The 36 clubs of the Swiss Football League (Nationalliga) were divided into two tiers.
Each team in each group played a double round-robin in the qualification phase.
The qualification stage of the NLA began on 23 July 1988 and was completed on 11 December.
The teams took half of the points (rounded up to complete units) gained in the qualification as bonus with them.
The two games of the two-legged play-out against relegation between both second last placed teams were played on 3 and 10 June 1989.