Chile from the bottom up – there was difference between the formula of the top two divisions and the third level. Third Division had simpler formula: 24 clubs, divided into two groups – Northern and Southern – which played standard league championship. The top two teams of each group qualified to the second phase, where they played mini-league tournament and the top two qualified to the single match final. The winner was not only champion of Third Division, but also won the single promotion to Second Division. Super Lo Miranda (Lo Miranda) and Grand Prix (Maipu) finished at the top of the Northern Group. Laja (Laja) and Fernandez Vial (Concepcion) – at the top of the Southern Group. In the next stage the Southern teams were vastly superior and took the top spots, going to the final. In the final Fernandez Vial prevailed 1-0.
Fernandez Vial (Concepcion) – winners of Third Division and promoted to the Second. They finished behind their rival Laja (Laja) until the last decisive match, but their inferior position was a bit misleading: with equal points in every stage, Laja topped them only on better goal-difference. Until the final. Fernandez Vial was also the only vaguely familiar club playing in the Third Division.
Second and First division had the same formula – at first the Apertura was played. The semi-finalists got one point to carry to the next tournament and the winner – 2 points. Next was Campeonato Oficial – a standard league championship. The winner was the champions of the year, and at the bottom teams were relegated. Arica and Santiago Morning reached the final of Apertura and Arica won it 1-0.
Deportes Arica – winners of Apertura and earning 2 points to start Campeonato Oficial with. Santiago Morning, Trasandino, and Linares got one bonus points.
One team was relegated – the last of the 22 participants. Union San Felipe finished last with 30 points.
With 31 points Cochagua finished 21st – lucky boys.
A bunch of well known clubs were playing 2nd level football by now and some of them were continuing their downfall.
Santiago Wanderers finished 16th.
Green Cross – Temuco (Temuco), as the club was named at this time, finished 15th.
On the other hand, newcomers were moving up.
Cobresal (El Salvador) was still unknown, but it will be soon – this year they finished 10th. Above Huachipato, Lota Schwager, Green Cross-Temuco, Santiago Wanderers, Ovalle, Iberia.
At the top the race was not only for winning Second Division, but for promotions – 4 teams were promoted. At the end of the season something happened, changing the whole order of things: Aviacion (Santiago), not long ago playing First Division football, finished 3rd , thus earning promotion. But the club decided to stop running as a professional team and withdrew from the league. As a result, Union San Felipe was not relegated, but remained in the league. And the 5th placed team was promoted instead of Aviacion.
Lucky Rangers (Talca) – they were 5th only on better goal-difference and suddenly moved to top flight.
Coquimbo Unido were unlucky – they finished 6th.
Atacama (Copiapo) finished 4th and Santiago Morning (Santiago) – 2nd. If not for the bonus points, the winner of Second Division possibly had to be decided by a play-off: Santiago Morning and the champions ended with equal points and the same goal-difference. But Santiago Morning carried 1 bonus points and Arica – 2. One extra point won them the season.
The new champions of Second Division – Arica.
May be not superior to some of their rivals, but solid and consistent the whole year – winning the Apertura and Campeonato Oficial, winning all. And moving up.
Their rivals were not unhappy, though – promotion likely mattered more than just winning the league. Arica, Santiago Morning, Atacama, and Rangers were joining First Division in the 1982 season.