EuroHockey Club Trophy
The EuroHockey Club Trophy is an annual men's field hockey competition organised by the EHF for European hockey clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club competition, being one tier below the top men's European club competition the Euro Hockey League, and the top women's European club competition the EuroHockey Club Champions Cup. In that sense the ECT is hockey's equivalent of the UEFA Europa League.
Format
The tournament features 8 clubs from EHF member countries.
Qualification
Each year one of the 8 available league places is allocated to an EHF member country's National Association. The clubs admitted are the second club of those National Associations ranked 9-12, the clubs of the 2 National Associations promoted from the previous year's EuroHockey Club Challenge I, plus the clubs of the next two lowest ranked nations in the ranking table.
Tournament summary
The teams are separated into 2 pools of 4 teams. In each pool (pool A and B) the teams play one match against each of the other three teams in their pool (making a total of six pool matches). The teams then go on to play classification matches based on their relative ranking from these pool matches to determine their final tournament position.
Tournament details
In each pool, A and B, all the teams play each other once, with points awarded as follows:
- 5 points for a win
- 2 point for a draw
- 1 point for a loss with a goal difference of no more than 2
- 0 points for a loss with a goal difference of more than 2
Upon completion of these matches, each team in the pool is ranked according to the number of points each has accumulated. If any teams in the pool have the same rank, then these teams are ranked:
- according to the number of matches they won, or else, if equal
- according to respective goal difference ('goals for' less 'goals against'), or else
- according to 'goals for', or else
- if only two teams are involved, according to the result of the match played between those teams, or else
- according to the results of a penalty stroke competition between those teams, or else
- this procedure is repeated using the penalty stroke result until the teams can be ranked
Once the relative ranking of the teams in pools A and B is settled, the classification matches proceed as follows:
- The teams ranked first in each pool will play for 1st and 2nd place (the Final)
- The teams ranked 2nd in each pool will play for 3rd/4th place (bronze medal)
- The teams ranked 3rd in each pool will play for 5th/6th place
- The teams ranked 4th in each pool will play for 7th/8th place
If the score at the end of the regulation time of a classification match is a draw, then a penalty stroke competition is played to establish a winner.
Winners list
| Year | Host country | Champion | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013[1] |  Vienna |
 AZS Politechnika |
 Cardiff & Met |
| 2012[2] |  Lille |
Lille MHC |
 Kelburne |
| 2011[3] |  Rome |
AHTC Wien |
Roma |
| 2010[4] | Cardiff |
 Dinamo Elektrostal |
Grange |
| 2009[5] |  Dublin |
Pembroke Wanderers |
Dinamo Elektrostal |
| 2008[6] | Paris |
Glenanne |
Montrouge |
Higher and lower tournaments
Above the EuroHockey Club Trophy is the Euro Hockey League, and below it is the EuroHockey Club Challenge 1, the EuroHockey Club Challenge 2, and so on. This structure is designed to give every EHF member nation the opportunity to enter their best clubs into European competition at an appropriate level, and through that exposure to improve the level of their domestic hockey.