The Swiss Football Association (ASF/SFV) had 28 member clubs at this time and these were devided into two divisions of 14 teams each.
The teams played a double round-robin to decide their table positions.
[1] At the end of the NLA season it came to an extraordinary situation, FC Basel finished the regular season level on points with Grasshopper Club Zürich and so these two teams had to contest a play-off game on 8 June 1971 to decide the championship title.
Sion and Fribourg, were level on points, both classes as second last, so they had to compete a play-out against relegation.
[3] Grasshopper Club were championship play-off winners and thus qualified for 1971–72 European Cup.