Are there replays in the FA Cup? Will there be VAR, extra time and penalties during the 2025/26 season?
Published 28/10/2025 at 18:50 GMT
With the qualifying rounds of the competition out of the way, the men's Emirates FA Cup first-round matches get underway this week with clubs from the lower leagues facing the prospect of meeting Premier League teams in the third round. We are sure you want to learn all the information before the first-round ties begin. Will VAR be used in the early rounds? Are there replays? Find out here.
Highlights: Forest Green thrash Worthing to book spot in FA Cup first round
Video credit: TNT Sports
The first round of the world's most famous domestic cup competition is about to begin.
TNT Sports was present for the qualifying rounds of the men's Emirates FA Cup, where Soul Tower Hamlets pulled off a shock result before exiting the competition, while Whitstable Town's fairytale run came to an end.
It is now time for the first round proper, where the TNT Sports camera will be present as Luton Town welcome Forest Green Rovers on Friday night.
You can catch all the action from that match live TNT Sports and discovery+.
A number of teams will enjoy their first taste of FA Cup action this week, while others will look to continue their journey and set their sights on potential clashes with the Premier League elite further down the line.
With this in mind, we thought it would be the right time to explain whether there will be replays during the 2025/26 campaign and if VAR will be used in the competition. Find out more below.
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Savage credits impact of subs after Forest Green breeze past Worthing
Video credit: TNT Sports
Are there replays in the FA Cup this season?
FA Cup replays were scrapped from the first round onwards following an agreement between the Football Association and the Premier League.
The move came into effect during the 2024/25 campaign in an attempt to ease the ever-increasing calendar congestion.
However, there were still replays during the qualifying rounds of the competition this season in matches involving teams between the fifth and 10th tiers of the nation's football pyramid.
Brackley Town booked their place in the first round after overcoming Woking in a replay, and were rewarded with a home tie against Notts County, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
Gainsborough Trinity also needed a replay to secure a fine win at Hartlepool United and will face Accrington Stanley for a place in the second round on Sunday, also live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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Will there be extra time and penalties?
From the first round onwards in the competition, matches will be decided in extra time if the game is drawn after 90 minutes.
If the match remains level after 120 minutes, the cup tie will then be decided by a penalty shoot-out.
Last season's third round will be remembered for Manchester United claiming a stunning win over Arsenal on penalties despite playing the whole of extra time with 10 men following Diogo Dalot's red card.
The Red Devils also exited the competition in the fifth round after being on the wrong end of a shoot-out, with Fulham coming away victorious at Old Trafford.
During the 2024/25 season, there were a total of 18 ties decided by penalties, with Nottingham Forest winning the last shoot-out of the campaign at Brighton to book their place in the semi-finals.
Will there be VAR used in the competition?
The 2025/26 FA Cup rulebook reads: "The Association may select, at its absolute discretion, any Competition Match in the Competition Proper in which VAR shall be used."
With no Premier League clubs taking part in the competition until the third round, VAR is unlikely to be used in the first-round ties this weekend.
There has been no official announcement regarding when VAR will be introduced this season, although it was used from the fifth round onwards last season.
Leicester City supporters will tell you that they needed VAR in last term's competition after they were dumped out at Old Trafford following Harry Maguire's late winner, with the Manchester United defender later shown to have been in an offside position.
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‘What a clever routine’ – Whitwell fires Forest Green ahead at Worthing
Video credit: TNT Sports
Does the away goals rule exist in the FA Cup?
The away goals rule was prominent in UEFA competitions in previous years and delivered some memorable moments, especially in the UEFA Champions League.
Under the away goals rule, the team that scored the most goals away from home would qualify in a knockout stage match if the tie finished with a level aggregate scoreline.
If the two teams finished the second leg with the same aggregate scoreline and the same number of away goals, the tie would then be decided in extra time and penalties.
The rule was scrapped from UEFA competitions in June 2021, taking effect from the 2021/22 campaign onwards.
The away goals rule has never applied in the FA Cup.
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