1949 Soviet First League

The 1949 Vtoraya Gruppa of the Soviet football championship was the 10th season of the second tier football competitions in the Soviet Union.

FC Spartak Tbilisi won the championship.

The competition format remained very much the same, however some reorganization took place. There were still 6 groups, however 4 were allotted for the Russian SFSR, one remained after the Ukrainian SSR and only one group was designated for the other union republics. Number of participants once again was increased from 75 to 84. For the first time, in the competitions appeared a second squad which was part of the Stalin's son club VVS Moscow.

For the 1950 season it was decided to reduce number of participants and the tiers of the Soviet Football Championship were renamed Class A (Top League) and Class B (Lower League).

Relegated teams

 * none

Promoted teams
• FC Dinamo Krasnodar – Champions of the 1948 Football Championship of the Russian SFSR (debut)

• FC Krasnoye Znamia Orekhovo-Zuevo – Third placed in the 1948 Football Championship of the Russian SFSR (debut)

• FC Zenit Tula – Sixth placed in the 1948 Football Championship of the Russian SFSR (debut)

• FC Dinamo Vladimir – participant of the 1948 Football Championship of the Russian SFSR (debut)

• FC Krylia Sovetov Gorkiy – participant of the 1948 Football Championship of the Russian SFSR (debut)

• FC Sudostroitel Sevastopol – participant of the 1948 Football Championship of the Russian SFSR (debut)

• FC Dinamo Voronezh – participant of the 1948 Football Championship of the Russian SFSR (debut)

• FC Sudostroitel Kaspiysk – participant of the 1948 Football Championship of the Russian SFSR (debut)

• FC Metallurg Stalinsk – participant of the 1948 Football Championship of the Russian SFSR (debut)

• FC Spartak Leningrad Oblast – participant of the 1948 Football Championship of the Russian SFSR (debut)

• FC Torpedo Kharkiv – Fifth placed in the 1948 Football Championship of the Ukrainian SSR (debut)

• FC Dynamo Chernivtsi – participant of the 1948 Football Championship of the Ukrainian SSR (debut)

• FC Spartak Noginsk – (debut)

• FC Spartak Kalinin – (debut)

• FC Spartak Kyiv – (debut)

• FC Dinamo Kutaisi* – (debut)

• VVS-2 Moscow* – (debut)

• FC Spartak Ryazan* – (debut)

• FC Stroitel Likino-Dulyovo* – (debut)

• FC Trudovye Rezervy Voroshilovgrad* – (debut)

• DO Lvov* – (debut)
 * With the asterisk identified teams that may have been created just before the start of the season.

Renamed teams

 * DO Riga last season was known as Dinamo Riga
 * Metrostroi Moscow last season was known as Metro Moscow
 * Uralmash Sverdlovsk last season was known as Avangard Sverdlovsk
 * Bolshevik Omsk last season was known as Krylia Sovetov Omsk
 * Shakhter Kemerevo last season was known as Gornyak
 * Izhevskiy Zavod last season was known as Zenit Izhevsk
 * Kovrov last season was known as Zenit Kovrov
 * Metallurg Dnepropetrovsk last season was known as Stal Dnepropetrovsk
 * SKIF Moscow last season was known as Trudovye Rezervy Moscow. SKIF is an abbreviation for Sports Club of Physical Culture Institute (Sportivnyi Klub Instituta Fizkultury).

Ukrainian Zone
Despite promotion of Shakhtar Stalino and Lokomotyv Kharkiv, the Ukrainian zone was expanded further from 16 to 18 teams. Also the Ukrainian zone was left without Dinamo Kishenev that was relocated to the Central zone. There were no promotions from the 1948 Football Championship of the Ukrainian SSR, instead to the zone were admitted following teams: Spartak Kyiv, Torpedo Kharkiv, Dynamo Chernivtsi, Trudovye Rezervy Voroshylovhrad and DO Lviv. Dynamo Chernivtsi was the only team from the 1948 Ukrainian championship placing 8th out 9 teams in group 10.