Women’s FA Cup to have seeded teams and no draw after last 32 under radical proposals | OneFootball

The Football Association has proposed radical changes to the Women’s FA Cup, including seeding four teams and dispensing with a draw after the last 32. The plans would introduce a “road-to-Wembley bracket” from the last 32, which would map out those teams’ route to the final, in the style of a World Cup.

The changes could come in next season, although final plans have not been agreed, according to communication sent to the clubs by the FA in an email on Monday, which repeatedly emphasised a need to increase the competition’s revenue.

That summary document describes the plan to seed four clubs as a “temporary adjustment, reflecting the current developmental stage of the women’s pyramid” and claims it will create the “highest chances of consistent high-quality matches throughout the later rounds”. The seeded teams would be the top four from the previous season’s Women’s Super League.

The plans have received significant opposition from clubs. The consultation process with them continues and after a period of feedback a final submission will be made to the FA’s board in April.

The proposals have been made after an FA-commissioned review of the competition, which was founded in 1970. The review concluded that the FA Cup had significant heritage and should not be changed, the final must remain at Wembley, where it has been held since 2015, and no additional rounds should be added, in order to protect player welfare. The schedule of the rounds could significantly change, with the proposals suggesting holding one every other weekend for three rounds from the last 32 to the quarter-finals.

An FA spokesperson said: “We committed in our women’s and girls’ game strategy, Reaching Higher, to review the Adobe Women’s FA Cup, recognising the need to evolve the competition and strengthen its commercial potential. This would enable us to reinvest more funding into both the competition itself and the wider women’s football ecosystem, which is vital for long-term, sustainable growth.

“While a comprehensive review of the current format has been completed, no decisions have been made at this stage. Any future changes will be shaped in close consultation with stakeholders across the entire pyramid, including clubs, players, fans, and our broadcast and commercial partners.”

The FA’s proposal claims a bracketed draw “enables the development of storytelling, and enhanced narrative to the competition. It enables clubs and fans to plot their road to Wembley Stadium, building momentum and excitement, whilst supporting operational planning.”

An “entry tier review” for lower-league sides has also been tabled, citing the need to enhance minimum stadium standards. A fanbase survey about the competition is understood to have received 6,000 responses.

Seeding the WSL’s top four sides would be hugely controversial and several lower-league sides say they would oppose that idea, fearing it would reduce the chances of Women’s National League clubs progressing to the later stages.

Last season’s top four – Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City – are the only clubs to have won the competition since Birmingham’s triumph in 2012. Arsenal are the record 14-time champions and United have reached the final three times running.

The Football Supporters’ Association said it was participating in the review and that “fan representatives have expressed concern about proposals around seeding – something which fans feel goes against the traditions of the FA Cup”.

The news received an overwhelmingly negative reaction online among fans. A spokesperson for the Brighton Women’s supporters’ club, known as the SheGulls, said on X: “I cannot state vehemently enough how much we oppose this proposal. 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.”

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