For the ninth consecutive season, the tournament will be played in a double round-robin system.
The next eight best teams in the standings will earn berths to the Second Stage of the 2012 Copa Sudamericana.
Vitória, Guarani, Goiás and Grêmio Prudente were relegated to the 2011 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B after finishing in the bottom four spots of the table at the end of the 2010 season.
Goiás were relegated to the Série B after eleven seasons of continuous membership in the top football league of Brazil, while Vitória ended a three-year tenure in Série A and Grêmio Prudente ended a two-year appearance.
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules.