The 2023–24 FA Trophy (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2023–24

Isuzu , commonly known as Isuzu (, ), is a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Its principal activity is the production, marketing and sale of Isuzu commercial vehicles and diesel engines ...

FA Trophy) was the 55th edition of the

FA Trophy The Football Association Challenge Trophy, also known as the Isuzu FA Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is a men's football knockout cup competition run by and named after The Football Association (the FA) and competed by mainly National League ...

, an annual

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

competition for teams at levels 5–8 of the

English football league system The English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for men's association football clubs in England, with five teams from Wales, one from Guernsey, one from Jersey and one from the ...

Format and eligibility

Applications to enter the 55th edition of the

needed to be submitted by 1 April 2023. Competing clubs had to compete between step 1 and step 4 of the

non-League Non-League football describes association football, football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is ...

pyramid, equivalent to levels 5 to 8 of the overall

. Furthermore, grounds had to conform to grade 4 of the FA National Ground Grading. The calendar was announced by

The Football Association The Football Association (the FA) is the Sports governing body, governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Bailiwick of Guernsey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest footb ...

on 1 July 2023. The competition consists of three qualifying rounds and eight proper rounds. Teams enter at different stages depending on their position in the English pyramid. Teams at level 8 enter into the first qualifying round and must win 11 matches to become champions. Level 7 teams enter into the third qualifying round and must win 9 matches to become champions. Level 6 teams enter into the second round proper and must win 7 matches to become champions. Level 5 teams enter into the third round proper and must win 6 matches to become champions. All rounds are single-match

knockout A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...

format, with the winner decided by penalties if the match was drawn after 90 minutes, apart from the Final where the winner was decided by extra-time and penalties if the match is drawn. This is the same format as the 2020–21, 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons which broke from previous seasons that used replays and two-legged semi-finals. The 2019–20 season was scheduled to play two-legged semi-finals but due to their delay by the

COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom The COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the United Kingdom, it has resulted in confirm ...

were shifted to a single match. All other previous editions played to the same format of replays ''and'' two-legged semi-finals.

FC Halifax Town FC Halifax Town is a professional association football club based in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. They currently compete in the National League (division), National League, the fifth level of English football league system. They replac ...

were the reigning champions for the 2023–24 season, having defeated

Gateshead Gateshead () is a town in the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough of Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank. The town's attractions include the twenty metre tall Angel of the North sculpture on the town's southern outskirts, ...

in the 2023 FA Trophy final at

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...

First round qualifying

The draw for the first qualifying round was made on 8 July 2023. The first round of qualifying took place on the weekend of 8–10 September and involved 158 teams in 79 matches. 159 teams, all from Level 8 of the

, were drawn into 79 fixtures, with the leftover team, Hinckley LR, receiving a bye.

Second round qualifying

The draw for the second qualifying round was also made on 8 July 2023. This round consisted of the 79 winners from the previous round alongside Hinckley LR who received a bye in the previous round.

Third round qualifying

The draw for the third qualifying round was made on 25 September 2023. The 40 winners from the previous round were joined by 88 teams from the seventh level.

First round proper

The draw for the First round proper was made on 9 October 2023 consisting of the 64 winners from the previous round.

Second round proper

The draw for the second round was made on 30 October 2023, seeing the 48 teams from step two joining the 32 winners from the previous round.

Third round proper

The draw for the third round was made on 20 November 2023 and saw the 24 clubs from the

National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...

join the 40 winners from the previous round.

Fourth round proper

The draw for the fourth round was made on 11 December 2023 containing the 32 winners from the previous round.

Fifth round proper

The draw for the fifth round was made on 15 January 2024.

Quarter-finals

The draw for the quarter-finals was made on 12 February 2024.

Semi-finals

The draw for the semi-finals was made on 11 March 2024. ----

Final

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2023-24 FA Trophy FA Trophy seasons