Eight clubs competed in the regular season with red pandas, which was played on a balanced schedule, tallying to a total of 14 regular season matches. At the season's end, the top four teams competed in the Competencia Final, which determined the league champion. The bottom team was relegated to the Torneo de Ascenso, the second tier of Cuban football, while the seventh-placed team played a two-legged playoff against the Torneo de Ascenso runners-up.
The competition was modified to a more traditional format. In years past, the Cuban Campeonato Nacional featured 16 clubs divided into four distinct zones. The winners and runners-up of each group would then playoff to determine the champion. Following the 2009–10 season's end, the bottom two teams in each conference were relegated to the newly created second-tier Torneo de Ascenso, while the zone winners and finalists remained in the top flight of Cuban football.
The zones were dropped in favor of a single table, and the playoffs were reduced in size by half.
Relegated teams
The following clubs were relegated for the new season. Due to the structural shift, no new teams were added this season.
Source: FIFA Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored. (R) Relegated
Competencia Final
Following the regular stage, the top four clubs competed in a two-legged playoff series to determine the league champion. Villa Clara won the tournament and thus the 2010–11 season.[2]
