For non-league teams, cup competitions provide a distraction from league football and can also give financial incentives to those struggling teams. The main three competitions are the FA Cup, FA Trophy and FA Vase.
FA CUP:
Those further down the pyramid have loads of games to play to even get to the first round. The further a non-league team has ever gone in the FA Cup is the quarter-finals in 2017.
The 2024-25 FA Cup schedule is as follows:
- Extra Preliminary Round: Saturday, August 3, 2024
- Preliminary Round: Saturday, August 17, 2024
- First Round Qualifying: Saturday, August 31, 2024
- Second Round Qualifying: Saturday, September 14, 2024
- Third Round Qualifying: Saturday, September 28, 2024
- Fourth Round Qualifying: Saturday, October 14, 2024 (National League Teams Enter)
- First Round Proper: Saturday, November 2, 2024
- Second Round Proper: Saturday, November 30, 2024
- Third Round Proper: Saturday, January 11, 2025 (Championship and Premier League Teams Enter)
- Fourth Round Proper: Saturday, February 8, 2025
- Fifth Round Proper: Saturday, March 1, 2025
- Quarter-finals: Saturday, March 29, 2025
- Semi-finals: Saturday, April 26, 2025
- Final: Saturday, May 17, 2025
FA Trophy
The FA Trophy was founded in 1969 as a way for non-league teams to compete for a trophy. The final is played at Wembley and is seen as the premium non-league trophy. Teams from steps one to four play in the tournament.
Burscough are the lowest-ranked side to ever win the tournament, with the North West Counties side shocking the nation.
The current holders are Gateshead.
The 2024-2025 FA Trophy Schedule is as follows.
- Preliminary Round: Saturday, 24 August 2024
- First Round Qualifying: Saturday, 7 September 2024
- Second Round Qualifying: Saturday, 21 September 2024
- Third Round Qualifying: Saturday, 5 October 2024
- First Round Proper: Saturday, 26 October 2024
- Second Round Proper: Saturday, 16 November 2024
- Third Round Proper: Saturday, 7 December 2024
- Fourth Round Proper: Saturday, 4 January 2025
- Fifth Round Proper: Saturday, 1 February 2025
- Sixth Round Proper: Saturday, 1 March 2025
- Semi-Final: Saturday, 5 April 2025
- Final: Saturday, 10 or Sunday, 11 May 2025
FA Vase
The FA Vase is a football competition for lower-tier clubs in England, established in 1974. It is open to teams from levels 9-11 of the English football pyramid, offering smaller clubs the chance to compete for national recognition. Like the FA Trophy, the competition concludes with a prestigious final at Wembley Stadium. For many grassroots clubs, the FA Vase represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience playing at the national stadium and gain wider exposure. The current holders are Romford FC.
The round dates for the 2024-25 FA Vase are as follows:
- First Round Qualifying
- Saturday, 24 August 2024
- Second Round Qualifying
- Saturday, 21 September 2024
- First Round Proper
- Saturday, 19 October 2024
- Second Round Proper
- Saturday, 9 November 2024
- Third Round Proper
- Saturday, 7 December 2024
- Fourth Round Proper
- Saturday, 11 January 2025
- Fifth Round Proper
- Saturday, 1 February 2025
- Sixth Round Proper
- Saturday, 1 March 2025
- Semi-Finals (1st Leg)
- Saturday, 29 March 2025
- Semi-Finals (2nd Leg)
- Saturday, 5 April 2025
- Final
- Saturday, 10 or Sunday, 11 May 2025
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