There were 56 clubs in the 1. Liga, divided into four regional groups, each with 14 teams. Within each group, the teams would play a double
round-robin to decide their league position. Two points were awarded for a win. Due to a modification in the
Nationalliga B (second tier), an increase in the number of teams in the following season, there were to be four direct promotions from the 1. Liga. In the first stage of the play-offs, the four group winners contested a play-off final against one of the four runners-up for the four direct promotion slots. Then in the second stage, the four defeated teams would contest a play-off final against the four last placed teams from the Nationalliga B to decide the last four places in the second tier in the next year. At the other end of the league table the situation was much clearer, the two last placed teams in each group were directly relegated to the
2. Liga (fourth tier). ==Group 1==