When Hearts, Hibs, Edinburgh City & Lothian teams will enter the 2020/21 Scottish Cup - no replays

The Scottish FA have confirmed when the Edinburgh and Lothian teams will enter the 2021 Scottish Cup.
Details of the 2020/21 Scottish Cup have been announced. Picture: SNSDetails of the 2020/21 Scottish Cup have been announced. Picture: SNS
Details of the 2020/21 Scottish Cup have been announced. Picture: SNS

Hearts and Hibs head to Hampden Park this weekend for the semi final of the 2019/20 for place in the December finale.

The coronavirus has impacted Scottish football since March, including a knock-on effect for this season’s competition.

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A number of changes have been made to the tournament to reflect the current climate, including the removal of replays.

In a statement, the SFA outlined the key alterations:

- The removal of replays for all matches, with the outcome of any drawn match being determined by extra time and penalties, if required.

- The entry point of clubs to the competition and the number of ties in each round.

- The requirement to attempt to re-schedule any postponed match in the Preliminary Rounds, Round One and Round Two, during the first midweek after the original match date.

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- The number of substitutes permitted in a match will revert back to three, with an additional one permitted in any period of extra-time.

Clubs who are eligible have been given the option to decline and will still receive a bonus “equivalent to them being eliminated at the round they would otherwise enter”.

Tournament dates

The tournament gets underway next month on November 28 with the first preliminary round which will see East of Scotland and South of Scotland teams enter. Preliminary round two will be held on December 12 and sees Lowland League clubs enter.

Edinburgh City will enter at the first round proper on December 26.

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The following month sees Hearts and Hibs join the competition at rounds two and three respectively.

Hearts will play on the weekend of January 9, with their rivals featuring on January 30.

The final will be played on May 8.

Clubs taking part will have to comply with all relevant COVID legislation and regulations, including changing facilities for both teams and match officials. In addition, any side drawn against “Premiership teams must comply with the relevant COVID testing regime which applies at that time or as directed by the Scottish FA Board”.