1956 FDGB-Pokal

The 1956 FDGB-Pokal started with 148 teams. It was the sixth time that the East German national cup in association football was contested. Due to the switch to a calendar year season the final took place at the end of the year.

Two qualifying rounds were played before the first round. All rounds were played as knock-out matches with extra time following a draw after 90 minutes. If extra time yielded no winner, the teams faced each other again in a replay.

120 quarter-finalist of the DDR-Bezirkspokal competitions were joined by 21 members of the third-tier 2nd DDR-Liga that had been created in 1955. After the second qualifying round, the remaining 36 teams were joined by the 28 teams from the top-tier DDR-Oberliga and the second-string DDR-Liga.
By the third round proper none of the Bezirkspokal or 2nd DDR-Liga sides remained. In addition Oberliga sides Rotation Babelsberg, Motor Karl-Marx-Stadt, SC Rotation Leipzig and Motor Zwickau had been eliminated. Three DDR-Liga teams entered the quarter-finals – Chemie Wolfen, Chemie Halle-Leuna and BSG Chemie Zeitz – but only Halle went through to the semi-finals after a 4–3 extra time win over Aktivist Brieske-Senftenberg. In the semi-final the underdogs from Halle held Oberliga side Turbine Erfurt to a 1-all draw after extra time – and won the replay 5-0 to reach the final in Magdeburg. Their opponents were ZASK Vorwärts Berlin who had eliminated holders and Oberliga champions Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt.

1968–69 FDGB-Pokal

The 1968-69 season saw the 18th competition for the FDGB-Pokal, the East German national football cup.

The first round was competed with 46 teams: 15 Bezirkspokal winners (indicated by an asterisk), 29 teams from the DDR-Liga and the two teams relegated from the DDR-Oberliga in the previous season. BSG Chemie Premnitz, a DDR-Liga side, were given a bye to the intermediate round. The competition was played in a knock-out format, if scores were level after 90 minutes, the match went into extra time. If the scores were still level after this, a replay was played.

After an intermediate round, the participants of which were determined by a draw - three Bezirkspokal winners and nine DDR-Liga sides - the 14 current Oberliga teams joined the competition. Three Oberliga sides were already eliminated at this stage: F.C. Hansa Rostock, FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt and BSG Stahl Riesa. 1967 Oberliga champions FC Carl Zeiss Jena needed a replay against Motor Grimma that they won convincingly: 10-1 was the final score. The only other remaining Bezirkspokal winner, BFC Dynamo II was eliminated after a 1-2 loss to DDR-Liga side SG Dynamo Dresden.

1977–78 FDGB-Pokal

The 1977-78 season saw the 27th competition for the FDGB-Pokal of East Germany.

After a qualifying round with four teams from the second-tier DDR-Liga the first round proper was played with 55 teams from the DDR-Liga, the two teams that had been relegated from the DDR-Oberliga in 1976-77 and the 18 Bezirkspokal winners of 1977. From the round of last 16 onwards fixtures were decided over two legs. If the fixture could not be decided in regular time, extra time and penalty shoot-out were used.

After an intermediate round which saw all Bezirkspokal winners eliminated, with the exception of Motor Warnowwerft, the 2nd round proper saw the Oberliga teams entering the competition. Five Oberliga teams were eliminated in the 2nd round: Hallescher FC Chemie, 1. FC Union Berlin, Chemie Böhlen, Sachsenring Zwickau and Wismut Aue. The last Bezirkspokal winner was eliminated from the competition as well

Last year's finalist 1. FC Lok Leipzig was eliminated in the round of last 16. Of the seven DDR-Liga sides that reached this round only three reached the quarterfinals, but were eliminated there. Title holders Dynamo Dresden again reached the final where they met four time FDGB-Pokal winners 1. FC Magdeburg.