The FA Cup‘s third and fourth rounds will once again be held without replays, according to the Football Association. After being suspended for the entire 2020-21 season, replays have been reinstated for this year’s edition.
However, as the number of games postponed due to the latest Covid-19 epidemic continues to rise, the FA has taken steps to help affected teams clear their fixture backlog.
What Exactly was Said?
Released on Monday, the FA signaled in a statement: “We can today confirm that replays have been removed in both the third and fourth rounds of the 2021-22 Emirates FA Cup,” released on Monday.
This extraordinary decision was accepted by the FA Board on Friday, December 17th, and was made in the best interests of English football to avoid fixture congestion following many postponements in recent days and the ongoing uncertainty caused by COVID-19.
Ties in this season’s third and fourth rounds will be played to a conclusion on the day, including extra time and penalty shootouts if necessary. From the 2022-23 season onwards, replays will be available up to and including the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup.
The Broader Context
Replays are a long-standing element of the FA Cup, and they’re a great way for lower-league clubs to get a lucrative return match if they draw one of the Premier League’s big guns in the early rounds.
In 2020-21, however, the concept was scrapped in favor of resolving each tie in extra time or penalties on the same day due to the pandemic’s desire to abbreviate the season.
The FA confirmed in July that replays would be reinstated for the 2021-22 season, and several matches in the first and second rounds were decided this way. However, a recent rise in coronavirus infections has thrown the schedule into disarray, with six Premier League matches being postponed last weekend.
Because those games will have to be rescheduled in the following weeks and months, eliminating potential replays could assist impacted teams avoid having too many fixtures.
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