It is a qualifying competition for the German Cup, with the winner of the competition being automatically qualified for the first round of the German Cup in the following season.

[1] For sponsorship reasons, the official name of the competition is SHFV-LOTTO-Pokal.

[2] The competition was first held in 1953–54, with TSV Brunsbüttelkoog being the first winner.

[2] The 2011 final was held on 3 June between those two sides, with Holstein winning the game 3–0.

Liga and the Regionalliga Nord plus the eleven regional cup winners (Kreispokale) are qualified for the first round and the competition is played in single-game knock-out format.