In a historic move, second legs in the English FA Cup will be canceled. Starting next season, there will be no replay in the world’s oldest football competition if there is a draw after 90 minutes, as the English Association (FA) announced on Thursday. Many coaches had been calling for the measure for a long time in order to reduce the strain on the players.
18.04.2024 14.00
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The FA justified the agreement with the Premier League with the larger competition calendar of the European Football Association (UEFA). So far, only the cup games from the fifth round – the round of 16 – were played directly with extra time and penalty shootouts in the event of a draw.
Previously, if there was a draw, a replay was required, in which the away team enjoyed home advantage. If the game ended in a draw after 90 minutes, there would be extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shootout.
Further changes
The association and the elite league also agreed on further measures to strengthen the cup competition. In the future, all rounds will be held on weekends. From the fourth round onwards, there will no longer be any Premier League games taking place at the same time. The final is scheduled for the Saturday before the last matchday of the league. No Premier League games will be scheduled on that day or the evening before.
The agreement is initially set for six years. The Premier League also wants to make a further 33 million pounds (around 38.6 million euros) available per season for amateur football from the 2025/26 season. The sum would be in addition to the £100 million the league was paying for charity, it said.
