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The 1901–02 FA Cup was the 31st staging of the world's oldest association football competition, the Football Association Challenge Cup (more usually known as the FA Cup). Sheffield United won the competition for the second time, beating Southampton 2–1 in the replay of the final at Crystal Palace. The first match had finished 1–1.
Matches were scheduled to be played at the stadium of the team named first on the date specified for each round, which was always a Saturday. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played, a replay would take place at the stadium of the second-named team later the same week. If the replayed match was drawn further replays would be held at neutral venues until a winner was determined. If scores were level after 90 minutes had been played in a replay, a 30-minute period of extra time would be played.
The format of the FA Cup for the season had a preliminary round, five qualifying rounds, an intermediate round, three proper rounds, and the semi-finals and final.
The Intermediate Round featured ten ties, played between the winners from the fifth qualifying round and ten teams exempt to this stage. First Division side Small Heath received a bye to this round, as did Chesterfield, Newton Heath, Woolwich Arsenal, Burnley and Leicester Fosse from the Second Division and Reading, Portsmouth and Millwall Athletic from the Southern League. New Brighton Tower had also been allocated an exemption to this round, but, after the club withdrew from the Football League and disbanded during the summer of 1901, the Football Association ruled that the team drawn to oppose them would be granted a walkover to the first round.
The remaining Second Division sides had to gain entry to this round through the qualifying rounds. Barnsley, Blackpool, Bristol City, Burton United, Burslem Port Vale, Doncaster Rovers, Gainsborough Trinity, Glossop, Lincoln City and Stockport County were all entered in the third qualifying round. Of these, Glossop and Lincoln City reached the Intermediate Round along with non-league sides Bishop Auckland, Darwen, Walsall, Northampton Town, Bristol Rovers, Oxford City, Luton Town and New Brompton. Bishop Auckland, Northampton Town and Oxford City qualified for the competition proper for the first time.
The nine matches were played on 14 December 1901. Two matches went to replays which were played during the following midweek. Oxford City was the recipient of the walkover caused by the withdrawal of New Brighton Tower.
The first round proper contained sixteen ties between 32 teams. 17 of the 18 First Division sides were exempt to this round, as were West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough and Preston North End from the Second Division, and Southern League sides Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, finalists in the two previous seasons. They joined the ten teams who won in the intermediate round.
The matches were played on Saturday 25 January 1902. Seven matches were drawn, with the replays taking place in the following midweek. Two of these then went to a second replay the following week.
The eight second-round matches were scheduled for Saturday, 8 February 1902. There were no replays.
The four quarter final matches were scheduled for Saturday 22 February 1902. There were two replays, played in the following midweek.
The semi-final matches were played on Saturday 15 March 1902. Sheffield United and Derby County drew their tie and had to replay it; this next match also finished in a draw, and so a second replay was played a week later. Sheffield United eventually won and went on to meet Southampton in the final.
The final was contested by Sheffield United and Southampton at Crystal Palace. The match finished 1–1 after extra time, with the goals scored by Alf Common for Sheffield United and Harry Wood for Southampton.
In the replay, which also took place at Crystal Palace, Sheffield United won 2–1, with goals from George Hedley and Billy Barnes. Albert Brown scored Southampton's goal.