Do FA Cup third round games go to extra-time and penalties or a replay? | Football

The third round of the FA Cup gets underway this weekend as Premier League and Championship sides gear up to enter the competition.

Lower-league clubs will be licking their lips at the possibility of causing a famous giant-killing to punch their ticket to the fourth round.

Holders Crystal Palace will look to avoid that fate in their tie against non-League club Macclesfield FC, while Arsenal and Chelsea both face away trips to Championship opposition in Portsmouth and Charlton, respectively.

But what happens if a game finishes as a draw after 90 minutes – will it go to extra-time and penalties or head for a replay?

Do FA Cup third round games go to extra-time and penalties or replays?

Starting last season, FA Cup replays were scrapped from the first round onwards.

If the score is level at full time, the match will go to extra time. If the additional 30 minutes does not provide a winner then the tie is decided by a penalty shootout.

Why were FA Cup replays scrapped?

The decision to scrap replays was announced in April 2024 after the Football Association agreed a new scheduling deal with the Premier League.

The agreement is in place for the next six years with England’s top-flight set to provide grassroots football with an extra £33 million worth of funding per season.

It is said the decision was made in part because of the expansion of European competitions, with Champions League and Europa League games now being played in January.

In theory, no replays will ease congestion – for both teams playing in Europe and those in the EFL – and support player welfare, but the move has been criticised by clubs outside of the Premier League.

Replays have provided smaller teams with the opportunity to boost their finances and in some cases have guaranteed their survival, and while the FA have agreed extra payments to compensate clubs, those affected say they were not consulted over the change.

‘The agreement which now sees the abolition of replays from the competition format was agreed solely between the Premier League and FA,’ the English Football League said in a statement when the change was announced.

‘Ahead of the deal being announced there was no agreement with the EFL nor was there any formal consultation with EFL Clubs as members of the FA and participants in the competition.

‘This latest agreement between the Premier League and the FA, in the absence of financial reform, is just a further example of how the EFL and its Clubs are being marginalised in favour of others further up the pyramid and that only serves to threaten the future of the English game.’

Could FA Cup extra time be scrapped in the future?

Speaking in January last year, BBC host Gary Lineker suggested that 30 minutes of extra-time could be scrapped next, with ties going straight to penalties if the match ends in a draw after 90 minutes.

The idea of removing extra time is to help teams lower down the leagues who have earned a draw against tougher opposition.

In the FA Cup third round last year, National League side Tamworth held Tottenham to a goalless draw after 90 minutes before Spurs went on to score three goals in extra time to avoid a penalty shootout.

‘I think if they’re going to take away replays they should take away extra-time because it really favours the strong teams,’ Lineker said at the time.

The FA said it planned to review the FA Cup once again at the end of the last season, but no changes were made ahead of this year’s competition.

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