The Bavarian Cup, officially referred to as the Bayerischer Toto-Pokal for sponsorship reasons was established in 1998. Until 2009 it was contested by only eight clubs, qualified through the seven annual regional cup competitions. Since 2009 the Bavarian Cup has been expanded to include 64 teams in the first round.[3]
The competition is open to all member clubs of the Bavarian Football Association except the clubs playing in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga. Reserve teams are also barred from the competition. The Bavarian clubs from the 3. Liga and Regionalliga Bayern and the 24 District Cup (Kreispokale) winners qualified directly for the first round of the competition. The 96 clubs from the two divisions of the Bayernliga and the five divisions of the Landesliga Bayern entered the qualifying stage of the competition. Clubs below the Landesliga had to take part in the Kreispokale to qualify.[5]
For the 2013–14 edition this meant the three Bavarian 3. Liga clubs, the thirteen Regionalliga Bayern clubs that were not reserve sides, the 24 Kreispokal winners and 24 clubs qualified through the two rounds of qualifying entered the first round of the Bavarian Cup.[5]
For the first two rounds of the Cup the draw was subdivided into five regional areas, for the third round in four regional areas. From the quarter-finals onwards no regional subdivision was applied anymore. Clubs from lower divisions were always awarded home advantage in the draw. Should both clubs in a match be of the same division the team drawn first received home advantage. Should both clubs in a match be of the same division the team drawn first received home advantage. If a game was drawn after regular time no extra time was played. Instead a penalty shoot out followed to determine the winner.[5]
The winner of the 2013–14 Bavarian Cup was automatically qualified for the first round of the German Cup the following season. The second spot awarded to the Bavarian Football Association for the first round of the German Cup went to FV Illertissen, the best-placed non-reserve side in the Regionalliga Bayern. Should the same team have won the cup and finished as the best non-reserve side in the Regionalliga the second spot would have gone to the losing finalist.[5]
The BFV awarded prize money to all clubs participating in the 2013–14 edition. Every Kreispokal winner was awarded €700. Every club participating in the first round received €150, the winners of the first round €250. From there it gradually increased to the winner of the competition receiving €5,000.[5]
The winner of the Bavarian Cup also received another €140,000 from the DFB for participating in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. Apart from this the club also received the gate receipts as all amateur clubs are guaranteed a home game for the first round.[6] By reaching the second round of the German Cup Würzburger Kickers earned €408,000 from the German Football Federation, the DFB in television and advertising revenue.[7]
Overview
The final of the competition saw two Regionalliga Bayern sides playing each other with SV Schalding-Heining hosting Würzburger Kickers. Schalding went ahead twice but eventually the game ended two all. In the following penalty shoot out Kickers defeated Schalding 4–2.[8] It was the first cup win for Würzburg while SV Schalding-Heining had previously won the inaugural Bavarian Cup in 1998.[4]
Of the three 3. Liga sides in the competition, the only clubs in the competition at fully professional level, Wacker Burghausen was knocked out in the semi-finals after the club had in turn knocked out SpVgg Unterhaching in the round before. The third of those clubs, Jahn Regensburg, was defeated 4–3 by Sportfreunde Dinkelsbühl in round two, a club playing three divisions lower in the Landesliga. Dinkelsbühl was also the only side from the Landesliga level or below to reach the last eight of the competition, eventually going out to Würzburger Kickers in the semi-finals.[9]
