The 2015–16 FA Cup qualifying rounds opened the 135th season of competition in England for The Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup), the world's oldest association football single knockout competition. A total of 736 clubs were accepted for the competition, the same as the previous season.[1]
The large number of clubs entering the tournament from lower down (Levels 5 to 10) in the English football pyramid meant that the competition started with six rounds of preliminary (2) and qualifying (4) knockouts for these non-League teams. The 32 winning teams from the fourth qualifying round progressed to the First round proper, where League teams tiered at Levels 3 and 4 entered the competition.
The calendar for the 2015–16 FA Cup qualifying rounds, as announced by The Football Association.[1]
| Round | Main date | Leagues entering at this round | New entries this round | Winners from previous round | Number of fixtures | Prize money[2] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 August 2015 | 368 | none | 184 | £1,500 | |||
| 29 August 2015 | 136 | 184 | 160 | £1,925 | |||
| 12 September 2015 | 72 | 160 | 116 | £3,000 | |||
| 26 September 2015 | 44 | 116 | 80 | £4,500 | |||
| 10 October 2015 | none | none | 80 | 40 | £7,500 | ||
| 24 October 2015 | 24 | 40 | 32 | £12,500 | |||
| For the next rounds look 2015–16 FA Cup | |||||||
Extra preliminary round fixtures were due to be played on 15 August 2015, with replays taking place no later than 20 August 2015. A total of 368 teams, from Level 9 and Level 10 of English football, entered at this stage of the competition. The round includes 91 teams from Level 10 of English football, being the lowest ranked clubs to compete in the tournament.[3]
Preliminary round fixtures were due to be played on 29 August 2015, with replays no later than 4 September. A total of 320 teams took part in this stage of the competition, including the 184 winners from the Extra preliminary round and 136 entering at this stage from the six leagues at Level 8 of English football. The round included 29 teams from Level 10 still in the competition, being the lowest ranked teams in this round.
First qualifying round fixtures were played on 12 September 2015, with replays no later than 18 September. A total of 232 teams took part in this stage of the competition, including the 160 winners from the Preliminary round and 72 entering at this stage from the three leagues at Level 7 of English football. The round included eleven teams from Level 10 still in the competition, being the lowest ranked teams in this round.
Second qualifying round fixtures were due to be played on 26 September 2015, with replays no later than 2 October. A total of 160 teams took part in this stage of the competition, including the 116 winners from the first qualifying round and 44 entering at this stage from the two leagues at Level 6 of English football. The round included Bodmin Town, Hinckley and Hook Norton from Level 10 still in the competition, being the lowest ranked teams in this round.
Third qualifying round fixtures were due to be played on 10 October 2015, with replays taking place no later than 16 October. A total of 80 teams took part in this stage of the competition, all winners from the second qualifying round. The round included eight teams from Level 9 still in the competition, being the lowest ranked teams in this round.
Fourth qualifying round fixtures were due to be played on 24 October 2015, with replays taking place no later than 30 October. A total of 64 teams took part in this stage of the competition, including the 40 winners from the third qualifying round and 24 entering at this stage from the Conference Premier at Level 5 of English football. The round included Sporting Khalsa from Level 9 still in the competition, being the lowest ranked team in this round.
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | |
| 1 | Gateshead (5) | 1–2 | Worcester City (6) | 782 |
| 2 | AFC Fylde (6) | 1–0 | Barrow (5) | 901 |
| 3 | Wrexham (5) | 0–1 | Gainsborough Trinity (6) | 1,841 |
| 4 | Northwich Victoria (8) | 0–0 | Chorley (6) | 534 |
| Chorley (6) | 1–2 | Northwich Victoria (8) | 1,080 | |
| 5 | Harrogate Town (6) | 1–4 | Grimsby Town (5) | 1,920 |
| 6 | Barwell (7) | 2–2 | AFC Rushden & Diamonds (8) | 819 |
| AFC Rushden & Diamonds (8) | 0–1 | Barwell (7) | 1,162 | |
| 7 | Salford City (7) | 1–0 | Southport (5) | 1,019 |
| 8 | Sporting Khalsa (9) | 1–3 | FC United of Manchester (6) | 2,252 |
| 9 | Stalybridge Celtic (6) | 1–1 | North Ferriby United (6) | 547 |
| North Ferriby United (6) | Stalybridge Celtic (6) | 710 | ||
| 10 | FC Halifax Town (5) | 2–2 | Guiseley (5) | 1,078 |
| Guiseley (5) | 1–2 | FC Halifax Town (5) | 948 | |
| 11 | Tranmere Rovers (5) | 0–0 | Lincoln City (5) | 3,729 |
| Lincoln City (5) | 2–0 | Tranmere Rovers (5) | 2,380 | |
| 12 | Stourbridge (7) | 3–0 | Kidderminster Harriers (5) | 2,032 |
| 13 | Macclesfield Town (5) | 3–2 | Alfreton Town (6) | 1,048 |
| 14 | Brackley Town (6) | 3–0 | Bamber Bridge (8) | 451 |
| 15 | Altrincham (5) | 1–0 | Chester (5) | 1,603 |
| Tie | Home team (tier) | Score | Away team (tier) | |
| 16 | Whitehawk (6) | 2–0 | Poole Town (7) | 450 |
| 17 | Maidenhead United (6) | 3–0 | Woking (5) | 867 |
| 18 | Basingstoke Town (6) | 3–0 | Torquay United (5) | 793 |
| 19 | Grays Athletic (7) | 1–1 | Welling United (5) | 512 |
| Welling United (5) | 4–0 | Grays Athletic (7) | 733 | |
| 20 | Boreham Wood (5) | 2–1 | A.F.C. Hornchurch (8) | 307 |
| 21 | Wealdstone (6) | 2–1 | Bognor Regis Town (7) | 847 |
| 22 | Didcot Town (8) | 4–2 | Brentwood Town (7) | 347 |
| 23 | Eastbourne Borough (6) | 1–2 | Dover Athletic (5) | 821 |
| 24 | Chesham United (7) | 2–1 | Enfield Town (7) | 759 |
| 25 | Staines Town (7) | 2–1 | Gloucester City (6) | 417 |
| 26 | Aldershot Town (5) | 1–0 | Sutton United (6) | 1,471 |
| 27 | Bromley (5) | 1–2 | Eastleigh (5) | 1,101 |
| 28 | Margate (6) | 1–2 | Forest Green Rovers (5) | 1,302 |
| 29 | Braintree Town (5) | 2–0 | Harlow Town (8) | 727 |
| 30 | Havant & Waterlooville (6) | 3–3 | Cheltenham Town (5) | 622 |
| Cheltenham Town (5) | 1–0 | Havant & Waterlooville (6) | 1,628 | |
| 31 | Chippenham Town (7) | 0–2 | Maidstone United (6) | 811 |
| 32 | St Albans City (6) | 2–1 | Weston-Super-Mare (6) | 829 |
See also: 2015–16 FA Cup. Winners from the fourth qualifying round advanced to the First round proper, where teams from League One (Level 3) and League Two (Level 4) of English football, operating in The Football League, first enter the competition. See 2015–16 FA Cup for a report of first round proper onwards.
The qualifying rounds aren't covered by the FA Cup's broadcasting contracts held by BBC Sport and BT Sport, although one game was televised.
The following qualifying rounds matches were broadcast live on UK television:
| Round | Tie | Broadcaster | |
| Fourth qualifying round[4] | Margate vs Forest Green Rovers | BT Sport |