FA to hold fourth and fifth round draws together
THE FA have confirmed that there will be a double FA Cup draw on Monday.
This weekend’s third round of the competition sees Premier League and Championship clubs enter the tournament, and the fourth round draw traditionally takes place the following Monday.
This will still happen, with the fourth round draw set to be held at 7.10pm, before National League side Stockport County take on West Ham United, but it will be immediately followed by the draw for the fifth round.
The double draw marks a change in the traditional approach from the
FA but has been done to allow clubs a better understanding of their fixture schedule during a condensed season.
It follows a similar approach made in the EFL’s Carabao Cup earlier in the season.
The fourth round will take place on the weekend of January 23, with a short turnaround before the fifth round takes place on Wednesday, February 10.
It is the latest move from authorities to minimise the impact of fixture congestion during the shortened campaign.
FA Cup replays have already been scrapped for this season, meaning that any draws in the competition will be settled on the day, firstly through extra-time and then through a penalty shoot-out if a tie requires one.
Every third round tie will be shown live in the UK this weekend, with the majority of ties being split between the BBC and BT Sport.
Exeter City’s home clash with Sheffield Wednesday will be available to watch on BT’s red button at 3pm tomorrow.
Eight matches will also be shown exclusively on the FA’s own FA Player platform including Plymouth Argyle’s trip to Huddersfield Town, which kicks-off at 6pm.