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The first few rounds are set up by the Norwegian football federation, and the top premier league teams are usually pitted against fairly weak amateur teams, often in rural areas, on the amateur team's home pitch. Early upsets, where an amateur team knocks a proffesional team out of the tournament do happen occasionally. Even if the amateur team loses, squaring off against a proffesional team may well be the highlight of their season.
Later matchups are drawn at random, the teams face off once, and the winner goes on to the next round. The final match is played in October, on the national stadium of Ullevaal, and marks the end of the Norwegian football season.
The cup is very popular in Norway, and tickets for the final match are hard to get, as the game usually sells out quickly. The supporters of the two teams playing in the final match are seated at the two short-ends of the pitch, while the more neutral supporters are seated by the long-ends. The match is also televised on National television.
Before the 2004 cup final, NRK awarded the 1986 final between Tromsø I.L. and Lillestrøm S.K. with the title Tidenes Cupfinale (Best cup final ever), and ex- Rosenborg B.K. striker Gøran Sørloth with Tidenes Cuphelt (Best cup hero ever).