Carling Knockout Format: How a Tie Is Settled and Bet

The Carling Knockout Cup is a vital fixture in the South African football calendar, as the Premier Soccer League (PSL) rounds up all 16 top-tier club teams for one tournament that can only have one winner.

On this page · 5 sections

1. Top 5 Online Sports Betting Sites
2. The All-Stars exhibition
3. Settled on the night
4. What the 90-minute rule means for bets
5. Finals and the 90-minute result

The All-Stars exhibition

At the competition's conclusion each season, the Cup winner goes head to head against an All-Stars XI chosen by fan vote. The All-Stars team is made up of six first-tier and six second-tier players.

Settled on the night

The result is always decided that night, with penalty shootouts being used to settle things when scores are still tied after extra time. The 2005 final, for example, saw Jomo Cosmos draw 1-1 with SuperSport United in normal time before winning a penalty shootout 4-1. The winner is usually decided in the 90 minutes of normal time but if there is no outright winner at the final whistle, the match goes into extra time and then to kicks from the spot if needed.

What the 90-minute rule means for bets

The 90-minute rule means markets like match betting, correct scores, over/under goals and so on are settled before extra time begins. The 2023 final, for example, between Stellenbosch and TS Galaxy ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and 5-4 to Stellenbosch after penalties.

The 2018 final also ended in a win on penalties, 3-2. However, it is still worth checking if your bookmaker is using the 90-minute rule on the market before betting.

Finals and the 90-minute result

Example. R100 on the eventual cup winner in the 90-minute match result market: a drawn final loses that bet even when the team lifts the trophy, while an R100 bet on the same team to lift the trophy paid in all four finals.