AFTER six qualifying rounds, we have finally reached the first round proper of the FA Cup!

Clubs from League One and Two are now joining the competition as 40 ties will take place this weekend.

Premier League and Championship clubs don’t enter the FA Cup until the third round, which takes place on the weekend of Saturday, January 9 2027.

2021 winners Leicester are in the first round of the competition this year after dropping down to the third tier last season – they face Oxford City tonight.

It is the first time the Foxes will face a non-league side since 2008, when they beat Stevenage 3-0.

Wigan, who won the FA Cup in 2013 against Manchester City, face a trip to National League Boreham Wood this weekend as the Tics look to keep their dream of returning to Wembley alive.

Do FA Cup 1st round ties go to extra-time or straight to penalties?

FA Cup first round ties go to extra-time if the scores are level after 90 minutes.

The rules come from replays being scrapped in the 2024/25 season as part of an agreement between the FA and the Premier League.

Replays were an integral part of the competition for over 150 years, but after the expansion of Uefa‘s club competitions, fixture congestion was a key reason for them being removed.

It was a controversial decision when announced, with the traditions of the competition being changed and smaller clubs arguing that replays could be a vital source of income if they were drawn a trip to a big stadium.

It means every game must be decided on the day, and so extra-time is utilised throughout the FA Cup.

If the game is a draw after 90 minutes, here is what happens:

• 30 minutes of extra-time split into two 15-minute periods.
• If still level, a penalty shootout will determine a winner.