It was organized by the Portuguese League for Professional Football (LPFP) and contested between the 32 clubs competing in the 2012–13 Primeira Liga and 2012–13 Segunda Liga, the top two tiers of Portuguese football.
Braga eliminated the holders and four-time winners Benfica in a penalty shootout in the semi-finals.
Each team plays against the other three in a single round-robin format, and only the group winners advance to the knockout phase.
The knockout phase consists of semi-finals and one final, both decided in one-legged fixtures.
The 32 teams competing in the two professional tiers of Portuguese football for the 2012–13 season are eligible to participate in this competition.