Entries are sorted into league and division (determined at end of season). Clubs that receive exemption are:

Premier League/Football League Championship - Third Round Proper (44)
Football League One and Two - First Round Proper (48)
Football Conference National - Fourth Round Qualifying (22)
Football Conferene North and South - Second Round Qualifying (44) 
Isthmian Prem/Northern Premier Prem/Southern Prem - First Round Qualifying (66)
Isthmian One/Northern Premier One/Southern One East and One West - Preliminary Round (89)
  
Sequence of draws and Allocation of numbers

Extra Preliminary, Preliminary Rounds & First Round Qualifying

These draws will be on a regional basis which is normally divided as follows:

North
Midlands
North Home Counties
South Home Counties
South West

Clubs are sorted into their regional group and then put into alphabetical order and numbered.

Once each draw has been carried out separately the match numbers will be allocated by starting with the North and ending with the South West.

Second Round Qualifying

This draw will be on a regional basis as follows:

North
Midlands
South
South West

Firstly the exempt clubs are put into their respective group, into alphabetical order and numbered. Then the remainder of clubs will also be reorganised and placed into the groups following on from the exempt clubs in that group in their match number order from the previous round. 

Third Round Qualifying

This draw will be in three regional groups:

North
South
South West

Clubs will be put into their respective group and numbered in their match number order from the previous round. 

Fourth Round Qualifying

This draw will be in two regional groups:

North
South

The exempt clubs are put into their respective group, into alphabetical order and numbered first. The remainder of clubs will also be reorganised and placed into the groups following on from the exempt clubs in that group in their match number order from the previous round. 

First Round Proper

From this round onwards the draws are national.

The exempt clubs are numbered first alphabetically and the remainder of clubs will follow on in their match number order from the previous round. 

Second Round Proper

Clubs will carry their match number from the previous round.

Eg. If Grimsby Town v Colchester United was match number 4 in the First Round Proper then the winner would be draw number 4 in the Second Round Proper Draw. 

Third Round Proper

The exempt clubs are numbered first alphabetically and the remainder of clubs will follow on in their match number order from the previous round. 

Fourth Round Proper

Clubs will carry their match number from the previous round.

This process continues for the Fifth Round Proper, Sixth Round Proper and Semi Final Draws.