The English FA, Premier League and English Football League announced on Friday that they would implement a two-week, mid-season break in February from the 2019-20 season onwards.
Premier League matches will still be played every weekend over the period, the FA said in a statement http://www.thefa.com/news/2018/jun/08/mid-season-break-confirmed-080618, with five games being held on the first weekend and five on the second.
"This is a significant moment for English football and one that we believe will greatly benefit both club and country," said FA chief executive Martin Glenn.
"It's no secret that we have a very congested fixture calendar and over recent years we have been working with the whole game to find a solution.
"Today's announcement proves that football can come together for the good of the game."
As a result, FA Cup fifth-round matches will be moved to mid-week and fifth-round replays will be replaced by games which end in a draw going to extra-time and penalties.
The introduction of a winter break brings the English fixture calendar more in line with the top leagues in Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
