FA Cup third round rules: Do games go to extra time, replays or penalties? - The Mirror

Need to know

The rules for the FA Cup third round have changed significantly, and every club will need to be aware of these regulations

17:00, 09 Jan 2026

A detailed view as the FA Cup Trophy is displayed on a plinth prior to the Emirates FA Cup Final match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on May 25, 2024 in London, England.

The FA Cup is back this weekend(Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

The FA Cup third round rules explained

  1. No more replays: If a match is level after the initial 90 minutes of regulation time, then the teams will play two 15-minute halves of extra time. If the score remains tied after 120 minutes, the match will be decided by a penalty shootout.
  2. The reason: With the expansion of UEFA European competitions (Champions League, Europa League), there were fewer dates available in the calendar. The new format allows FA Cup rounds to be played exclusively on weekends without clashing with Premier League fixtures.
  3. When the third round takes place: The third round matches for this season are scheduled for the weekend of January 10, 2026.
  4. Who is involved: This stage is where the 20 Premier League teams and 24 EFL Championship teams enter the competition, joining the winners from the second round.
  5. Friday night fixtures: Wrexham vs. Nottingham Forest, MK Dons vs. Oxford United, Port Vale vs. Fleetwood Town and Preston North End vs. Wigan Athletic.
  6. Saturday fixtures: Macclesfield vs. Crystal Palace, Everton vs. Sunderland, Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Shrewsbury Town, Cheltenham Town vs. Leicester City, Manchester City vs. Exeter City, Newcastle United vs. AFC Bournemouth, Fulham vs. Middlesbrough, Burnley vs. Millwall, Ipswich Town vs. Blackpool, Sheffield Wednesday vs. Brentford, Stoke City vs. Coventry City, Doncaster Rovers vs. Southampton, Salford City vs. Swindon Town, Boreham Wood vs. Burton Albion, Tottenham Hotspur vs. Aston Villa, Bristol City vs. Watford, Cambridge United vs. Birmingham City, Grimsby Town vs. Weston-super-Mare and Charlton Athletic vs. Chelsea.
  7. Sunday fixtures: Derby County vs. Leeds United, Portsmouth vs. Arsenal, West Ham United vs. Queens Park Rangers, Hull City vs. Blackburn Rovers, Norwich City vs. Walsall, Sheffield United vs. Mansfield Town, Swansea City vs. West Bromwich Albion, Manchester United vs. Brighton & Hove Albion.
  8. Monday night fixture: Liverpool vs. Barnsley.
  9. READ MORE ABOUT THE LATEST IN ENGLISH FOOTBALL HERE: Man Utd bosses broke promise to Ruben Amorim as true reason for sacking emerges

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