The Cup was established in 1973. The South West Cup is played annually.
From 1974 onwards, the winner of the South West Cup qualified for the first round of the German Cup.[1]
Since the establishment of the 3. Liga in 2008, reserve teams can not take part in the German Cup anymore, but are permitted to play in the regional competitions. For the 2007–08 cup winner, 1. FC Kaiserslautern II, this meant the runners-up, SV Niederauerbach, was qualified instead for the 2008–09 DFB-Pokal.
Modus
Clubs from fully professional leagues are not permitted to enter the competition, meaning, no teams from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga can compete.
All clubs from the South West playing in the 3. Liga (III), Regionalliga West (IV), Oberliga Südwest (V), Verbandsliga Südwest (VI) and the two Landesligas (VII) gain direct entry to the first round. Additionally, all clubs that have reached the quarter finals of the two Bezirkspokale, the two regional cup competitions staged for teams below the'Landesligas, also enter the competition. In 2007, for example, 129 clubs took part.[2] The lower classed team always receives home advantage, except in the final, which is played on neutral ground.
Cup finals
Held annually at the end of season, these were the cup finals since 1974:
^Deutschlands Fußball in Zahlen – Die Saison 2006–07 (in German). DSFS. 2007. p. 280.
Sources
Deutschlands Fußball in Zahlen, (in German) An annual publication with tables and results from the Bundesliga to Verbandsliga/Landesliga, publisher: DSFS