In season 2016, the club finishing in the 14th position would be relegated to V-League 2.
The club that had finished in the 13th position would face the winner of a play-off between the V-League 2's second, third and fourth place clubs for a place in the 2017 V.League 1 season.
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules.
V.League teams are allowed to use two foreign players and one naturalised player[8] The team finishing 13th faced the winner of 2016 V.League 2 play-off II match.
Chu Đình Nghiêm (Hanoi T&T) Gastón Merlo (SHB Danang) Vũ Văn Thanh (Hoang Anh Gia Lai)