Scottish Professional Football League

Premier Sports Cup format 2024/25

Format
The group stage involves 40 clubs - the 37 SPFL clubs from 2023/24 who did not qualify for Europe plus Buckie Thistle (Highland League champions), Brechin City (Highland League runners-up) and East Kilbride (Lowland League champions).

Teams are drawn into eight groups of five based on final league positions. As was the case for the past two seasons, there is no regionalisation in the group stage.

Group matches
Clubs are awarded the usual three points for a win but all drawn games in the group stage go straight to penalties - the shoot-out winners receive a bonus point. ie three points for a win, two points for a shoot-out win and one point for losing on penalties.

If clubs are level on points at the end of the group stage, the criteria for separating them is 1) goal difference, 2) goals scored, 3) away goals scored, 4) matches won, 5) away matches won, 6) head-to-head record, 7) drawing of lots.

Knock-out rounds
The eight group winners and three best runners-up progress to the second round, where they are joined by the five clubs competing in European competitions - Celtic, Rangers, Heart of Midlothian, Kilmarnock and St Mirren.

The seeded teams in the last 16 will be the five European representatives and the three group winners with the best records.

The tournament reverts to a traditional knock-out format from the second round onwards, with ties decided by extra time and penalties if the scores are level after 90 minutes.

Premier Sports Cup dates 2024/25

Group stage
MD1: Weekend of July 13/14
MD2: Midweek of July 16/17
MD3: Weekend of July 20/21
MD4: Midweek of July 23/24
MD5: Weekend of July 27/28

Second round
Weekend of August 17/18

Quarter-finals
Weekend of September 21/22

Semi-finals
Weekend of November 2/3

Final
Sunday December 15

Upcoming Fixtures

League Tables

Pos Team Pld Gd Pts
1 Celtic 33 75 81
2 Rangers 33 33 66
3 Hibernian 33 13 53
4 Dundee United 33 1 50
5 Aberdeen 33 -4 50
6 St. Mirren 33 -9 41
7 Heart of Midlothian 33 -1 40
8 Motherwell 33 -19 39
9 Kilmarnock 33 -20 35
10 Ross County 33 -23 35
11 Dundee 33 -21 34
12 St. Johnstone 33 -25 29

Updated at 15/04/2025 at 16:56

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Pos Team Pld Gd Pts
1 Falkirk 34 38 70
2 Livingston 34 26 67
3 Ayr United 34 17 59
4 Partick Thistle 34 3 49
5 Raith Rovers 34 0 49
6 Greenock Morton 34 -8 44
7 Dunfermline Athletic 34 -13 34
8 Queen's Park 34 -15 34
9 Airdrieonians 34 -27 28
10 Hamilton Academical 34 -21 21

Updated at 20/04/2025 at 21:31

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Pos Team Pld Gd Pts
1 Arbroath 34 19 63
2 Cove Rangers 34 16 53
3 Queen of the South 34 3 51
4 Stenhousemuir 34 4 50
5 Alloa Athletic 34 8 48
6 Montrose 34 -6 40
7 Kelty Hearts 34 -7 40
8 Inverness Caledonian Thistle 34 2 37
9 Annan Athletic 34 -23 36
10 Dumbarton 34 -16 17

Updated at 24/04/2025 at 17:20

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Pos Team Pld Gd Pts
1 Peterhead 34 16 63
2 East Fife 34 27 62
3 Edinburgh City 34 9 55
4 Elgin City 34 6 52
5 The Spartans 34 0 49
6 Stirling Albion 34 -4 47
7 Stranraer 34 -4 40
8 Clyde 34 -13 37
9 Forfar Athletic 34 -13 34
10 Bonnyrigg Rose 34 -24 30

Updated at 24/04/2025 at 17:32

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