The third round of the 2023/24 FA Cup is scheduled for this weekend
Will VAR be in use in the FA Cup this weekend?(Image credit: PA)
The third round of the FA Cup is upon us, with 31 ties scheduled to take place between Friday and Monday.
The round kicked off with Crystal Palace and Everton's goalless draw at Selhurst Park on Thursday night.
This is the 143rd edition of the FA Cup, which traces its history all the way back to 1871.
There are some intriguing ties to look forward to this weekend: arch-rivals Sunderland and Newcastle are poised to renew hostilities; Arsenal and Liverpool are ready to go head-to-head; and Manchester United will face another former winner in Wigan Athletic.
The use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology divides opinion, but will the system be used in the FA Cup?
Is VAR in use for FA Cup games?
VAR will only be used in FA Cup matches held at Premier League stadiums. This means that 22 of the 32 third-round ties will not have the system in place.
Meanwhile the six top-flight clubs facing away games against lower-league opposition this weekend - Newcastle, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Brighton, Sheffield United and Burnley - will be in the unfamiliar position of VAR being absent from the decision-making process.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
This has caused controversy in the past. Newcastle were aggrieved last season when replays showed that one of Sheffield Wednesday's goals in their 2-1 win was scored by a player who appeared to be in an offside position.
However, there was no VAR in operation at Hillsborough and the goal was therefore allowed to stand.
Referee Chris Kavanagh sent off Dominic Calvert-Lewin against Crystal Palace after a VAR review (Image credit: Getty Images)
Why is VAR not used at non-Premier League stadiums?
For VAR to be used across the board, the relevant technology would need to be installed at every stadium hosting an FA Cup match.
That is not feasible. It is neither quick nor cheap to get all the right equipment in place, particularly when you are dealing with the smaller grounds that are commonplace in the lower leagues.
For example non-league outfit Maidstone United, who host Stevenage this weekend, play at the 4200-capacity Gallagher Stadium.
There is another reason why VAR cannot be used in all 32 third-round fixtures. In order to use the system, the competition in question must apply to the International Football Association Board (IFAB) for approval.
The FA has not done this, so the use of VAR is not permitted in non-Premier League grounds.
“Video assistant referees provide match officials with additional support and should be utilised wherever possible,” the FA has said.
“However, only Premier League stadiums are currently licensed to use VAR due to the infrastructure, workforce and costs that are required.”
Greg Lea is a freelance football journalist who's filled in wherever FourFourTwo needs him since 2014. He became a Crystal Palace fan after watching a 1-0 loss to Port Vale in 1998, and once got on the scoresheet in a primary school game against Wilfried Zaha's Whitehorse Manor (an own goal in an 8-0 defeat).
