Manchester United vs Fulham referees confirmed as FA announce three major rule changes (FA Cup)

The referee officiating Manchester United’s FA Cup fixture against Fulham has been confirmed as the FA announce three major rule changes for the fifth round.

Manchester United shift their focus back to the FA Cup as they prepare to host Fulham at Old Trafford in the fifth round on Sunday.

Their cup run so far has included a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Arsenal after a 1-1 draw at the Emirates, followed by a late Harry Maguire winner in a 2-1 triumph over Leicester City.

Rúben Amorim’s men head into this clash on the back of a 3-2 Premier League win against Ipswich Town, though another unconvincing defensive display has kept concerns alive.

With United languishing in 14th place, winning the FA Cup represents their best chance of securing Europa League qualification—unless they can mount a European run and secure a Champions League spot.

Confirmed match referees

Stuart Attwell (pictured below) will be the referee on Wednesday evening in Manchester. Attwell has officiated 14 Premier League matches this season, two UEFA matches, and five in other domestic competitions.

So far this season, Attwell has issued 52 yellow cards in the Premier League and 85 across all competitions. He has issued one straight red card and one via two yellow cards, and has awarded two penalties this season, both in the Premier League.

Attwell has met United once this season, officiating the side’s 3-0 win against Southampton away from home in September.

During the game, Adrian Holmes and Simon Long will serve as Attwell’s assistant referees. Darren Bond will be the fourth official on Wednesday evening, separating Amorim and Marco Silva.

FA announce three major rule changes

Ahead of the fifth round of the FA Cup, the FA have announced that Video Assistant Referee will be returning to the competition across all eight fixtures.

Thomas Bramall has been appointed as the VAR for the tie, with Andrew Kitchen acting as assistant VAR. Michael Salisbury has been issued the role of support VAR.

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The FA have also confirmed that semi-automatic offside technology will be implemented into the VAR system, and this will be the first time United have experienced the technology itself.

“The new technology will be introduced in the Emirates FA Cup fifth round, in collaboration with the Premier League and the Professional Game Match Officials Limited [PGMOL], following an extensive testing period that has taken place during the 2024-25 season. Following successful live operation in the Emirates FA Cup, the Premier League will look to implement the system later this season.

Semi-Automated Offside Technology will provide more efficient placement of the virtual offside line, based on optical player tracking, and produce virtual graphics to ensure an enhanced in-stadium and broadcast experience for supporters,” a recent FA statement explained.

“The operation of Semi-Automated Offside Technology does not change the accuracy of the decision making but enhances the speed and efficiency of the process.”

Finally, it has also been confirmed that, for the first-ever time at Old Trafford, the match referee will be able to announce any refereeing decisions made by VAR to provide improved clarity and understanding for spectators and viewers.

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