Newcastle vs Man City VAR, extra-time and replay rules for FA Cup fifth-round clash

• Sport
• Football
• FA Cup

Need to know

Newcastle host Manchester City at St James' Park with a spot in the FA Cup quarter-finals up for grabs

Will Manchester City do the double over Newcastle in the domestic cups this season?(Image: DARREN STAPLES, AFP via Getty Images)

Everything you need to know about the FA Cup rules for Newcastle vs Manchester City

1. Who, when, where and what time: Manchester City are set to take on Newcastle in a fifth-round FA Cup tie. The match is scheduled for Saturday, March 7 at St James' Park, with an 8pm kick-off.
2. Is VAR in use?: For this fifth-round clash, VAR will be fully operational to help the on-field officials spot clear and obvious mistakes. Although the FA previously restricted technology use in earlier rounds, the fifth round sees the system employed across all games.
3. Extra time and penalty procedures: If the match is tied after 90 minutes then it will continue into 30 minutes of extra time. If the teams are still level after this, a penalty shootout will immediately follow to decide who advances to the quarter-finals.
4. Replays scrapped: The decision to eliminate replays was put in place from the first round proper of the 2024/25 season onwards. This means the fixture must be decided on the night, as the traditional format was abandoned to ease fixture congestion for clubs competing in Europe.
5. Substitution quotas and windows: Managers can name nine players on the bench and make up to five substitutions during normal time. These changes must occur within three separate opportunities - with half-time excluded from the count - although an additional sixth substitute is permitted for both sides should the fixture enter extra-time.
6. The new eight-second goalkeeper rule: A notable trial regulation for the 2025/26 season limits goalkeepers to holding the ball for no more than eight seconds. Should a keeper breach this time limit, the referee will award a corner kick to the opposing team instead of the conventional indirect free-kick, with officials providing a visible hand-signal countdown for the final five seconds.
7. UK television and streaming: The fixture will be shown live in the United Kingdom on TNT Sports 1, with coverage commencing well ahead of the 8pm kick-off. TNT subscribers can additionally stream the action through the discovery+ app.
8. UK radio and audio coverage: For those travelling, national radio commentary will be made available on BBC Radio 5 Live and talkSPORT. BBC Radio Manchester will provide dedicated local coverage, and both clubs will offer live audio via their official apps.
9. Latest team news and injuries: Lewis Miley is pushing for a return alongside Tino Livramento. Nico O'Reilly is nursing a knock, with Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic both unavailable for this clash.
10. READ MORE ABOUT MANCHESTER CITY'S INJURIES HERE: Pep Guardiola gives Man City injury updates on Erling Haaland and Nico O'Reilly