Like the previous year's World Championship twelve teams participated, with defending champion USA record and Canada advancing directly to the second round. The other ten teams split into three preliminary groups for the six remaining second round places. But in the preliminary Group C, there was a stalemate among the three teams – all with two points and the same number of goals for and against. As a result, the organizing committee decided, all three teams in Group C should advance. With nine instead of eight teams in the second round, the format was changed from two groups of four teams to three groups of three teams. The group winners advanced directly to the semi-finals. The fourth semi-final position was decided by an extra qualifying round among the second place finishers. The secon