The Swiss Football Association (ASF/SFV) had 28 member clubs at this time and these were divided into two divisions of 14 teams each.
The teams played a double round-robin to decide their table positions.
The top tier (NLA) was contested by the top 12 teams from the previous season and the two newly promoted teams Luzern and Biel-Bienne.
The last two teams in the league table at the end of the season were to be relegated.
[1] Lugano and FC Thun finished the season level on points in joint first position and both achieved promotion to 1954–55 Nationalliga A.