| Competition: | 1. Liga |
| Season: | 1971–72 |
| Winners: | 1. Liga champions: FC Young Fellows Zürich Group West: FC Stade Nyonnais Group Cenral: SC Buochs Group South and East: FC Young Fellows Zürich |
| Promoted: | FC Young Fellows Zürich SC Buochs |
| Relegated: | Group West: CS La Tour-de-Peilz FC Minerva Bern Group Central: FC Breitenbach SC Burgdorf Group South and East: FC Rorschach FC Amriswil |
| Matches: | 3 times 156 and 1 decider plus 9 play-offs |
| Prevseason: | 1970–71 |
| Nextseason: | 1972–73 |
The 1971–72 1. Liga was the 40th season of this league since its creation in 1931. At this time, the 1. Liga was the third tier of the Swiss football league system and it was the highest level of amateur football.
There were 39 clubs in the 1. Liga. These were divided into three regional groups, each with 13 teams. Within each group, the teams would play a double round-robin to decide their league position. Two points were awarded for a win. The three group winners and the runners-up contested a play-off round to decide the two promotion slots. The last two placed teams in each group were directly relegated to the 2. Liga (fourth tier).
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASI Audax-Friul[1] | Neuchâtel | Pierre-à-Bot | |
| FC Bern | Bern | Stadion Neufeld | |
| FC Central Fribourg[2] | Fribourg | Guintzet | |
| FC Dürrenast[3] | Bern | Stadion Lachen | |
| CS La Tour-de-Peilz[4] | Vaud | Stade de Bel-Air | |
| FC Le Locle[5] | Neuchâtel | Installation sportive - Jeanneret | |
| FC Meyrin | Geneva | Stade des Arbères | |
| FC Minerva Bern | Bern | Spitalacker | |
| FC Raron[6] | Valais | Sportplatz Rhoneglut | |
| FC Stade Nyonnais | Vaud | Stade de Colovray | |
| FC Thun | Bern | Stadion Lachen | |
| Urania Genève Sport | Geneva | Stade de Frontenex | |
| Yverdon-Sport FC | Vaud | Stade Municipal | |
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| FC Baden | Aargau | Esp Stadium | |
| FC Breite Basel[7] | Basel-City | Stadion Schützenmatte / Landhof | / |
| FC Breitenbach[8] | Solothurn | Grien | |
| SC Burgdorf[9] | canton of Bern | Stadion Neumatt | |
| SC Buochs | Nidwalden | Stadion Seefeld | |
| FC Concordia Basel | Basel-City | Stadion Rankhof | |
| SR Delémont | Jura | La Blancherie | |
| FC Emmenbrücke | Lucerne | Stadion Gersag | |
| FC Laufen | Basel-Country | Sportplatz Nau | |
| FC Nordstern Basel | Basel-Stadt | Rankhof | |
| FC Porrentruy[10] | Jura | Stade du Tirage | |
| FC Solothurn | Solothurn | Stadion FC Solothurn | |
| FC Turgi[11] | Aargau | Sportanlage Oberau | |
| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| FC Amriswil[12] | Thurgau | Tellenfeld | |
| FC Blue Stars Zürich[13] | Zürich | Hardhof | |
| FC Chur | Grisons | Ringstrasse | |
| FC Frauenfeld | Thurgau | Kleine Allmend | |
| US Giubiasco[14] | Ticino | Campo Semine | |
| FC Gossau | St. Gallen | Sportanlage Buechenwald | |
| FC Locarno | Locarno, Ticino | ||
| FC Red Star Zürich | Zürich | Allmend Brunau | |
| FC Rorschach[15] | Schwyz | Sportplatz Kellen | |
| FC Tössfeld[16] | Zürich | Talgut | |
| FC Vaduz | Liechtenstein | Rheinpark Stadion | |
| FC Young Fellows Zürich | Zürich | Utogrund | |
| SC Zug | Zug | Herti Allmend Stadion | |
The decider match for second place was played on 30 May 1972 in Küssnacht. SC Zug win and advance to play-offs. FC Vaduz remain in the division.
The three group winners played a two legged tie against one of the runners-up to decide the three finalists. The games were played on
FC Young Fellows Zürich win 7–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals. SC Buochs win on away goals and continue to the finals. FC Stade Nyonnais qualified as better classed team in the regular season and continue to the finals.
The three first round winners competed in a single round-robin to decide the two promotion slots. The games were played on FC Young Fellows Zürich are 1. Liga champions, SC Buochs are runners-up and these two teams are promoted.