The 2020–21 FA Cup qualifying rounds opened the 140th season of The Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup), the world's oldest association football single knockout competition, organised by The Football Association, the governing body for the sport in England (though the competition also features teams from Wales). The 32 winning teams from the fourth qualifying round progressed to the First round proper.
The FA made 737 places available in the FA Cup for the 2020–21 season, an increase in two on the previous season, due to the need to produce an extra qualifier in the second qualifying round, following a shortfall in teams at step 2 of the National League System. Following the liquidation of Macclesfield Town, 736 teams ultimately entered the competition. The 92 teams from the EFL and Premier League received direct entry to the competition proper. The remaining 644 teams, from the National League System (levels 5–10 of the English football league system), entered into the qualifying competition consisting of six rounds of preliminary (2) and qualifying (4) knockout matches.
With 889 eligible entrants, more than the number of places available, teams from level 10 of the English football league system were accepted up to the point at which the 737 places were full, based on a random draw. This reflected the cancellation of level 10 leagues in 2019–20 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and thus the absence of league placings on which to base qualification, as had been used in previous seasons. The pandemic also led to the removal of replays from the qualifying competition, in order to fit with a delayed start following the extended 2019–20 football season, and a reduction in the prize fund, with figures returning to those last used in the 2017–18 season.
Calendar Planned dates for the early qualifying rounds were released to clubs in the National League System in late July, and confirmed by the FA on 3 August 2020. With replays removed from qualifying, several rounds were scheduled for Tuesdays rather than the usual Saturday.
Round Main date Leagues entering at this round New entries this round Winners from previous round Number of fixtures Prize fund Losing club Winning club Extra preliminary round 1 September 2020 Levels 8–10 368 none 184 £375 £1,125 Preliminary round 12 September 2020 Level 7 (lowest ranked clubs)Level 8 136 184 160 £481 £1,444 First qualifying round 22 September 2020 Level 7 74 160 117 £750 £2,250 Second qualifying round 3 October 2020 National League NorthNational League South 43 117 80 £1,125 £3,375 Third qualifying round 13 October 2020 none 0 80 40 £1,875 £5,625 Fourth qualifying round 24 October 2020 National League 23 40 31 £3,125 £9,375
Extra preliminary round Extra preliminary round fixtures were played on 31 August – 3 September 2020. The draw was made on 18 August 2020. A total of 368 teams, from Level 8, Level 9 and Level 10 of English football, entered at this stage of the competition, 20 of which were making their first appearance in the competition. This round included 74 teams from Level 10, the lowest-ranked teams in the competition.
Tie Home team (Tier) Score Away team (Tier) Monday 31 August 2020 97 Woodford Town (9) 3–1 London Colney (9) 247 Tuesday 1 September 2020 1 Penrith (9) 3–2 Pickering Town (8) 161 2 Northallerton Town (9) 1–4 Billingham Town (9) 194 3 Sunderland RCA (9) 3–1 Durham City (10) 170 4 Whickham (9) 0–0 (2–4 p) West Allotment Celtic (10) 156 5 Thornaby (9) 2–0 Bridlington Town (9) 260 8 Glasshoughton Welfare (10) 1–1 (2–4 p) Knaresborough Town (9) 272 9 Hebburn Town (9) 4–1 Hemsworth Miners Welfare (9) 263 10 Consett (9) 3–2 Ryhope Colliery Welfare (9) 269 11 Marske United (8) 3–0 North Shields (9) 251 13 Garforth Town (9) 0–3 Whitley Bay (9) 226 14 Newcastle Benfield (9) 1–1 (4–3 