# 1972 Campeonato Gaúcho

The 52nd season of the Campeonato Gaúcho kicked off on January 16, 1972, and ended on August 6, 1972. Twenty-five teams participated. Internacional won their 20th title.

## Participating teams

| Club | Stadium | Home location | Previous season |
| 14 de Julho | Vermelhão da Serra | Passo Fundo | 11th |
| Aimoré | Cristo-Rei | São Leopoldo | 15th |
| Atlético de Carazinho | Paulo Coutinho | Carazinho | – |
| Associação Caxias | Baixada Rubra | Caxias do Sul | 8th |
| Brasil | Bento Freitas | Pelotas | 10th |
| Cachoeira | Joaquim Vidal | Cachoeira do Sul | – |
| Cruzeiro | Beira-Rio | Porto Alegre | 6th |
| Esportivo | Montanha | Bento Gonçalves | 3rd |
| Farroupilha | Nicolau Fico | Pelotas | 24th |
| Gaúcho | Wolmar Salton | Passo Fundo | 7th |
| Grêmio | Pedra Moura | Bagé | 18th |
| Grêmio | Olímpico | Porto Alegre | 2nd |
| Guarany | Estrela D'Alva | Bagé | 16th |
| Internacional | Beira-Rio | Porto Alegre | 1st |
| Internacional | Presidente Vargas | Santa Maria | 13th |
| Nacional | Morro dos Ventos Uivantes | Cruz Alta | – |
| Novo Hamburgo | Santa Rosa | Novo Hamburgo | 5th |
| Pelotas | Boca do Lobo | Pelotas | 12th |
| Riograndense | Eucaliptos | Santa Maria | 14th |
| São José | Passo d'Areia | Porto Alegre | 4th |
| São Paulo | Aldo Dapuzzo | Rio Grande | 21st |
| Sá Viana | Álamos | Uruguaiana | – |
| Santa Cruz | Plátanos | Santa Cruz do Sul | 19th |
| Tamoio | Zona Norte | Santo Ângelo | 22nd |
| Ypiranga | Colosso da Lagoa | Erechim | 17th |

## System

The championship would have two stages.:
* Preliminary phase: Twenty-three clubs would be divided into four groups - one with five teams and three with six. each team played the teams in its group twice. The two best teams in each group qualified to the decagonal.
* Decagonal: The remaining eight teams, now joined by Grêmio and Internacional, would play each other in a double round-robin format. The team with the most points won the title

## Championship
### Preliminary phase
#### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Gaúcho | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 9 | +9 | 13 | Qualified to Decagonal |
| 2 | Esportivo | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 6 | +5 | 12 | Qualified to Decagonal |
| 3 | Tamoio | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 11 | −2 | 8 | |
| 4 | Ypiranga de Erechim | 8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 7 | |
| 5 | 14 de Julho | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 18 | −11 | 0 | |

#### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Associação Caxias | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 7 | +11 | 14 | Qualified to Decagonal |
| 2 | Aimoré | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 12 | Qualified to Decagonal |
| 3 | São José | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 12 | |
| 4 | Internacional de Santa Maria | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 9 | |
| 5 | Nacional de Cruz Alta | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 13 | −6 | 8 | |
| 6 | Atlético de Carazinho | 10 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 15 | −9 | 5 | |

#### Group C

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Cruzeiro | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 5 | +5 | 13 | Qualified to Decagonal |
| 2 | Santa Cruz | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 7 | +5 | 12 | Qualified to Decagonal |
| 3 | Cachoeira | 10 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 12 | |
| 4 | Pelotas | 10 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 11 | −3 | 10 | |
| 5 | Sá Viana | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 12 | −6 | 8 | |
| 6 | Riograndense | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 8 | −4 | 5 | |

#### Group D

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Brasil de Pelotas | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 5 | +11 | 17 | Qualified to Decagonal |
| 2 | Novo Hamburgo | 10 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 3 | +5 | 13 | Qualified to Decagonal |
| 3 | Grêmio Bagé | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 9 | +5 | 12 | |
| 4 | São Paulo | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 12 | −3 | 9 | |
| 5 | Guarany de Bagé | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 7 | |
| 6 | Farroupilha | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 18 | −15 | 2 | |

### Decagonal

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Internacional | 18 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 5 | +37 | 34 | Champions;Campeonato Brasileiro |
| 2 | Grêmio | 18 | 13 | 3 | 2 | 32 | 9 | +23 | 29 | Campeonato Brasileiro |
| 3 | Novo Hamburgo | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 15 | 13 | +2 | 21 | |
| 4 | Associação Caxias | 18 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 16 | +1 | 20 | |
| 5 | Esportivo | 18 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 15 | 18 | −3 | 17 | |
| 6 | Gaúcho | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 18 | −6 | 16 | |
| 7 | Cruzeiro | 18 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 20 | −8 | 16 | |
| 8 | Brasil de Pelotas | 18 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 24 | −15 | 10 | |
| 9 | Aimoré | 18 | 2 | 5 | 11 | 7 | 18 | −11 | 9 | |
| 10 | Santa Cruz | 18 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 29 | −20 | 8 | |