for the first time, the crown prince cup tournament will be contested by the 14 teams of the pro league, having been decreased from the 30-team format that had been used since the 2013–14 season. under this new format, the finalists from the previous season will receive a bye to the knockout stage while the remaining 12 enter at the preliminary round. the crown prince cup is played as a knockout cup competition with each tie being played as a single match with the winner advancing to the next round.