The Emirates FA Cup replays will be scrapped from the first round onwards in the 2024-25 season.
All rounds of the FA Cup will also be played on weekends, including the fifth round which has been played in midweek for the past five seasons, Reelradio.com.ng confirms.
This new update comes as part of a six-year agreement between the English Football Association and the Premier League.
It’s a deal that is set to help tackle the growing calendar congestion. As part of the changes, driven partly by the expansion of UEFA competitions, games will also be played exclusively on weekends, while the Premier League has agreed to invest an additional £33m into grassroots football.
The Premier League has also removed its mid-season break from the calendar. It comes after The FA and TNT Sports agreed a new four-year broadcast deal for the Emirates FA Cup starting from the 2025/26 season.
Matches will start in mid-August following a consecutive three-week summer break instead of a shorter spell of rest in the winter, with the decision coming from “expert advice from medical and technical departments”, with League One and League Two teams entering at this stage before Championship and Premier League clubs join from the third round.
The FA Cup has had no replays from the fifth round onwards but that has now been brought forward, given the ever-increasing calendar congestion.
In another first, the fourth and fifth rounds, plus the quarter-finals, will not clash with Premier League fixtures.
The final will take place on the penultimate weekend of next season’s Premier League and will be given top billing.
It is to be played on a Saturday independent of any Premier League matches on the same day and on the Friday prior.
“The FA Cup is our biggest asset,” FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said. “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.”
