The winning team qualified directly for promotion to the 2017 Veikkausliiga, while the second-placed team had to play a play-off against the eleventh-placed team from Veikkausliiga to decide who wod play in that division.
The bottom two teams were relegated to Kakkonen.
[1] A total of ten teams contested in the league, including six sides from the 2015 season, FF Jaro and KTP who was relegated from Veikkausliiga and GrIFK and KPV who promoted from Kakkonen after winning the promotion play-offs.
MP and VIFK were relegated from 2015 Ykkönen.
PS Kemi, the champion of 2015 Ykkönen and PK-35 Vantaa, the runner-up of 2015 Ykkönen were promoted to the 2016 Veikkausliiga.