Video Assistant Referee, VAR, won’t be used as the FA Cup third-round fixtures kick off on Thursday.
VAR has been used in the FA Cup since the 2017-18 season, starting in the third round.
However, it was only implemented in ties when a Premier League team was playing at home “due to the infrastructure, workforce, and costs required for its operation.”
Since then, the competition has effectively had a two-tier approach.
The stadium where a tie was played determined if a refereeing error was corrected.
Additionally, if a lower-league team earned a replay at the ground of a Premier League team, different conditions were applied for the two fixtures.
For example, in the 2023-24 season, VAR was used in only 10 of the 32 third-round ties and seven of the 16 matches in the fourth round.
The Football Association has now introduced a new rule that “ensures a consistent refereeing approach for all clubs taking part in the same stage of the competition.”
There will be no VAR in any game in Rounds 3 and 4, but all matches will have VAR from the fifth round onwards, regardless of where the game is being played.
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