FA Cup tie ordered to be replayed after referee's error — could it set a precedent?

An FA Cup qualifying tie between Mulbarton Wanderers and Woodford Town has drawn attention after a Football Association sub-committee ruled that a referee's technical error means the match must be replayed on Tuesday.

In the original match, which Mulbarton won 2-1, the referee disallowed a Woodford goal scored from a penalty because several attacking players had encroached into the box before the kick was taken. The referee then awarded Mulbarton an indirect free-kick, but under Law 14 the correct restart should have been a retaken penalty. Mulbarton said they were "deeply upset" by Woodford's successful protest, warning that the decision could raise wider questions about the finality of results and the integrity of the game.

Replays ordered because of a referee's misapplication of the laws are more common than many fans realise. A 2006 fixture between Edgware Town and Harefield United is regarded as the first English case with an almost identical scenario. Uefa made a similar call in 2015, ordering a European Championship qualifier between England's and Norway's women's under-19 teams to be restarted after a stoppage-time penalty goal was wrongly disallowed for encroachment.

The winner of the Mulbarton-Woodford replay will face Gloucester City in the third qualifying round on 3 October. The article stresses that replays are ordered only when a law has been misapplied, not when a referee makes a subjective call, such as a disputed corner or penalty award.

By contrast, competitions using the video assistant referee (VAR) do not follow the same approach. Under International Football Association Board rules, a wrong VAR decision cannot invalidate a match result. Recent examples cited include an error acknowledged after Manchester United's home defeat by Manchester City, as well as disputed VAR calls in Belgium and the Netherlands where club protests for a replay were ultimately rejected.