[2] The title holders were Sporting CP, who were eliminated in the fifth round by Braga in a replay of the previous final.
As in the previous season, the competition format was organised in a knockout system consisting of seven rounds before the final match.
A total of 118 teams entered the tournament in the first round, 78 competing in the third-tier Campeonato de Portugal and 40 representatives from the District Football Associations.
[3] Unlike the earlier one-legged rounds, the semi-finals are played as two-legged ties, with home and away matches.
The final is played as a one-off match at a neutral venue, traditionally the Estádio Nacional in Oeiras.
Match kick-off times are in WET (UTC+0) from the fourth round to the semi-finals, and in WEST (UTC+1) during the rest of the competition.
A total of 118 teams from the Campeonato de Portugal (CP) and the District Football Associations (D) entered the first round.
According to the new competition regulations, Segunda Liga sides played their matches away against lower division opponents.
The draw took place on Friday, 23 October 2015, at 12:00 WEST,[8] and unlike previous rounds, was free of restrictions.