A total of 64 clubs played in the third round; 20 winners of the second round, and 44 teams from Premier League and EFL Championship entering in this round. The draw was held on 5 December 2016 at the BT Tower and was broadcast live on BT Sport and BBC Two. The matches were played across the weekend of 6–9 January 2017. The round included one team from Level 7 still in the competition, Stourbridge, who were the lowest-ranked team in this round.