Do FA Cup third round games go to extra-time and penalties or a replay?
The FA Cup third round takes centre stage this weekend with 64 teams taking part in one of the biggest weekends of the football season.
Holders Crystal Palace, who beat Manchester City in last year’s final to claim the first major trophy in their history, begin their cup defence away to Macclesfield of the National League North on Saturday.
The other stand-out ties of the round include Arsenal’s trip to the south coast to play Portsmouth and an all-Premier League clash between Manchester United and Brighton.
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?
From the start of the 2024/25 season, FA Cup replays have been 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.
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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 five years with England’s top-flight set to provide grassroots football with an extra £33 million worth a funding per season.
The decision was reportedly 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.
FA Cup third round fixtures
Friday, January 9
19:30: Wrexham v Nottingham Forest
19:30: MK Dons v Oxford United
19:30: Port Vale v Fleetwood Town
19:30: Preston North End v Wigan Athletic
Saturday, January 10
12:15: Cheltenham Town v Leicester City
12:15: Everton v Sunderland
12:15: Macclesfield v Crystal Palace
12:15: Wolves v Shrewsbury Town
15:00: Boreham Wood v Burton Albion
15:00: Burnley v Millwall
15:00: Doncaster Rovers v Southampton
15:00: Fulham v Middlesbrough
15:00: Ipswich Town v Blackpool
15:00: Manchester City v Exeter City
15:00: Newcastle United v AFC Bournemouth
15:00: Salford City v Swindon Town
15:00: Sheffield Wednesday v Brentford
15:00: Stoke City v Coventry City
17:45: Bristol City v Watford
17:45: Cambridge United v Birmingham City
17:45: Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa
17:45: Grimsby Town v Weston Super Mare
20:00: Charlton Athletic v Chelsea
Sunday, January 11
12:00: Derby County v Leeds United
14:00: Portsmouth v Arsenal
14:30: Hull City v Blackburn Rovers
14:30: Norwich City v Walsall
14:30: Sheffield United v Mansfield Town
14:30: Swansea City v West Brom
14:30: West Ham v Queens Park Rangers
16:30: Manchester United v Brighton
Monday, January 12
19:45: Liverpool v Barnsley
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 in 2024.
Do you agree with the decision to scrap FA Cup replays?
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Yes – they are unnecessary in the modern calendar
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No – they were part of the tradition of the FA Cup
‘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.’
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Do FA Cup third round games go to extra-time and penalties or a replay?
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