p) Seaham Red Star (9) 176 15 Ashington (9) 2–1 Goole (9) 300 18 1874 Northwich (9) 1–6 Warrington Rylands 1906 (9) 20 Longridge Town (9) 2–1 Winsford United (9) 21 Wythenshawe Amateurs (10) 1–1 (4–2 p) Shelley (10) 23 Runcorn Town (9) 2–1 Thackley (9) 25 Eccleshill United (9) 0–3 Silsden (9) 26 AFC Darwen (10) 2–4 Barnoldswick Town (9) 27 Northwich Victoria (9) 1–0 Padiham (9) 28 Skelmersdale United (9) 3–2 Penistone Church (9) 29 Daisy Hill (10) 0–2 Colne (8) 31 Athersley Recreation (9) 1–4 Charnock Richard (9) 284 32 Irlam (9) 2–1 Liversedge (9) 33 Maine Road (10) 0–5 Squires Gate (9) 34 Congleton Town (9) 1–1 (3–2 p) Burscough (9) 35 Hanley Town (9) 3–1 Lye Town (9) 36 Rugby Town (9) 0–2 Worcester City (9) 37 Sporting Khalsa (9) 2–1 Boldmere St Michaels (9) 38 Highgate United (9) 0–3 AFC Bridgnorth (10) 39 Stourport Swifts (9) 1–3 Coventry United (9) 40 Gresley Rovers (9) 2–0 Wellington (10) 41 Stone Old Alleynians (10) 0–0 (1–4 p) Tividale (9) 42 Bewdley Town (10) 1–5 OJM Black Country (10) 43 Romulus (9) 0–0 (3–4 p) Coventry Sphinx (9) 44 Chelmsley Town (10) 0–3 Shifnal Town (10) 45 Westfields (9) 2–0 Brocton (10) 46 Heather St John's (9) 0–1 Walsall Wood (9) 47 Whitchurch Alport (9) 3–1 Haughmond (9) 48 Racing Club Warwick (9) 3–0 AFC Wulfrunians (9) 49 Anstey Nomads (9) 3–0 Sleaford Town (9) 195 50 Lutterworth Town (9) 2–0 Staveley Miners Welfare (9) 184 53 Radford (10) 1–1 (3–4 p) Shepshed Dynamo (9) 54 Spalding United (8) 1–3 Barton Town (9) 55 Quorn (9) 2–0 Melton Town (10) 150 56 AFC Mansfield (9) 2–1 Sherwood Colliery (10) 58 Long Eaton United (9) 3–1 Grimsby Borough (9) 59 Newark (9) 4–0 Deeping Rangers (9) 60 Maltby Main (9) 2–1 Handsworth (9) 62 West Bridgford (10) 1–1 (5–3 p) Dunkirk (10) 63 Leicester Nirvana (9) 1–3 GNG Oadby Town (9) 145 64 Long Melford (9) 3–2 Northampton ON Chenecks (9) 65 Whitton United (9) 4–3 Ipswich Wanderers (10) 150 66 Newmarket Town (9) w/o Walsham-le-Willows (9) 67 Hadleigh United (9) 3–4 Mildenhall Town (9) 126 68 Peterborough Northern Star (9) 0–1 Potton United (9) 97 69 Kirkley & Pakefield (9) 1–2 Cogenhoe United (9) 70 Diss Town (10) 1–0 Framlingham Town (10) 166 71 Thetford Town (9) 2–0 Wellingborough Town (9) 137 73 Burton Park Wanderers (10) w/o AFC Sudbury (8) 74 Gorleston (9) 5–0 Swaffham Town (9) 205 75 Haverhill Rovers (9) 2–1 Norwich United (9) 212 76 Eynesbury Rovers (9) 7–3 Desborough Town (9) 132 77 Wellingborough Whitworth (10) 1–6 Harborough Town (9) 78 Woodbridge Town (9) 2–2 (6–7 p) Biggleswade United (9) 79 Stowmarket Town (9) 2–1 Rothwell Corinthians (9) 232 80 Wroxham (9) 5–0 Arlesey Town (9) 235 82 Redbridge (9) 0–2 Harpenden Town (9) 134 84 Harlow Town (8) 5–1 Enfield (9) 85 Clapton (9) 2–2 (5–6 p) Sporting Bengal United (9) 0 86 Hoddesdon Town (9) 1–2 FC Clacton (9) 87 New Salamis (10) 1–0 Colney Heath (9) 236 88 Southend Manor (9) 0–5 Ware (8) 200 89 Walthamstow (9) 3–2 Maccabi London Lions (10) 292 90 Saffron Walden Town (9) 4–2 Little Oakley (10) 276 92 Stansted (9) 3–2 Takeley (9) 93 Cockfosters (9) 4–2 Stanway Rovers (9) 94 Hullbridge Sports (8) 0–2 Hadley (9) 95 Sawbridgeworth Town (9) 2–1 Romford (8) 96 Brantham Athletic (9) 1–1 (3–2 p) Benfleet (10) 84 100 Oxhey Jets (9) 1–0 Bishop's Cleeve (9) 110 101 Clanfield (10) 0–1 Long Crendon (10) 102 Leverstock Green (9) 3–1 Wembley (9) 111 103 Tuffley Rovers (9) 2–5 Harefield United (9) 144 104 Holmer Green (9) 3–2 Shrivenham (9) 140 105 Winslow United (10) 2–1 Newport Pagnell Town (9) 285 106 Cribbs (9) 3–1 Newent Town (10) 107 Easington Sports (9) 2–0 Tring Athletic (9) 90 108 Aylesbury Vale Dynamos (9) 1–2 Windsor (9) 143 109 Ardley United (9) 0–0 (5–6 p) Edgware Town (9) 123 110 Lydney Town (9) 0–1 Fairford Town (9) 111 Risborough Rangers (10) 4–1 Longlevens (9) 180 112 Leighton Town (9) 3–0 Abingdon United (10) 129 Match played at Barton Rovers