There were 32 member clubs in the
Swiss Football Association (ASF/SFV), divided into two tiers of 16 teams each. At the end of the season there would be changes in the ASF/SFV and to the format of the league. These modifications included increasing the number of members in the association by four clubs. It had also been decided to reduce the size of the top tier NLA by four teams and to increase the size of the second-tier NLB by eight teams. In both divisions the teams played a double
round-robin to decide their table positions. The Swiss champions would qualify for the
1987–88 European Cup, the runners-up and third placed team would qualify for the
1987–88 UEFA Cup. The last two placed teams in the NLA would be directly relegated. The four teams in eleventh to fourteenth position would compete a play-out round with the top four teams of the NLB to decide the last two slots in next season's NLA. The last four teams in the NLB would compete a play-off round against the top eight team of the
1. Liga to decide the final eight slots in next season's NLB. ==Nationalliga A==