1996–97 First League of FR Yugoslavia

The 1996–97 First League of FR Yugoslavia was the fifth season of the FR Yugoslavia's top-level football league since its establishment.

Overview
For the fourth season in a raw that the league was divided in 2 groups, A and B, consisting each of 10 clubs. Both groups were played in league system. By winter break all clubs in each group meet each other twice, home and away, with the bottom four classified from A group moving to the group B, and being replaced by the top four from the B group. At the end of the season the same situation happened with four teams being replaced from A and B groups, adding the fact that the bottom three clubs from the B group were relegated into the Second League of FR Yugoslavia for the next season and replaced by the top three from that league.

At the end of the season FK Partizan were the champions in the second consecutive year.

The league top-scorer was Red Star Belgrade striker Zoran Jovičić with 21 goals.

The relegated clubs were OFK Kikinda, FK Sloboda Užice and FK Mladost Bački Jarak.

Winning squad
Champions: Partizan Belgrade (Coach: Ljubiša Tumbaković)

Players (league matches/league goals) Source:
 * Ivica Kralj (goalkeeper)
 * 🇧🇦 Nikola Damjanac (goalkeeper)
 * 🇲🇰 Viktor Trenevski
 * Bratislav Mijalković
 * Darko Tešović
 * 🇲🇰 Gjorgji Hristov
 * Ivan Tomić
 * Dražen Bolić
 * Mladen Krstajić
 * Predrag Pažin
 * Đorđe Svetličić
 * Dejan Peković
 * Dejan Vukićević
 * Damir Čakar
 * Dragan Ćirić
 * Niša Saveljić
 * Igor Taševski