Compared to the previous year , the A2 series (2nd division) was merged with the top division, which led to an increase in the number of participants from ten to 16. The championship mode was defined as follows: In the basic round, the teams played in two equal groups of eight teams. Each team met the teams in their own group twice and each team in the other group once. Then the top three teams in each group competed in the championship playoff, which was played in a double knockout system . The two group winners received a bye in the first round and only entered the playoffs in the second round.
The following diagram shows the results of the championship playoff. The two group winners received a bye in the first round.
The designations Ax and Bx indicate the group and the placement of the respective team in the basic round. Vx denotes teams that switched from the winning to the losing round, as well as the number of the game which they lost.