Updated 1st July 2026
The 2026/27 edition of the FA Vase is on the horizon with over 600 teams hoping for a day out in London.
The tournament has 11 rounds kicking off in August and finishing at Wembley Stadium in May.
Strictly speaking though, if you were to go through every round of the competition to the final, you would play 12 matches with the semi-final a two-legged affair.
There are two Qualifying Rounds on 15th August and 12th September followed by Rounds One to Six, the Quarter Finals, Semi-Finals (2 legs) and Final.
Teams and when they enter the FA Vase
The FA Vase is open to teams from the ninth and tenth tiers of the English Football Pyramid – more commonly known as Steps 5 and 6. The Combined Counties League Premier Division’s and Hellenic League Premier Division are both Step 6 divisions.
The FA Vase used to be very dependent on ground gradings, but since changes to the Non-League Football Pyramid in recent years, all clubs at Steps 5 and 6 have to have a ground a minimum Grade 6 to compete at the level.
Clubs at Step 5 and 6 are now automatically entered (or qualify if you prefer) into the competition.
The round your club enters the FA Vase depends on its performance the previous season.
- Clubs that reached the previous season’s Third Round are exempt to the First Round Proper
- Clubs that reached the previous season’s Fourth Round are exempt to the Second Round Proper
Keep up with all the FA Vase news on Football in Berkshire on our dedicated page here. You can also sign up for our wonderful email newsletters here.
