The League Cup had been created seven seasons earlier to allow clubs from the top two tiers to compete in a tournament in advance of the league season, with the semi-finals and final played in the Autumn. However, this planning had been given up and modified. The idea of a home and away fixture in the first round, as introduced in the previous season, was also rejected. This season the first round was played in advance of the season and the later rounds were played in the second half of the league season. The matches were played in a single knockout format. In the event of a draw after 90 minutes, the match went into extra time. In the event of a draw at the end of extra time, a
penalty shoot-out was to decide which team qualified for the next round. No replays were foreseen. ==First round==