FA announce major changes to FA Cup from next season

FA Cup replays will be scrapped from the first round onwards in the 2024-25 competition following an agreement between the FA and Premier League.

All rounds of the Emirates FA Cup will also be played on weekends, including the fifth round which has been played in midweek for the last five seasons. The changes come as part of a new six-year agreement between the Football Association (FA) and the Premier League.

The Premier League has also removed its mid-season break from the calendar. Matches will start in mid-August following a consecutive three-week summer break. The decision has been taken following ‘expert medical advice’.

In its current format, the FA Cup has no replays from the fifth round onwards, but the FA says the move to eliminate them from an earlier stage has been made ‘in light of changes to the calendar driven by the expanded UEFA competitions’.

Other changes will see the fourth and fifth rounds, and the quarter-finals, played without clashing with any Premier League fixtures for the first time.The fourth round will be played in an extended window from Friday to Wednesday. The FA Cup final has also been moved to the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season. No Premier League matches will be played on the same day.

"The FA Cup is our biggest asset," said FA chief executive Mark Bullingham. "This new agreement between the FA and the Premier League strengthens the FA Cup and gives this very special tournament exclusive weekends in an increasingly busy calendar.

"We have also agreed new funding for the grassroots game, disability football and the women's and girls' game. All football begins at the grassroots, and this is recognised by the Premier League with very welcome additional financial support."