In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946–47 and was entitled the Scottish League Cup. However, in the Republic of Ireland the now-defunct League of Ireland Shield was the first national league-only tournament of its kind (played first in 1921); this was subsequently replaced by the League of Ireland Cup in 1983.
The creation of a league cup marked the difference from the domestic cup (or primary cup), which is generally also open to teams from multiple leagues, often as far down as regional amateur leagues, and who are also members of the country's football association. League cups are less prevalent than domestic cups.
The creation of a tournament of this kind exclusively for the top national-level league teams, in addition to the two main domestic association football tournaments of the league and association cup, also created a new national footballing achievement called the domestic "treble". The first national league treble of this kind was won by Shamrock Rovers of the Republic of Ireland in 1925.
League cups were generally introduced after the Second World War – for example, the Football League Cup in England in 1960 – although in other countries they were created following a rise in the number of floodlit stadiums, allowing regular midweek matches.
In certain countries, the league cup had, or in some cases still has, group stages in the early stages. These often opened the season before the main league season began.
List of league cups and secondary cups in association football
Men's league cups
Africa
Algerian League Cup
Egyptian League Cup
KPL Top 8 Cup
South Africa
MTN 8 – first tier
Telkom Knockout – second tier
Asia
Australia
Canale Cup – regional competition
Copa Paulino Alcantara
Indonesia President's Cup
J.League Cup
Jordan FA Shield
Kuwait Federation Cup
Malaysia Cup
Oman Professional League Cup
Qatari Stars Cup
Thai League Cup
UAE League Cup
Europe
England
EFL Cup (formerly the Football League Cup) – tiers 1–4
EFL Trophy (formerly the Football League Trophy) – tiers 3–4 (16 U-21 teams of tier 1 and 2 clubs)
National League Cup — tier 5 (plus 16 professional under-21 teams playing in Premier League 2)
Isthmian League Cup – regional competition
Northern Premier League Challenge Cup – regional competition
Northern Premier League President's Cup – regional competition
Southern Football League Cup – regional competition
Finnish League Cup
Icelandic League Cup
League of Ireland Cup
Toto Cup
Coppa Italia Dilettanti (tiers 5 and 6)
Irish League Cup
Taça da Liga
FNL Cup
Scotland
Scottish League Cup – first tier
Scottish Challenge Cup – second tier
Spain
Copa Federación de España – tiers 3, 4 and 5
Welsh League Cup
North America
/ / Leagues Cup
South America
Copa de la Liga Profesional
Copa de la Liga
Copa de la Liga AUF
Women's league cups
Europe
England
Women's League Cup — first tier