The FA Cup is England's oldest domestic cup competition, known for potential "giant-killings" in which lower-league "minnows" take on the "giants" of the Premier League.
The nature of the knockout competition only intensifies the format of the tournament, and though replays in the third and fourth round were a staple, they have been scrapped for this season.
GOAL has what you need to know about why FA Cup replays have been abandoned for this season and whether or not they could make a return.
Are there FA Cup replays in 2021-22?
Replays will not be played in the FA Cup in 2021-22, as was tradition.
Instead of replays, extra-time and, if necessary, a penalty shoot-out will be played to determine which team will progress to the next round.
Next Match
Why were FA Cup replays removed in 2021-22?
The FA announced in December 2021 that they would be scrapping replays in the third and fourth round, in order to avoid fixture congestion in an already busy English football schedule.
The decision was made by the FA amid the growing concern of the Omicron variant of Covid-19, which has caused major disruption to football schedules in Europe and beyond. Several Premier League games had been postponed and called off due to Covid-19 outbreaks within clubs, with the rearranged dates already putting further strain on fixture schedules.
The FA said in a statement: “This exceptional decision was approved by the FA Board on Friday 17 December and has been taken in the wider interest of English football to alleviate the possibility of fixture congestion, following several postponements in recent days and continued uncertainty ahead due to Covid-19.
“Ties in the third and fourth rounds of this season’s competition will be played to a finish on the day, with extra-time and penalty shootouts if required.”
Will FA Cup replays be re-introduced?
The FA plan to re-introduce replays in the third and fourth round next season, stating that these circumstances are temporary.
They stated: "Replays will return up to and including the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup from the 2022-23 season onwards."
FA Cup replays have been a growing source of controversy from even before Covid-19, with managers having complained about the added physical demands required of players by having to play yet another match during the busiest period of the season.
The Carabao Cup scrapped extra-time starting in 2018-19 for all rounds (minus the final), with level ties going straight into penalty-shootout, but it is unknown if the FA Cup would follow.
