14 of the 15 Liga Gimel (3rd tier) clubs which had registered to play in the cup competed in the first round (the 15th, Hapoel Beit Oren received a bye to the second round).[1] Matches were held on 24 November 1951.
All 28 Liga Bet (2nd tier) clubs joined the 8 Liga Gimel club, qualified from the first round. Matches were played on 8 December 1951. The replays were played on 5 January 1952, after a few Saturdays of torrential rain, which prevented any football activity.
The 18 qualified teams were joined by the 12 Liga Alef clubs. Most matches were held on 26 January 1952, with three, of Maccabi Tel Aviv, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Petah Tikva postponed to 16 February 1952, since players of these clubs were with an IDF XI team on a tour in Cyprus.
The 15 qualifiers from the third round were divided into 7 ties, with Maccabi Rishon LeZion receiving a bye to the quarter-finals.[2]
Matches were played on 23 February 1952, with the tie between Hapoel Haifa and Hapoel Tel Aviv going into a double replay, played on 1 March 1952 and 8 March 1952.
The second replay between the teams were abandoned midway through the second half, with Hapoel Tel Aviv leading 2–0, after a Hapoel player was sent off, and the crowd stormed the pitch.[3][4][5] The IFA ordered the teams to play the 23 minutes left in the game on a neutral pitch. Hapoel Haifa appealed the decision, and when the appeal was denied, resigned from the competition.[6][7]
The first semi-final, between Hapoel Petah Tikva and Maccabi Tel Aviv was played on 22 March 1952. The second was delayed for over two months and was finally played on 24 May 1952.
