The winner of the FFA Cup, Melbourne City, received $50,000 as part of a total prize money pool of $131,000.[2] The defending champions, Melbourne Victory, were knocked out in the semi-final stage of the competition.
Round and dates
Round
Draw date
Match date
Number of fixtures
Teams
New entries this round
Preliminary rounds
Various
12 February–25 June 2016
672 + 56 byes
704 → 32
693
Round of 32
30 June 2016
27 July–10 August 2016
16
32 → 16
11
Round of 16
10 August 2016
24–30 August 2016
8
16 → 8
none
Quarter-finals
30 August 2016
21–27 September 2016
4
8 → 4
none
Semi-finals
27 September 2016
19–25 October 2016
2
4 → 2
none
Final
25 October 2016
30 November 2016
1
2 → 1
none
Prize fund
The prize fund was unchanged from the 2015 event.[2]
In addition, a further $2,500 was donated from sponsor NAB to Member Federation clubs for each goal scored by them against an A-League opposition.[3] Clubs to receive donations were: Green Gully ($5,000), Redlands United ($5,000), Brisbane Strikers ($2,500), Edgeworth FC ($2,500) and Floreat Athena ($2,500).
FFA member federations teams competed in various state-based preliminary rounds to win one of 21 places in the competition proper (round of 32).[4] All Australian clubs were eligible to enter the qualifying process through their respective FFA member federation, however only one team per club was permitted entry in the competition. All nine FFA member federations participated. The number of qualification spots per member federation was unchanged from the 2015 tournament.
The preliminary rounds operated within a consistent national structure whereby club entry into the competition is staggered in each state/territory, ultimately leading to round 7 with the winning clubs from that round gaining direct entry into the round of 32. The first matches of the preliminary rounds began in February 2016, and the final matches of the preliminary rounds in June 2016.
Teams
A total of 32 teams participated in the 2016 FFA Cup competition proper, ten of which came from the A-League, one the 2015 National Premier Leagues Champion (Blacktown City),[1] and the remaining 21 teams from FFA member federations, as determined by the qualifying rounds. A-League clubs represent the highest level in the Australian league system, whereas member federation clubs come from Level 2 and below. The current season tier of member federation clubs is shown in parentheses.
The Round of 16 draw took place on 10 August 2016, immediately following matchday 4 of the round of 32, with match information confirmed on 12 August.[7]
The quarter-finals draw took place on 30 August 2016, immediately following the final matchday of the round of 16, with match information confirmed on 2 September.[8]
The semi-finals draw took place on 27 September 2016, immediately following the final matchday of the quarter-finals, with the match details announced on 29 September.[9]
The lowest ranked side that qualified for this round was Canberra Olympic, who were the only level 2 team left in the competition.
Note: Goals scored in preliminary rounds not included.
Broadcasting rights
The live television rights for the competition were held by the subscription network Fox Sports, who broadcast 11 games live, with live updates and crosses from a single camera at the concurrent matches for goals and highlights.[10] Games not broadcast on Fox Sports were streamed live via their online services.[11] These matches were televised live by Fox Sports:
Australia
New Zealand
