The Football Association (The FA) of England has decided to scrap the replay this season so that the pedigree of the competition can increase and the number of games can be reduced to avoid unnecessary player injuries.
Last year the English Football Association changed the rule that the competition will see no replays from its fifth round onwards but this season the rule has been extended and there will be no replays from the first round, this decision was taken in the wake of the change UEFA Champions League format.
FA Cup is one of the oldest football cup competitions in England starting in 1871, but traditionally whenever a team draws a match in its knockout stages, a replay takes place which adds an unnecessary extra game to the season.
The FA released a statement on the scheduling of the final of the competition stating, “The FA Cup final will now take place on the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season, on an exclusive Saturday with no Premier League fixtures taking place on the same day.”
The decision has been criticized by certain sections of the fans who argue that the smaller teams of lower divisions used to attract a lot of financial windfall by securing replays against top-flight opponents, which benefitted the club in lower divisions of the football pyramid.
Semi-finals of the FA Cup this season will take place this weekend, with defending champions Manchester City facing Chelsea on Saturday and Coventry City taking on Manchester United on Sunday.
