoid 2 cross-border teams from the same country playing each other in round 2)

Third round: Saturday 13 October or Sunday 14 October, 2018

• 16 winners from the second round (8 ties)

Quarter-finals: Saturday 17 November or Sunday 18 November, 2018

• 8 winners from the third round (4 ties)

Semi-finals: Saturday 16 or Sunday 17 February, 2019

• 4 quarter-final winners (2 ties)

Final: Saturday 23 March or Sunday 24 March, 2019