For this season, the 12 teams will be divided into four groups of three in the preliminary round which will be played on a round-robin basis. The top two teams from each group qualify for the next round which will be played on a knockout (single elimination) basis.
The 2009 League Cup Final took place on 19 June (Friday) at the Jalan Besar Stadium.
Group stage
The draw for the group stage was held on May 14, 2009. The 12 S-League teams are drawn into 4 groups of 3
Winners and runners up of each group will qualify for the quarter-finals.