With the FA Cup now down towards the final eight, here is a guide to the Quarter-Final draw of this season’s competition.
As the FA Cup now hits the business end of the competition, here is a guide to the timing of the draw plus ball numbers and Quarter-Final dates as eight teams look to move closer towards their FA Cup dreams.
When is the Quarter-Final Draw?
The Quarter-Final draw will take place on BBC One on Wednesday 1 March, as part of that evening’s coverage of Sheffield United’s Fifth Round tie against Tottenham Hotspur.
Exact timing of the draw is unclear because BBC have opted to hold the draw post-match, meaning that if there’s no extra-time then the draw will take place at approximaately 9:50pm GMT.
Should there be extra-time and possibly penalties, the draw will be delayed until 10:30pm GMT at earliest.
How Many Teams Are In The Draw?
With the draw taking place once all Fifth Round ties are completed, there will be eight teams involved in the draw, with each team allocated the following ball number.
| Ball Number | Team |
| 1 | Southampton/Grimsby |
| 2 | Blackburn Rovers |
| 3 | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| 4 | Sheffield United/Tottenham Hotspur |
| 5 | Fulham |
| 6 | Manchester City |
| 7 | Man Utd/West Ham |
| 8 | Burnley/Fleetwood Town |
Teams To Watch Out For
Having stunned 2020-21 winners, Leicester, Blackburn Rovers will be seeded ball number 2 in the draw.
Premier League high-fliers, Brighton & Hove Albion has been allocated ball number 3, after Evan Ferguson’s 30th minute winner saw the Seagulls scrape past Stoke City.
Six-time winners, Manchester City have been handed ball number 6 after they comfortably defeated Bristol City in the Fifth Round.
The winner of the tie between Manchester United and West Ham will be ball number 7 in the draw.
When Will Quarter-Final Ties Be Played?
Quarter-Final ties will be played across the weekend of 17-19 March, with the four winning teams all collecting £450,000 from the competition’s prize fund.
There will be no replays in the Quarter-Finals as is now tradition, with extra time and then potentially penalties instead utilised if scores are level at end of normal time.
ITV will have first broadcast pick with BBC having second and third picks, which will then leave ITV with the last tie to be selected for broadcast.
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