Women's FA Cup Format Changes Delayed
Millie Bright captained Chelsea to victory in the competition last season.
Plans to alter the Women's FA Cup format, which would have introduced seeding for four teams and predetermined routes to Wembley from the last 32 stage, will not be implemented next season.
The proposals, initially reported by earlier this month, aimed to prevent the top four teams from the previous Women's Super League (WSL) season from facing each other before the semi-finals and to eliminate the use of draws from the fourth round onward.
The Football Association (FA) stated that the changes would create "high chances of consistent high-quality matches throughout the later rounds" and "strengthen commercial potential."
However, several official supporters' clubs expressed concerns that these measures would damage the "magic" of the competition and result in the largest clubs "only getting richer."
The FA has responded by saying it has taken the feedback into account and will postpone any structural changes while gathering further opinions.
An FA statement said:
"We understand how much the competition means to clubs, players and fans across the pyramid, and it is important that all parties have enough time to share their views. As a result, we will be extending the consultation phase to allow for further engagement informed by the questions and comments raised."
Concerns from Supporters' Clubs
SheGulls, representing fans of WSL club Brighton & Hove Albion, argued that seeding "elite level teams" would widen the quality gap across the game.
On X, the fan group stated:
"The sporting merit in our game is slowly being eroded in favour of 'super matches' between elite level teams. The rich will only get richer and teams up and down the pyramid will fade into obscurity with the knowledge that without tens of millions of pounds, they won't even sniff the big time."
Fulham Women Supporters' Club, whose team competes in the fourth tier, described the proposal as a "ridiculous idea" and added:
"[It] goes against all the principles of the FA Cup. I'd like to see WSL teams actually come in a round early."
Everton Women's Official Supporters Club commented:
"And there goes the magic of the FA Cup! Subway Cup [League Cup] is a farce, now this? All about the money. Didn't take long to ruin the women's game too did it
Current Competition Format and Related Changes
The Women's FA Cup currently follows the same format as the men's competition, with a draw conducted after each round.
It begins with a preliminary round and three qualifying rounds involving teams from tiers four to seven of the pyramid. Women's National League teams enter at the first-round proper, WSL2 teams join in the third round, and top division sides enter a round later.
The proposed changes emerged less than two weeks after a major revamp of the Women's League Cup was announced. The League Cup will adopt a new name and a format similar to the Champions League group stage starting next season.
Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are returning for another season of the Women's Football Weekly podcast. New episodes are released every Tuesday on , featuring interviews and additional content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed.
