FA Cup, the world’s oldest football competition, has provided English football fans with a welcome reprieve from the VAR-centric debates that dominate the Premier League.
This season, the Football Association (FA) has made a significant change to the competition’s rules, with VAR not being used in the early rounds, including the fourth round.
Here’s why this decision was made and what it means for the tournament.
Why VAR is Absent in the Early Rounds
In previous seasons, VAR was only used in FA Cup matches held at Premier League stadiums, as well as in the semi-finals and final at Wembley Stadium. This created an uneven playing field, with lower-league clubs often missing out on the technology during their home games.
To address this imbalance, the FA decided to remove VAR entirely from the early stages of the 2024/25 FA Cup. This means that even Premier League stadiums did not use VAR in the third and fourth rounds. The decision was made to ensure fairness and consistency across the competition, giving all teams, regardless of their league status, the same refereeing experience.
When Will VAR Return?
While VAR is absent in the early rounds, it will make a comeback from the fifth round onwards. From that stage, every match, including those hosted by lower-league clubs, will use VAR. This ensures that the competition maintains fairness and consistency during its crucial latter stages, including the final at Wembley.
The FA explained the decision in a statement:
“It has been agreed that VAR will be utilised for every match in the fifth round of the competition through to the final at Wembley Stadium and will not be in operation for the third and fourth rounds.
VAR has previously only been used in the Emirates FA Cup for matches at Wembley Stadium and at Premier League grounds due to the infrastructure, workforce, and costs required for its operation. This decision ensures that there is a consistent refereeing approach for all clubs taking part at the same stage of the competition.”
The FA’s decision to limit VAR in the early rounds strikes a balance between tradition and modernity. It allows fans to enjoy the simplicity of the game in the initial stages while ensuring that the technology is used when it matters most.
