FA Cup replay rules 2024: FA decision explained if ties end in draws
The FA Cup fifth round is in full swing and the competition looks set to have more thrills and spills.
Championship side Coventry City have already booked their spot in the quarter-finals with their 5-0 win against non-league Maidstone United. The fixtures don’t end there though.
Bournemouth welcome Championship leaders Leicester on Tuesday evening, while Newcastle travel to Blackburn. Reigning champions Manchester City take on Luton in the last of Tuesday’s fixtures.
The games continue to come with Chelsea ’s clash with Leeds, Nottingham Forest ’s bout with Manchester United, Wolves ’ showdown with Brighton. The final fifth round fixture pits Liverpool against Southampton at Anfield.
On paper, some of the ties look fairly well-matched. However, they will have to be decided on the night. The FA confirmed in 2018 that replays for the fifth round of the competition in particular had been scrapped.
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A statement read: “The FA has today announced that fifth round replays in the Emirates FA Cup will be removed from this season’s competition, one season earlier than previously planned.
“The move was agreed by the Professional Game Board and has been introduced to alleviate fixture congestion, with six Premier League clubs qualifying for the knockout stages of European competitions and UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League ties and a midweek round of Premier League fixtures scheduled in latter February and March.”
Manchester City's hopes of defending the FA Cup remain alive (Getty Images)Should FA Cup replays be scrapped entirely? Share your thoughts in the comments below
That means that this week’s ties could potentially go to extra-time and penalties. Once those ties are decided, clubs will then move into the quarter-finals - those fixtures set to take place across the weekend of Saturday 16 March.
Away from the decision to scrap replays in the fifth round of the competition, there have been suggestions that replays could be binned entirely. That is a decision that Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo has already backed.
Speaking earlier this season, he said: “It is a reality. Everybody is aware there is a big congestion of games and fixtures are every day. It is something they have to look at.
“If you ask me, I think it should be finished on the day - extra-time, penalties and whatever. Allow the players to have a little bit more time to recover. Premier League teams are suffering with that. You know the issues with injuries, and one of the things is the amount of fixtures we are exposed to.”
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