During the 2022/23 football season, the draw for the Russian Cup basket system was finalized by the RFU press office. The setup defined how teams would be grouped for the competition’s round structure and how they would progress through the early rounds into the knockout stages.
In this season’s draw, Zenit, Sochi, Dynamo, and Krasnodar were placed in the first basket. The second basket included CSKA, Lokomotiv, Akhmat, and Krylya Sovetov. Rostov, Spartak, Nizhny Novgorod, and Ural formed the third basket. The fourth basket featured Khimki, Torpedo, Fakel, and Orenburg. These groupings determined the initial pairing potential and the paths teams could take to reach the later rounds.
The Cup format for 2022/23 introduced a Double Elimination system. A team would be eliminated after two defeats. The competition is split into two parallel rails, an upper and a lower bracket. All teams start in the upper rail, and a loss moves a team down to the lower rail. Victories in each bracket propel teams toward the final match where the two brackets eventually converge for the decisive game. This structure aims to emphasize resilience and provide a broader number of clubs with a pathway to glory, even after an early setback.
Looking back at the previous season, the Cup began from the 1/256 final, featuring a mix of clubs from various divisions. From the group stage onward, Russian Premier League clubs that did not participate in European competitions faced each other in the initial rounds. The playoff rounds then incorporated teams that had appearances in international tournaments, creating a blend of domestic competition and continental experience as the season progressed.
Vyacheslav Koloskov, who previously held the position of Honorary President of the RFU, voiced dissatisfaction with the new format for the 2022/23 Russian Cup. The discussion around the structure reflected a broader conversation about balancing tradition with the evolving demands of modern football, as many supporters and officials weighed the potential impact on competitiveness, scheduling, and fan engagement. RFU observers and analysts noted that the change would likely influence how teams strategize their campaigns, manage injuries, and allocate resources across multiple competitions, while also shaping spectator interest and media coverage throughout the season.