Yes. A player on a domestic loan can play in the FA Cup for his loan club, except against his parent club; the parent club may allow that tie by written permission, and may also bar him from the competition by written prohibition while he has not yet played in it for that club that season.
The default position
The starting point is simple: a player temporarily transferred to another club within the country is eligible for that club in the competition. The standing exception is a tie against his parent club.
A loan move does not, by itself, remove FA Cup eligibility. The real controls are separate written acts by the parent club: one can block the player from the competition, and another can clear him to face the parent club.
What the parent club controls
These are the written instruments, their effect, and the deadline attached to each one.
| The instrument | What it does | When it must arrive |
|---|---|---|
| Written prohibition | Bars the player from the competition, and only while he has not yet played in it for that club this season | By the registration deadline for the next tie |
| Withdrawal of a prohibition | Frees the player to play again | No later than 75 minutes before the next tie |
| Reinstated prohibition | Bars him again, and again only while he has not played in it for that club this season | By the registration deadline for the next tie |
| Written permission | Lets him play in a tie against the parent club | No later than 75 minutes before that tie |
The two deadlines do different jobs and must stay separate. A prohibition, or a reinstated prohibition, has to reach the governing body by the registration deadline for the next tie. A withdrawal of a prohibition has to arrive before the club's next tie, and permission to face the parent club before that tie.
A written prohibition and a written permission can sit inside the loan agreement itself or appear in a separate document. The format can vary, but the timing rule attached to each act still applies.
The limit on a prohibition
The parent club does not hold an open-ended power to block the player from the competition. That power exists only while the player has not already played in the competition for that club in the current season.
The same condition also governs a reinstated prohibition after an earlier withdrawal. Once the player has played in the competition for that club that season, that route is closed.
Permission to face the parent club is a different mechanism. It deals with one tie against the parent club, not a full ban from the competition.
If the player is recalled
A recalled player may play for his parent club only when all required conditions are met together. Recall alone is not enough.
- Confirmation of the recall must have reached the governing body by the registration deadline.
- The club must have confirmation from the governing body that the recall has been approved no later than 75 minutes before the scheduled kick-off.
- The player must otherwise be eligible.
That rule covers appearance for the parent club after a recall. It is separate from the rules on a prohibition, a withdrawal, a reinstated prohibition, and permission for a tie against the parent club.
FAQ
Can a loan player play against his parent club?
Not by default. He can do so only if the parent club gives written permission and that permission reaches the governing body no later than 75 minutes before the tie.
Can a parent club stop a loan player playing in the FA Cup?
Yes. It may issue a written prohibition that bars the player from the competition, but only while he has not already played in it for that club in the current season.
What is a written prohibition in the FA Cup?
It is a written act by the parent club that bars the player from the competition. It can be included in the loan agreement or set out in a separate document, and a copy must be sent to the club and reach the governing body by the registration deadline for the club's next tie.
Does a loan deal stop a player appearing in the cup?
No. The default rule is that he is eligible for the loan club in the competition. What changes the position is a written prohibition, or written permission for the specific case of a tie against the parent club.
