In the FA Cup, VAR is not used in every game mainly because of fairness, cost, and logistics, and in some rounds it is deliberately switched off entirely so all ties are played under the same conditions.

The core reason: “level playing field”

The FA and clubs have argued for years that it is unfair if some ties have VAR and others do not, just because they are played at Premier League grounds with the technology already installed while lower‑league grounds do not have it.

To avoid one team benefiting from tech that another cannot access in the same round, recent seasons have seen moves toward either using VAR in all games of a given round or not using it at all.

Why early rounds often have no VAR

Several practical issues drive the “no VAR in early rounds” decision:

  • Many lower‑league and non‑league stadiums do not have the camera setups and technical infrastructure needed for VAR.
  • Bringing in temporary VAR rigs and specialist staff to dozens of small grounds on the same weekend would be expensive and logistically messy.
  • The FA Cup’s identity is built on “magic of the cup” ties at small grounds; forcing those games into VAR‑ready stadiums would change that feel.

Because of that, governing bodies have decided in some seasons that certain rounds (for example, the third or fourth round) will simply be played without VAR at all, even in Premier League stadiums.

Recent changes and controversy

In the 2024–25 and 2025–26 seasons, the pattern has been:

  • No VAR in some or all third‑ and fourth‑round matches, including at Premier League venues.
  • VAR reintroduced from later rounds when the number of fixtures is smaller and more games are at top‑level grounds.

This has led to big talking points when key incidents went unreviewed in matches involving top clubs, which in turn fuelled the “why no VAR in FA Cup?” debate across fan forums and pundit panels.

What the FA and pundits say

Arguments for not using VAR in all FA Cup ties:

  • It keeps the competition more “old‑school” and flowing, with fewer long checks.
  • It avoids a two‑tier system where smaller clubs are judged differently to Premier League sides in the same round.

Arguments against the current approach:

  • High‑profile mistakes in non‑VAR games feel avoidable, especially when the same teams are used to VAR every week in the league.
  • Fans and managers say it makes the competition look inconsistent and “complicated” because the rules feel different from one game to another.

One fan‑driven idea that comes up a lot on forums is “all games or none”: either every tie in a round gets VAR, or it’s completely absent, to keep things clear and fair.

Quick recap (for your post angle)

If you’re writing under “why no VAR in FA Cup” and “Quick Scoop”, the key points are:

  1. No VAR in some FA Cup rounds is a deliberate choice for fairness between big and small clubs.
  1. Early rounds often skip VAR because lower‑league grounds lack the tech and it’s expensive and complex to install it everywhere.
  1. This has created new controversies and fan debates about whether the FA Cup should be all‑VAR, no‑VAR, or keep the current mixed approach.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.