2025-26 FA Cup to Use VAR Announcements, SAOT, and Eight New Rules Starting August 2
The 2025-26 Emirates FA Cup kicks off with a bold blend of tradition and technology: referees will once again speak directly to crowds through stadium PA systems to explain VAR decisions, giant screens will show crystal-clear clips of disallowed goals, and for the first time in the competition’s 153-year history, The Football Association (The FA) will enforce eight new International Football Association Board (IFAB) laws — including a hard cap on how long goalkeepers can hold the ball. All of it begins August 2, 2025, in the muddy fields of non-league clubs, and ends seven months later under the lights of Wembley Stadium in London.
VAR Gets Louder — And More Transparent
Since the 2023-24 season, the FA Cup has led English football in transparency. Referees don’t just signal for VAR reviews — they announce them. "The ball was offside," "Handball confirmed," "No penalty," — the words boom through the stands. Fans don’t just guess. They hear it. And now, for every goal disallowed after a VAR check, stadiums will show definitive video evidence on the big screens. No more confused murmurs. No more angry chants based on incomplete info. This isn’t new to the FA Cup. It’s a model the Premier League only adopted this summer — after seeing how well it worked in the cup. "It’s about trust," said Howard Webb MBE, The FA’s Head of Refereeing, in a July 10 briefing. "If you’re going to use technology, you owe the fans an explanation. Not a gesture. Not a look. Words. Pictures. Clarity." The protocol remains strict: VAR only steps in for goals, penalties, red cards, and mistaken identity. No "minor" interventions. No "let’s just check." The bar is still "clear and obvious error." But now, when that bar is crossed, everyone knows why.SAOT Arrives — And It’s Fast
The real game-changer? Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT). After saving an average of 27 seconds per offside call in the 2024-25 Premier League season, SAOT is now rolling out across every FA Cup match from the First Round Proper on November 8, 2025. That’s 29 cameras tracking players, 15 sensors in the ball, and algorithms that spit out offside lines faster than a referee can whistle. It’s not just speed. It’s precision. Last season, human VAR teams took 45-60 seconds to confirm offside. SAOT cut that to 18. That’s huge when you’re in a 1-0 cup tie in front of 12,000 fans, and the stadium’s holding its breath. No more drawn-out delays. No more "Is it? Is it not?" The system draws the line. The ref blows the whistle. The screen shows the image. Done. The technology won’t be used in the early qualifying rounds — those are still human-refereed. But from the First Round Proper onward, every touch, every run, every cross will be tracked. Even the smallest toe drag will be caught.Eight New Rules — And One That Changes Everything
The FA’s July 15, 2025, document lists eight law changes. Most are tweaks. One? A seismic shift.- Goalkeepers have eight seconds. If a keeper holds the ball with hands or arms for longer than eight seconds, it’s a corner kick. No warning. No yellow card. Just the whistle. This ends the "time-wasting" tactic that’s plagued lower leagues for decades.
- Offside now tracks the last point of contact when the goalkeeper throws the ball — not the moment the ball leaves their hands. A small change, but it prevents unfair offside calls when keepers launch long balls.
- Corner kicks must be taken from the corner area nearest to where the goalkeeper was when play stopped. No more kicking from the far side just to get a better angle.
- Dropped balls go to the defending team if the stoppage occurred in the penalty area. No more "lucky" attackers pouncing on a dropped ball.
No Replays. No Away Goals. Just Pure Knockout Drama
The FA Cup’s soul has always been the giant-killer. The non-league team beating a Premier League side. The rain-sodden pitch. The 3am train home. Replays were axed after the 2022-23 season. And they’re not coming back. Draw after 90 minutes? Straight to extra time. Two 15-minute halves. Then penalties. No second legs. No home advantage advantage. And the away goals rule? Dead since 2022. No exceptions. Even if the tie is played across two legs — which it isn’t, because replays are gone — it wouldn’t matter. The FA’s Competition Committee, chaired by Kevin Moore, made it clear: "The FA Cup is one match. One winner. No gimmicks."What’s Next — And Why It Matters
The 2025-26 FA Cup will feature 736 matches across 14 rounds. That’s more games than any other domestic cup in Europe. And for the first time, every single match from November onward will have the same officiating standard as the Premier League. This isn’t just about fairness. It’s about perception. For years, critics said the FA Cup was a relic — slow, inconsistent, outdated. Now, it’s leading. SAOT. Transparent VAR. Strict time limits. The FA isn’t just updating rules. It’s redefining what a historic competition can be. "We’re not trying to make it modern," said Mark Bullingham, The FA’s Chief Executive, in a June 30 statement. "We’re trying to make it honest. The drama of the FA Cup isn’t in the noise. It’s in the clarity. The moment the whistle blows, everyone knows why." And that? That’s why millions will still tune in.Frequently Asked Questions
How will the eight-second goalkeeper rule affect lower-league teams?
Goalkeepers in non-league sides often use long holds to relieve pressure or waste time. With the eight-second rule, they’ll need to adapt quickly — either by distributing faster or using their feet more. Clubs at levels below the EFL have already begun training drills to simulate the new constraint, and early feedback suggests it’ll reduce stoppage time by an average of 3-4 minutes per match.
Will SAOT cause more offside calls in the FA Cup?
Not necessarily. SAOT is more accurate, not more aggressive. It reduces human error, which means fewer incorrect offside calls — but also fewer "borderline" calls that used to go in favor of attackers. In the 2024-25 Premier League, SAOT confirmed 92% of on-field offside decisions and overturned only 8% — most of which were clearly wrong. The number of total offside calls stayed roughly the same.
Why doesn’t the FA Cup use VAR in early qualifying rounds?
Cost and logistics. Early rounds involve over 400 teams, many with no video infrastructure, no dedicated VAR rooms, and volunteer referees. Installing SAOT and full VAR systems at every village ground would cost millions. The FA prioritizes consistency where it matters most: the professional rounds, where broadcast exposure and stakes are highest.
What happens if a referee miscounts the eight seconds?
There’s no official timer displayed to the ref. They’re expected to judge based on rhythm and cues — similar to how they count seconds in a free kick. If a keeper holds the ball for what appears to be 10 seconds, the ref can blow for a corner. If it’s borderline, they’ll typically give a verbal warning first. But the rule is enforceable from day one — no grace period.
How does the new offside rule for goalkeeper throws work?
Previously, offside was judged from the moment the goalkeeper released the ball. Now, it’s judged from the last point of contact — meaning if a keeper’s hand is still slightly forward as they release, the offside line is drawn from that point, not from where the ball leaves their grip. This prevents unfair disallowances when keepers make long, looping throws.
Is the FA Cup format changing beyond the rules?
No structural changes are planned. The 14-round format with 736 matches remains. The draw is still open, with Premier League teams entering in the Third Round Proper. The only shift is the uniform application of VAR and SAOT from the First Round Proper onward — ensuring that by the time a non-league team reaches Wembley, they’re playing under the same rules as Manchester City.